Author: Evan Ginzburg

People look at this greying, middle-aged old school guy, read my tongue-in-cheek “reviews” of WWE TV. “That was 3 hours of my life I’ll never get back”. Assume I’m one of those haters who do the “There’s been NO good wrestling since the 80’s” spiels. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is the new wrestling golden age. You see, the exact opposite is probably the case. This is a new golden age in professional wrestling. And I’m not talking just “dollars and cents,”. But rather the all-time great Art that is being created in-ring almost daily. You see…

Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine is quite the ride. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson gives by far his greatest performance as early MMA pioneer Mark Kerr, seamlessly transitioning from childlike to brutal- often in the very same scene or even moment. This isn’t The Rock in charming and charismatic popcorn movie “safe mode.” This is a hurting, seething, crying, wounded, let-it-all-hang-out, “time to finally be an ACTOR” performance. It’s raw, it’s wonderful, it’s memorable, and there’s not a door or piece of furniture that remains safe when he’s in a steroid-induced rage. It must also be noted that Johnson is almost…

(originally written by the late Dale Pierce and edited by Evan Ginzburg) Here we are, remembering Ohio Championship Wrestling. Dale Pierce was a noted wrestling manager (The Time Traveler), wrestler (Marcial Bovee), licensed teacher, and prolific author of eclectic books on bullfighting, wrestling history. Western outlaws and various other subjects that struck his fancy. He tragically passed away last week after a long battle with Cancer. I published him in my Wrestling-Then & Now newsletter for some twenty years. I would love to see his work live on for those interested in the more obscure territories and wrestlers who are…

Having not attended or even watched TNA Wrestling in the longest time, I didn’t even know some of the wrestlers on this, TNA Slammiversary 2025, their biggest drawing show of all time, with an attendance of 7,623 from UBS Arena- Belmont Park, Elmont, NY. Therefore, I entered the UBS Arena with a clean slate. The matches were either going to win over this jaded, old-school fan of fifty-plus years or they’d lose my interest. Ultimately, the card did a little of both. A mostly young, enthusiastic crowd in their twenties and thirties seemed to be the bulk of the audience…

Colossal Championship Wrestling returned to the hallowed Queens Elk Lodge on July 19th- former home to ECW and a slew of indies, bringing a hot card on a hot summer night to a satisfied crowd. With affordable tickets, the audience reminded me very much of the old WWWF Queens’ Sunnyside Garden and other 1970s NYC area fans. A loud and lively group of working-class families, of every age, race, creed, and color, enjoyed the indie grapplers giving their all, and everyone had a rousing good time. Part of the fun of the CCW shows is that it feels like the…

RIP King Kong Bundy. In “real life”- as wrestling people are oft to say- the massive King Kong Bundy was an eclectic mix of highly intelligent, blunt, gruff, lovable, supportive, businesslike, and at times grumpy. And he sure wasn’t scared to speak his mind. “Ginzburg!” he’d bellow upon seeing me at a wrestling convention or indy show, instantly continuing some political debate we’d had online. You see, he’d “give me crap,” a sly grin etched on his face. For Bundy didn’t always agree with my liberal leanings. And in an odd way, it was empowering for me to stand my…

It’s June 24, 1974. I’m a skinny, 14-year-old and it’s my first wrestling match EVER. My heart is beating out of my chest because these superheroes and supervillains have suddenly come to life. And finally, there he is. “The Italian strongman,” Bruno Sammartino. The building literally shakes as he enters without a hint of pyro or entrance music. This powerhouse who hid from the Nazis as a child in WW II and built himself up into a superman. His partner, Chief Jay Strongbow and he stood across the ring from the Russian monster Nikolai Volkoff who could shatter fruit in…

Independent cards are one of the last bargains in pro wrestling, such as the one with Colossal Championship Wrestling. For a fraction of an obscenely priced WWE show, you can sit close to the action, meet the wrestlers, and take photos with them. In short, there’s a communal feeling to it all. You inevitably know some of the fans in attendance, as well as the competitors and staff. And you feel like a valued guest. The wildly successful 3/8/25 debut of Colossal Championship Wrestling at the packed Elks Lodge in Queens, NY, was a stellar example of an indie done…

Ken Patera is an all-time great heel who has written one of the best wrestling books I have EVER read in his Ken Patera Weight of the World. And just why is it great? Because it’s not just about wrestling. Unlike some WWE sanctioned bios, which go on and on endlessly about some inane Wrestlemania angle or whatnot, this one is about a champion athlete who conquered many worlds. Patera was a natural competitor who played football, loved track and field, switched to shot put and discus, and later turned to Olympic weightlifting. He goes into great detail on all…

In 1992, revered long-time St. Louis-based wrestling promoter Sam Muchnick was honored at a convention organized by noted wrestling journalist/historian/photographer Dr. Mike Lano. Although the then-elderly and ailing Muchnick did not attend, St. Louis saw a plethora of legends salute him. They included Killer Kowalski, Ted Dibiase, Lanny Poffo, Lou Thesz, Rip Hawk, Red Bastien, Bob Backlund, Ox Baker, and many others. Woody Strode was a topic of discussion. On one particularly memorable panel at the event, they had a tribute to Black Wrestling Legends. Ernie Ladd moderated along with Kowalski who started off by, of course, honoring Mr. Muchnick.…