Off The Hook: Remembering A True Wrestling Innovator

Growing up a wrestling fan in the 1980’s, wrestling news was not easy to come by. I remember going to my local convenience store and picking up a couple of wrestling magazines like Pro Wrestling Illustrated and/or The Wrestler and others to get my fix of news outside of the WWF. While I thoroughly enjoyed flipping through the various magazines and reading about wrestlers and wrestling promotions across the country I never heard of, the truth was that the info was weeks and sometimes months in the past. It wasn’t until I discovered the magic of pro wrestling hotlines that I suddenly became a wannabe wrestling “insider.” One hotline in particular became an almost daily routine to call and that the “Coach Kurt” hotline.

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.

Top Five Wrestling Venues

Lowlife Louie Ramos and Brian Damage

If you were to have a high profile match or attend a big time show and had a choice of wrestling arenas to wrestle or watch it from….what would be your top five arenas you would choose? It doesn’t matter how big or small or if the building still exists or not.

Help Wanted! Job Opportunities: Mick Foley

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.

Top Five Most Prestigious Titles in All of Pro Wrestling

B. Dangerous, Brian Damage and Lowlife Louie Ramos

This is not what title belts look the best, but rather titles that you feel carry the most prestige and importance in the rich history of professional wrestling. They can be current or retired championships. What are your top five all time?

Help Wanted! Job Opportunities: Arn Anderson

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.

Wrestling With A Grin The Brighter Side Of The Squared Circle Part IV

Brian Damage

Make no mistake about it, pro wrestling does have a dark side to it. There are hundreds upon hundreds of stories about the dark and sometimes sinister side as chronicled in my ‘Wrestling with Sin‘ series. This piece is a direct opposite of that. With every bad story I have shared…there are also positive stories. Stories of wrestlers making it above and beyond the ring. Positive stories to inspire. Pro wrestlers aren’t all drug addicts, scam artists and carny sideshows. They all don’t die at an early age, or are broke and need to wrestle till they die. They don’t necessarily have to get into acting like The Rock or Batista. They don’t have to necessarily switch over to MMA like Brock Lesnar or CM Punk. Some of these stories are just about hard work, dreaming big and doing whatever it takes to succeed. We’ve already covered some stories as chronicled in part 1, part 2 and part 3 With that said, let’s look at some positives…

Help Wanted! Job Opportunities: Rhyno

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.

Sale of the Century: “Classy” Freddie Blassie Sells His Wrestlers to Slick

Brian Damage

‘The Hollywood Fashion Plate’ “Classy” Freddie Blassie was at one time….one of the most feared wrestlers in the business. Images of him sharpening his teeth with a metal file and then biting the foreheads of his bloodied opponents were plastered on wrestling magazines for years. After being denied a new wrestling license due to his age, Blassie became a manager for the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). A successful managerial career that spanned over 12 years.