Author: Pete Moon (Assistant Editor)

The ongoing history of pro wrestlers at the Olympics is rich and plentiful. The names involved over the past century cross borders, countries and generations. The history continues in the city of angels. A Brief History of Pro Wrestlers at the Olympics (part 2) Los Angeles, 1984 – Hiroshi Hase & Tamon Honda 1984 marked the second time the Olympics had taken place in Los Angeles, the first time being over 5o years earlier in 1932. In some ways, the situation of the 1984 Olympics mirrored those of the 1932 Olympics. The 1932 games took place during The Great Depression,…

Arguably, pro wrestlers have been part of the Olympics since wrestling was introduced to the games in 708 BC. These men (and we’re positive they were always men) displayed such talent in wrestling that they were able to make a living by competing. They were wrestlers, as a profession. That’s why they’re called professional wrestlers, see. But that’s not what you’re here for. You’re here to find out which wrestlers competed at the Olympics before they set foot in a squared circle, which wouldn’t be invented for another 1100 years. Today we look back on the modern pro wrestlers who…

In 1994, Antonio Inoki had an idea for a wrestling show. It was to be the supercard to end all supercards. The finest wrestlers from both Japan and the USA would square off in front of the largest audience ever assembled for a wrestling show. Muhammad Ali would be the guest of honor, and the main event would feature Japan’s national hero Antonio Inoki facing off against the American titan Hulk Hogan. But most interestingly, the show would take place in Pyongyang, North Korea, with the goal of opening peace talks with their Asian neighbors. Noble though Inoki’s intentions were,…

As we stand on the anniversary of the January 6th insurrection, many people have politics on their minds when considering Pro Wrestling and Politics. Politics affects many aspects of our lives, from our governance to our jobs to our entertainment, and pro wrestling is no different. While some may look at pro wrestling as something divorced from real-world politics, there have been many times the worlds of pro wrestling and real-world politics have crossed paths. Today we look back on the long and sordid history of Politics and Professional Wrestling, from its roots in the American Civil War through to…

Much like the previous entry, the Menagerie of Monsters, Jerry Lawler’s creatures of the night has a number of outlandish characters to compell its fans with. In the days of The Territories, when one promotion would dominate a local region, each promotion carefully crafted its own identity and ethos. It continues with a nightmare…. The Menagerie of Monsters Nightmare Freddie Dreamwalking slasher Freddy Kreuger made his big screen debut in 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street, wherein he would plague the nightmares of teenagers before murdering them in inventive ways. Played to perfection by the legendary Robert Englund, the wise-cracking…

Jerry Lawlers Menagerie of Monsters. In the days of The Territories, when one promotion would dominate a local region, each promotion carefully crafted its own identity and ethos. For example, Western Canada (Stampede Wrestling) and the American Midwest (AWA) tended to push wrestlers with impressive technical acumen, while Dallas (WCCW) and Detroit (Big Time Wrestling) focused on the brawling style and what would come to be known as Hardcore or Deathmatch wrestling. In Memphis, they adopted a different approach, crafting some of the most outlandish gimmicks to ever grace the squared circle. Today we’ll look at why the legacy of…

The most effective villains in fiction are the relatable ones, the ones who have a point, unlike Muhammad Hassan. Consider the likes of Roy Batty from Blade Runner, or Killmonger from Black Panther, or arguably the king of relatable villains, Magneto from X-Men. Their actions may be brutal and unconscionable, but the fact that we can understand and relate to their motivations makes them that much more memorable. The same is true in pro wrestling, where wrestlers often turn heel for understandable reasons. When Bret Hart turned heel towards the end of his WWF run, he did so because he…

At Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling’s Northern Rising event, we witnessed the finals of the MLP Women’s Canadian Championship tournament as “Smiley” Kylie Rae faced Gisele Shaw. The tournament began on March 14th at the MLP Mayhem PPV at St.Clair College in Windsor. The WWE ID and TNA standouts defeated indie darling Taylor Rising and AEW’s Serena Deeb respectively to earn a chance to become the inaugural champion. However, Shaw captured the Women’s Canadian Championship under controversial circumstances. Join us as we break down the events that led to Gisele Shaw lifting the MLP Women’s Canadian Championship. Before the match, TNA’s…

Saturday night, Toronto, Ontario’s own Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling crowned the inaugural MLP Canadian Heavyweight Champion! AEW’s Josh Alexander eliminated 19 other men in a gauntlet match for the brand new championship belt at the “MLP Northern Rising” PPV. However, The Walking Weapon’s shiny new championship isn’t the only takeaway from this Saturday’s main event in Toronto. Join us now as we break down who did what in this incredibly chaotic match, that will shape storylines for months to come. Rich Swann and El Phantasmo entered at #1 and #2, with Swann using the old “test of strength” to bait…

On May 27th, 2021, All Elite Wrestling posted a Twitter video featuring a Tully Blanchard promo to Shawn Spears. In the blistering promo, Tully rips into Spears for his recent shift in attitude. These are the tales and lineage of The Black Glove. The following week on AEW Dynamite (June 3rd, 2021), the former Horseman gave his protege a gift that would help him find his inner darkness: A black fingerless glove. But why just the one? Well, the lone black glove has been a symbol of inner evil for quite some time. These are tales and lineage of the…