Category: Fannin’s Flashbacks

Episode 34 of #FanninsFlashbacks is live! On this episode, Jim is joined by the last IWA Mid South Heavyweight champion in Fannin Family history and the longest reigning IWA Mid South champion in history: Dingo. Hear Dingo talk about how he fell in love with wrestling at a young age and then a chance encounter at work led to him meeting the person that helped him get his foot in the door to becoming a professional wrestler. Dingo talks about how he got his name and using different versions of it while working the St. Louis area with Delirious, Matt Sydal, MsChif, Gary Jay and Daizee Haze. Why did he take longer to get to IWA than they did? Then they dive into Dingo’s time in IWA and their eventual pairing together that led to two tag team matches. All this and more on this episode of Fannin’s Flashbacks!

Be sure to follow Jim on X – https://x.com/jfannin73
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jfannin73
Subscribe to his Youtube channel – https://www.youtube.com/@sportsfannin

And if you have a subscription to IWTV, you can now watch episodes of the podcast on there. These episodes will often contain added match footage from the SMV library. If you aren’t subscribed yet, now is the time to sign up and flashback to the great IWA action!

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Episode 33 of #FanninsFlashbacks is live! This week the show is a little different after the scheduled guest canceled and a replacement couldn’t be found in time. So on this episode, Jim and Nick Maniwa watched Something to Prove on their own and took notes and then hopped on zoom and talked about it. Next week is the 21st anniversary and next month, Dark Side of the Ring will air its episode on Samoa Joe vs Necro Butcher.

This includes several patented Jim rants about traveling with Ian, Ian’s business decisions, not catching people on dives, CZW, missing Mickie Knuckles win the IWA women’s title because he was kicked off commentary by CM Punk and of course they talk about Joe vs Necro. All this and more on this episode of Fannin’s Flashbacks!

Be sure to follow Jim on X – https://x.com/jfannin73
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jfannin73
Subscribe to his Youtube channel – https://www.youtube.com/@sportsfannin

And if you have a subscription to IWTV, you can now watch episodes of the podcast on there. These episodes will often contain added match footage from the SMV library. If you aren’t subscribed yet, now is the time to sign up and flashback to the great IWA action!

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Episode 32 of Fannin’s Flashbacks is live! On this episode, Jim is joined by one of his commentary partners, a jack of all trades in the wrestling industry, Michael Zee. Listen as Michael Z discusses his start in the wrestling business stemming from the lack of seriousness
on the commentary for shows upsetting some of the talent.

Like Nick Maniwa and myself, Michael found himself doing it all on shows: refereeing, ring announcing, commentary, filming, whatever it took to make the show go. The one thing that eluded him that he wanted to do more of was booking. The same task that always eluded me on these
shows. Hear about the struggle to be able to have more input than just putting something out there for the tryout shows. What was it like trying to work with me when I had one foot out the door and actively didn’t want to be there anymore? How did my hatred for the whole damn state of Michigan impact our working relationship? All that and more
on this episode!

Be sure to follow Jim on X – https://x.com/jfannin73
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jfannin73
Subscribe to his Youtube channel – https://www.youtube.com/@sportsfannin

And if you have a subscription to IWTV, you can now watch episodes of the podcast on there. These episodes will often contain added match footage from the SMV library. If you aren’t subscribed yet, now is the time to sign up and flashback to the great IWA action!

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Episode 31 of Fannin’s Flashbacks is live! On this episode, Jim is joined by one of the craziest, toughest, most talked about deathmatch wrestlers from the early 2000s: Brandon Prophet. Jim and Brandon talk about the upcoming WrestleArts show this weekend in Indianapolis on Saturday May 23rd. Brandon wrestles “Mr. Insanity” Toby Klein one last time before Brandon retires in November after 30 years in the business. Also on that show, Connor Hopkins takes on David Ali for the Smashd Midwest Burgers WrestleArts Triple Crown Championship.

