On Newsstands Now: Wrestling Magazines and the Portal to A Whole New World

Brian Damage

Being a young wrestling fan nowadays, seems to offer them every imaginable aspect of the wrestling business like never before. From the “dirt sheets” to websites, to streaming services and everything in between…a fan can access anything and everything. Growing up in the 1980’s, it was a much different era. The internet was in its infancy and cable TV was a luxury that most couldn’t afford. To be a wrestling fan back then, meant you usually watched just one promotion and really weren’t familiar with much else. It was the wrestling magazines that invited the reader into a whole other world outside of their one territory.

Grappling With Tragedy: Stephen DeLeon

Brian Damage

Grappling with Tragedy is a series of articles that deal with unfortunate, tragic incidents that have occurred throughout the history of professional wrestling. It is unlike the ‘Wrestling with Sin’ series that deals more with the seedier side of wrestling like arrests, murders and suicides. Grappling looks more at particular tragic incidents that have in some instances altered pro wrestling in some way.

Answering The 10 Count: Tortured Ambition: The Story of Herb Abrams and the UWF Author Jonathan Plombon

Brian Damage

The story of Herb Abrams and his UWF promotion is an extremely dark and fascinating one. It was featured on The Dark Side of the Ring and even we did a story on the subject a few years ago. There is now a book out about the wild and crazy days of Abrams and the UWF called ‘Tortured Ambition: The Story of Herb Abrams and the UWF.’ The author Jonathan Plombon was gracious enough to chat a little about the book with us and take a look into the darkness of the subjects and the journey in writing about it.

Wrestling With Sin: 357

Brian Damage

This is the 357th 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.

A Universal Failure: Jim Crockett Purchases the UWF

Brian Damage

For pro wrestling in the 1980’s, it was all about expansion, expansion, expansion. We all know that Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation were ultimately the promotion who successfully achieved national expansion. They certainly weren’t the only ones trying to do it. Bill Watts rebranded his Mid South Wrestling to the Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) in a failed attempt to expand nationally. Jim Crockett Jr and his Jim Crockett Promotions (most notably associated with the NWA) also had some moderate success in expansion.

Downed On The Farm: Top WWE Developmental Prospects That Never Made It…Part 55

Brian Damage

The WWF/WWE has had some type of developmental system for years now. Whether it was the USWA, Ohio Valley, Power Pro, Heartland, Deep South, Florida Championship Wrestling or NXT…many of the company’s top superstars got their start in at least one of them. While some developmental names like John Cena, Kurt Angle, Randy Orton, The Miz, Brock Lesnar and Charlotte Flair all made big stars of themselves by first training in developmental, others never got to see the light of day. This series will focus on those wrestlers…the ones that at some point were a lock to get called up to the main roster and never quite made it. What once was hot, suddenly became a “not” as a WWE superstar.

Wrestling With Sin: 340

Brian Damage

This is the 340th 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.

The Cowboy in Connecticut: Bill Watts Short WWF Stay

Brian Damage

‘Cowboy’ Bill Watts was a wrestler turned promoter who found great success running his Mid South territory based in Oklahoma. The Mid South territory became so successful, Watts attempted to take his promotion and expand nationally. He’d change the name to the Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF), but unfortunately it came at a time when the wrestling business was down and he ultimately sold his promotion to Jim Crockett Jr. Watts would have a run in WCW controlling things creatively, but would be let go after racially insensitive comments were deemed inappropriate by Turner executives and was fired in favor of Eric Bischoff. In 1995, he received a phone call from Vince McMahon and soon, he joined the World Wrestling Federation as the number two man behind Vince. The partnership didn’t last long.

Wrestling With Sin: 320

Brian Damage

This is the 320th 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.