Professional Wrestling Studies Association
Studying the Past, Present, and Future of Professional Wrestling
After I interviewed Windy City Wrestling co-founder Sam DeCero in 1991 in Chicago, Sam brought over a few of his trainees to talk to me. Trevor Blanchard was introduced to me as a “bad guy,” and he sat down for this interview with some wariness. I guess the bad guy attitude was inevitable if you … Read more Before Shoot Interviews: Trevor Blanchard
Part 1 of this interview ended with Sam DeCero’s career-ending injury due to a mishap during his regular day job as a laborer. Read on to learn about the next steps that DeCero took to remain a force in the Chicago pro wrestling scene…. DeCero: So I figured, “How am I going to stay in … Read more Before Shoot Interviews: Sam DeCero (part 2)
We at the PWSA strive to bridge professional wrestling and academia. In Japan, university students have been doing just that for decades. Since the late 1970s, several Japanese universities have been home to student-run professional wrestling promotions. The students, whose gimmicks sometimes parody actual wrestlers, train at the campus and perform regularly at individual shows … Read more Wrestling in Universities: How Japanese Students are Breaking into the Pro Wrestling World
Sam DeCero is the founder and promoter of Windy City Wrestling, a Chicago-based wresting promotion. His office, where this 1991 interview took place, was decorated with posters from his wrestling tours of Japan, publicity stills of wrestlers who work for him, and a large television. A wrestling ring was right outside the office, where trainees … Read more Before Shoot Interviews: Sam DeCero (part 1)
Chin, Michael. Stories Wrestling Can Tell. Cowboy Jamboree Press, 2023. Review by Guillermo Rebollo Gil Michael Chin’s Stories Wrestling Can Tell is all heart. And all Hart! The heart is evident in the author’s tender, and sincere attempt at thinking through the memories that best encapsulate his relationship with his father and grandfather, as well … Read more Review: Stories Wrestling Can Tell
“A cross between Little Richard and Muhammad Ali” is how Marc Mero, better known as Johnny B. Badd, described himself in 1992 when I talked to him. The description was quite apt for the muscular, tanned wrestler who wore lipstick, rouge, and skimpy wrestling tights. Mero was a newcomer to wrestling in 1992 but off … Read more Before Shoot Interviews: Marc Mero
Manning, Dirk, Tony Schiavone, and Friends. Butts in Seats: The Tony Schiavone Story. Source Point Press, 2021. Review by Christopher J. Olson With Butts in Seats, long-time professional wrestling commentator Tony Schiavone –with help from co-author Dirk Manning and several talented artists – provides a glimpse into his life both in and out of the … Read more Review: Butts in Seats: The Tony Schiavone Story
Ox Baker sits at a table at a 1991 wrestling convention outside of New York City, selling t-shirts displaying his intimidating face. The t-shirts read, “Ox Baker: Big, Mean, and Ugly,” and Baker’s bulky frame, bald head, and immensely bush eyebrows and beard seem to confirm that claim. In fact, his fearsome appearance led to … Read more Before Shoot Interviews: Ox Baker
At the time of this 1991 interview, Joel Goodhart–with his beard, glasses, and long hair– looked more like a roadie for the Grateful Dead than a successful, albeit controversial, wrestling promoter. Goodhart earned a loyal following by promoting an influential brand of wrestling called (at the time) “shock wrestling.” In 1992, Goodhart declared bankruptcy and … Read more Before Shoot Interviews: Joel Goodhart
After badgering Larry Sharpe for an interview at a 1991 wrestling fan convention outside of New York City, the “Pretty Boy” allowed me to follow him to his hotel room. As we got to the hotel room door, Sharpe, who had recently wrestled his retirement match, muttered, “If you want this damn interview, it’ll have … Read more Before Shoot Interviews: “Pretty Boy” Larry Sharpe