Listen to Brandon explain how he broke his arm against Necro Butcher but finished the match using the broken arm as a weapon and never took any time off from the ring. The NRBW 3 way against Necro and Corporal that let Brandon know that he could hang with the best deathmatch guys in the business even at a very young age. Brandon and Jim discuss Brandon getting knocked out during the razor blade board match as Corporal Robinson had to replace Ian because Ian was too afraid to do the match himself. Hear about the first IWA Deep South King of the Death Matches getting shut down by the police because of Brandon match vs. Diehard Dustin Lee. All that and more on this episode!

Be sure to follow Jim on X – https://x.com/jfannin73
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jfannin73
Subscribe to his Youtube channel – https://www.youtube.com/@sportsfannin

And if you have a subscription to IWTV, you can now watch episodes of the podcast on there. These episodes will often contain added match footage from the SMV library. If you aren’t subscribed yet, now is the time to sign up and flashback to the great IWA action!

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Episode 30 of Fannin’s Flashbacks is live! On this episode, Jim is joined by the newest announced members of #TheFanninFamily: Tryout Show Rejects John Wayne Murdoch & Reed Bentley along with Nick Maniwa.
The discussion begins with talking about the upcoming shows at Bloodstone Wrestling on 6/12 in Chicago and PAWCADE in Jeffersonville, IN on 6/27 against Sean Ross Sapp and STEVE!
The conversation then dives into comparing Jim’s era of IWA Mid South to The Rejects’ era and Nick as a member of both. Did Ian Rotten really mellow with age? How did Ian and a strip club owner try to out-carny each other? What happened to lead to a basically blind Ian beating JWM with a kendo stick by accident during a brawl at a show? What were the infamous Ian Rotten locker room speeches like? All that and more on this episode!

Be sure to follow Jim on X – https://x.com/jfannin73
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jfannin73
Subscribe to his Youtube channel – https://www.youtube.com/@sportsfannin

And if you have a subscription to IWTV, you can now watch episodes of the podcast on there. These episodes will often contain added match footage from the SMV library. If you aren’t subscribed yet, now is the time to sign up and flashback to the great IWA action!

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Episode 29 of #FanninsFlashbacks is live! On this episode, Jim is joined by a former 2X IWA Mid South Light Heavyweight Champion, a multiple time finalist in the KOTDMs, and a soon to be GCW Deathmatch HOFer, Dysfunction! Listen to them discuss Dysfunction breaking into the business for MAW and feuding with Ian pretty early in his career. How bad were the beatings from Ian and what did it take to finally get Ian to stop taking advantage of him in the ring? Did Dysfunction really actually lose the light heavyweight title in a strip club after winning it? Relive the KOTDM tournaments that Dysfunction competed in and whether he liked the barbed wire canvas more than Nate Webb did. Hear Dysfunction’s thoughts on the upcoming induction into the GCW Deathmatch HOF next month. All that and more on this episode!

Be sure to follow Jim on X – https://x.com/jfannin73
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jfannin73
Subscribe to his Youtube channel – https://www.youtube.com/@sportsfannin

And if you have a subscription to IWTV, you can now watch episodes of the podcast on there. These episodes will often contain added match footage from the SMV library. If you aren’t subscribed yet, now is the time to sign up and flashback to the great IWA action!

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Episode 28 of Fannin’s Flashbacks is live! On this episode, Jim talks with the leader of The Lock Family, Brian Vinson. Brian was a fan at IWA shows from the beginning of the Kmart building days even before Jim started going to IWA. The Lock Family were backyard wrestlers that all ended up getting involved in IWA. Richard X. Brent Blades. J Prodigy. Nathan Future. Daniel Quinn. Chris Class. Brian eventually started doing commentary with Nick Maniwa on the IWA shows after Jim left the company. They talk about all the members of the Lock Family, the Shooting Stars/Flash Flanagan shoot, the Wolfie D/Ox Harley shoot, the Corporal Robinson/Ox Harley shoot, the Richard X flaming table spot gone horribly wrong. Brian was there for the Atomic Dog incident and gives his incite to the birth of The Toughest Damn Ring Announcer in the Business. These strolls down memory lane of the beginning era of IWA and so much more on this episode!

