I’m baaaaack…

Hello world.  Happy New Year!

Before we had the Internet, before we had 24 hour access to blogs, photo sites, videos, pay sites, etc., before we had wrestling websites, we had wrestling magazines.

Some older visitors to this blog may recall the excitement of visiting the magazine rack at the grocery store or carry-out to peruse the latest images of wrestlers in their trunks and boots, their sweaty or bloodied bodies contorted and straining as they applied a hold, a look of suffering in their eyes as their arms were twisted or hair was pulled.  The images were often garish and unseemly, the content was brutal and unapologetic, and the outrageous articles were meant to fuel the readers’ wrestling fantasies.  Other than a weekly television show or, if you were lucky, some live matches you could convince someone to take you to see, the magazines were our only access to this bizarre and fantastic realm of punishment, muscles, bare flesh, and brutality, and we loved them.

The wrestling television broadcasts were great fun to watch, but before cable or dish, the picture could often be snowy or even fade out, and sometimes the cameras were too far away, so you felt removed from the action in the ring.  And before VCRs were invented (yes, there was a time before VCRs), there was no way to slow down or pause the action to savor the beauty of a great hold, a cocky victory pose, or the utter helplessness of a severely thrashed victim.  The magazines, with their close-up photos taken right from ringside allowed you to take your time and really focus on the images, imagine what the men were thinking or feeling, and enjoy a great view of their muscles, their smooth or hairy bodies, snug trunks, laced up boots, etc.

Wrestling magazines also let you see and learn about wrestlers from other parts of the country or the world not available on your local broadcast.  I recall reading about the wild young Von Erich brothers using the dreaded Iron Claw to dominate the wrestling scene in far-away Texas (and wishing I could somehow see them wrestle) long before I ever was able to purchase a video of them in action.  I remember walking nearly a mile to the drug store several times in one month just to flip through a magazine with a feature article on the Von Erichs. I never bought the magazine, I just looked through it a few dozen times and put it back.

The images were enhanced by short little captions underneath them, describing the action or sharing tidbits of info about the wrestlers or their feud.  In just a few words, the caption could convey the flavor and tone of the action, the level of hatred between the fighters, or the measure of their suffering and humiliation. The writers would often use terms like “powerful”, “crushing”, “deadly”, and “agonizing” to spice up the photo above the caption and give the reader a little tweak.  I have always appreciated and enjoyed the captions and how a few words can enhance an already great looking photo.

In memory and in celebration of the great Rasslin’ magazines that many of us grew up on, this blog will primarily feature photos of wrestlers both old and new in the ring using their incredible holds.  Also, for now, I’ll be adding some little captions under the photos to try to explain or enhance the images and describe what I like about them.  See what you think, let me know if you like this approach or prefer your photos without captions.  Below are some examples of what I’m talking about…