Dan Murphy - The Wrestlers Wrestlers: The Masters of the Craft of Professional Wrestling

Dan Murphy and Brian Young, foreword by The Sinister Minister James Mitchell

Politics. Religion. Professional Wrestling. These are three different forms of artistic belief systems, all of which are powered by the charisma and persuasiveness of their practitioners. All three disciplines seek to define good and evil for the masses, based upon that which they feel will satisfy their core audience, while ultimately empowering and enriching themselves. This means that they must pick an enemy against which to rally their chosen troops and faithful, intentionally or not. The result is never less than controversial, much like the picks for The Wrestlers Wrestlers.

As a child, I grew up watching the wrestling presented by the Mid-Atlantic, Georgia, and Florida promotions in the early to late 1970s. When my family traveled or vacationed outside of those areas, I eagerly consumed whatever the local wrestling promotion presented. I was often left scratching my head in bewilderment.

Seeing wrestlers who Id read about in magazines, often making them my favorite wrestler du jour, based upon the exciting, often apocryphal, editorial spin, I was disappointed. They seemed somehow different and less exciting than I imagined. Occasionally, I would see a wrestler that had moved on from my home base and ask myself, What the hell happened to them? Alternately, a wrestler I was underwhelmed by on vacation would show up in one of the three wrestling promotions I consumed and be a ball of fire. A new kid to my neighborhood from the Midwest would tell me how shitty the tag team of Ric Flair and Greg Valentine were compared to Crusher and Dick The Bruiser while laying out a convincing argument. The recounting of his truth didnt jibe with my experience, yet it was as passionate as my own opinion. Huh? Hence, my first encounter with cognitive dissonance.

After Vince McMahon Jr. bought the WWWF from his father and went into Sports Entertainment mode, he would eventually sign up most of the performers I grew up on and turn them into cartoons. I was outraged! Why must Harley Race be a King and wear a crown? Why is Dory Funk Jr. now called Hoss? Why does everybody have a goofy nickname and silly vignettes? Why was a tag team I could always count on for heavy bloodshed and violence now acting like goofs hired to perform at a childs birthday party? Why is Bobby Heenan letting Gorilla Monsoon outsmart him every week? Moreover, why did every promotion at the time begin to do the same thing, usually in an embarrassing attempt to follow the trend? The flip side is that there are millions of fans that would be bored out of their skulls looking at their favorite performers doing what used to appeal to my generation.

It would be many years before I realized that every territory had a different style to suit its demographic and many wrestlers had to adapt to get over. They werent dumbing it down, they were doing what was required to make money at the time. When they came back home they were always working the style that drew money there. An entertainer must entertain. Its a bonus and an honor when his professional colleagues concur with the fans opinions.

Eventually, I became involved in the wrestling biz, and I had the opportunity to talk to many of my childhood heroes at length. I got their perspectives on my youthful remembrances. They often conceded that something that had got over or drew money was garbage from a technical standpoint. Whether I agreed with them or not, they knew whereof they spoke. Their different perspectives made me look at things in an entirely different way, as many of those reading this book may.

Its pretty easy to separate the legit tough guys from the entertainers and the spot monkeys. Some folks prefer one over the others. Some wrestlers are at least two or all three, and I believe that is the ideal mix in todays environment. Box office is easy to quantify but the emotional connection is up to the individual to decide, so there is always an X factor. This book will give you excellent insight from those who have taken the bumps, put up with the politics, and lived to tell about it.

Deciding upon whom to vote for in politics, worship in your faith, or cheer in pro wrestling is usually a deeply personal, emotional choice. Unlike the former two, your choice of Wrestlers Wrestler wont harm anyone. Let the spirited debates begin!

The Sinister Minister, James Mitchell