Be sure to follow Jim on X – https://x.com/jfannin73
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jfannin73
Subscribe to his Youtube channel – https://www.youtube.com/@sportsfannin

And if you have a subscription to IWTV, you can now watch episodes of the podcast on there. These episodes will often contain added match footage from the SMV library. If you aren’t subscribed yet, now is the time to sign up and flashback to the great IWA action!

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Episode 27 of #FanninsFlashbacks is live! On this episode, Jim talks with one of the two people that he led to TWO reigns as IWA Mid South Heavyweight Champion, a member of The Superheroes, “Rugby Thug” Trent Baker! On this episode, Rugby Thug talks about breaking into wrestling in Ohio, finding out about IWA Mid South, and being brought in to do a short feud with Corporal Robinson. After feuding with Corporal for months, the Superheroes are formed and Rugby wins the IWA title. He talks facing Punk, Cabana, Hero, Ian, Road Dogg, Blue Meanie, and Nova. Thug also talks about competing in KOTDM and Sweet Science before it became TPI. All that and more on this episode!

Be sure to follow “Rugby Thug” Trent Baker on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@trentbaker2452

Be sure to follow Jim on X – https://x.com/jfannin73
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jfannin73
Subscribe to his Youtube channel – https://www.youtube.com/@sportsfannin

And if you have a subscription to IWTV, you can now watch episodes of the podcast on there. These episodes will often contain added match footage from the SMV library. If you aren’t subscribed yet, now is the time to sign up and flashback to the great IWA action!

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Episode 26 of Fannin’s Flashbacks is live! On this episode, Jim is joined by a former IWA Mid-South heavyweight champion, a former IWA Mid-South Tag Team Champion via the Freebird Rule and a general pain in the ass to The Fannin Family in 2004 and 2005 IWA…TRIK DAVIS! It’s a deep dive on Trik’s career in IWA Mid-South from his debut at We Are Family up until he won the IWA Mid-South title. Hear about the incident with Cash Flo where Trik’s chest was turned into hamburger from all the chops. Hear about Trik teaming with The Road Dogg against Ryan Boz and Jim. Hear about Trik running through practically the entire Fannin Family leading up to War Games and then surprisingly not being involved in War Games at all. The feud with Chris Hero and eventually winning the title and what that meant to Trik. All that and more on this week’s episode.

Be sure to follow Jim on X – https://x.com/jfannin73
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jfannin73
Subscribe to his Youtube channel – https://www.youtube.com/@sportsfannin

And if you have a subscription to IWTV, you can now watch episodes of the podcast on there. These episodes will often contain added match footage from the SMV library. If you aren’t subscribed yet, now is the time to sign up and flashback to the great IWA action!

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Episode 25 of Fannin’s Flashbacks is live! On this episode, Jim is joined by the newest member of The Fannin Family, “The Pretty Hate Machine” Connor Hopkins. They talk about Connor’s parents hating wrestling and him having to lie to them to start training. Connor talks about wrestling in towns so small across northern Illinois and North Dakota that even Ian Rotten wouldn’t have tried running there! Connor then talks about the life changing event that was the COVID pandemic shutdown that led to IWTV showing the 2004 TPI on a livestream and Connor falling in love with that event and wanting to be managed by Jim. They then talk about everything that happened at WrestleArts and trying to build a chemistry on the fly in about 10 minutes. Who would Connor like to join him in the Family? What does Jim want out of this second act of his career? All that and more on this week’s episode.

You can email BookJimFannin@gmail.com or chopkins1998@yahoo.com to book The Fannin Family for your show.

Be sure to follow Jim on X – https://x.com/jfannin73
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jfannin73
Subscribe to his Youtube channel – https://www.youtube.com/@sportsfannin

And if you have a subscription to IWTV, you can now watch episodes of the podcast on there. These episodes will often contain added match footage from the SMV library. If you aren’t subscribed yet, now is the time to sign up and flashback to the great IWA action!

