Episode 3: Tonga John, Brian Adams, and Tully Blanchard
What do The Barbarian, Crush, and a future Four Horseman all have in common? They each passed through Portland Wrestling on their way to bigger things.
In this episode of On to Better Things: The Portland Chapters, Frank Culbertson looks back at three very different careers:
A young rookie named Tonga John, who would later rise to fame as The Barbarian in the WWF.
Brian Adams, who went from the masked American Ninja in Portland to championships, Demolition, and the Crush persona.
And Tully Blanchard, whose brief 1979 stop included teaming with Roddy Piper before cementing his place in wrestling history as one of the Four Horsemen.
Three wrestlers. Three unique Portland chapters. All part of the territory’s reputation as the place where legends got their start.
Based on The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by historian Mike Rodgers—available now on Amazon.
🎧 Follow On to Better Things: The Portland Chapters on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. New episodes every Friday!
