WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.459 Welcome back to the Deep Dive. We have a trivia 00:00:02.459 --> 00:00:04.320 question for you to kick things off today. Oh, 00:00:04.339 --> 00:00:05.960 I'm ready for this. Let's hear it. All right, 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:09.220 picture the landscape of 1985. The American Wrestling 00:00:09.220 --> 00:00:12.539 Association is drawing major houses. Who was 00:00:12.539 --> 00:00:15.160 the American professional wrestler operating 00:00:15.160 --> 00:00:17.980 under the moniker Mr. Electricity who managed 00:00:17.980 --> 00:00:20.739 to take the World Tag Team Championship off the 00:00:20.739 --> 00:00:23.440 notoriously protected, incredibly dominant Road 00:00:23.440 --> 00:00:25.859 Warriors? You know, trying to envision anyone 00:00:25.859 --> 00:00:28.059 stepping into the ring and effectively grounding 00:00:28.059 --> 00:00:30.940 Hawk and Animal during their absolute physical 00:00:30.940 --> 00:00:35.479 prime is, it's difficult enough. Taking their 00:00:35.479 --> 00:00:37.759 belts is another level entirely. It really is. 00:00:37.820 --> 00:00:39.259 Now, if you are sitting there pointing at your 00:00:39.259 --> 00:00:41.920 speakers and shouting William Regal, hold that 00:00:41.920 --> 00:00:43.520 thought. Yeah, we need to clear that up right 00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:45.520 away. Exactly. We are clearing up a frequent 00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:47.719 misconception surrounding the source text for 00:00:47.719 --> 00:00:50.399 today's analysis. The subject of our dive is 00:00:50.399 --> 00:00:52.759 Stephen Michael Regal, born in Fort Lauderdale 00:00:52.759 --> 00:00:56.460 in 1951. He is the original Mr. Electricity. 00:00:56.460 --> 00:00:58.679 We are not discussing the English wrestler who 00:00:58.679 --> 00:01:00.799 later adopted the William Regal ring name and, 00:01:00.820 --> 00:01:03.920 you know. found prominence in the late 90s. Right. 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:05.980 And the confusion is totally understandable, 00:01:06.239 --> 00:01:08.980 considering the legacy that the Regal name eventually 00:01:08.980 --> 00:01:11.439 carried in the industry. But Stephen Michael 00:01:11.439 --> 00:01:14.420 Regal's own trajectory, it offers a remarkably 00:01:14.420 --> 00:01:17.140 unvarnished look at the realities of the business. 00:01:17.640 --> 00:01:20.060 during a really volatile era. OK, let's unpack 00:01:20.060 --> 00:01:22.700 this. We are taking the Wikipedia article on 00:01:22.700 --> 00:01:26.640 the 1951 Steve Regal and using his career as 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:30.359 a lens, a lens to examine the transient, often 00:01:30.359 --> 00:01:33.579 punishing ecosystem of 1970s and 80s professional 00:01:33.579 --> 00:01:36.230 wrestling. It's a fascinating ecosystem, too. 00:01:36.329 --> 00:01:38.269 Oh, absolutely. You are going to hear the story 00:01:38.269 --> 00:01:40.530 of a worker who captured championships across 00:01:40.530 --> 00:01:43.569 multiple promotions, navigated the industry's 00:01:43.569 --> 00:01:46.329 most significant transitional period, and ultimately 00:01:46.329 --> 00:01:48.430 made some really profound personal decisions 00:01:48.430 --> 00:01:50.650 about his place within it. And understanding 00:01:50.650 --> 00:01:52.969 his journey, I mean, it really requires looking 00:01:52.969 --> 00:01:55.569 at the mechanics of the territory system he broke 00:01:55.569 --> 00:01:57.930 into. Right, because this was way before national 00:01:57.930 --> 00:02:01.010 television homogenization. Exactly. The landscape 00:02:01.010 --> 00:02:03.650 was a patchwork of regional empires. You had 00:02:03.650 --> 00:02:06.790 the AWA in the Midwest, Pacific Northwest wrestling 00:02:06.790 --> 00:02:09.449 up in Oregon, Jim Crockett promotions down south. 