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Going Ringside Ep. 1: How Jacksonville became the center of the wresting world

‘Going Ringside with The Local Station’ streams its first episode March 1, 2023

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – When Jacksonville became the center of the world of professional wrestling over the past five years News4JAX began to take notice. We have been chronicling the rise of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) started by Tony Khan, son of Jaguars owner Shad Khan.

HOUSTON, TX - JANUARY 01: Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan and son Tony Khan speak with Houston Texans CEO Cal McNair and wife Hannah McNair at NRG Stadium on January 1, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) (2023 Cooper Neill)

MORE EPISODES: GOING RINGSIDE WITH THE LOCAL STATION

Their initial investment of a reported $100 Million to begin the second largest wrestling promotion in the county has the nation talking. With a prime-time show on TBS (formerly TNT) often broadcasting live from Daily’s Place we couldn’t ignore this huge thing happening in our city. And now there’s even talk the Khans could be an interested buyer in WWE. So, we are starting, “Going Ringside with The Local Station,” a weekly podcast that will focus on everything that happens in and out of the squared circle.

Wrestler CM Punk, left, shakes hands with All Elite Wrestling CEO Tony Khan during a press conference in Chicago, Aug. 20, 2021. All Elite Wrestling goes into the summer with plenty of momentum. Khan's professional wrestling promotion recently celebrated its third anniversary in Las Vegas, where it held its first show in 2019, and made its first trip last week to Southern California. (All Elite Wrestling via AP)

But this podcast will go way beyond AEW. We will touch on every wrestling company and every era. From the rise of Hulk Hogan to Steve Austin setting the industry on fire in the late 90′s. We’ll even touch on Dusty Rhodes tearing up the Florida territory locally in the 1970s.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 04: Hulk Hogan attends WWE 20th Anniversary Celebration Marking Premiere of WWE Friday Night SmackDown on FOX at Staples Center on October 04, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images) (2019 Getty Images)
HOUSTON - APRIL 05: Stone Cold Steve Austin salutes the crowd one last time at "WrestleMania 25" at the Reliant Stadium on April 5, 2009 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/WireImage) (Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 03: WWE Hall of Fame member Dusty Rhodes attends the 2011 WWE Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Philips Arena on April 3, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Moses Robinson/Getty Images) (2011 Moses Robinson)

Another thing we’ll touch on is the incredible overlap of pro wrestling and politics. We’re planning a deep dive into whether Dwayne Johnson could realistically run for President (as has been talked about nationally for years) and pro wrestling’s role in how Florida responded to the pandemic.

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 19: XFL owner Dwayne Johnson looks on from the sideline during the first half of the XFL game between the DC Defenders and the Seattle Sea Dragons at Audi Field on February 19, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) (2023 Scott Taetsch)

And don’t forget, River City Wrestling Con is expected to bring some big names to the Jacksonville Fairgrounds in June. We’ll cover that as well.

So if you’re a fan of pro-wrestling in any era, there are a lot of places you can find this podcast so here we go...to listen....look for “Going Ringside with The Local Station” on Apple, Spotify, Google Play or any of your favorite podcast players. To watch the podcast…go to the News4JAX YouTube channel or find it on News4JAX plus app. Again, I’ll be dropping a new episode every Wednesday and our first episode is already out.


About the Author
Scott Johnson headshot

Scott is a multi-Emmy Award Winning Anchor and Reporter, who also hosts the “Going Ringside With The Local Station” Podcast. Scott has been a journalist for 25 years, covering stories including six presidential elections, multiple space shuttle launches and dozens of high-profile murder trials.

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