Edited by Greg Oliver and Jon Waldman Shocking Stories from the

Transcription

Edited by Greg Oliver and Jon Waldman Shocking Stories from the
Shocking Stories from the Squared Circle
Edited by Greg Oliver and Jon Waldman
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Shocking Stories from the
Squared Circle
SLAM! Wrestling
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Also by Greg Oliver
The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Canadians
The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams
The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Heels
Benoit: Wrestling with the Horror
that Destroyed a Family and Crippled a Sport
SLAM! Wrestling
Shocking Stories from
the Squared Circle
Edited by
GREG OLIVER & JON WALDMAN
ECW Press
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Copyright © Greg Oliver and Jon Waldman, 2009
Published by ECW Press
2120 Queen Street East, Suite 200
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4E 1E2
416.694.3348 / [email protected]
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form by any process — electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording,
or otherwise — without the prior written permission of the copyright owners and ECW Press.
LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION
Oliver, Greg
Slam! wrestling : shocking stories from the squared circle / Greg Oliver and Jon Waldman.
ISBN 978-1-55022-884-7
1. Slam! Wrestling (Web site). 2. Wrestling. I. Waldman, Jon II. Title.
GV1195.O45 2009
796.812
C2009-902523-X
Editor for the press: Michael Holmes
Cover design: David Gee
Cover photo: Mike Mastrandrea
Typesetting: Mary Bowness
Printing: Webcom 1 2 3 4 5
The publication of Slam! Wrestling has been generously supported by
the Government of Ontario through Ontario Book Publishing Tax Credit,
by the OMDC Book Fund, an initiative of the Ontario Media Development Corporation,
and by the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry
Development Program (BPIDP).
PRINTED AND BOUND IN CANADA
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For Bret “Hitman” Hart, whose column helped build
the site’s reputation, and the other columnists from the
industry — Don “Cyrus” Callis, “Hotshot” Johnny Devine,
and Portia Perez — who helped add to our credibility.
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Mike Mastrandrea
WWE Diva Maria Kanellis reacts to a question from Bob Kapur — knowing Bob, it was
quite likely a marriage proposal.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Foreword by Scott D’Amore xiii
A Brief History of SLAM! Wrestling 1
SLAM! Wrestling Editorial: WWF media policy a joke, By JOHN MOLINARO 3
Saying goodbye to SLAM! Wrestling, By JOHN MOLINARO 8
So long but not goodbye, By JOHN POWELL 13
The return of SLAM! Wrestling, By JOHN POWELL 17
SLAM! Speaks: 10 years of memories, By SLAM! Wrestling Staff 21
Canadiana 27
Curse of Stampede Wrestling? By TJ MADIGAN — Calgary Sun 27
Wrestling’s toughest tour — northern Manitoba, By BOB HOLLIDAY —
Winnipeg Sun 32
Female wrestler pins Ontario Athletic Commission,
By GENEVIEVE “LUFISTO” GOULET 34
D’Amore, the heart and soul of BCW, By BOB KAPUR 36
Vance Nevada reflects on 10 years, 1,000+ matches, By JASON CLEVETT 39
In praise of Chi Chi Cruz, By JASON CLEVETT 46
Edge & Christian mock breakup rumors, By GREG OLIVER 50
The WWE tryout experience, By COREY DAVID LACROIX 53
CFL wrestled with WWF proposal, By PERRY LEFKO — Toronto Sun 57
Stu Hart, my dad, my hero, By BRET HART — Calgary Sun 59
Whalen remembers Stampede, By ED WHALEN — Calgary Sun 65
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Superstars 67
Going toe-to-toe with Ric Flair, By TIM BAINES — Ottawa Sun 67
Eddie’s set for his Canadian debut, By JOHN MOLINARO 71
Guerrero wrestles with demons, By KEN WIEBE — Winnipeg Sun 74
Owen wants a rematch, By JOHN POWELL 75
Austin’s better, stronger, nastier, By GLENN COLE — Toronto Sun 79