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Episode 24 of Fannin’s Flashbacks is live! On this episode, Jim is joined by one of the best videographers in indie wrestling today: Jeremy Spears AKA Prophet of Ash Video. This episode is a little different than normal as the majority of the episode is spent flashing back to last weekend and talking about Jim’s return to managing. Jeremy filmed the Friday night show and had it up for viewing on IWTV before the weekend was over! Jeremy was also around IWA before Jim originally left the business so they do talk old IWA, how Jeremy was the one that made the thumbtack bat that Jim almost killed Billy Gram with at the 500th show, and how Jeremy is the one who editing the podcast episodes for release on IWTV with the added match footage included. So watch this on IWTV if you have a subscription and see Jim’s promo from his comeback and some footage! All that and more on this episode of #FanninsFlashbacks.

Here is a code for a free $15 on whatnot to use at Jeremy’s store:
https://whatnot.com/invite/prophetofash

Be sure to follow Jim on X – @JFannin73
Subscribe to his Youtube channel – https://www.youtube.com/@sportsfannin

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Episode 23 of Fannin’s Flashbacks is live! On this episode, Jim is joined by one of the baddest motherfuckers on the planet, the leader of the BMFers, big, bad, BULL Motherf*ckin’ PAIN! Bull talks about growing up as an AWA fan in Wisconsin and then the difficulty in trying to break into the business in an era where everything was highly guarded and closed off to newcomers. The list of amazing talent that Bull worked with in beginning of his career is the who’s who of 1980s professional wrestling. Brody, Slaughter, Bockwinkel, Rockers, Freebirds, Hennig, Hart Foundation, Road Warriors, Haku, British Bulldogs, and Rougeaus. What were young Rick Steiner, Nailz, Brad Rheingans, and Tom Zenk like? What was it like working a show in a women’s prison? And yes we even talk a little bit about IWA and working Tracy Smothers, Sal Sincere, Paul Diamond, Buddy Landel, Ted Petty, and yes Ian Rotten. All that and more on this episode of #FanninsFlashbacks.

Be sure to follow Jim on X – @JFannin73
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Loved ones send in their tributes to our friend – Mark Wolf

Thank you – Adam, Brent, Brian, Bull, Carmen, Chad, Chris, Chuck, Frank, Jason, Jim, Jon, Leslie, Mickie, Mike, Nick, Pete, Rich, Tarek & Victoria.

Go back and listen to Fannin’s Flashbacks – Episode 8 – Mark Wolf for the full Mark Wolf episode. The greatest episode this podcast will ever do. We love you, Marky

Be sure to follow Jim on X – @JFannin73
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Episode 21 of Fannin’s Flashbacks is live! On this episode, Jim is joined by the lovely, talented, multi-tasking, “hotter than a toaster” RAIN! In this episode, Rain talks about her troubles being taken seriously about wanting to wrestle when first breaking into the business until she found Horace the Psychopath and eventually met Lacey. That turned into working in MAW and meeting Ian Rotten. What was the first match that Ian Rotten mentioned to Rain when she asked about working IWA and why did she immediately say “that’s not what I do?” What was it like working at first in IWA? Who has been stealing credit for coming up with the comment that Rain was “hotter than a toaster” for the last 24 years and who actually deserves the credit/blame? Was IWA different once Ian started bringing in more female wrestlers to face Mickie Knuckles? What was it like when Volcano Girls happened? What was different between IWA and Shimmer? All that and more on this episode of #FanninsFlashbacks.

Rain’s website BMaxFitness
Follow Rain on X – @Radiant_Rain & Instagram – @bmaxfitness

Be sure to follow Jim on X – @JFannin73
Subscribe to his Youtube channel – https://www.youtube.com/@sportsfannin

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Episode 20 of #FanninsFlashbacks is live now!

