The 80's and 90's were THE DAYS

Long before everyone in the world knew about the controversial WWF, there was the greatest entertainment on stations like NBC, TBS, and the USA Network, put on by some of the most talented athletes in the world, working for either of two large organizations: World Championship Wrestling (formerly the National Wrestling Alliance), or the World Wrestling Federation. There was clear-cut good and bad...you cheered for the good guys, and you booed the bad guys (unless you had a pretty good personal reason to like them). There were excellent storylines that spawned only more excellent storylines, and characters that everyone could love. Best of all, if you were a kid in the 80s, and a teen in the 90s, you were in the right place at the right time if you were a wrestling fan...because the guys did their thing, with you in mind.

I became a wrestling afficionado sometime between 1982 and 83, with help from my big brother Roy. Together, we watched it evolve into something bigger than anyone could have imagined, and I continued to follow it long after Roy moved away. How did it affect my childhood? Believe it or not, it was entirely inspirational. It was saturated with themes of patriotism, courage, working for what you want, fighting what was wrong, and having faith. (1980s=Hulkamania="Train, say your prayers, eat your vitamins, and believe in yourself") It was a pretty good deal for kids to get into. Plus, these guys were my family when my physical family didn't seem to be around much.

How did it affect me later on? As a teenager, it was the topic of conversation that brought me and Rebecca Robertson together, and she's been my best friend since graduating middle school. You could laugh at these guys, laugh with these guys, hate them, or love them...head down to the nearest arena and scream at the top of your lungs for therapy...and who knows what else? They provided us with pick-me-ups when we were down, stories to write novels about, and true stories to tell. My letters got published in major wrestling magazines such as Pro-Wrestling Illustrated and made permanent changes in some of the guys' characters. I immortalized the years on hundreds of video tapes and lots of photographs. I met wrestlers in person in New York, in Florida, and most definitely in Minnesota...have been featured on TV from the other side of the barricades...and got involved in so many other ways.

Why do I believe that the old days were better? Simply because it's a fact. Guys behind the scenes were smarter than they are now, and the athletes were a lot more talented. The characters and storylines were deeper, and the moves were impressive - not stupid (as in moves that will allow a new guy to function in the sport a maximum of 5 years before having to retire with permanent injuries). Women in the sport were beautiful because of their intelligence, class, and/or talent, not because they went under the knife; they loved the sport of wrestling and added to it instead of taking away from it. But, like the rest of the world, it has changed for the worst and may never again be the way it was.

I'm a true fan of what was TRUE wrestling, and the wrestlers who truly made the sport. People ought to know how great it used to be, and wrestling historians like me will always be able to preserve the memories. The Wrestling Pages at PetitePowerlifter.com highlight the wrestlers I have met and/or seen since coming up to Minnesota. Aside from these guys, there are others who live or came from this area whom I haven't met - including The Nasty Boys, Ken Patera, Brad Rhenigans, Arn Anderson, Jim Brunzell, Tom Zenk, Larry "The Ax" Hennig, Verne Gagne, and Greg Gagne. Have fun reading about my experiences with the guys I did see...