The legend of Jushin “Thunder” Liger, By JASON CLEVETT 81
Angle buoyed by new popularity, By JON WALDMAN 85
Danielson epitomizes ROH’s evolution, By JASON CLEVETT 87
More to Trish than T & A, By GREG OLIVER 92
Grilling Jim Ross in person, By JOHN MOLINARO 94
Raven: The second coming, By CHRIS GRAMLICH 97
Raven: At peace with himself, By CHRIS GRAMLICH 101
Raven: Forever connected with ECW, By CHRIS GRAMLICH 103
Benoit thrilled to be a team player, By JOHN MOLINARO 105
Mysterio happy to be back in action, By GREG OLIVER 107
Homicide’s style comes from the streets, By COREY DAVID LACROIX 109
On a Sting and a prayer, By GREG OLIVER 113
Triple H on the collapse of WCW and ECW, By JOHN POWELL 116
Jericho’s dad a proud papa, By GREG OLIVER 119
Jericho still pumped for book promotion, By JASON CLEVETT 120
Past follows Shawn Michaels around, By JON WALDMAN 124
Spanky explains WWE departure, By COREY DAVID LACROIX 127
Hogan ready for war with Michaels, By TIM BAINES — Ottawa Sun 130
Rocky Maivia belongs to the next generation, By GREG OLIVER 132
You da McMahon! By SCOTT ZERR — Edmonton Sun 133
Orton trying to be a good man, better bad guy, By NICK TYLWALK 138
The Art of Wrestling 141
Combat Zone Wrestling: A Photographer’s Eye, By MIKE MASTRANDREA 141
Jim Johnston and his musical WWF career, By PAUL CANTIN — JAM!
Showbiz 144
PWI artist aims to be a top draw, By BRIAN ELLIOTT 147
Drawing inspiration: SLAM! Wrestling’s editorial cartoonist, by ANNETTE
BALESTERI 149
After the Applause 151
The other Orton, By JAMIE KREISER 151
Barry O breaks his silence, By JAMIE KREISER 155
Barry O: Scandal, drugs, recovery, By JAMIE KREISER 160
George Scott: WWF’s biggest booker, By GREG OLIVER 166
Preaching now a part of DiBiase, By CHRIS SOKOL 170
The woman behind Monster Ripper and Bertha Faye, By STEPHEN
LAROCHE 171
“Superstar” Billy Graham: Ring legend, By CHRIS SCHRAMM 177
Hall of Famer Mae Young vows to keep wrestling, By RYAN NATION 183
Jimmy Hart as busy as ever, By GREG OLIVER 186
Sam Houston and Grizzly Smith rebuild their lives, By STEVEN JOHNSON 188
A hardcore history with Terry Funk, By CHRIS GRAMLICH 192
Larry Hennig one tough guy, By GREG OLIVER 194
Volkoff’s theme song: “I am a real American,” By STEVEN JOHNSON 198
The Snake bites back at Beyond the Mat, By STEPHEN LAROCHE 203
Sammartino: McMahon is “a sick-minded idiot,” By MATT MACKINDER 205
Olympic boycott still haunts Rheingans, By GREG OLIVER 208
For Backlund, it’s still about motivation, By STEVEN JOHNSON 213
Breaking kayfabe with Kamala, By STEPHEN LAROCHE 217
A Penny for Banner’s thoughts, By GREG OLIVER 226
WrestleMania 229
Behind the creation of WrestleMania, By GREG OLIVER 229
WWF looking forward to WrestleMania X8, By STEPHEN LAROCHE 232
Macho Man’s ’Mania memories, By BRIAN FRITZ 236
Scoops and Surprises 239
The plane crash that changed wrestling, By JOHN MOLINARO 239
Confessions of a Canadian title junkie, By GRIFF HENDERSON 250
Adrian Street proposes to Miss Linda, By GREG OLIVER 253
Asner and Gagne recall The Wrestler, By BOB KAPUR 255
The Rock knows his role, By GLENN COLE — Toronto Sun 259
Bearing it all for Ginger — the stupidest thing I’ve ever done,
By JEFF MORRIS 261
For the love of the business, By RICHARD KAMCHEN 265
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Turned off by naked women wrestling, By BOB KAPUR 271
TJ and Nattie: A perfect team, By JASON CLEVETT 273
The rich hobby of wrestling cards, By JON WALDMAN 278
Ultimate Warrior pulls a fast one, By TJ MADIGAN — Calgary Sun 280
The Warrior rebuts TJ Madigan, By THE WARRIOR 282
SF convention a complete disaster, By BOB KAPUR 285
Vaine and O’Reilly discuss their surprising WWE departure,
By CHRIS SCHRAMM 289
Corporal Kirchner speaks: “I’m not dead!” By GREG OLIVER 291
Bob Kapur’s journal from Japan, By BOB KAPUR 293
Remembering 303
Allen Coage: My hero, our hero, By JIM BREGMAN 303
Bulldog still in family’s hearts, By JASON CLEVETT 307
