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PODCAST

When It Was Real

Step into the squared circle of yesteryear with When It Was Real, the ultimate throwback podcast for fans of the golden era of professional wrestling. Each week, this deep-dive audio experience transports listeners to the gritty, unfiltered days of the 1970s World Wide Wrestling Federation, when larger-than-life characters and blood-and-guts rivalries captivated fans and made wrestling feel real. Hosted by two of wrestling’s most passionate historians, When It Was Real is your ringside seat to the

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All Episodes

53:23

Bonus Episode - The Slam Session - Money In The Bank...

When It Was Real ·

2026/10/10

Since it's gonna be a long and rainy weekend in many places, here's a bit of extra content...Benny does this show with WhattaDay Joe Lowry every Friday afternoon...If you are a fan of the current product, this might be worth a listen!

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110:34

When It Was Real - Episode 84 - Madison Square Garden...

When It Was Real ·

2026/10/08

🚨 WHEN IT WAS REAL – EPISODE 84! 🚨MADISON SQUARE GARDEN… OCTOBER 19, 1981! The World's Most Famous Arena is packed! The championship is on the line! And two of the toughest men of the era are about to collide in a Main Event that would become one of the most controversial battles in Madison Square Garden history! This Wednesday night, Nikita Breznikov and Benny “The Playa” Scala fire up the Wrestling Wayback Machine and turn the clock back 45 years to an unforgettable night of old-school

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110:40

When It Was Real - Episode 83 - Madison Square Garden...

When It Was Real ·

2026/10/01

🔥 WHEN IT WAS REAL – EPISODE 83! 🔥📅 LIVE Wednesday, September 30 at 7:30 PM ET 📺 The Playa Entertainment Network This week, Nikita Breznikov and Benny “The Playa” Scala fire up the Wrestling Wayback Machine and travel back to Madison Square Garden – September 26, 1977! 🏆 WWWF CHAMPIONSHIP SHOWDOWN! 🏆 The flamboyant, charismatic and controversial reigning WWWF Champion “Superstar” Billy Graham puts the gold on the line against one of his greatest rivals — “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes! Two

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106:55

When It Was Real - Episode 82 - Madison Square Garden...

When It Was Real ·

2026/09/24

WHEN IT WAS REAL – EPISODE 82! 🔥🏟️ MADISON SQUARE GARDEN – SEPTEMBER 24, 1979 ⛓️ THE MAIN EVENT – A STEEL CAGE MATCH! ⛓️ WWF CHAMPION BOB BACKLUND vs. PAT PATTERSON! This Wednesday night, Nikita Breznikov and Benny “The Playa” Scala fire up the Wrestling Wayback Machine and head back to the Mecca of Professional Wrestling — Madison Square Garden on September 24, 1979! And waiting for us inside that unforgiving steel cage is a battle for the ages! Reigning WWF Champion Bob Backlund steps inside

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92:14

When It Was Real - Episode 81 - Madison Square Garden...

When It Was Real ·

2026/09/17

🚨 WHEN IT WAS REAL — EPISODE 81! 🚨🗓️ LIVE Wednesday, September 16 at 7:30 PM ET 📺 The Playa Entertainment Network This week, Nikita Breznikov and Benny “The Playa” Scala fire up the Wrestling Wayback Machine and travel back to the Mecca of Professional Wrestling — Madison Square Garden — on September 22, 1980! And what a blockbuster card awaits us! 🏆 WWF Champion Bob Backlund vs. Harley Race! Two World Champions collide as Backlund steps into the ring against the legendary, multi-time NWA

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121:06

When It Was Real - Episode 80 - Philadelphia Spectrum...

When It Was Real ·

2026/09/10

🔥 WHEN IT WAS REAL – EPISODE 80 🔥🏟️ PHILADELPHIA SPECTRUM – SEPTEMBER 18, 1982! 🏟️ Fire up The Wrestling Wayback Machine, because this week Nikita and Benny are heading back to the City of Brotherly Love for a blockbuster night of old-school WWF action! 📅 Wednesday, September 9 ⏰ 7:30 PM ET on The Playa Entertainment Network This week, the Wrestling Wayback Machine lands at the legendary Philadelphia Spectrum on September 18, 1982, for a 7-match card packed with championship action! 🏆 WWF

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110:01

When It Was Real - Episode 79 - Madison Square Garden...

