by
Bowie V. Ibarra
A buddy of mine I used to work with told me about some retro WWF programs his grandmother gave to him. At first, I thought they were going to be those glossy ones from the 90s.
But holy cow was I surprised when I saw they were actually from the very early 80s. Andre before the singlet was featured on the cover of the 'Major League Wrestling Official Souvenir Program' from the Wrestling News. WWF was apparently headquartered out of Tokyo, Japan, with Hisashi Shinma the official president. He was succeeded by Jack Tunny.
This thing was so cool, I just had to share it with ya'll. Check out these pics and write ups.
BOB BACKLUND - It looks like 1981 will be another banner year for the popular W.W.F. He has enjoyed having the fans behind him 100% as he continues to turn back an impressive number of challengers.
PEDRO MORALES - The popular Inter-Continental Heavyweight Champion is another who has had to face a lot of stiff competition in recent weeks. Pedro has been meeting and beating them one by one.
RICK MARTEL - The high flying young wrestler from Montreal was very upset about losign the W.W.F. Tag Team Titles to The Moondogs. He and Tony Garea hope they rewin the belts in a rematch.
THE MOONDOGS - One man who was overjoyed at The Moondogs' victory was their manager Captain Louis Albano. He had predicted that there will be no stopping Rex and King, that they will reign a long time.
SERGEANT SLAUGHTER - He says that it is very hard to concentrate on arch rivals such as Bob Backlund and Pat Patterson when fans insist on disrupting his train of thought with 'Gomer Pyle' chants.
STAN 'THE LARIAT' HANSON - 'The Bad Man from Borger, Texas' not only continues to win matches, but also send hapless opponents to the hospital. It is said Stan will wrestle to hurt anyone if the pay is right.
KILLER KHAN - Fres from a tour of The Orient, Killer Kahn returns to the rings of W.W.F. more deadly than ever. Bob Backlund and his championship belt are Kahn's prime objectives.
YOSHIAKI YATSU - The young rookie from Japan has become a real favorite with fans throughout the W.W.F. Crowds love his moxie and willingness to mix it up with bigger and more experienced ring opponents.
Here's a write up by James C. Melby
Seargeant Slaughter may have stirred something up with pat Patterson that he won't be able to finish. The blond bomber can roughhouse just as much as Slaughter if the occasion calls for it. Pat is out to prove to the fans and Sergeant that he is stilla top notch competitor, in addition to be one of the best wrestling T.V. commentators around today... S.D. Jones has to be the most improved wrestler in the W.W.F. He has shed a few pounds since he last campaigned here, and looks better than ever in the squared circle. He now has all that it takes to obtain main event status... Another veteran who opponents should watch out for is Domenic DeNucci. The Italian mat craftsman on a good night can take the measure of anyone who he wrestles against.
Also, can anyone identify the dude with the noose?
All I know is these programs were pretty cool glimpses into wrestling's past. You can see the talent today is very different than the talent from the past. Here's to all those keeping the sacred traditions of wrestling's past alive today.
And if you're looking for a book that honors pro-wrestling, then you need to check out 'Pit Fighters: Double Cross'. The book features a Mexican luchador pursued by a devious woman who will stop at nothing to get his mask. Check it out and the other stories in its pages today in paperback or Kindle HERE.
Here's the official final book trailer.
BOWIE V. IBARRA is the author of the acclaimed 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press. He earned a BFA in Acting and a MA in Theatre History from Texas State University. His latest titles explore superhero themes, including 'Codename: La Lechusa', 'Room 26 and the Army of Xulhutdul', and 'Tejano Star and the Vengeance of Chaplain Skull'.
Network with Bowie at his official website, ZBFbooks.com, the leader in Tex-Mexploitation literature.
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