Professional Wrestling Studies Association
Studying the Past, Present, and Future of Professional Wrestling
Sitterson, Aubrey and Chris Moreno. The Comic Book Story of Professional Wrestling: A Hardcore, High-flying, No-holds-barred History of the One True Sport. Ten Speed Graphic, 2018. Review by Ben Abelson The Comic Book Story of Professional Wrestling (from here on referred to as CBSPW), written by Aubrey Sitterson, and illustrated by Chris Moreno, is a fun, … Read more Review: The Comic Book Story of Professional Wrestling
Sam DeCero is the founder and promoter of Windy City Wrestling, a Chicago-based wresting promotion. His office, where this 1991 interview took place, was decorated with posters from his wrestling tours of Japan, publicity stills of wrestlers who work for him, and a large television. A wrestling ring was right outside the office, where trainees … Read more Before Shoot Interviews: Sam DeCero (part 1)
Chin, Michael. Stories Wrestling Can Tell. Cowboy Jamboree Press, 2023. Review by Guillermo Rebollo Gil Michael Chin’s Stories Wrestling Can Tell is all heart. And all Hart! The heart is evident in the author’s tender, and sincere attempt at thinking through the memories that best encapsulate his relationship with his father and grandfather, as well … Read more Review: Stories Wrestling Can Tell
At the time of this 1991 interview, Joel Goodhart–with his beard, glasses, and long hair– looked more like a roadie for the Grateful Dead than a successful, albeit controversial, wrestling promoter. Goodhart earned a loyal following by promoting an influential brand of wrestling called (at the time) “shock wrestling.” In 1992, Goodhart declared bankruptcy and … Read more Before Shoot Interviews: Joel Goodhart
During my 1992 visit to the Memphis-based United States Wrestling Association (USWA), I was able to visit with African-American prelim wrestler Anthony “Cat” Garrett. Garrett, who had just won his preliminary match that night, was standing next to a souvenir table and talking to his family, before he excused himself to talk to me. … Read more Before Shoot Interviews: Cat Garrett
What is your area of research? I am Programme Leader and Senior Lecturer in Criminal Justice, in the School of Justice Studies at Liverpool John Moores University. You can find my faculty profile here. What led to your interest in pro wrestling and how do you approach pro wrestling from your scholarly discipline? I watched … Read more PWSA Meet and Greet: Karen Corteen
Wade Keller had been editing and publishing the Pro Wrestling Torch from a Minneapolis suburb for four years at the time of this 1991 interview. Keller started his newsletter as a high school student and featured interviews along with news. Although there are a variety of sources for “insider” pro wrestling news today, in the … Read more Before Shoot Interviews: Wade Keller–Part 1
The Wrestling Observer newsletter, one of the first, and likely the most influential, professional wrestling newsletters is written and edited by California-based Dave Meltzer. When I was an intern at Marvel Comics in 1990, the editor with whom I worked was a professional wrestling fan and told me about this newsletter, and I have been … Read more Before Shoot Interviews: Dave Meltzer
Eddie Sharkey turns his attention to his Pro Wrestling America (PWA) promotion in the second part of this 1991 interview. In addition to describing the dynamics of trying to be an independent promoter at a time when the World Wrestling Federation had driven many other regional wrestling promotions out of business, Mr. Sharkey provides some … Read more Before Shoot Interviews: Eddie Sharkey–Part 2
(images Westwood One Podcasts) “Stick with us. Don’t believe the crap you see from these people, the fake news … What you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening.” — Donald Trump, speaking at a VFW convention “False. Every fucking bit of it is false. This is shit where Dave Meltzer and … Read more “Rumor and Innuendo”: Fake News Discourses in Pro Wrestling Podcasts