When It Was Real

Nikita and Benny wish everyone a Happy Easter! This is actually an interview from our former sister podcast (Classic Pro Wrestling With The WFIA) from the Fall of 2025. Our guest is the lovely Desiree Petersen, former WWF Women's Tag Team Champion. Although she wasn't in the business very long, Desiree most definitely made her mark in the world of professional wrestling!

🔥 MSG. 1979. PURE WRESTLING MAGIC. 🔥The Wrestling Wayback Machine lands in the legendary Madison Square Garden on March 26, 1979—and business is about to pick up!
🏆 WWWF Champion Bob Backlund vs. Greg ValentineThe All-American battles “The Hammer” in a hard-hitting main event for the gold!
💥 But that’s just the beginning…This STACKED card features legends at their peak: Bruno Sammartino Ivan Koloff Ivan Putski Peter Maivia Dick Murdoch Dusty Rhodes
🎙️ Join Nikita & Benny as they break down all 9 action-packed bouts, the rivalries, the crowd energy, and the magic that made this era unforgettable!
🕰️ Step inside the ring…Back when it was gritty.Back when it was real.
📺 LIVE Wednesday, March 25th at 7:30 PMOnly on The Playa Entertainment Network
⚡ The Wrestling Wayback Machine rolls on… and YOU’RE invited!
 
#WhenItWasReal #WrestlingWayback #MSG1979 #BobBacklund #GregValentine #BrunoSammartino #DustyRhodes #IvanKoloff #OldSchoolWrestling #TerritoryDays #ProWrestlingHistory #ThePlayaEntertainmentNetwork #ClassicWrestling #WWWF #WrestlingLegends
 

🚨 THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT 🚨
Step inside the legendary Philadelphia Spectrum and witness one of the most STACKED cards of the late ‘70s!
On Episode 56 of When It Was Real, Nikita and Benny fire up the Wrestling Wayback Machine and take you back to March 25, 1978 — a night where legends collided and history was made.
🔥 DOUBLE MAIN EVENT 🔥🏆 Bob Backlund makes his VERY FIRST Spectrum title defense against “The Iron Greek” Spiros Arion💪 “Living Legend” Bruno Sammartino goes to war once again with his bitter rival Ken Patera
💥 BONUS MATCH 💥Lock the cage door… it’s the BRUTAL Philadelphia Spectrum Steel Cage showdown between Bob Backlund and Sgt. Slaughter held on March 21, 1981!
From sold-out crowds to hard-hitting action, this is professional wrestling the way it was meant to be…
🎙️ Join Nikita and Benny as they break it ALL down — the matches, the moments, and the magic of a bygone era.
🕰️ Take the ride… back to when it was REAL.
📅 Wednesday, March 24th⏰ 7:30 PM📺 Only on The Playa Entertainment Network
#WhenItWasReal #WrestlingWaybackMachine #BobBacklund #BrunoSammartino #KenPatera #SpirosArion #SgtSlaughter #PhiladelphiaSpectrum #OldSchoolWrestling #ProWrestlingHistory #TerritoryDays #ClassicWrestling #WrestlingPodcast #PlayaEntertainment

Here is one of our favorite episodes for your listening pleasure! The 1999 Heroes of Wrestling event still evokes controversy, over a quarter century later! Get the straight scoop from Nikita, who was there!

The Wrestling Wayback Machine fires up once again on Episode 55 of the When It Was Real Podcast!* This week, Nikita and Benny land in the mecca of professional wrestling — Madison Square Garden — on March 24, 1980, for one of the most electric nights in wrestling history.
The spotlight shines on the first Madison Square Garden showdown between teacher and student as the Living Legend Bruno Sammartino faces his former protégé Larry Zbyszko in a bitter and deeply personal battle that would ignite one of wrestling’s most unforgettable rivalries.
But the action doesn’t stop there! This legendary card is stacked with some of the biggest names of the era, including the unstoppable Andre the Giant, the powerful Ken Patera, Texas sensation Kerry Von Erich, and a young rising star named Hulk Hogan. And of course, the reigning WWF Champion Bob Backlund is on hand as the Garden crowd witnesses a night packed with larger-than-life personalities and unforgettable moments.
Long before the spectacle of WrestleMania, nights like this were the true supercards of professional wrestling. In many ways, this legendary MSG event was WrestleMania… five years before the first one ever happened!
Join Nikita and Benny as they break down the matches, the rivalries, the atmosphere, and the unforgettable magic of a time when it was real.
📺 LIVE Wednesday, March 18th at 7:30 PM only on the Playa Entertainment Network!👍 Please Like & Subscribe so you never miss an episode of wrestling history.
#WhenItWasReal #WrestlingWaybackMachine #MadisonSquareGarden #BrunoSammartino #LarryZbyszko #AndreTheGiant #HulkHogan #BobBacklund #KenPatera #KerryVonErich #ClassicWrestling #TerritoryEra #ProWrestlingHistory #PlayaEntertainmentNetwork #OldSchoolWrestling

Here's a special bonus episode to get you through the weekend! In this episode, Nikita and Benny talk about those guys we watched on the losing end every Saturday morning! They'd get that one flurry of offense in, only to be put to the mat for the 3 count in short order. But even though they lost, we loved them anyway!