00:02:09.949 --> 00:02:13.250 Sustaining a career meant relentless travel between 00:02:13.250 --> 00:02:15.990 those borders. Just constantly on the road. Constantly. 00:02:16.009 --> 00:02:18.830 And it also demanded a high level of psychological 00:02:18.830 --> 00:02:22.099 adaptability. a working style that generated 00:02:22.099 --> 00:02:25.120 heat in Indianapolis might fall completely flat 00:02:25.120 --> 00:02:27.560 in Portland. You had to read the regional crowds. 00:02:27.879 --> 00:02:29.800 Yes, you had to read the crowds and adjust your 00:02:29.800 --> 00:02:32.319 ring psychology accordingly night after night. 00:02:32.539 --> 00:02:35.680 Well, his entry into that specific world began 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:39.740 in a uniquely integrated way. His first documented 00:02:39.740 --> 00:02:43.280 match took place on August 29, 1975, against 00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:46.000 Mike Snyder. He was breaking in with the Indianapolis 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:48.719 -based World Wrestling Association, the WWA, 00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:50.500 which was under the control of... of Dick the 00:02:50.500 --> 00:02:53.280 Bruiser and Wilbur Snyder. And the source material 00:02:53.280 --> 00:02:55.400 highlights a detail about his personal life that 00:02:55.400 --> 00:02:57.819 profoundly intersects with his professional start. 00:02:57.900 --> 00:03:00.620 Oh, the high school connection. Yeah. Regal actually 00:03:00.620 --> 00:03:03.500 met his future wife, Cindy, while they were attending 00:03:03.500 --> 00:03:05.500 Pike High School. And Cindy just so happened 00:03:05.500 --> 00:03:07.939 to be Wilbur Snyder's daughter. Which is wild. 00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:11.520 Entering the business through the WWA was rugged 00:03:11.520 --> 00:03:14.240 enough on its own, given Dick the Bruiser's reputation. 00:03:15.730 --> 00:03:18.409 Marrying into the promoter's family added an 00:03:18.409 --> 00:03:21.389 entirely different layer of pressure and expectation. 00:03:21.750 --> 00:03:24.189 It is the ultimate example of marrying into the 00:03:24.189 --> 00:03:26.409 family business. I mean, the dinner table dynamics 00:03:26.409 --> 00:03:28.689 alone must have been fascinating. Oh, to be a 00:03:28.689 --> 00:03:30.770 fly on the wall for those dinners. Right. But 00:03:30.770 --> 00:03:33.349 he clearly didn't rely on the family connection 00:03:33.349 --> 00:03:36.009 to carry him. He put in the miles. He built his 00:03:36.009 --> 00:03:38.319 credibility on the road. He certainly did. By 00:03:38.319 --> 00:03:41.199 1979, he was finding serious traction in the 00:03:41.199 --> 00:03:43.060 tag team ranks down in the Continental Wrestling 00:03:43.060 --> 00:03:46.539 Association. He formed a team with Hector Guerrero. 00:03:46.740 --> 00:03:49.060 And in November of that year, they captured the 00:03:49.060 --> 00:03:52.199 AWA Southern Tag Team Championship by defeating 00:03:52.199 --> 00:03:55.000 the Blonde Bombers, Larry Latham and Wayne Farris. 00:03:55.199 --> 00:03:57.460 Taking the belts off Latham and Farris, who the 00:03:57.460 --> 00:03:59.599 audience might recognize better by his Lato persona, 00:03:59.860 --> 00:04:02.800 the Honky Tonk Man. Oh, wow. Right. Yeah, that 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:05.879 demonstrates that the CWA bookers trusted Regal 00:04:05.879 --> 00:04:07.659 to carry the narrative weight of a major. title 00:04:07.659 --> 00:04:10.840 program. He was proving his reliability as an 00:04:10.840 --> 00:04:13.280 in -ring worker. And that reliability translates 00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:16.399 into an intense schedule when he moves to Don 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:18.819 Owen's Pacific Northwest wrestling territory 00:04:18.819 --> 00:04:22.279 by 1981. The workload he shouldered up there 00:04:22.279 --> 00:04:25.740 is staggering. PNW is infamous for that. In July 00:04:25.740 --> 00:04:29.540 of 