End of an era on TBS, By JOHN MOLINARO 310
Helen Hart: A friend’s recollection, By BOB LEONARD 314
Stu Hart: A Dungeon Perspective, By “HOTSHOT” JOHNNY DEVINE 316
The Big “O” stood for “Original,” By GREG OLIVER 317
Miss Elizabeth dies, By JOHN POWELL 319
Mother’s Day special: Remembering Christine Jarrett, By RYAN NATION 322
Sammartino admired Monsoon, By JOHN MOLINARO 326
“The Big Cat” was seldom tamed, By STEVEN JOHNSON and GREG OLIVER 327
The legend of El Santo, By JOHN MOLINARO 332
“Way too many guys have died”: JBL, By TIM BAINES — Ottawa Sun 339
Meeting Eddie: A soldier’s story, By STAFF SERGEANT PAUL H. MODESTO 341
Trevor Murdoch “confused” by Benoit tragedy, By GREG OLIVER 344
One of Helen’s dozen missing this year, By RICK BELL — Calgary Sun 347
Epilogue 349
Notes on the Photos 350
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Acknowledgments
Jon would like to thank . . .
Greg for giving a scrub writer from Winnipeg a chance to write for SLAM!
Wrestling in the first place. It’s been a crazy 10-year journey.
JP, John M and Nuke for the
wicked wrestling debates in the good
ol’ days in the Canoe office.
All current and past SLAM!
Wrestling writers and readers for
keeping the biz fun, especially during
those really, really lame times (Katie
Vick anyone?).
His wife Elana, for not only putting
up with the ever-growing DVD collection, but for giving him so much
support throughout the book’s creation and website’s management. His
parents, Arthur and Denise, and sister
Jon toils away for the good of the site.
Miriam for never questioning that
there could be something to writing
about wrestling for his career (okay, maybe a couple times they did, but still
. . .). His parents-in-law, Irene and David, brother-in-law Jesse, buddies
Michael, Steven, Mike and the rest of his family and friends for sharing in
this special project. His grandfathers, Shia and Sydney, who spent many
hours watching Stampede and WWF wrestling in his early years. He wishes
they could be here today. His cousin, Joshua, who constantly reminds him
that sometimes it’s good to stop over-analyzing wrestling and just enjoy a
good show.
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His mentors, Sheldon Oberman, Jerry Gladman and Tim Falconer for,
more than anything else, showing him that indeed, journalism is the best
career out there.
Ira, Stephen, Jeff and the rest of the boys and girls at Topps for giving him
the chance to live out a boyhood dream.
Michael Holmes and the ECW Press crew for everything involved with
the book (especially saying “yes” to the book proposal).
All of his co-workers, past, present and future, for dealing with his
wrestling chatter so kindly (or is that patronizing?).
Vince McMahon, Eric Bischoff, Paul Heyman, the Harts, Verne Gagne, the
Jarretts, Tony Condello and countless other promoters who, under immense
pressure, put on wrestling that has kept the ring wars fun for so many years.
And all the wrestlers who have come and gone in the business through the
years, who put their bodies on the line in the greatest form of entertainment
of them all.
Greg would like to thank . . .
All the readers over the years, who challenged us when needed, thanked us
on occasion, and sent in countless story
ideas, requests, questions and more. To all
the SLAM! Wrestling writers — and there
have been tons of them — thanks for putting up with me through various rewrites,
postponements of stories, and various
other hassles. There are a few who used the
clippings and experience to move on to
bigger and better things, making me sad
and proud at the same time.
Thanks to those who helped me turn
into a decent editor: At Ryerson, it was
Peter Robertson; at the Toronto Sun, huzzahs
to Ian Martin, Wayne Janes and Kathy
Greg Oliver types for Mad Dog
Vachon’s live chat with SLAM!
Brooks; at Canoe.ca, it was Mike Simpson,
Wrestling at the Canoe Toronto
John Sakamoto, Jim O’Leary and Art
office.