This episode has all the dirt that you’ve been wanting to know. What really happened between @jimmyjacobsx and Ian Rotten that led to THE INCIDENT? What really happened between Jimmy and I in Plainfield with the barbed wire bat shot heard round the world? What really happened when Jimmy came back to IWA? This is a long one because there was a lot of hatchets to bury and bridges to try to rebuild. But you’ll want to stick around to the end for the closure and the words that you never thought would be said. Plus Jimmy Jacobs finally tells what the true inspiration was for The List of Jericho. All that and more on this episode.

Be sure to follow Jim on X – @JFannin73
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Episode 19 of Fannin’s Flashbacks is LIVE~! On this episode, Jim sits down with his little brother, Pro Wrestling’s BFF, Nick Maniwa.

Jim and Nick tell road stories including how they became best of friends after going to the 2001 Morris vs Joliet Catholic state championship game that led to the show in Morris with CM Punk vs Eddie Guerrero. They talk about almost getting shot in Dayton, Ohio at a McDonald’s. How about the night they killed the Easter Bunny? Did anyone die from alcohol poisoning while playing the “Nick Maniwa hit the music” drinking game? They also talk a lot about IWA after Jim left. Who were the best? Who would Jim have hated the most? All that and more on this episode.

Be sure to follow Jim on X – @JFannin73
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Episode 18 of #FanninsFlashbacks is live! On this episode, it’s the finale, part 3, of the marathon ask Jim anything extravaganza. Guest host, Tripping Balls, got to put Jim on the hot seat and really dig up the dirt. The topics of conversation on this episode include why does Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn hate Jim Fannin? Why did Ian retire so many times? I shit all over Manslaughter yet again. What was the best night of my IWA run? If I was stranded on a deserted country road with 2 flat tires and miles away from help and Jimmy Jacobs drove by and offered to help…would I accept the help? All this and more on this episode!

Make sure you subscribe to Tripping Balls’ YouTube Channel as a thank you for his guesting hosting for almost six hours for this marathon recording that got edited down into 3 episodes. YouTube.com/@crusherbonesforever

Be sure to follow Jim on X – @JFannin73
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Episode 17 of Fannin’s Flashbacks is live! On this episode, it’s part two of the marathon ask Jim anything extravaganza. Guest host, Tripping Balls, got to put Jim on the hot seat and really dig up the dirt. The topics of conversation on this episode include BB Walls, Shaq Daddy vs Jim for biggest screwup on an elbow drop/leg drop in a match. Jim’s thoughts on Thumbtack Jack aren’t for the faint of heart. What did Jim really think about Tripping Balls’ dad, Crusher Bones? What really happened with Big Vision and the missing show footage? What were Jim’s feelings when Danny Daniels, Dave Prazak, and Brad Bradley quit IWA on a show he was in charge while Ian was at a different show? All this and more on this episode!

Make sure you subscribe to Tripping Balls’ YouTube Channel as a thank you for his guesting hosting for almost six hours for this marathon recording that got edited down into 3 episodes. YouTube.com/@crusherbonesforever

Be sure to follow Jim on X – @JFannin73
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Episode 16 of Fannin’s Flashbacks is live! On this episode, the tables are turned on Jim and this time he is the one being interviewed. Guest host, Tripping Balls, got to put Jim on the hot seat and really dig up the dirt. Hear about an alleged drug dealer trying to launder money thru IWA that almost ended up with buying a theater in New Albany to run shows. Did Jim really beat up Atomic Dog that led to Tracy Smothers calling him the “toughest damn ring announcer in the business”? What was the meanest thing Ian Rotten ever said to him? What does Jim think about comedy wrestling and interpromotional feuds? All this and more on this episode!

Make sure you subscribe to Tripping Balls’ YouTube Channel as a thank you for his guesting hosting for almost six hours for this marathon recording that got edited down into 3 episodes. YouTube.com/@crusherbonesforever

Be sure to follow Jim on X – @JFannin73
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