Rick Del Santo's Classic Wrestling Talk w/"the Illustrious" Johnnie Stewart

On this episode of Rick Del Santo’s Classic Wrestling Talk, Rick welcomes “The Illustrious” Jonnie Stewart for a funny, honest, and wide-open conversation about breaking into wrestling, surviving the road, and looking back on a career that crossed paths with Memphis, the AWA, WWF, Windy City Wrestling, WCW, Japan, and more. Jonnie starts by talking about growing up as a wrestling fan in Chicago, watching Dick the Bruiser on WGN, going to the International Amphitheater as a kid, and immediately knowing he wanted to be part of the business. From there, he explains how he took a scholarship to Memphis State partly because wrestling was so big in Memphis, and how hard it really was to break into pro wrestling in 1986. What makes this interview stand out is how self-aware Jonnie is about his own career. He does not come on bitter, blaming everybody else, or pretending he was robbed of superstardom. Instead, he talks openly about the breaks he got, the mistakes he made, the opportunities he missed, and the reality that wrestling in the 80s and 90s could be a dangerous, political, exhausting business. There are plenty of wild stories here, but there is also a lot of perspective. Jonnie talks about paying dues, learning from veterans, understanding psychology, protecting the business, dealing with the road, and why sometimes being talented is not enough if the lifestyle does not fit who you are. This is a great listen for fans of old-school territory wrestling, Memphis, the AWA, Windy City Wrestling, and the strange in-between world of 80s and 90s independent wrestling. Jonnie Stewart is funny, blunt, reflective, and still very much “illustrious” when he starts telling stories. Check out more great stuff from Rick Del Santo on his YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRickDelSanto Follow him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theprofrickdelsanto