Chamberlain.
And finally, Jon Waldman, who really kept at this project while I changed
dirty diapers (thanks Quinn!).
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Foreword
Greg Oliver
by Scott D’Amore
The first thing that comes to
mind when I hear the words
“SLAM! Wrestling” is a terrible picture of me. I know
what you’re saying: with this
ugly mug, how could I ever
take a good picture? Zip it!
I’m talking about that godawful picture that they have
on my profile on the site. I
swear that the day I die, if any
newspaper actually picks up
the story, right beside the
obituary will be that horrible,
embarrassing picture. That
Two great Canadian minds, Pat Patterson and Scott
D’Amore. Next time you see Scott, ask him about Pat
photo will haunt me, forever.
kicking him out of the WWE dressing room.
Here’s what happened: I
was backstage at a show at
Medieval Times in Toronto, getting mentally ready for my match while
waiting for my music to start. I had just had surgery three weeks before and
I was getting in the ring to test out my knee before going on a tour of Japan.
I was about to wrestle Sabu for the first time. Oh, I should probably mention that he and I had just recently gotten back on good terms again after a
bad falling-out a couple of years earlier that had him cussing whenever my
name came up — so, no pressure or anything.
So there I am with all of these things racing around in my mind, trying
to focus on my match, when some guy who I’ve never seen before comes
up to me and says, “Hey, can I grab a photo?” Not knowing exactly what’s
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xiii
going on, I turn around and, half-heartedly, with a blank stare on my face,
sort of put my fists up like I’m mock fighting.
I walked away and never thought of it again.
Now, more than a decade later, if you search for my image on the web,
that’s the very first thing you’ll see.
So when the editors of this book asked me to write the foreword, I agreed
to do it on one condition: they had to promise to destroy that picture and
remove it from their site for good!
All kidding aside, when I hear the words “SLAM! Wrestling,” I think of
how significant it is in terms of wrestling news. Not just in Canada —
though it is probably the best source for Canadian wrestling news — but
around the world. Seriously, I’ve talked to industry people from across the
globe, from Japan to Europe to Mexico, and everyone is aware of the site.
I think a lot of that has to do with the way writers cover wrestling. I’d say
about 90-plus percent of what you see about it on the web is written with
a very negative slant. I’ve never been able to understand why. If someone’s a
fan of something and so passionate that they watch multiple shows in a
week, why, when they devote time to write about it, are they so critical of
just about everything, usually just for the sake of being critical? What stands
out about SLAM! Wrestling is that no matter what the story is, it’s written by
somebody who cares.
That’s not to say that they sugarcoat things or write puff pieces — the site
has covered some hard-hitting events over the years. It’s just that they never
come across as bitter or overly negative. What I’ve always liked about the site
is that when they’re publishing a review of a show, or an event, or a product,
whether it’s positive or negative, it’s just about always written fairly.
And from what I’ve seen, that’s the way they deal with the people they’re
writing about too. That’s why it’s one of a very few sites that I actually deal
with. I don’t want to paint everyone else with a bad brush, because there are
some good people out there. But with a lot of other sites, you have to be very
careful about what you say, how you word something, or else you risk being
misquoted or having your words twisted and turned into something you
didn’t mean. When dealing with the people I deal with at SLAM! (mostly
“Bloodthirsty” Bob Kapur — who eventually will be ghostwriting my book:
cheap plug!), I’ve never felt like I had to be really careful. I’ve always felt I’ve
had the chance to express my opinion and have it presented on the site honestly and accurately.
And that makes it such a valuable resource. Particularly in terms of
showing Canada’s place within the industry. Whether it’s a story on Grand
Prix Wrestling out on the East Coast, or a historical look at Stampede
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Wrestling out west, or results from a Border City Wrestling show in Windsor
(another cheap plug!), fans and industry people alike know that the site is
the real source for Canadian wrestling news.
There’s an old saying that Terry Taylor explained to me years ago: there are
two ways to have the tallest building in town. The first way is to work really
hard and dedicate yourself to the project and go out and build a building
taller than any other. The second way is to go out and build whatever you
can, and then go around and tear down every building in town taller than
yours.
It seems to me that while the vast majority of wrestling news sources try
to tear down everything else, SLAM! Wrestling concentrates on building a
site that’s the best it can be.
