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You are viewing the most recent 14 entries September 28th, 200704:42 pm: A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME
Tucked away neatly in the frequently moist upper left corner of the United States, the Pacific Northwest has always held an allure for those with a love of nature, a spirit for adventure and a sense of community. In 1925, when Herb Owen became the boxing and wrestling promoter in the territory, he introduced a style that spoke directly to the people that lived there. Tags: don owen, pacific northwest wrestling, playboy buddy rose, portland oregon wrestling, professional wrestlers, wrestling
September 21st, 200705:09 pm: WHEN ANGLES AND STORYLINES WERE FUN
It’s not too difficult to tune in to WWE and TNA these days and come away disgusted at the ridiculous lengths they often go between matches (and sometimes during them). Mind you, angles and story lines have long been a part of the pro wrestling landscape, and it wouldn’t be honest to ignore the fact that prior to the advent of sports entertainment, such things would sometimes cross the line into the preposterous, too. To read the full column:http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=4897Tags: buddy austin, dick lane, mark lewin, professional wrestling, tna, wrestlers, wrestling, wwe
September 14th, 200701:54 pm: THE INTELLIGENT HEEL
In the modern world of professional wrestling, WWE and TNA are the two largest and best known organizations. Alas, there is also a repetitive sameness to their respective products that is positively dispiriting. While The Fight Network gives us welcome alternatives, in the form of “Ring of Honor,” “Pro Wrestling NOAH,” “IWA Wrestling Titans” and others, it is WWE and TNA that are at the forefront and best known to the general public. To read the full column:
http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=4830Tags: dick beyer, intelligent sensational destroyer, professional wrestling, tna, wrestlers, wrestling, wrestling heels, wwe
September 7th, 200702:00 pm: THE JAMES BEARD INTERVIEW
There are many people who, having worked in the business of professional wrestling, have spoken or written extensively on the topic. James Beard has yet to publish a book, although he certainly could easily fill one up with his experiences on the Texas circuit and in Japan. Among other things, his accomplishments include tenures as a no-nonsense referee, booker and administrator for World Class Championship Wrestling, the United States Wrestling Association and Global Wrestling Federation. His extensive background convinced the WWE brass in 2006 to offer a working position to James, ostensibly to educate their referees how best to perform their jobs. That association was aborted before it took off, primarily due to philosophical differences. To read the full column:http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=4766Tags: james beard, professional wrestling, randy savage, tna, wrestlers, wrestlng referee, wwe
August 31st, 200702:29 pm: TERRITORIAL TURMOIL: DALLAS WRESTLING & THE VON ERICH FAMILY
In the days when the professional wrestling industry was divided into territories and there was no single national entity, different regions took different approaches in presenting their product. This week, we’ll be taking a look at the Dallas wrestling promotion and how it earned the reputation of presenting one of the wildest versions of the sport to be found anywhere. To read the full column:
http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=4708Tags: dallas wrestling, jack adkisson, james beard, professional wrestling, tna, von erich, wccw, world class championship wrestling, wrestlers, wrestling, wwe
August 24th, 200702:37 pm: WHEN IT'S TIME TO CALL IT QUITS
Plain and simple, Ric Flair is one of the all-time great wrestlers. Anyone that has been a fan, even a casual one, will acknowledge Slick Ric’s bountiful contributions to the business he helped shape since he made his debut in the early 1970s. His trademarked “Wooooooo!” has been mimicked by wrestlers and fans alike, to the point where anytime someone uses a judo-like chop on an opponent, he is guaranteed to receive that response. To read the full column:
http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=4641Tags: national wrestling alliance, ric flair, world wrestling federation, wrestlers, wrestling, wwe, wwf
August 17th, 200702:46 pm: THE ACT OF HUMILIATION IN PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING
In professional wrestling, the act of humiliation is not an uncommon one. Through the territorial years, countless numbers of incidents, most of them intentional and a few not, are recalled fondly by fans of virtually every promotion. To read the full column:
http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=4582Tags: fred ottman, professional wrestling, ric flair, shockmaster, tna, wrestlers, wrestling, wwe
August 10th, 200703:04 pm: THE UWF TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT - 1987
