George Hackenschmidt & Me - A Historical Moment
In 1908, George Hackenschmidt wrestled Joe Rogers in London. In 2024, 116 years later, footage of that fight emerged. I write about what it means to me, after spending years researching the life and times of George Hackenschmidt, to see the man himself in action, and how this footage should exonerate him in the eyes of history.
Le Domino Rouge, Orion & Kendo Nagasaki - the Magic & Mystery of the Mask
How a glamorous masked dancer in the 1900s changed the course of professional wrestling and American burlesque, with an exploration of the role of the mask in wrestling and pop culture myth-making - taking in Kendo Nagasaki, the Masked Marvel, and maybe Elvis Presley? [citation needed]
Review: AAA Triplemania XXXII Mexico City
My thoughts on Triplemania XXXII Mexico City, the wrestling equivalent of repeatedly stepping on a rake that hates you.
Donald Trump: The Kayfabe President?
In the aftermath of an assassination attempt, I look at the oft-cited suggestion that Donald Trump can be explained through the lens of pro-wrestling, and at Trump’s history with WWE.
Photo by Sean Ferigan on Unsplash
Review: AAA Triplemania XXXII - Tijuana
AAA’s latest chaotic supercard - featuring the Vampiro retirement tour, Jeff Jarrett, thoughts on the Wyatt 6 and when wrestling isn’t wrestling, and a chaotic lucha family tree.
My Friend Twiggy, & The Wrestlers Who Made Soho
An exercise in autobiography and psychogeography, in this long read I reflect on a formative and life-altering friendship while looking at the wrestlers who shaped London’s Soho in the second half of the 20th century.
Panther Pleasants - Wrestling in Hitler’s Shadow
The story of Eric “Panther” Pleasants, the Norfolk wrestler who fought for Hitler.
Ghoulish Grapplers & Monstrous Matmen - Wrestling in the Spooky Season
It’s the Spooky Season, so here’s a look at the classic movie monsters that have graced the wrestling ring - vampires, Frankenstein’s monster and, most of all, Mummies.
Forever - Remembering Terry Funk
I pay tribute to the greatest of all time, my hero, Terry Funk.
AAA Triplemania 2023 Monterrey recap & review
My thoughts on AAA's most recent Triplemania show in Monterrey, the good and the bad sides of AAA's brand of Lucha chaos, Lucha politics, and the way AAA choose to book and present El Hijo del Vikingo as Mega Champion.
If Not Now Then When? - Thoughts on Roman Reigns & Cody Rhodes
Thoughts on WWE’s booking of Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes, and why Wrestlemania 39 will be looked upon as a major misstep.
The Masked Marvel Unmasked! - The Story of Johannes Van Der Walt, Maybe The Worst Person In Wrestling History
"Mask Marvel Unmasked" - that was the headline in the Daily Herald on 5th February 1942. It's easy to see why that would be exciting - what is a mask if not a mystery waiting to be solved? The reveal of a masked man's secret identity is the stuff of comic book fantasy and speculation, after all.
But beneath this mask was not a marvel, but a monster.