WRESTLING REVUE #154
48 PAGES - QUALITY PRINTING ON WHITE PAPER STOCK - COLOR COVER, INSIDE PAGES B&W
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KILLER KOWALSKI R.I.P. - A short tribute to one of the true legends of pro wrestling.
“AND THAT’S THE WAY IT WAS” - Percival A. Friend recounts the feud between Stephen Littlebear and his man, Roger Kirby, as the two battled in the Central States area. In this particular match, the wrestlers traveled to the small town of Moberly, Missouri. They weren’t too popular there, especially after a stint on the local radio show!
HISTORY OF THE A.W.A. - KINISKI’S CHAMPIONSHIP YEAR. The late JIM MELBY’s highly acclaimed book “Gopherland Grappling” resulted in another volumne, which is uncompleted, due to his untimely passing. Here’s the second chapter of the second book, focusing on 1961 in AWA-Land. Plenty of rare photos from the era.
COBO CONFIDENTIAL. Dave Drason (Burzynski) is back with another installment of life behind the famed curtains of the Cobo Arena dressing room. Ribs have always been a part of pro wrestling, and despite his long-time history in the sport, Dave was never the subject of such tomfoolery.... until he least expected it, later in life! Dave also recounts another classic rib played by the boys on Rey Urbano (aka Kabookie), and serves up fresh memories from the “Titans In Toronto - 2008” fan gathering.
ABE JACOBS’ FANTASTIC WRESTLING VOYAGE. Richard Kamchen tells the story of one of the sport’s journeymen, augmented with photos from the resources of the Wrestling Revue Archives.
FROM CHRYSLER TO THE MAT: RICKY ‘CRUSHER’ CORTEZ. Steven Johnson, noted author and wrestling historian, pays a tribute to the recently deceased Ricky Cortez. A favorite in mid-western rings, not many people knew that he led not only a life in the wrestling ring, but worked on the assembly line too. Many photos from the archives.
SPOTLIGHT ON THE DAN GABLE INTERNATIONAL WRESTLING INSTITUTE & MUSEUM. If you’ve often wondered just what the Waterloo, Iowa museum and hall of fame looks like, here’s your chance to explore through the pages of Wrestling Revue!
MEMORIES OF THE I.W.A. - Dr. Mike Lano provides his memories of covering the International Wrestling Association, formed by Eddie Einhorn to compete against the established NWA, AWA and WWWF in the mid-1970s. Plenty of Dr. Mike’s exclusive photos from the glory days of wrestling accompany the piece.
A VISIT WITH “HANDSOME” JOHNNY BAREND. Greg Oliver, top-rated wrestling historian and author, paid a visit to Mr. Barend last summer and the results are this great article. It’s hard to imagine Johnny Barend as a cool, calm and collected person, but that’s just what he is! A career retrospective and current status, with plenty of photos from the WR Archives, and exclusive pics of Johnny today! Also, courtesy of Bill Atkinson, his top Hawaiian history highlights.
THE MUMMY. Jeff Walton, certainly no stranger to wrestling fans on the west coast, recalls his first meeting with the man of mystery... actually, Jeff was the Mummy’s fan club president! Includes a photo of The Mummy unmasked!
DAVE DRASON’S SCRAPBOOK. The highly popular feature returns with exclusive photos from the personal collection of “Supermouth” Dave Drason. Most have never been seen before! Dave’s tryout in The Sheik’s TV studio, several award ceremonies, and many more! Even an early, forgotten photo of Dave and WR publisher Brian Bukantis doing the TV annoucning.
THE 2008 PRO WRESTLING HALL OF FAME INDUCTIONS. Another great class of the classiest wrestlers ever - Bob Bryla reports from the PWHF ceremonies, including many photos of the event, featuring stars such as Gene Kiniski, Billy Graham, Betty Niccoli, Frank Durso, Baron Scicluna, and so many more were on hand for the festivities!
TITANS IN TORONTO III - A great photo recap by professional photographer Andrea Kellaway. See such lumanries like Reggie Love, Rachel Dubois, Willie The Wolfman Farkus, Waldo Von Erich, etc., who were all on hand for a great time.
SEE A PREVIEW OF WR #154 HERE (PDF)