Author: Marc Madison (Editor in Chief)

Welcome to our latest Sunday Night Pay Per RetroView series; this time, it’s WWE Backlash 1999. While the upcoming WWE pay-per-view has been renamed Stomping Ground, it was originally slated to be Backlash taking place in this slot. So while we aren’t able to review past Stomping Grounds, that being a brand new PPV name, we can look at the WWE Sunday Night Pay Per Retroview for Backlash 1999. In 1999, the WWF held the first-ever event titled WWE Backlash 1999, and the main event was Stone Cold Steve Austin facing The Rock for the WWF Championship. The video opening…

On May 2nd, 1996, Shinjiro Ohtani and Dean Malenko faced each other for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship. Ohtani defended the WCW Cruiserweight title against the man of 1000 holds, Dean Malenko. It was a simple enough WCW Saturday Night match that transitioned the Cruiserweight title back to the man of a 1000 holds. It involved then-champion Shinjiro Ohtani, managed by Sonny Onoo. His opponent was the man of a thousand holds Dean Malenko. Ohtani came into the ring with a great deal of fan animosity towards him. The jeers he received from fans was actually quite loud. Ohtani was the…

The Sandman, whose real name is James Fullington, is a professional wrestler known for his hardcore style and his time in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), where he became a cult favorite. James Fullington began his wrestling career in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He initially wrestled under various gimmicks in different promotions before adopting the persona of The Sandman. Early Career and ECW Debut: Before becoming The Sandman, James Fullington, the wrestler behind the persona, wrestled under various names and gimmicks while he was initially there. He had a surfer-like persona, but with any wrestler trying to find themselves,…

For some, skill is developed over time. In the case of Kay Lee Ray (now known as Alba Fyre), her skill was evident right from the beginning. Trained by  Kid Fite, Ray began her in-ring debut competing for Scottish Wrestling Alliance Battlezone in 2009. While it may not be considered to be something to some, being a part of their Battlezone Rumble for Ray it was a beginning to a means. She would compete later that year in a mixed tag match against someone she has crossed paths with repeatedly throughout her career. Ray would face off against Barry Miller…

On March 27th, 1988, WrestleMania IV took place at the Atlantic City Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, featuring the WWF Championship Tournament. This particular WrestleMania was known for the tournament for the Undisputed WWF Heavyweight Championship. It all came about when the feud between Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan reached a fevered pitch. In a previous edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event, Andre defeated Hogan to become the WWF Heavyweight Champion, or so we thought. Referee Earl Hebner’s twin brother of Dave played the role of a corrupt referee that ‘screwed’ Hogan for his championship. Andre had…

On April 2nd, 1989, the WWF presented WrestleMania V from the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Gorilla Monsoon shares that they will immediately go down to ringside to sing America the Beautiful, sung by WWF Women’s Champion, Rockin Robin. Monsoon and Jesse, ‘The Body’ Ventura, were on commentary. WrestleMania V King Haku with Bobby the Brain Heenan vs. Hercules Haku made his way to the ring, first carried on a throne and led by Bobby Heenan. Heenan asks that everyone in attendance get up and show their respect to Haku, bowing to him. We then…

Nigel McGuinness. His name emerged as a combination of things. The first name ‘Nigel’ was suggested by wrestler Shark Boy, while ‘McGuinness’ was chosen in order to allude to other cultures, even though he is English and doesn’t have a Scottish or Irish background. In a career that spanned more than a decade, his career’s most notable moments were in one promotion, since while working in the United States, he established his notoriety as part of Ring of Honor. While there, he had notable matches with the likes of Samoa Joe, CM Punk, and Bryan Danielson (which we will explore…

Amateur wrestling has been as much a part of professional wrestling today as it ever was, in particular with the Varsity Club. Throughout wrestling’s lore, Greco roman and various amateur wrestling moves have been entrenched in a match as it has been storytelling. In particular, over the past two decades, amateur wrestling has proven to include several successful amateur wrestlers that have transitioned to the professional ranks. But it was nearly four decades earlier when a wrestling faction came together that harnessed an outstanding amateur, collegiate wrestling style in the landscape of professional wrestling. The Varsity Club – Professional Excellence…

Bianca Belair. While we typically journey into a WWE superstar’s past before they come to the promotion, this week’s reflection is slightly different. Bianca Nicole Blair has proudly turned the WWE on its ear. Unapologetically strong and confident, Belair’s journey into professional wrestling began when she entered her information into the database of the WWE Performance Center, but that came after being tired and feeling complacent. Bianca Belair – The Pursuit for Something Greater “I was just settling and trying to live the life I felt was the hand I was dealt. I thought there would be something bigger, but…

In a career that has spanned over a quarter of a century, Meiko Satomura has continued to inspire and elevate all around her. However, in order to appreciate where she is today, it is crucial to reflect on her career, where it began up until where she is today. For a decade, Satomura carved a path for herself in Gaea, Japan. The all-female company is based out of Japan. It began with a win and has certainly set the tone for her career. More than a year later, she captured her first title as she teamed alongside Sonoko Kato to…