It’s truly amazing to me that after all these years it continues to build,
grow and succeed. And what’s even more amazing is that it continues to
build, grow and succeed, even though it’s being led by that goofy-looking
Greg Oliver in his ugly Christmas sweaters.
There, I’m finished.
Now take down that photo, damn it!
Scott D’Amore
(Who in a terrible oversight was left out of Greg Oliver’s book The
Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Canadians.)
FOREWORD
xv
Abdullah the Butcher takes out his frustration on Tim Baines after learning that Baines
masqueraded as Mr. X in the Ottawa Sun wrestling column for a while. But a hug from
Kelly Kelly makes up for the pain and suffering.
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A Brief History of
SLAM! Wrestling
Once upon a time, in a land not so far away from here, two rabid wrestling
fans came together for what would become an incredible journey.
No, that isn’t a stolen tagline from Ready to Rumble, though perhaps if that
was part of the marketing material, the forgettable WCW movie would actually have drawn a viewer or two.
Instead, this is the opening to the twisting and turning story of SLAM!
Wrestling.
Indeed, as simple as it may sound, SLAM! Wrestling began because of two
men — Greg Oliver and John Powell — and their unwavering fascination
with the business of professional mat wars.
Back in 1996, both were in Toronto, Ontario, employed by Sun Media
as part of its new internet project — CANadian Online Explorer, or
www.canoe.ca. Canoe’s directive, along with its subsites such as CNEWS,
JAM! Showbiz and SLAM! Sports, was not only to bring headlines pulled
straight from the pages of the various Sun newspapers, but to provide original and exclusive content.
This simple plan led to a number of specialty sections and the hiring of
newshounds whose names would only appear in digital bylines. It wasn’t
long before Powell and Oliver, who shared a passion for the pro ranks, began
to conceive of putting together a full-out wrestling website that would
report on the latest happenings in the squared circle and behind the curtain.
Supported in the early days by Sun writers such as “Coach” Glenn Cole,
who contributed wrestling articles and columns to the papers, SLAM!
Wrestling began to gain a considerable audience as Powell and Oliver built
an impressive array of stories that spoke to the growing internet wrestling
community in a fashion unlike virtually any other website. Rather than
dishing dirt with anonymous sources, SLAM! Wrestling went about its business as any other Sun Media venture would — with a traditional journalistic
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approach based on research, up-front interviews, facts and more than a little
cheekiness.
Of course, these factors were only part of the growth of SLAM! Wrestling.
What was also an integral part of the website was that it was the exclusive
online home to columns by wrestlers Bret “The Hitman” Hart (from the
Calgary Sun) and Don “Cyrus” Callis (from the Winnipeg Sun). This was long
before MySpace and other such outlets gave wrestlers the opportunity to
express their feelings and send updates to their fans with the truth of the
professional ranks. It was unusual for wrestlers to have any avenue to talk
about their personal thoughts beyond the walls of kayfabe (which, believe it
or not, were still intact, though wobbly, when SLAM! Wrestling started).
Along with the columns and features, SLAM! Wrestling also gave readers
the unprecedented opportunity to talk to the men and women in the business, as chats soon became a part of the regular schedule at the Canoe
offices. Wrestlers like Roddy Piper and Ron Simmons, and outside-the-ring
personalities like Barry W. Blaustein, director of Beyond the Mat, and Diana
Hart, were guests to the SLAM! Wrestling office to sit down across virtual
lines with SLAM! Wrestling’s faithful to dish about the industry. With the
World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now known as WWE) having a satellite
office in Toronto, it all made for some natural synergy.
As time went on, Powell and Oliver were joined on the front line by a
number of up-and-coming writers. John Molinaro soon became the proverbial third amigo, adding international flavor to the website with his vast
knowledge of lucha libre and puroresu. Canoe staffers Alex Ristic and
Stephen Laroche also contributed from the office, while outside writers like
Nick Tylwalk, Chris Gramlich, Bob Kapur, Eric Benner and Jon Waldman
would scribe from locations both inside Toronto and across the continent.
Yes, these were truly happy times in the land of SLAM! Wrestling, but, as
was the case with so many internet ventures, the bottom fell out on Canoe.
In late 2001, just a few short weeks after the SLAM! Wrestling crew
toasted what was arguably the most successful year in the fledgling site’s history in a chat at the Canoe offices, SLAM! Wrestling co-founder Greg Oliver,
along with other staff including Laroche and Ristic, were terminated, or in
the lexicon of the just-burst tech bubble, “downsized.”
