Pro wrestling climbs back to the top rope

Regional pro wrestling was once a major cultural institution throughout the South. For decades, each state had its own stars like North Carolina's Ric Flair who performed weekly at iconic venues like Raleigh's Dorton Arena. But by the late 1980s, the emergence of a handful of large national wrestling promotions like Vince McMahon’s WWF (now WWE) destroyed that territorial system. 30 years later, regional wrestling is making an unlikely comeback. Featuring: Cliff Bumgardner, documentary filmmaker and director of When Giants Walked Here Chris Lea, WRAL sports reporter, former wrestler and producer of When Giants Walked Here Links: Watch When Giants Walked Here from PBS North Carolina via PBS Passport. You can find a transcript of this episode here. Donate: The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation here. Sign up for WUNC's new Politics Newsletter here.