When It Was Real ·

2026/09/03

🔥 WHEN IT WAS REAL – EPISODE 79 🔥🏟️ MADISON SQUARE GARDEN – AUGUST 30, 1982 🏟️ 📅 LIVE Wednesday, September 2 ⏰ 7:30 PM ET 📺 The Playa Entertainment Network Hop on the Wrestling Wayback Machine, because Nikita Breznikov and Benny “The Playa” Scala are heading back to Madison Square Garden on August 30, 1982 for another unforgettable night from professional wrestling’s glory days! 🏆 FOUR CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES ON ONE CARD! 🏆 The main event features reigning WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund

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107:22

When It Was Real - Episode 78 - Madison Square Garden...

When It Was Real ·

2026/08/27

🔥 WHEN IT WAS REAL – EPISODE 78 🔥🏟️ MADISON SQUARE GARDEN – AUGUST 29, 1977 🏟️ Fire up the Wrestling Wayback Machine because this week, Nikita Breznikov and Benny “The Playa” Scala are heading back to the legendary Madison Square Garden for an unforgettable night of old-school professional wrestling! 📅 LIVE Wednesday, August 26th ⏰ 7:30 PM ET 📺 The Playa Entertainment Network This week’s card features an EPIC DUAL MAIN EVENT! 🏆 WWWF WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP The reigning champion puts

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81:29

When It Was Real - BONUS EPISODE - Madison Square...

When It Was Real ·

2026/08/23

It's a wet weekend (at least here in Florida!), so here's one of our most popular episodes to tide you over till the sun comes out...Nikita and Benny commandeer the Wrestling Wayback Machine back to the Mecca of Professional Wrestling, Madison Square Garden, on May 19, 1980...The main event featured WWF Champion Bob Backlund taking on one of his toughest opponents, former Olympian Ken Patera...Plus an undercard filled with legends and Hall of Famers!

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100:09

When It Was Real - Episode 77 - Madison Square Garden...

When It Was Real ·

2026/08/20

🔥 WHEN IT WAS REAL — EPISODE 77 🔥🏟️ MADISON SQUARE GARDEN — AUGUST 7, 1976 🏟️ 📅 LIVE Wednesday, August 19 at 7:30 PM ET 📺 The Playa Entertainment Network Step inside the Wrestling Wayback Machine as When It Was Real returns to Madison Square Garden for one of the most brutal and unforgettable nights of the 1970s! This week, Nikita Breznikov and Benny “The Playa” Scala travel back 50 years to August 7, 1976, when the legendary Bruno Sammartino defended the WWWF Heavyweight Championship against

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90:41

When It Was Real - Episode 76 - The (Chair) Shot...

When It Was Real ·

2026/08/13

🔥 WHEN IT WAS REAL – EPISODE 76 🔥🪑 “THE (CHAIR) SHOT HEARD ’ROUND THE WORLD” 🪑 📅 LIVE Wednesday, August 12 at 7:30 PM 🎙️ VERY SPECIAL GUEST: LARRY ZBYSZKO! It remains one of the most shocking, unforgettable moments in professional wrestling history. Larry Zbyszko was the protégé. Bruno Sammartino was the mentor...the teacher...the hero...and, to millions of wrestling fans, THE LIVING LEGEND. Then came the moment that changed everything. In 1980, teacher and student stepped into the ring for

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2:02

When It Was Real - BONUS CONTENT - Larry and Bruno!...

When It Was Real ·

2026/08/09

Today marks the 46th anniversary of the epic Steel Cage Match at Shea Stadium between Larry Zbyszko and Bruno Sammartino. Larry will be our very special guest this Wednesday (August 12th), but to hold you until then, we give you the World Premiere of "Larry and Bruno", written by Benny "The Jet" Scala...Enjoy and have a great weekend!

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109:58

When It Was Real - Episode 75 - Madison Square Garden...

When It Was Real ·

2026/08/06

The Wrestling Wayback Machine returns to the World's Most Famous Arena as Nikita and Benny take you back to Madison Square Garden on August 28, 1978, for another unforgettable night in professional wrestling history!This incredible card is packed from top to bottom with legendary names and future Hall of Famers, showcasing the World Wide Wrestling Federation at the height of its popularity. Every match delivered the larger-than-life personalities, fierce rivalries, and unforgettable action that

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100:49

When It Was Real - Episode 74 - Madison Square Garden...

