Category: History

“He knows how long the matches are going to be before they start?” “How long and who’s going to win. All except the title matches, then it’s every man for himself.” So explained Ronny Sammis, a character in a wrestling-themed edition of 1990s drama Quantum Leap. Within that show, the claim proved to be bogus…

Few events in wrestling history are so significant that they change the language, but that’s exactly what happened in Montreal on November 9, 1997. The record books show Shawn Michaels beat Bret Hart by submission to win the WWF title, a result that came as a major surprise to Hart who was under the impression…

Ten years ago this month the wrestling world went through some of its darkest days. John Lister explores what really happened and how – or if–  it changed the wrestling business. At 9.25 pm on Friday, 22 June 2007 the US equivalent of directory enquiries received a call from the home of Chris Benoit, his…

“As terrible as it sounds, I get my words mixed up and I can’t even remember my son’s name sometimes.” That’s what Keith ‘Ruffneck’ Colwill considers the worst results of suffering 13 registered concussions. While wrestling was by no means the only source of such injuries — the harsh reality of working as a nightclub…

While dozens of promotions are flourishing in wrestling, no two operate in quite the same way. John Lister explains why such variety is proving a winning formula for fans and wrestlers alike.   “Venues are ringing us up asking us to put on shows where we used to have to try to get them to…

25 years ago, US troops were fighting in Kuwait. John Lister explains why WWE’s attempts to profit from the conflict caused outrage and explores why wrestling and politics have always been uneasy bedfellows.   Sgt Slaughter was by no means the first foreign-sympathizing heel in wrestling. There were Terrible Turks dating back to the 19th…

Every industry has its own jargon and the once secretive-world of pro wrestling is no different. John Lister explores the origins of some of wrestling’s most common terms.   Perhaps no word is more symbolic of professional wrestling than the ultra-versatile “kayfabe.” In its purest sense it’s the concept of protecting the fiction that professional…

25 years after WWE’s first visit to the United Kingdom, John Lister looks back at some of the most memorable — and infamous — moments from the company’s transatlantic trips.   10 October 1989: WWE’s first show in the UK, held at the Docklands Arena, sees Hulk Hogan beat Randy Savage in the main event….

In mid-July, PowerSlam editor Findlay Martin announced he was closing the magazine after 20 year. John Lister, who wrote for the magazine from 1996-1998 and in 2007, looks back on its influence on the wrestling scene in Britain.   When Power Slam first hit the shelves in 1994, to be a wrestling fan was to…

Championship belts for combat sports winners have been around since at least the 19th century, though originally belts were usually manufactured and presented by a sponsor or fans to mark a particular victory. The idea of a title belt that would pass on to each new champion didn’t become widely popular until 1909 when Lord…