Author: Marc Madison (Editor in Chief)

A world-class athlete, Riddle’s journey into professional wrestling and sports entertainment began at the age of 18 while he attended Saratoga Springs High School. It is there where the ‘King of Bros’ Matt Riddle became a state wrestling champion. He later went on to defeat a future UFC champion in Jon ‘Bones’ Jones. Right away, he was making himself known at a young age. But, no one could have envisioned at that point how successful Riddle would become. After high school, he earned a wrestling scholarship at East Stroudsburg University. Unfortunately, the departure of his coach also spelled the end…

On this day, December 16th, 2012, Kevin Steen and El Generico settled the score at Ring of Honor’s Ladder War. ROH Final Battle 2012 was the event, and the world-famous Hammerstein Ballroom was the venue. Throughout the year prior, Steen and Generico feuded heatedly as their long-standing friendship came to an end. What followed was a bitter and heinous rivalry between the two. As the two proceeded to battle one another in every match possible it would ultimately be this match that would culminate their feud. This match was the fourth Ladder War in Ring of Honor history at the…

On November 1st, 2012 the world lost Robert Bradley ‘Brad’ James. To fans across the world, he was ‘Brad Armstrong’. As a second-generation wrestler and the son of ‘Bullet Bob’ Armstrong, Brad had huge footsteps to follow in. What Brad managed to do was simply put on a solid performance each and every time he stepped in the ring. Brad Armstrong is our next focus in our Unsung Heroes series. As one of four of Bullet Bob’s son’s to compete (the others being Brian, Steve, and Scott) he didn’t typically compete with a great deal of fanfare. His career began…

The duo known as Hawk and Animal, the Road Warriors were arguably the most dominant tag team of their generation. Is success all self-made, or do some come from the support and guidance come from those around them? For Michael Hegstrand and Joseph Laurinaitis, that question had been pressed upon. Throughout the 80s and into the 90s, The Road Warriors were unquestionably the most dominant team of their generation. However, in exploring their legacy, it is essential to isolate where they came from, their matches, and overall crowd appeal even today. As their story unfolds, it began in Georgia Championship…

A decade can make all the difference in the world of a professional wrestler, Eddy Thorpe. The man who first cut his teeth as Karl Fredricks, began wrestling in 2015. In the modern era beginning your wrestling training and development at the age of 25 would be considered ‘old’. But in the case of the Reno, Nevada native, it seemed to be the right time. His early training and development were partly at the hands of Katsuyori Shibata as part of NJPW LA Dojo. Eddy Thorpe – The New Found Sensation for The First Nations The Rise of Karl Fredricks…

If fans hadn’t heard the name of Wavell Starr, it’s unfortunate. What they likely missed was a talent whose career spans more than two decades. And for all his heinous and fiendish acts in the ring, Starr’s contributions to wrestling has often been missed by many fans today who aren’t as privy to him since he isn’t on television. That is, he isn’t on television today. Around the turn of the century, Starr competed briefly for the WWE. Wavell Starr – The First Nations Sensation But before Starr’s career can be shared today, it’s crucial to look at his early…

On November 24th, 1988, the WWF presented Survivor Series 1988. The event took place in the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio. Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura were on commentary for this event. The familiar sound of the Ultimate Warrior’s music ushered in the team of The Ultimate Warrior, Brutus ‘The Barber’ Beefcake, Sam Houston, Jumping Jim Brunzel and the Blue Blazer. As they were in the ring, the five-man team awaited their opposition. Survivor Series 1988 The Ultimate Warrior, Brutus ‘The Barber’ Beefcake, Sam Houston, ‘Jumping’ Jim Brunzel and The Blue Blazer vs. The Honky Tonk Man, Dangerous Danny Davis,…

On November 24, 1983, ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper and Greg Valentine faced each other in arguably one of the most brutal and bloodiest matches in wrestling history. In a match type that’s origins preceded it, their dog collar match was the fourth recorded one in existence. It would be, however, the first dog collar match that would take place on a major televised event during Starrcade 83’.  Today, the match is known to more contemporary audiences as ‘Piper in Portland.’ The most amusing part of all of this is the match didn’t, in fact, happen in Portland. That said, Piper’s competed…

With over a decade of in-ring experience and another added for her training and development, Kaori Housako (Kairi Sane) began to flourish as part of Japan’s Stardom promotion. After graduating from Stardom’s Pro-Test, she assumed the ring name of Kairi Hojo. She was also affectionately known as the Pirate Princess. That name was based on her very competitive boating background, including Olympic participation. But for all that, Kairi Hojo accomplished in Stardom, Kairi Sane hopes to outdo that on WWE’s NXT brand. Kairi Sane – Rise In Stardom During her time in Stardom, Hojo formed alliances with the likes of…

On November 8th, 2008, Ring of Honor presented the event Bound By Hate. One of the matches involved three men that have now become household names. It featured Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson and Tyler Black (Seth Rollins) in a triple-threat match. Danielson and Omega were presented as the faces of the match, demonstrating the code of honor. While Black would also follow suit, he would act apprehensive. He was fine shaking Omega’s hand but refused to shake the America Dragon’s. As the match was set to begin, Black was initially trying to convince Omega to work together with him…