1981, Regal and Matt Bourne win the NWA Pacific 00:04:29.540 --> 00:04:32.639 Northwest Tag Team Championship from Rip Oliver 00:04:32.639 --> 00:04:35.569 and the Destroyer. Then, right in the middle 00:04:35.569 --> 00:04:37.529 of trading those tag bets back and forth with 00:04:37.529 --> 00:04:39.709 teams featuring guys like Buddy Rose and Stan 00:04:39.709 --> 00:04:43.680 Stasiak, Regal enters a tournament. A singles 00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:46.399 tournament. Yes, on August 15th for the vacant 00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:49.160 NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship. 00:04:49.560 --> 00:04:52.019 And he wins it. He is simultaneously carrying 00:04:52.019 --> 00:04:54.160 the top singles belt and the tag team belts for 00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:56.379 the entire territory. Holding dual championships 00:04:56.379 --> 00:04:59.699 in a promotion like PNW, you're essentially the 00:04:59.699 --> 00:05:02.240 structural load -bearing pillar of the company's 00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:04.480 live event loops. The guy holding the whole thing 00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:06.879 up. Exactly. You're working multiple times a 00:05:06.879 --> 00:05:09.720 night or wrestling hour -long broadways, constantly 00:05:09.720 --> 00:05:11.779 defending those titles across the Pacific Northwest 00:05:11.779 --> 00:05:14.339 circuit. The physical taxation of that schedule 00:05:14.339 --> 00:05:16.920 inevitably catches up to a worker. And the source 00:05:16.920 --> 00:05:20.500 confirms that physical toll. In December of 1981, 00:05:20.759 --> 00:05:22.740 just months after becoming a double champion, 00:05:23.399 --> 00:05:25.680 Regal is forced to vacate the heavyweight title 00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:28.600 due to injury. Which is so common back then. 00:05:28.680 --> 00:05:30.740 The territory system demanded everything, and 00:05:30.740 --> 00:05:33.779 eventually the body forces a stop. But he recovers, 00:05:33.899 --> 00:05:36.300 and the subsequent chapter of his career is where 00:05:36.300 --> 00:05:39.290 his defining persona really takes hold. What's 00:05:39.290 --> 00:05:41.730 fascinating here is the evolution of his status 00:05:41.730 --> 00:05:44.569 when he settles into Vern Gagne's American Wrestling 00:05:44.569 --> 00:05:47.870 Association. Regal had worked AWA dates on and 00:05:47.870 --> 00:05:50.750 off since 1976, but his full -time return in 00:05:50.750 --> 00:05:53.709 the mid -1980s coincided with a substantial promotional 00:05:53.709 --> 00:05:56.509 push. This is the era where Mr. Electricity becomes 00:05:56.509 --> 00:05:59.310 a staple of the Midwest wrestling diet. He enters 00:05:59.310 --> 00:06:02.189 a protracted bitter feud with Buck Zemhoff centering 00:06:02.189 --> 00:06:04.709 around the AWA World Light Heavyweight Championship. 00:06:05.129 --> 00:06:07.410 Classic feud. He drops a match to him at Super 00:06:07.410 --> 00:06:10.069 Sunday in April 1983, but eventually claims the 00:06:10.069 --> 00:06:13.550 championship on March 25, 1984. And the booking 00:06:13.550 --> 00:06:15.870 surrounding Regal hits an absolute fever pitch 00:06:15.870 --> 00:06:19.209 in the fall of 1985. We have to look at the timeline 00:06:19.209 --> 00:06:21.529 of a single weekend in September. The sequencing 00:06:21.529 --> 00:06:24.629 of events over those two days offers a masterclass 00:06:24.629 --> 00:06:27.870 in 1980s wrestling booking and how to maximize 00:06:27.870 --> 00:06:31.170 talent visibility. OK, so on September 28th, 00:06:31.170 --> 00:06:34.709 1985, at the Super Clash event, Regal defends 00:06:34.709 --> 00:06:37.050 his light heavyweight title against Brad Reingans. 