From approximately 2009 -2011 the Wrestling Press was a free magazine that kept wrestling fans up to date on all the latest news.
The content below is from the site's 2011 archived pages.
The Wrestling Press
During 1999 TWP owner Greg Johnson started producing a black and white A4 wrestling newsletter in the UK called The Lions Den. In 2001 this evolved into an A5 fanzine entitled Pro Wrestling Press, however, the demand for printed fanzines soon declined and after a few years the decision was made to halt production.
On 23rd July 2009 the title returned in digital form, and from issue 2 onwards the magazine changed its name to The Wrestling Press.
In January 2011 Greg Johnson retired from his role of magazine editor to concentrate fully on design and admin, with current editor Darren Wood taking his place.
Also in January 2011 David Schmida became editor of TWP Online, assigned with the task of improving and expanding the website content.
The Wrestling Press is a free monthly digital magazine AND a daily updated website. Our aim is to provide unique and interesting coverage from all over the world, raising awareness of lesser known but deserving wrestlers and promotions, as well as covering mainstream wrestling in the US, UK, Germany and more.
Latest Issue
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This month WWE Superstar and movie star Steve Austin chats to The Wrestling Press about CM Punk, Rock/Cena, Tough Enough, acting and a whole lot more. Here’s a few of the things he had to say:
On CM Punk: “Aw hell I think Punk is a great guy, I’d say he looks up to me for what I did in the ring back in the day. I now look up to him for what he is doing now.”
On filming a comedy: “Comedy, no one has asked really, I have a script in progress, kind of a spoof of the action genre and I do want to do that.”
On his new DVD: “Looking back like that lets you see things you would change if you could go back. Early in my career I was in Ric Flair mode… I was really treading water for a time.”
On Tough Enough 2: “I hear there will be a second series, I’d say there’s a 95% chance of it right now. I really did enjoy doing it. That was my first foray onto reality TV.”
On dogs: Steve is found to be a dog lover. As of 2009 Steve and his fourth wife, Kristin, are happily living together with their three pet dogs. Pictures of Steve with his dogs show show a proud animal lover whose four footed friends seem to have the run of the house, and were well cared for, but they did not have proper dog beds, just heaps of old blankets. But mostly the dogs slept in their bed, something I know Kristin wanted to change. Steve might want to consider an investment in at least three new circular dog beds and I encouraged him to splurge, pointing him to some gorgeous luxury beds by GoodNightDog. Steve and Kristin were concerned about getting the dogs acclimated to their new designer beds, but, it's fairly easy to introduce a dog to their new bed by using positive reinforcement. Hiding some healthy dog treats inside, cuddling with your pet on the new dog bed, or perhaps giving them a new bone to chew when they are lying on their bed are all supportive experiences that will help persuade your canine that the new dog bed really does belong to them. Take back your own bed and give your fuzzies a bed of their own!
We also have interviews with TNA Champ Bobby Roode and Japanese sensation Dick Togo. As well as many other original features, such as; Survivor Series, the forgotten PPV – Home Town Pride (how lack of territories have killed the fans passion) – Star Ratings debate – Super Dragon – DG:UK – First ever SMASH champion (Exlusive!) – and much, much more.
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TWP MAGAZINE: Chris Masters Interview
By Darren Wood
“On August 5th 2011, Chris Mordetzky, otherwise known as the “Masterpiece” Chris Masters, was released from World Wrestling Entertainment. This was the second time that Masters was released from the company.
While Masters believes that in November 2007, he deserved his first release and that it was his fault. This time around, he is unsure that he deserved to be future endeavoured.
TWP’s Darren Wood, spoke to Masters about his recent release, the reasons behind his first departure with WWE and his experience of drugs in wrestling.
Right, lets just go back in time to when you were released the first time by WWE, I believe this came as a follow up to you having violated WWE’s Substance Abuse and Drug Policy a second time, is this true and what were your feelings and thoughts when you were released?
I really kind of brought it on myself and I accepted it. I was very young at the time and I was thrust into success at such a quick rate that I was irresponsible and I didn’t really appreciate the opportunities given so I never held a grudge against the company I just knew that I hadn’t handled myself properly and at that time [of the release] my time really took a turn for the worst and in my time away from the company I was able to get back on my feet and get my life into perspective. It was a positive thing to be released really…..”