Step into the Wrestling Wayback Machine with Nikita and Benny as Episode 54 of the When It Was Real podcast transports fans back to one of the most electric nights in wrestling history!
On Wednesday, March 11 at 7:30 PM, live on The Playa Entertainment Network (please like and subscribe!), the guys land at the legendary Madison Square Garden on March 17, 1975—a night when the Cathedral of Professional Wrestling was absolutely rocking.
Headlining the card is the second explosive meeting between the beloved Bruno Sammartino, reigning WWWF Champion, and his former friend turned bitter enemy, Spiros Arion, the feared “Iron Greek.” What began as respect had turned into one of the most personal rivalries in Garden history, and the tension inside MSG that night was off the charts.
But this wasn’t just a one-match show. The card featured seven additional bouts packed with stars, action, and classic WWWF storytelling, making it a night every fan in attendance would remember long after the final bell.
Join Nikita Breznikov and Benny “The Playa” Scala as they break down the matches, the atmosphere, the angles, and the magic of an era when wrestling truly felt real.
Tune in and relive the glory days of the Garden!
#WhenItWasReal#WrestlingWaybackMachine#MadisonSquareGarden#BrunoSammartino#SpirosArion#WWWF#ClassicWrestling#TerritoryEra#ProWrestlingHistory#ThePlayaEntertainmentNetwork

While you're waiting for the next episode of When It Was Real, please enjoy this episode from our brother podcast "The Twisted Turnbuckle Podcast." This past Thursday's Episode, "Hollywood Squares Part V!", was easily the best Squares episode ever. Besides the usual hosts of Chris DeCarlo, Mike "The Class" DiGregorio, and Benny "The Playa" Scala, this weeks 'Squares' were:
Podcaster, author and trainer "Positively" Pat Sims
Pro wrestlers Vlad Koloff and "Wildcat" Wendall Cooley
Former Big Time Wrestling announcer Terry Sullivan
Mid-Atlantic Territory Wrestling promoter Lee Petry
Award-Winning professional wrestling historian Tony Richards
This is a can't miss episode and one for the books!

🎉 EPISODE 53 – HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! 🎉
ONE YEAR.52 trips on the Wrestling Wayback Machine.Countless memories from the days… WHEN IT WAS REAL.
On Wednesday, March 4th at 7:30 PM, the celebration goes LIVE on The Playa Entertainment Network — and you do NOT want to miss this one! (Please like and subscribe!)
One year ago, wrestling promoter, author, actor, and manager Nikita Breznikov teamed up with pro wrestling author and podcaster Benny Scala — and the journey has been nothing short of legendary.
For their one-year anniversary spectacular, the guys head back to March 1, 1980 at the legendary Philadelphia Spectrum — the night that changed EVERYTHING.
The main event?The first true clash between mentor and student:Bruno Sammartino vs. Larry Zbyszko.
The betrayal.The build-up.The unprecedented HEAT.
This wasn’t just a match — it was personal. And the fallout would shake the wrestling world to its core.
Nikita and Benny break down the historic main event, the electric atmosphere, and the entire star-studded card — with the passion and perspective that only When It Was Real can deliver.
52 episodes down.Year Two begins NOW.
🔥 Join the celebration.🔥 Relive the emotion.🔥 Remember when wrestling felt REAL.
#WhenItWasReal #HappyAnniversary #WrestlingWaybackMachine #BrunoSammartino #LarryZbyszko #PhiladelphiaSpectrum #TerritoryEra #OldSchoolWrestling #ProWrestlingHistory #ThePlayaEntertainmentNetwork

🚨 The Wrestling Wayback Machine is fueled up and ready…Destination: GLORY! 🚨
On Wednesday, February 25th at 7:30 PM on The Playa Entertainment Network, Episode 52 of When It Was Real transports you back to the hallowed battleground of Madison Square Garden on February 16, 1981 — when wrestling wasn’t sports entertainment… it was WAR.
Standing tall as the embodiment of integrity, WWF Champion Bob Backlund faces his ultimate test against the wild-eyed, cowbell-swinging force of nature known as Stan Hansen. Hansen didn’t come to wrestle — he came to destroy. Could Backlund survive the storm in front of the most demanding crowd in the world?
And that’s not all… the Intercontinental Championship hangs in the balance as the proud Puerto Rican legend Pedro Morales defends against the sadistic drill instructor himself, Sergeant Slaughter. Pride. Pain. Patriotism. Only one walks out with the gold.
This was a night where legends were tested, warriors were forged, and every match meant everything. No scripts. No shortcuts. Just the raw intensity of WHEN IT WAS REAL.
Step inside the Garden. Feel the electricity. Witness history.
#WhenItWasReal #MadisonSquareGarden #BobBacklund #StanHansen #PedroMorales #SergeantSlaughter #WWF #TerritoryEra #OldSchoolWrestling #WrestlingHistory #PlayaEntertainmentNetwork #WrestlingWaybackMachine #1981Wrestling #IntercontinentalChampionship #ClassicWrestling