00:06:37.449 --> 00:06:40.529 He secures the victory via distraction from Jimmy 00:06:40.529 --> 00:06:43.290 Garvin, leaning heavily into established heel 00:06:43.290 --> 00:06:46.089 tactics. Madrid heel work. Right. But the very 00:06:46.089 --> 00:06:48.970 next night, September 29th, the narrative shifts 00:06:48.970 --> 00:06:52.670 gears entirely. Regal and Garvin form an alliance 00:06:52.670 --> 00:06:55.470 to challenge the Road Warriors for the AWA World 00:06:55.470 --> 00:06:57.870 Tag Team Championship. The Road Warriors. And 00:06:57.870 --> 00:06:59.750 with an assist from Michael Hayes interfering 00:06:59.750 --> 00:07:02.930 on their behalf, Regal and Garvin win the belts. 00:07:03.269 --> 00:07:05.750 Consider the internal logic required to make 00:07:05.750 --> 00:07:08.529 that title change work. Hawk and Animal were 00:07:08.529 --> 00:07:11.490 a generational phenomenon, booked as nearly indestructible 00:07:11.490 --> 00:07:14.110 forces of nature. Transitioning the belts away 00:07:14.110 --> 00:07:16.529 from them required outside interference and the 00:07:16.529 --> 00:07:18.430 combined heat of the fabulous Freebird. It took 00:07:18.430 --> 00:07:20.819 a village to beat them. It really did. Placing 00:07:20.819 --> 00:07:22.439 the light heavyweight champion into that volatile 00:07:22.439 --> 00:07:24.779 mix and having him emerge with the tag titles 00:07:24.779 --> 00:07:27.540 elevated Regal's perceived stock within the AWA 00:07:27.540 --> 00:07:30.620 instantly. Now, here's where it gets really interesting 00:07:30.620 --> 00:07:33.259 regarding his cultural footprint. Because of 00:07:33.259 --> 00:07:35.399 his visibility carrying both the light heavyweight 00:07:35.399 --> 00:07:37.939 and tag team championships during this hot period 00:07:37.939 --> 00:07:41.779 for the AWA, Regal was selected for the AWA Remco 00:07:41.779 --> 00:07:44.519 action figure line. Securing an action figure 00:07:44.519 --> 00:07:47.500 in the mid -1980s was a definitive metric of 00:07:47.500 --> 00:07:50.139 mainstream penetration. Whoa, huge. Before the 00:07:50.139 --> 00:07:52.300 video game market dominated childhood entertainment, 00:07:52.680 --> 00:07:55.379 having your likeness cast in plastic meant you 00:07:55.379 --> 00:07:57.279 had crossed over from being a regional arena 00:07:57.279 --> 00:08:00.620 attraction. to a tangible fixture in living rooms 00:08:00.620 --> 00:08:03.139 nationwide. He was a recognized commodity in 00:08:03.139 --> 00:08:05.699 the States, definitely, but his in -ring acumen 00:08:05.699 --> 00:08:08.160 was also being utilized overseas. The source 00:08:08.160 --> 00:08:10.379 points out his involvement with all Japan pro 00:08:10.379 --> 00:08:12.560 wrestling during this era. The Japanese tours 00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:15.339 are a critical piece of his resume. Working for 00:08:15.339 --> 00:08:19.339 AJPW in 1982 and 1985 required adapting to strong 00:08:19.339 --> 00:08:22.439 style. Which is very different. Very. It prioritized 00:08:22.439 --> 00:08:25.139 stiff, highly physical striking and rigorous 00:08:25.139 --> 00:08:27.639 grappling techniques that differed sharply from 00:08:27.639 --> 00:08:30.279 the standard American Territory main event style. 00:08:30.699 --> 00:08:32.620 And he wasn't just working the undercard over 00:08:32.620 --> 00:08:35.659 there. During the summer action series and the 00:08:35.659 --> 00:08:38.320 heatwave tours, Regal is positioned alongside 00:08:38.320 --> 00:08:42.139 massive, notoriously tough workers like Harley 00:08:42.139 --> 00:08:45.340 Race, Stan Hansen, and the Destroyer. They are 00:08:45.340 --> 00:08:48.220 locked in a fear with the Isshin Gundon faction, 00:08:48.580 --> 00:08:52.009 taking on Ricky Choshu and Killer Khan. Sharing 00:08:52.009 --> 00:08:54.450 the ring with Hanson and Choshu means your fundamental 00:08:54.450 --> 00:08:57.190 mechanics have to be flawless. It serves as peer 00:08:57.190 --> 00:09:00.690 validation. Promotions do not place a 220 -pound 00:09:00.690 --> 00:09:03.490 American in multi -man tags with their top domestic 00:09:03.490 --> 00:09:06.690 draws and most protected foreign talent