In the 1970s and 80s, one of the great territories that gave pro wrestling fans more than their money’s worth was owned and operated by the former wrestling star, Cowboy Bill Watts. His Mid-South company was headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and covered a wide region, including Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and parts of Texas. To read the full column:
http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=4518Tags: cowboy bill watts, midsouth wrestling, professional wrestling, tna, universal wrestling federation, uwf, wrestlers, wrestling, wwe
August 3rd, 200705:48 pm: WRESTLING AS IT ONCE WAS: LOS ANGELES 1965
If you tune in to most modern-day wrestling programs, you’ll see bout after bout between the top names. From the earliest days of wrestling in the 1950’s right up through the 1970’s, the concept of giving away arena matches on TV for free was not commonplace. Rather, the most frequent approach was to create interest by building up a confrontation without the two participants facing one another in the ring. The drama would be teased as the two combatants would nearly come to blows, but only on rare occasions did actual contact take place on free TV. When presented properly, the fans found themselves highly anticipating the battle to come, and they eagerly paid for the privilege of seeing it. To read the full column:http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=4454Tags: cowboy bob ellis, dick beyer, dick lane, intelligent sensational destroyer, olympic auditorium, professional wrestling, wrestlers, wrestling, wwa los angeles
July 27th, 200705:52 pm: WRESTLING WORTH WATCHING: PRO WRESTLING NOAH
Last week, we took a look at Ring of Honor and how it presented something of a hybrid, by blending an old school wrestling philosophy with modern-day sports entertainment action. ( Accessible here) As in the case of ROH, if you’re someone who enjoys pro wrestling that puts aside over-the-top silliness, nonsensical characters and inane skits, then Pro Wrestling NOAH is the place you want to be. This Japanese organization, which came into existence in 2000, convinces even the most jaded viewer of its legitimacy by relentlessly offering the appearance of a genuine athletic competition. NOAH is the epitome of realism, and any effort required on the viewer’s part to suspend disbelief is minimal, if at all. To read the full column: http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=4397Tags: live audio wrestling, mauro ranallo, pro wrestling noah, professional wrestling, ring of honor, wrestlers, wrestling
July 20th, 200706:51 pm: WRESTLING WORTH WATCHING: RING OF HONOR
This week, I’d like to take a look at TV wrestling as it currently stands. If you’re a wrestling fan who finds WWE programming to be, for the most part, silly, uninvolving and frequently insulting, there are several programs The Fight Network has to offer that will cause you to rejoice. In no particular order, they are Ring of Honor, Pro Wrestling NOAH and Superstars of Wrestling: Past, Present and Future. We’ll look at all three of them over the next few weeks. To read the full column:http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=4350Tags: pro wrestling noah, professional wrestling, ring of honor, roh wrestling, wrestlers, wrestling
July 13th, 200706:56 pm: WILL CONGRESS INVESTIGATE PRO WRESTLING?
As I write this, it appears that the U.S. Congress may consider holding hearings as a direct result of the Benoit tragedy. Good on the U.S. Congress and all that. But I'm also old and cynical. Putting aside any praise for turning Congressional attention to an industry that has long needed investigating and regulating, it's difficult to expect much to come of it. Sure, there'll be a few headlines here and there when somebody says something particularly "news-sexy" and provocative. Great! And then what? To read the full column: http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=4290Tags: chris benoit, drugs in sports, professional wrestling, steroids, u.s. congress, wrestlers, wrestling
June 29th, 200707:06 pm: CHRIS BENOIT
With my introductory column for The Fight Network, I was expecting to discuss the history of professional wrestling, of where it came from, how it evolved and where it currently stands. The plan included an exploration of the various regions and circuits that made up the business before it all came under the control of one man’s myopic vision in 1984. That initial article was to be about the business I’d followed since discovering it quite by accident at the age of eight, on New Years Eve in 1957/58. The exposure to that very first program put an unrelenting hold on me that has yet to loosen its grip. I instantly became fascinated, enthralled and consumed, to the point where I eventually found myself working in the business in one facet or another, starting in 1985. But now, with the numbingly real tragedy that broke on Monday, it has all been turned upside down and inside out. The victims are very real and very dead, and the all-consuming sense of shock hasn’t worn off yet. Not even close. To read the full column: http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=4192Tags: benoit murder/suicide, chris benoit, professional wrestling, wrestlers, wrestling
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