Wrestling With Sin: 399

Brian Damage

This is the 399th 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.

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Help Wanted! Job Opportunities: Jim Duggan

Brian Damage

Back in the 80’s and 90’s, it was very common to see some no name wrestler go up against a proven star of a promotion. Whether that be from the WWF, NWA/WCW, AWA or elsewhere, these nomads of professional wrestling were there to make the stars look great. They were known as enhancement talent, preliminary wrestlers or as many fans have come to know them…”jobbers.” While fans were clamoring to see big time match ups, these “squash matches” served a very important purpose. While perhaps not appreciated at the time, they were just as important as the stars themselves.

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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

Harley and Haku: The Coronation of a New King of Wrestling

Brian Damage

In 1986, many wrestling fans were surprised to see the eight time NWA world heavyweight champion Harley Race jump ship to the World Wrestling Federation. After all, Race was a staple of the National Wrestling Alliance for several years. To see him go to a promotion widely known for its more cartoonish take on professional wrestling seemed out of place. The fact was, Race was nearing the end of his active wrestling career. He saw the WWF as a good pay day with a lot less emphasis on a stiff working style. Continue reading