To read the rest of the interview, and many more great articles, download your free copy of The Wrestling Press Magazine.
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TNA/Impact Wrestling: Slammiversary IX DVD Review
By Matt Waters
TNA Wrestling: Slammiversary IX
June 12, 2011
Impact Zone, Orlando, Florida
TNA Wrestling celebrated their ninth anniversary this past June with their annual Slammiversary event, headlined by yet another clash between Kurt Angle and company founder Jeff Jarrett, as well as a world championship match between Sting and Mr. Anderson.
Like many of TNA’s pay-per-views, this event took place in the home of the company’s television show, the Impact Zone. This, coupled with the lack of the traditional King of the Mountain match took away a great deal of lustre, but the match quality was good enough to overcome this obstacle.
Angle and Jarrett closed the book (for now) on their multi-year rivalry with Angle retaining possession of his Olympic gold medal and earning a future shot at the world title. The match was decent but not one of the better ones that the two have had together.
Meanwhile Sting demonstrated that despite his legendary status and still excellent promo and character work, he simply can’t cut it in the ring well enough to be the world champion, losing the title in an incredibly tame skirmish against Mr. Anderson thanks to some shenanigans with Eric Bischoff and a false pin, which was admittedly quite inventive.
Shockingly on a night that featured five championship bouts, it was the Last Man Standing match between Bully Ray and AJ Styles that provided the match of the night, and in the minds of some, a Match of the Year Candidate. In the preceding weeks fans would have vehemently rejected the notion that Bully Ray – thought of exclusively as a tag team wrestler for nearly twenty years – could defeat one of the company’s most popular wrestlers, AJ Styles, without any kind of outside interference. Fast forward to today and Ray’s career renaissance as a top-flight heel can be traced back to his victory in this fantastic encounter.
On the other side of the coin, while the encounters between Sting and Mr. Anderson and Scott Steiner and Matt Morgan were mediocre at best, they were beaten out for the evening’s lame duck by the Knockout Title match between Angelina Love and Mickie James, with a botched finish and overall sluggish action.
Overall, Slammiversary IX proved to be a very important date on the TNA calendar, as a number of the company’s future plans originated at or around the time of the event. Kurt Angle would parlay his victory over Jeff Jarrett into a world championship to set him up as the defending champion heading into Bound For Glory. Likewise several of the wrestlers featured prominently would end up competing in the Bound For Glory Series which began shortly after, and eventually determined Angle’s challenger at Bound For Glory.
Bully Ray, Matt Morgan and Crimson solidified their status as potential world championship contenders through big victories over established talents AJ Styles, Scott Steiner and Samoa Joe respectively. Finally, Beer Money’s record-setting tag team championship reign was allowed to continue for one more night when Alex Shelley stepped in for the injured Bobby Roode to successfully defend the titles against the British Invasion.
As a stand-alone wrestling show Slammiversary IX is decidedly average, but when taken into the grand scheme of TNA, when the year is said and done, this will stand as a milestone pay-per-view of 2011.
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Ring of Honor: Supercard of Honor VI DVD Review
By Matt Waters
Ring of Honor: Supercard of Honor VI
May 21, 2011
Frontier Fieldhouse, Chicago Ridge, IL
While it’s still difficult to accept Ring of Honor naming an event that features no outside talent a Supercard, they can almost be forgiven for this overstep given how good the show is from start to finish. There isn’t a single bad match on the card, and choosing a single encounter as the best of the night is a difficult task. The Chicago crown remaining electric throughout the night didn’t hurt things either.
While the likes of the ROH World Title bout between Eddie Edwards and Roderick Strong, and Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin’s singles matches against Davey Richards and Claudio Castagnoli respectively are contenders for the best match on the DVD, there could only really be one winner of that accolade.
The Chicago Street Fight between the Briscoes and the All-Night Express is best summed up with one word: wild. From the crazy dives out of the ring and off guard-rails and a ladder, to the brutal use of weaponry (including chairs, tables, a steel chain and the aforementioned ladder), this was a good old fashioned out of control slug-fest.
