Great Ideas That Didn’t Last: ‘The’ Brian Kendrick

Brian Damage

Throughout the history of pro wrestling bookers and promoters have always tried to come up with new, creative and innovative ideas to generate interest in their product. Some ideas have not only succeeded…but flourished. Others were DOA from the get go. Then there are those ideas which initially were innovative but, for various reasons, faded away. Those are the focus of this latest series of posts titled ‘Great Ideas That Didn’t Last’. Continue reading

Wrestling With Sin: 273

Brian Damage

This is the 273rd installment of the ‘Wrestling with Sin‘ series. A group of stories that delves into the darker, underbelly of pro wrestling. Many of the stories involve such subjects as sex, drugs, greed and in some cases even murder! As with every single story in the Sin series, I do not condone or condemn the alleged participants. We simply retell their stories by researching interviews, newspapers, magazines and various other sources of media. Continue reading

Under The Mat-tress: A Look Back At Playboy Magazine and Pro Wrestling

Brian Damage

Playboy magazine…one of the most iconic of all gentlemen’s magazines has announced it is shutting down in March of 2020. The Hugh Hefner periodical started in 1953 and was the worst kept secret for many men both young and old for generations. Who didn’t have a Playboy mag hidden under a mattress or stowed away in a closet at one point or another in their lifetime? With the advent of the internet…sales of the nudie mag fell drastically throughout the years. At one point, Playboy got rid of their nude pictorials and tried to be a magazine of articles. When that failed, it returned to its wheelhouse of showing naked women…but it was all for not. And now, after 67 years in business it is all over. Continue reading

This Seat Is Reserved For No One: A History of Empty Arena Matches

Brian Damage

We are certainly living in crazy times. Curfews and self quarantines seem to be the new norm as fears have risen over the pandemic called Covid-19 aka The Coronavirus. With panic over the possible spread of the virus…especially in places that house large groups of people…many events have been delayed, postponed or even cancelled. Pro wrestling has gotten hit with this pandemic as many promotions have suspended operations. The two larger groups WWE and AEW have vowed to continue through the fear…by continuing to run their shows in empty venues. As we approach Wrestlemania 36, the decsion was made to host wrestling biggest event in an empty WWE Performance center. Continue reading

Big Dud: The ‘Big’ John Studd WWF Babyface Run of 1989

Brian Damage

‘Big’ John Studd was literally and figuratively one of the biggest heels the World Wrestling Federation had in the 1980’s. He stood over 6 feet 10 inches tall (although the WWF claimed he was over 7 feet tall) and weighed 365 pounds. Studd challenged the likes of Bob Backlund and then later Hulk Hogan for the WWF world title. Of course, Studd’s biggest rivalry was against the beloved ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’ Andre the Giant. The two behemoths battled it out through the 80’s to prove who was the true giant in professional wrestling. Continue reading

Wrestling With Sin: 272

Brian Damage

This is the 272nd installment of the ‘Wrestling with Sin‘ series. A group of stories that delves into the darker, underbelly of pro wrestling. Many of the stories involve such subjects as sex, drugs, greed and in some cases even murder! As with every single story in the Sin series, I do not condone or condemn the alleged participants. We simply retell their stories by researching interviews, newspapers, magazines and various other sources of media. Continue reading