Author: Dr. Mike Lano

RAW “Underground” isn’t that different from IMPACT’s WrestleHouse in that it’s first space (or time) filler. At least it’s short timewise in comparison, although it can drag on two, maybe three tv segments depending on the show. On the 8/24 RAW, “Underground” felt least like any worked MMA type “competition” and just “more of the same.” Count me in amongst the many, already bored with the always sweaty for no reason Shane. Last Monday’s redeeming point was at least reminding viewers not heading for the bathroom or popcorn that “Dolph Zigler” had amateur cred in facing another amateur great in…

This week after his valiant heath and financial issues battle, the wrestling world lost ‘Kamala’ James Harris. Cauliflower Alley Club and, more recently, the kind people at GoFundMe type accounts set up for his family, who donated badly-needed financial aid, including fellow wrestlers, promoters, fans, and more who loved the “Ugandan Head Hunter.” Today I am missing my friend, James ‘Kamala’ Harris. In reality, the real James truly loved his primary role as a long-time farmer and head of his family. He was regarded as one of the nicest, sweetest people in the biz, cracking up others in the dressing room.…

People from all over the globe still miss his famous ATB House of Chinese Food and Ribs restaurant in the Atlanta area, not far from his long time home. Born Larry Shreve in Ontario, he transformed and crafted his wrestling character into a sort of a barbaric Frankenstein monster come to life. The magazine company I’ve written and short for decades(still publishing their lone title, Pro Wrestling Illustrated out of their East Coast office) helped make Abby famous in the late ’60s and early ’70s with a series of photos published on the covers and in the eir then lead…

I was totally floored today, as many were just learning today about Valerie Boesch’s death. She passed away on March 23rd, 2020. None of us knew until now, which is heartbreaking. I would’ve Zoomed to Texas to pay love and respect forward for this Great Wrestling Lady. Many others, upon hearing the sad news, soon began grieving her passing online. As we’re celebrating wrestling’s longtime heart, Valerie Boesch. Since her husband Paul’s death in 1989 at their adopted longtime home of Sugar Land, Texas, she had devoted her life to taking care of their son Joey. Val and Paul were…

Our latest CAC Life Member, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, continues to make near-daily news worldwide (I’ve been the club’s board photographer since the late ’80s). Perhaps because he’s still the biggest movie and tv star in the world for two+ years running, while his Jungle Cruise ride adventure film arrives soon from Disney Films, he’ll be seen next in perhaps his biggest and most expensive blockbuster. “The hierarchy of Power in the D.C. comic book and the graphic novel universe is about to change. I’ll be joining an epic and first of it’s kind D.C. Fandom fil(set to start filming…

Some of wrestling’s top indie refs around the U.S. in no particular order begin with two longtime friends in the late/great Brian Hildebrand (who managed in Philly/Jersey as Evil Dr. Mean Mark Curtis and Scottie Dickenson of the Boston area. Whenever I came to shoot/cover Dennis Coralluzzo’s shows, or those of ECW’s predecessor Joel Goodhart’s TWA or later ECW or any Philly/Jersey area indies (my second home) – both Brian and Scott were usually there for our hardcore midnight till dawn VHS tape watching parties of Sayama/first and best Tiger Mask vs. Dynamite Kid, Funks vs. Sheik/Abby (also in Japan),…

I can’t speak for everyone else ever, but watching some of Vice Network’s second season of Dark Side Of The Ring at times was pretty hard. Particularly with subjects I was close to—some real characters like Owen Hart and Herb Abrams. Owen Hart was really was an example of Heaven on Earth. I spent significant time with Owen Hart. First in Japan in the early ’90s, when he shined over there with an incredible Juniors division. The one led by Jushin Lyger/Keichi Yamada and his famous workhorse dojo that was separate from NJPW’s overall one. Owen was always serious about…

Pausing the great “pit” fight match with Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher last Wednesday on NXT, I had to laugh when the announcers continually claimed Riddle knocked out “two” of Thatcher’s teeth, just because they saw several tooth pieces on the mat. Not knocking Mauro, who’s always a pro. He just doesn’t know dentistry, but to his credit, he does know our slang for central and lateral incisors we do call “chicklets.” Pausing on the close-ups of what was there and handed to the ref, as well as Thatcher’s mouth; only central incisor #9 was broken and out, with enough…

I’d known Shad Gaspard, who we lost last week, from taking pictures of him ringside for the magazines I’ve always worked for soon after his WWE debut to current. Got to know him, obviously not on the level of JTG, Cena, or Ezequiel Jackson. But I had dinner with him soon before the pandemic hit. He talked with pride about his family and how his acting career was going. And the many future projects he was jazzed about. Shad Gaspard was heroic without ever trying to be one. He was getting better at body surfing along the California coast. He…