When It Was Real ·

2026/07/30

WHEN IT WAS REAL – Episode 74Madison Square Garden – August 1, 1977 The Wrestling Wayback Machine is headed back to the Mecca of Professional Wrestling as Nikita Breznikov and Benny "The Playa" Scala relive another unforgettable night from Madison Square Garden on August 1, 1977! The main event is an absolute classic as the beloved Bruno Sammartino once again challenges the flamboyant and controversial World Wide Wrestling Federation Champion, Superstar Billy Graham, in one of the defining

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101:41

When It Was Real - Episode 73 - Madison Square Garden...

When It Was Real ·

2026/07/23

WHEN IT WAS REAL – EPISODE 73Madison Square Garden – July 30, 1983 LIVE Wednesday, July 22 • 7:30 PM ET Only on The Playa Entertainment Network 🚨 Destination: Madison Square Garden – July 30, 1983! 🚨 This week, The Wrestling Wayback Machine heads back to the legendary Madison Square Garden, the undisputed Mecca of Professional Wrestling, for another unforgettable night in WWF history! Join Nikita Breznikov and Benny "The Playa" Scala as they break down every match, every moment, and every memory

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102:48

When It Was Real - Episode 72 - Madison Square Garden...

When It Was Real ·

2026/07/16

WHEN IT WAS REAL – Episode 72 🗓️ LIVE Wednesday, July 15 • 7:30 PM ET 📺 Exclusively on The Playa Entertainment Network 🚨 The Wrestling Wayback Machine is fueled up and ready for another unforgettable trip through professional wrestling history! This week, Nikita Breznikov and Benny "The Playa" Scala return to the Mecca of Professional Wrestling, Madison Square Garden, for the legendary card of July 30, 1979. The summer of '79 was scorching, and so was the action inside the World's Most Famous

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104:02

When It Was Real - Episode 71 - July...Hot As Hell!

When It Was Real ·

2026/07/09

🔥 WHEN IT WAS REAL – EPISODE 71 🔥 LIVE Wednesday, July 8th at 7:30 PM ET only on The Playa Entertainment Network! 🌡️ JULY...HOT AS HELL! 🌡️ The temperature is rising, and so is the excitement as Nikita Breznikov and Benny "The Playa" Scala fire up the Wrestling Wayback Machine for another unforgettable trip into professional wrestling's golden age! This week, the guys break down the epic July 16, 1977 card from the Baltimore Civic Center, featuring some of the biggest stars and hottest rivalries

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103:26

When It Was Real - Episode 70 - Madison Square Garden...

When It Was Real ·

2026/07/02

Every Wednesday night at 7:30 PM, climb aboard The Wrestling Wayback Machine with Nikita Breznikov and Benny "The Playa" Scala as they transport you back to the golden age of professional wrestling... WHEN IT WAS REAL! From legendary championship battles and unforgettable rivalries to the larger-than-life personalities who built the business, Nikita and Benny relive the matches, moments, and memories that made wrestling truly special. Every week, the guys break down classic cards, celebrate the

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118:51

When It Was Real - BONUS EPISODE - The Three Amigos!

When It Was Real ·

2026/06/27

Happy Weekend to all! Here for your listening pleasure is one of our all-time favorite episodes...WWE Hall of Famer Johnny Rodz, 5-Time WWF World Tag Team Champion Tony Garea, and the man with the PhD in Professional Wrestling, Davey O'Hannon...More affectionately known as The Three Amigos! If you like listening to some great stories from some true wrestling legends, look no further!

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109:03

When It Was Real - Episode 69 - Madison Square Garden...

When It Was Real ·

2026/06/25

🚨 THE WRESTLING WAYBACK MACHINE IS HEADED BACK TO THE MECCA! 🚨 This Wednesday night at 7:30 PM, Episode 69 of When It Was Real takes a trip to one of the most legendary cards in professional wrestling history as Nikita Breznikov and Benny "The Playa" Scala set the controls for Madison Square Garden on June 30, 1973! The World's Most Famous Arena was packed with some of the biggest stars and future Hall of Famers the wrestling business has ever produced. We're talking about a card loaded with

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