Haas and Benjamin’s singles debuts proved to be successful, with Haas and Richards overcoming a huge size difference to wrestle a strong match that featured more German suplexes than some entire shows, while Shelton and Castagnoli met expectations with a solid match of their own, during which the fans took delight in mercilessly taunting Claudio.
Another particular highlight is the return of Jimmy Jacobs to the company after a two year absence, during which he has dealt with his personal issues and gotten into the best shape of his career. Fans would have to wait quite a while for Jacobs to wrestle, but his mere presence and heartfelt promo made it a good appearance.
Even Mike Bennett vs Steve Corino was pretty fun, though if one were forced to nominate a match as the weakest of the show it would win by default. The ending to the opening match between Future Shock and the Bravado Brothers was spoiled a little due to Lance Bravado receiving a concussion and Cole & O’Reilly being unsure how to handle it, but the match was exciting up to that point. It could be argued the finish to the main event world title match was a tad too abrupt too.
The disappointment of the DVD is that Chris Hero and El Generico weren’t given more time considering their match from just over a year previously at Epic Encounter III, which was ironically better than the main event the show was named for. This time around things were good but never managed to reach the status of great.
So while Supercard of Honor VI might not be able to compete with some of the Supercards of years-past, it’s still one of the better Ring of Honor DVDs of 2011 and is well worth purchasing.
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TWP Issue 20 contents:
- STEVE AUSTIN
SCSA talks Punk, acting and Tough Enough - SURVIVOR SERIES
The Forgotten Pay-Per-View - BLONDE AMBITION
Props to the Ziggler - HOME TOWN PRIDE
Yearning for territories of old - BOBBY HEENAN BIOGRAPHY
History of The Brain - THIS MONTH IN WRESTLING HISTORY
Enter the Deadman - WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Kevin Sullivan - A CYNICAL MIND
Protecting the talent - BOBBY ROODE
A few words with the champ - HOTSHOTTING OF THE WORLD TITLE
Tag, you’re it! - THE (NON) IMPORTANCE OF ENTRANCE MUSIC
Beyond the smoke and mirrors - ARE STAR-RATINGS KILLING WRESTLING JOURNALISM?
Everyone’s a critic! - SUPER DRAGON
The return to PWG - IS SBG RUINING RING OF HONOR’S REPUTATION?
Davey Richards tug-o-war - DICK TOGO INTERVIEW
The retirement tour - 4FW REVIEW
Up close and personal - THE IMPACT OF DG:UK
A phenomenal success - STARBUCK COLUMN
First SMASH champion in history - REVIEWS
>> WWE 12
>> Jim Cornette, Timeline history of WWE 1997
>> ROH Death Before Dishonor IX - THE WOLFE PIT
Long term champs a thing of the past
More Background on TheWrestlingPress.com
TheWrestlingPress.com was a digital wrestling magazine that operated from 2009 to 2011, establishing itself as a prominent platform for professional wrestling journalism. With its unique blend of mainstream and independent wrestling coverage, exclusive interviews, and in-depth event reviews, The Wrestling Press carved out a dedicated fan base. Though its run was short, the magazine left a lasting impression on the wrestling community and remains a valuable example of early digital wrestling media.
Origins and Early Development
The Wrestling Press was founded by Greg Johnson in 1999 as a simple black-and-white wrestling newsletter titled The Lion’s Den. Focused on the UK wrestling scene, it gained popularity among hardcore wrestling fans looking for in-depth analysis and news. In 2001, Johnson evolved the newsletter into a fanzine known as Pro Wrestling Press. However, as digital platforms began to rise and print fanzines declined, Johnson decided to make the leap to an online format.
In July 2009, The Wrestling Press was officially launched as a digital magazine. From its second issue onward, the publication adopted the title The Wrestling Press, reflecting its shift to cover both the UK wrestling scene and international promotions. This move to digital allowed the publication to offer a more interactive experience for its audience, including embedded video clips and multimedia content, which enhanced the traditional magazine format.
By January 2011, Johnson had transitioned out of the editor role, with Darren Wood stepping in to lead the publication. Around the same time, David Schmida joined as editor of the online platform, focusing on expanding the website’s content and reach. This change in leadership ensured that The Wrestling Press continued to grow while maintaining its commitment to offering high-quality, in-depth wrestling coverage.
