Author: Pete Moon (Assistant Editor)

From the days of grapplers plying their trade in the carnival circuit up to modern times, professional wrestling has been seen as the realm of the ‘tough guy.’ Stories abound of wrestlers who knocked out larger men or gritted their teeth and wrestled through gruesome injuries. We bring up names like Haku, who can beat up entire crowds, or Kurt Angle, who captured a gold medal at the Olympics with a broken (freakin’) neck. In the wake of his passing in 2019, many such stories about one Harley Race were retold. Over a 31-year career in the industry, Harley Race…

The territory days of professional wrestling hold many a story of world champions who faded into obscurity. Many become bitter that their time in the spotlight couldn’t last longer. But there are others who see the end of the road and decide not to turn back but to pave the way ahead. Dominic DeNucci is one such hero. Deciding to step back from the spotlight in 1980, DeNucci decided his legacy would not be one of his groundbreaking title reigns but of fostering the next generation of talent. Here we will look at the career of the master of the…

In our previous installment on the life and career of Harley Race, “The Baddest Man on God’s Green Earth,” we looked into his long, slow, painful rise to the NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship. Escaping a difficult family life at 16, Race went to work on a farm owned by the Zbysko brothers. From there, he began wrestling in the carnivals, earning $6 a match for 6 matches a night. Later he would begin working for Missouri promoter Gust Karras, until a car wreck threatened to end Harley’s career just as it was getting started. After a grueling recovery, Race teamed…

For a little under two years, The Dynamic Duo of Gino Hernandez and Chris Adams were the most dominant heels in World Class Championship Wrestling. Along with Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Gino and Chris would feud with The Von Erichs, The Fabulous Freebirds, and The Fantastics. Between Gino’s top-notch mic skills, Chris’s intensity, and the impressive athleticism displayed by both, The Dynamic Duo could have dominated any territory they set foot in. However, their fun-loving, hard-partying lives outside of the ring would cut their run short before they had the chance to go national. This is a look at the…

On this day in 2006, this was the beginning of the end for RVD in WWE. The main event of Monday Night Raw on July 3rd, 2006, was an eventful one. Recently-crowned champion Rob Van Dam would defend his championship in a triple threat match. His opponents that night were John Cena, the man he dethroned, and Edge, who helped him do it. Fans of the red brand rejoiced as it was the first time in 5 years they had seen the championship defended on the show. But not everybody was pleased when Edge walked away the victor. RVD’s championship…

Welcome back to this AEW Talent profile on the prolific and talented Colt “Boom Boom” Cabana. Colt Cabana’s journey from Steel Domain Wrestling in St. Paul through his work in Ring of Honor and up to signing a contract with WWE was a key starting point for Cabana.. Colt Cabana – Ohio Valley Wrestling Colt Cabana had his first match for Ohio Valley Wrestling (WWE’s then-developmental territory) on May 30th, 2007. Cabana lost to Michael W. Kruel in the first round of a tournament to determine an opponent for a future appearance by The Miz. Shortly thereafter, Cabana would enter…

Colt “Boom Boom” Cabana is easily the most prolific independent wrestler of the modern era. With his comedic style, underdog appeal, and fierce independent streak, he has earned the respect of wrestling fans worldwide. But how did this all happen? We present Colt Cabana, part 1 in our latest AEW Talent Preview. Scott Colton was born on May 6th, 1980, in Deerfield, Illinois. He became a pro wrestling fan at the age of four when he saw Andre the Giant on an episode of WWF Championship Wrestling. The colorful characters and high-impact action of the 1980s wrestling had the young…

Before Diesel debuts in the WWF his early time in WCW was quite memorable. In early 1993, Kevin Nash wanted to leave wrestling for good. From 1990-1991 he was half of the disastrous “Master Blasters” tag team in WCW. Sporting all black and a bright orange mohawk, “Steel” teamed with “Iron” and then “Blade” before going solo as simply “The Master Blaster.” Later in 1991, WCW repackaged him with silver hair and green tights as “Oz” based on the classic children’s book. Flanked by Kevin Sullivan in a wizard costume, WCW pushed him for a month before Ron Simmons defeated…

It is Saturday, July 14th, 1984, a day that will go down in the annals of Pro Wrestling as ‘Black Saturday.’ You are a pro wrestling fan living in the US Mid-Atlantic. For the past 12 years, you’ve tuned into Superstation WTBS at 6:00 on Saturday for the weekly 2-hour broadcast of Georgia Championship Wrestling. This particular Saturday, you turn to WTBS to watch NWA World Championship Wrestling, and almost immediately, you can tell something is wrong. Black Saturday: The Prelude To The Monday Night Wars Instead of being welcomed by nationally renowned pro wrestling commentator Gordon Solie, you are…

May 5th, 2002, was an important day for the WWE with a plane ride from hell. They had just concluded their 2002 British tour with the taping of Insurrextion. It was also the first Raw-branded PPV, and the first event to be held under the new WWE banner. But none of those are the reason we remember that date, which now lives in infamy. What followed was a flight described by Jim Ross in his now-defunct Ross Report column as “about seven hours in length and low-lighted by a handful of people who consumed too much alcohol and consequently acted…