The site, however, soldiered on. WrestleMania X8 was in Toronto in March
2002, and despite the loss of Oliver, the site provided the best coverage of
any media, be it internet, print or broadcast.
Once the festivities of ’Mania were over, however, so too were “friendly”
relations with the WWF. For reasons that would be heavily questioned (to
say the least) across the internet wrestling community, WWF put a media
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ban in place, denying SLAM! Wrestling and other websites access to its
superstars.
Needless to say, the staff was pissed off, but perhaps no one better
expressed his dismay than John Molinaro. Earlier in his tenure, Molinaro had
put out an editorial calling into question a similar media ban that the WWF
had in place. Now, after having established a relationship with the Fed,
including personal friendships, Molinaro felt slighted, and expressed his disappointment in an editorial.
SLAM! WRESTLING
EDITORIAL:
WWF MEDIA POLICY A
JOKE
By JOHN MOLINARO
(March 25, 2002)
Greg Oliver
“The WWF has declared war on the media.
Not the entire media, mind you. They’ll
gladly talk to newspapers, radio and TV
stations or any news agency that doesn’t regularly cover pro wrestling. But they’ve cut off
wrestling internet sites almost entirely.”
— “The WWF’s war on internet sites”
(September 7, 2000)
Bret Hart reads through questions from SLAM!
Wrestling readers at his Calgary home, just
weeks after the “Montreal Screwjob.”
Here we go again. In September
2000, I wrote an editorial taking
the WWF to task for its archaic
media policy, which prohibited any
WWF performer from granting an
interview with a reporter without
checking with the office first.
“While the WWF claimed the policy was put in place because they
viewed SLAM! Wrestling and other wrestling websites as ‘competition’ for WWF.com and they don’t want to help supply content for
their ‘competitor,’ the real reason was the WWF wants to manage its
image and control how it’s portrayed in the public eye. To that end,
they’ve cut off contact with media agencies that could potentially
hurt them.”
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Chris Perry
JBL has trouble with Steven Johnson’s
politics.
John Cena and his new bud Jason Clevett.
Mike Mastrandrea
Jon Waldman gets down with the Hardys.
Kenai Andrews dares to ask Batista about haircuts.
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Always thorough in their reporting, the SLAM! guys and girls are some of
the most read writers in the biz. The candidness they show is unparalleled
in wrestling media. In an industry that is fuelled by reports and interviews,
news and rumors, a piece written by the folks at SLAM! can always be
counted on to deliver nothing but 100% Stratusfaction . . . guaranteed!
— Trish Stratus
Whenever I hear gossip, I always check with SLAM! Wrestling. They won’t
print anything unless it’s been authenticated.
— “The Genius” Lanny Poffo
Founded by Greg Oliver and John Powell,
SLAM! Wrestling changed the way North
America’s true favorite pastime was covered
online. With the backing of Sun Media and
Canoe, it brought pure journalism to the muddy
waters of wrestling media. Never before had
the squared circle been so keenly scrutinized
by reporters and analysts who both broke
down its philosophy and feted its legends;
at the same time the site always presented
the human side of locker rooms usually hidden from fans inside the world’s biggest arenas.
SLAM! Wrestling takes readers on a journey through the often all too real world of professional
wrestling. From WWE to the independent leagues that dot the grappling landscape, it presents
the unique view of the reporter as history unfolds, and includes interviews with “Stone Cold” Steve
Austin, Ric Flair, “The Rock” Dwayne Johnson, and
Trish Stratus among the insights of many others.
The writers take you behind the scenes and share
their take on what made the site stand out as one
of the most respected information resources in
the Internet community. From the celebration of
WrestleManias to the tragic death of Owen Hart,
SLAM! Wrestling has it covered, bringing the
history of the mat wars straight to your bookshelf.
Greg Oliver’s prior works include three volumes of the Pro Wrestling
Hall of Fame series, also available from ECW Press. He lives in Toronto.
Jon Waldman is a veteran SLAM! Wrestling staffer who has worked for
the website since 2000. He lives in Winnipeg.
$17.95 US $20.95 CDN
ECWPRESS.COM
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ISBN-13: 978-1-55022-884-7