Embracing the fun in Wrestling
In the previous article, we examined the idea of establishing a true lineal champion in pro wrestling. The easiest place to start is with the current NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion, Matt Cardona. However, when looking at the delineation of champions, a hard split occurred in May of 2007. What caused this fracture of the linage, and how does it …
In 1991, Nature Boy Ric Flair showed up on WWF Primetime Wrestling holding “The Big Gold Belt” and calling himself “the Real World Champion.” His contract with Ted Turner’s World Championship Wrestling had expired. But, due to an unreturned $10,000 deposit, the physical title belt was legally in his possession. Flair was still the NWA World Champion at that …
Pro Wrestling and television were made for each other. Going back to the DuMont days and Gorgeous George, the two were a perfect fit. In the early days of cable TV, territorial pro wrestling was a great, cheap content source. Stations needed programming, and wrestling (not just Vince McMahon’s WWF) was ready to break into the national scene. In …
2020 was a year fraught with challenges and uncertainty: one year, one title, seven successful title defenses, and one exceptional man. The COVID-19 pandemic was arguably one of the biggest factors in that. Still, the year wasn’t without its bright spots, particularly in the world of professional wrestling. One of those bright spots was in Pro Wrestling NOAH and that was …
You know who I am. But you don’t know why I’m here. On Monday, the professional wrestling world lost one of its greatest minds and performers. Scott Hall, also known to WWE fans as Razor Ramon, passed away after complications from surgery after breaking his hip. Hall’s journey from Magnum TA-clone to “Bad Guy”, to one of the smoothest …
Love your hate. Your faith lost. You are now one of us. At AEW Revolution this past weekend, fans in Orlando saw CM Punk come to the ring differently than they had become accustomed to. Since 2011, the Voice of the Voiceless has been escorted to rings and octagons by the opening chords of Living Colour’s Cult of Personality. …
On this past week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, while sitting in his familiar cross-legged position in the center of the ring, CM Punk pondered the idea of “Piper in Portland.” While pontificating the implications, Punk reaches into a box and pulls out a chain with two dog collars hooked to the end. The crowd erupted as Punk asked his …
Many in the feature film industry initially feared the monstrous presence of television. Many screen moguls wondered why people would leave their homes to visit the theater if they could watch high-quality movies at home. However, Screen Gems saw the potential in television to become a place where old films could be given new life. In 1948, Screen Gems …
Wrestling is filled with larger than life characters who exude an almost superhero-like presence in the ring. Adults relate to them, and kids look up to them. But as we watch these athletes perform superhuman feats of strength and athletics with stories filled with determination and triumph, it’s what they do outside of the ring that can have a …
I became a pro wrestling fan in the summer of 1992. At a time when fans were fleeing the Big Two promotions in droves, and a year after the once-mighty AWA faded, I fell in love with this crazy business. Like most kids, I discovered WWF Superstars when a new kid moved into the neighborhood. Ironically, that kid’s fandom …