unless 00:09:06.690 --> 00:09:09.850 that worker is exceptionally reliable at making 00:09:09.850 --> 00:09:12.490 the offense look credible. He clearly possessed 00:09:12.490 --> 00:09:14.669 that elite technical foundation. He brings that 00:09:14.669 --> 00:09:16.490 foundation back to the States and transitions 00:09:16.490 --> 00:09:20.230 into Jim Crockett promotions in 1986. JCP was 00:09:20.230 --> 00:09:22.009 the dominant force in the National Wrestling 00:09:22.009 --> 00:09:24.529 Alliance at the time, laying the groundwork for 00:09:24.529 --> 00:09:26.970 what would become WCW. And he hits the ground 00:09:26.970 --> 00:09:28.669 running. He really does. He makes an immediate 00:09:28.669 --> 00:09:30.309 impact in their junior heavyweight division. 00:09:30.470 --> 00:09:34.110 On August 2, 1986, he captures the NWA World 00:09:34.110 --> 00:09:36.210 Junior Heavyweight Championship from Denny Brown. 00:09:36.809 --> 00:09:39.210 Capturing a secondary title in JCP during that 00:09:39.210 --> 00:09:42.009 specific year meant navigating a highly competitive 00:09:42.009 --> 00:09:44.309 locker room filled with some of the best in -ring 00:09:44.309 --> 00:09:46.950 performers of the decade. While the reign was 00:09:46.950 --> 00:09:49.269 brief, he dropped it back to Brown roughly a 00:09:49.269 --> 00:09:51.889 month later. It added another significant credential 00:09:51.889 --> 00:09:55.690 to his name. The JCP run concludes with a poetic 00:09:55.690 --> 00:09:58.460 bit of matchmaking. His final bout for the promotion 00:09:58.460 --> 00:10:01.320 in September 1986 was against Hector Guerrero, 00:10:01.440 --> 00:10:04.039 the same man he won his first major tag team 00:10:04.039 --> 00:10:06.399 championship alongside seven years earlier in 00:10:06.399 --> 00:10:09.580 the CWA. That symmetry provides a clean closing 00:10:09.580 --> 00:10:11.639 bracket to his time in the traditional territories. 00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:14.659 The subsequent move he makes reflects the changing 00:10:14.659 --> 00:10:16.759 economic gravity of the wrestling business at 00:10:16.759 --> 00:10:18.940 that exact moment in history. Regal heads to 00:10:18.940 --> 00:10:21.220 the World Wrestling Federation. Here we go. On 00:10:21.220 --> 00:10:25.419 September 16, 1986, he debuts for the WWF, teaming 00:10:25.419 --> 00:10:27.320 with Terry Gibbs in a match against George the 00:10:27.320 --> 00:10:30.720 Animal Steel and the Junkyard Dog. Vince McMahon's 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:32.980 promotion is in the throes of its massive national 00:10:32.980 --> 00:10:35.980 expansion, riding the wave of Hulkamania. Yet 00:10:35.980 --> 00:10:39.100 for a worker who has held gold in the AWA, PNW, 00:10:39.340 --> 00:10:43.440 CWA, and JCP, the WWF utilizes him in a starkly 00:10:43.440 --> 00:10:45.879 different capacity. The shift in his presentation 00:10:45.879 --> 00:10:47.960 is directly tied to the corporate philosophy 00:10:47.960 --> 00:10:51.419 of the WWF at the time. The promotion was rapidly 00:10:51.419 --> 00:10:53.600 crystallizing its aesthetic around size. The 00:10:53.600 --> 00:10:56.559 land of the giants. Precisely. They were marketing 00:10:56.559 --> 00:10:59.679 the product as a clash of titans, heavily favoring 00:10:59.679 --> 00:11:02.580 wrestlers with exaggerated, heavily muscled physiques 00:11:02.580 --> 00:11:05.600 and towering heights. Regal is listed at 6 '1 00:11:05.600 --> 00:11:09.600 and 220 pounds. In Don Owen's territory, or the 00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:12.919 AWA, that makes him a believable, agile champion. 00:11:13.710 --> 00:11:17.049 In the 1986 WWF, placed next to the top of their 00:11:17.049 --> 00:11:20.269 card, the visual contrast is severe. Consequently, 00:11:20.450 --> 00:11:22.889 despite allowing him to retain the Mr. Electricity 00:11:22.889 --> 00:11:25.529 moniker, the WWF booked him strictly as enhancement 00:11:25.529 --> 00:11:28.370 talent. A jobber. Yes. He wasn't given promotional 00:11:28.370 --> 00:11:30.490 backing, character arcs, or competitive matches. 