Embracing the fun in Wrestling
In the dawn of the 1980s, American exceptionalism was on the rise. Simultaneously, the country faced recession, and escalating tensions with Russia, while a mysterious plague started swept through the country. With many real-world problems, citizens in the United States turned their attention to the real culprit for the evils plaguing society: Satan himself. A decade earlier, with the …
This is part 2 of a 2 part series. You can find part 1 here. While Ole Anderson and Jim Herd viewed Sting’s first run as WCW Champion a flop, the Stinger stayed in a marquee position with the company. At the WrestleWar 91 show, Sting teamed with Brian Pillman and the Steiner Brothers against the Horseman in a …
“He can’t draw.” “He’s not a good promo.” “He’s average in ring, at best.” “He’s overrated.” For more than a generation, a section of wrestling fans have balked at the idea that one of the most talked-about stars in pro wrestling history isn’t as good as advertised. When the man called Sting made his return to mainstream pro wrestling …
On February 5th, Bruce “Butch’ Reed passed away after complications from two separate heart attacks and a COVID-19 diagnosis. Though the former star had largely faded from the pro wrestling spotlight since the early 90s, Reed and his story’s impact helped shape the landscape of the pro wrestling business. Reed got his start playing football as a linebacker at …
“I’m a big, fat piece of shit!” Those words defined the man called Vader for the WWF audience. Two years earlier, Leon White was the hottest free agent in wrestling, perhaps in wrestling history. After a run with then-champion Hulk Hogan, the former two-time WCW World Champion had left the company. On paper, Hogan and Vader were a perfect …
This weekend, WWE presents the 35th annual edition of a pay per view show named for its most successful gimmick match. Pat Patterson spent his formative years competing in Roy Shire’s San Fransisco-based Big Time Wrestling. The famed Cow Palace was home to promotion’s annual 18-man battle royal, Shire’s most popular event. Inspired by his mentor, Patterson pitched the …
Japanese wrestling is more popular in the US than ever before. Scrolling through Wrestling Twitter, one can find multiple posts on DragonGate’s Shun Skywalker and Ben K, Noah’s Go Shiozaki, All Japan’s Kento Miyahara, the general insanity of DDT, Yuka Sakazaki of Tokyo Joshi Pro, or Kota Ibushi’s quest to become god. Never has such a vast array of …
The idea of story in pro wrestling is often used to debate whether a story is being told in the ring – but the idea of what a story is is often lost. According to scholar and writer Robert McKee, a story is an event that creates meaningful change in a character through conflict. A character has a goal; …
The January 4th Tokyo Dome show has been more than New Japan Pro Wrestling’s equivalent to WrestleMania. It’s served not just as a platform to showcase New Japan but also as the best the nation has to offer the pro wrestling sphere. The first three Dome shows were presented as joint cards with NJPW and its American partner, WCW. …