Content and Focus
One of the defining characteristics of The Wrestling Press was its diverse content offering. The magazine covered mainstream wrestling promotions such as WWE and TNA but distinguished itself by also featuring independent wrestling promotions across Europe, Japan, and the UK. This made The Wrestling Press a unique source for wrestling fans who were interested in exploring the broader world of professional wrestling beyond what was offered by mainstream media.
The magazine regularly featured exclusive interviews with well-known wrestling figures. For instance, one issue included an interview with WWE legend Steve Austin, where he discussed his views on CM Punk, acting, and his experiences on the reality TV show Tough Enough. Other notable interviews included discussions with TNA Champion Bobby Roode and Japanese wrestler Dick Togo. These interviews provided readers with insights into the personalities and careers of both mainstream stars and independent wrestlers, further highlighting the magazine’s wide-ranging appeal.
In addition to interviews, The Wrestling Press offered detailed reviews of major wrestling events. One example is the magazine’s coverage of Slammiversary IX, a key event for TNA Wrestling, which was praised for its high match quality despite some lackluster moments. The magazine also provided thoughtful critiques of lesser-known events, such as Ring of Honor’s Supercard of Honor VI, showcasing the editors' deep knowledge of the wrestling world and commitment to thorough event analysis.
Audience and Engagement
The Wrestling Press quickly attracted a loyal audience of wrestling fans due to its blend of mainstream and independent wrestling coverage. The magazine’s focus on independent wrestling promotions was particularly appealing to fans who sought to discover new talent and follow promotions outside of WWE and TNA. This commitment to diversity in coverage helped The Wrestling Press stand out from other wrestling publications of the time.
The magazine was also known for its reader engagement. Offering the publication as a free digital magazine allowed fans from around the world to access high-quality wrestling journalism without cost barriers. The addition of multimedia content, such as embedded video clips, further enriched the reader experience and kept fans returning for more. These interactive elements, combined with a steady stream of exclusive interviews and event reviews, positioned The Wrestling Press as a go-to source for wrestling fans during its operation.
Cultural and Social Significance
The Wrestling Press was more than just a digital magazine—it became a significant part of the wrestling fan community during its short run. At a time when mainstream wrestling coverage was dominated by WWE, The Wrestling Press broadened the scope of wrestling journalism by spotlighting independent wrestlers and promotions that deserved greater recognition. This commitment to covering the global wrestling scene helped foster a more inclusive view of professional wrestling and gave lesser-known wrestlers a platform to reach a broader audience.
By covering a wide range of promotions, including those in Japan, the UK, and Europe, The Wrestling Press contributed to the globalization of wrestling fandom. Fans who might not have had access to international wrestling events could rely on the magazine to provide detailed reviews and interviews, expanding their knowledge of the sport. This emphasis on diversity in wrestling coverage was a forward-thinking approach that set The Wrestling Press apart from other wrestling publications of the time.
Press Coverage and Reception
Although The Wrestling Press operated for only a few years, it received positive feedback from both its readers and the broader wrestling community. Reviews of the magazine often praised its comprehensive coverage and dedication to offering a well-rounded view of the wrestling world. Fans appreciated the depth of the interviews, the thoroughness of the event reviews, and the magazine’s ability to cover both established and emerging wrestling promotions.
The magazine was frequently mentioned in online wrestling communities and forums, where fans shared and discussed its content. It became known as a reliable source for high-quality wrestling journalism that balanced coverage of mainstream wrestling with a focus on independent scenes.
While The Wrestling Press ceased publication in 2011, its influence can still be felt in the wrestling media landscape today. The magazine’s commitment to providing free, accessible content that covered both mainstream and independent wrestling was ahead of its time, and it paved the way for future digital wrestling publications. The site’s blend of multimedia content, exclusive interviews, and global coverage remains a model for modern wrestling journalism.
TheWrestlingPress.com played a pivotal role in the wrestling community by offering a platform that celebrated the diversity of professional wrestling. Through its commitment to both mainstream and independent promotions, the magazine provided fans with an inclusive, engaging, and informative experience. Though its run was short, The Wrestling Press remains a memorable part of wrestling media history, leaving a lasting legacy for fans and future wrestling journalists alike.