00:11:30.830 --> 00:11:33.269 His function was to take the pinfall and make 00:11:33.269 --> 00:11:35.490 the established stars look formidable on television 00:11:35.490 --> 00:11:37.509 tapings. Transitioning from pinning the road 00:11:37.509 --> 00:11:39.590 warriors to serving as a mechanism to put over 00:11:39.590 --> 00:11:42.549 the jinkyard dog requires a massive recalibration 00:11:42.549 --> 00:11:45.230 of ego. This raises an important question about 00:11:45.230 --> 00:11:47.330 longevity and self -preservation in the wrestling 00:11:47.330 --> 00:11:51.049 industry. Regal's tenure in the WWF lasted less 00:11:51.049 --> 00:11:53.950 than a single month. His final appearance was 00:11:53.950 --> 00:11:56.629 a televised loss to Tito Santana and Pedro Morales, 00:11:56.769 --> 00:12:00.169 taped on October 29. Walking away from the largest 00:12:00.169 --> 00:12:02.269 promotion in the world after just a few weeks 00:12:02.269 --> 00:12:05.590 is a rarity. The source notes that Regal consciously 00:12:05.590 --> 00:12:08.570 opted out. He cited the notoriously grueling 00:12:08.570 --> 00:12:11.149 nature of the WWF's national and international 00:12:11.149 --> 00:12:14.169 touring schedule. He chose to preserve his physical 00:12:14.169 --> 00:12:16.590 health and prioritize being home with his family. 00:12:16.970 --> 00:12:19.289 Evaluating the landscape, the relentless travel 00:12:19.289 --> 00:12:21.789 demands, the physical accumulation of bumps, 00:12:21.950 --> 00:12:24.230 and the hard ceiling placed on his upward mobility 00:12:24.230 --> 00:12:27.370 due to the company's size bias, he executed a 00:12:27.370 --> 00:12:29.750 pragmatic exit. He recognized the diminishing 00:12:29.750 --> 00:12:32.029 returns of trading his health for a spot at the 00:12:32.029 --> 00:12:34.419 bottom of the card. But he doesn't abandon the 00:12:34.419 --> 00:12:36.940 industry entirely. He finds a venue where he 00:12:36.940 --> 00:12:40.379 can operate on his own terms. In 1988, he surfaces 00:12:40.379 --> 00:12:42.899 in Chicago for the launch of a new independent 00:12:42.899 --> 00:12:46.120 promotion, Windy City Pro Wrestling. Regal is 00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:47.860 crowned their inaugural heavyweight champion 00:12:47.860 --> 00:12:51.080 on April 3, 1988. The independent scene that 00:12:51.080 --> 00:12:53.940 began fracturing in the late 80s provided a haven 00:12:53.940 --> 00:12:56.279 for experienced territory workers who wanted 00:12:56.279 --> 00:12:58.440 to control their own dates. He doesn't just hold 00:12:58.440 --> 00:13:02.000 the WCPW title. He carries the promotion. He 00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:04.019 retains that championship for an astonishing 00:13:04.019 --> 00:13:07.679 619 days. He is working main events against established 00:13:07.679 --> 00:13:10.080 names transitioning out of the national spotlight, 00:13:10.399 --> 00:13:13.039 defending against Jim Brunzel and Ken Pitera. 00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:16.639 He finally drops the belt in December 1989, but 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:19.759 remains a sporadic presence in WCPW through 1995. 00:13:20.220 --> 00:13:22.519 He officially retires from in -ring competition 00:13:22.519 --> 00:13:25.879 in 1996. Closing out his career by anchoring 00:13:25.879 --> 00:13:28.379 a startup promotion allowed him to dictate his 00:13:28.379 --> 00:13:30.919 own schedule and leverage his decades of ring 00:13:30.919 --> 00:13:33.279 psychology without the destructive demands of 00:13:33.279 --> 00:13:35.539 the national touring circuits. The timeline of 00:13:35.539 --> 00:13:37.919 his life came to an end recently. Stephen Michael 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:41.080 Regal passed away on July 30, 2025 at the age 00:13:41.080 --> 00:13:44.289 of 73. dealing with heart issues, specifically 00:13:44.289 --> 00:13:47.509 aortic stenosis. A notable aspect of his passing 00:13:47.509 --> 00:13:50.690 is the delay in its public acknowledgement. The 00:13:50.690 --> 00:13:53.169 news did not circulate until December of 2025. 00:13:54.649 --> 00:13:56.830 Maintaining that level of privacy regarding his 00:13:56.830 --> 00:13:59.149 death aligns with the quiet dignity he demonstrated 00:13:59.149 --> 00:14:01.570 when he chose to step away from the glare of 00:14:01.570 --> 00:14:04.809 the WWF four decades earlier. So what does this 00:14:04.809 --> 00:14:07.370 all mean for you listening today? Looking at 00:14:07.370 --> 00:14:09.990 Steve Regal's career offers a blueprint for navigating 00:14:09.990 --> 00:14:13.269 a highly volatile profession. He proved his utility 00:14:13.269 --> 00:14:16.350 in Memphis tag matches, Portland marathons, Japanese 00:14:16.350 --> 00:14:19.669 strong style, and AWA main events. He built a 00:14:19.669 --> 00:14:22.690 resume defined by adaptability. If we connect 00:14:22.690 --> 00:14:25.350 this to the bigger picture, the heroism in Regal's 00:14:25.350 --> 00:14:28.029 story is found in his boundaries. The prevailing 00:14:28.029 --> 00:14:30.490 narrative in highly competitive industries dictates 00:14:30.490 --> 00:14:32.870 that you must endure any indignity or physical 00:14:32.870 --> 00:14:34.990 cost to remain on the largest possible stage. 00:14:35.670 --> 00:14:38.889 Riegel evaluated the WWF, recognized that the 00:14:38.889 --> 00:14:41.470 systemic biases and scheduling demands were detrimental 00:14:41.470 --> 00:14:43.970 to his well -being and his family, and he walked 00:14:43.970 --> 00:14:46.509 away. He refused to compromise his values for 00:14:46.509 --> 00:14:48.750 the sake of proximity to the spotlight. He knew 00:14:48.750 --> 00:14:51.090 his value as a worker. He didn't need to break 00:14:51.090 --> 00:14:53.350 his body functioning as enhancement talent when 00:14:53.350 --> 00:14:55.809 he could go to Chicago, build a new promotion, 00:14:56.009 --> 00:14:59.710 and carry a championship for 619 days. He controlled 00:14:59.710 --> 00:15:02.950 his own exit. Which leaves us with a compelling 00:15:02.950 --> 00:15:05.580 hypothetical. regarding the era he operated in. 00:15:05.879 --> 00:15:09.220 We noted the WWF's strict adherence to the Land 00:15:09.220 --> 00:15:12.139 of the Giants aesthetic during their 1980s national 00:15:12.139 --> 00:15:14.960 expansion. It dictated the entire presentation 00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:17.399 of the product. Consider the alternative scenario. 00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:20.179 If the largest promotion in the world hadn't 00:15:20.179 --> 00:15:22.899 instituted such a rigid -sized bias during its 00:15:22.899 --> 00:15:25.259 most crucial growth period, how many workers 00:15:25.259 --> 00:15:28.019 like Mr. Electricity technically proficient proven 00:15:28.019 --> 00:15:29.899 territory draws would have been positioned at 00:15:29.899 --> 00:15:33.120 the top of the card? If agile 220 -pound workers 00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:34.980 were given the main event platform on national 00:15:34.980 --> 00:15:37.860 television in 1986, rather than being utilized 00:15:37.860 --> 00:15:40.419 as enhancement talent, how fundamentally different 00:15:40.419 --> 00:15:42.480 would the modern stylistic evolution of professional 00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:45.340 wrestling look today? An entire alternate timeline 00:15:45.340 --> 00:15:48.259 of wrestling history hinges on that single boardroom 00:15:48.259 --> 00:15:51.299 philosophy. It really makes you wonder. Thank 00:15:51.299 --> 00:15:53.220 you for joining us today for this exploration 00:15:53.220 --> 00:15:55.860 of Stephen Michael Regal's life and career. Keep 00:15:55.860 --> 00:15:58.039 digging, keep learning, and we will catch you 00:15:58.039 --> 00:15:59.379 on the next Deep Dive.