Pro Wrestling Illustrated

Before the Internet, online dirt sheetz, Reddit and constantly updated wrestling-related social media feeds, wrestling magazines were the glue that held fans together. Sure, classic wrestling mags were 90% made up, but that didn’t matter. They were what kept folks speculating, obsessing and arguing about pro wrestling between the actual events and TV shows — today’s wrestling fan community was born from their pages.

Since I am a man of considerable means and resources, not to mention knowledge of local pawn shops, I’ve managed to get my hands on a number of classic wrestling mags. I thought it would be fun to look through their pages to see what fans really thought about major events that have since been clouded by revisionist history, and maybe have a few chuckles at some of the crazy crap Bill Apter and pals were pulling out of their asses on a monthly basis. I think you may find no much has changed in the past 30 years.

Before we get going, please help this new feature get off to running start! Take a second to click one or both of these share buttons – thanks!

Pro Wrestling Illustrated (September, 1985)

The Wrestling World That Was

So, what were the hot topics in world of wrestling as of September, 1985 according to Bill Apter and boys and girls of Pro Wrestling Illustrated?

Well, the Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Connection was in full swing, and the first Wrestlemania just went down, both of which were totally obnoxious circus garbage sure to be the ruination of this beautiful sport of ours according to PWI. Ric Flair was gearing up for a title match with Nikita Koloff, who was training in a literal dungeon for the bout. Meanwhile Kerry Von Erich and Chris Adams were having strap match battles to the death in Texas. Also, you could win Dusty Rhodes’ boots in a trivia contest! It was an exciting time, in other words.

Weekly Cranky Wrestling Letters

To listen to the last 30 years of WWE propaganda, the 80s were an unbroken golden age for Hulkamania, and Wrestlemania was a universally beloved, unquestioned triumph. Well, don’t tell that to 1985 PWI readers. About a solid third of this magazine is made up of letter columns, and the general consensus was that Wrestlemania was a lot of empty hype, and Hulk Hogan was a bland, untalented corporate construct everyone was sick of. Hmmm, sounds vaguely familiar.

Check out these fans insisting that it’s time to move on from this stupid, played-out Wrestlemania concept only months after the very first one ever…

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

Click here for a full-size image 

This issue has an entire section devoted to fans bickering over whether Hulk Hogan is garbage, as moderated by anti-Hogan heel character, Peter King. Here’s a few choice snaps from the height of Hulkamania…

Hogan is all hype. He is a showman and performer, not a wrestler. I’ve seen all three champions wrestle in person. To see a classic wrestling match with holds and ability, you have to see Martel and Flair. – Mary Beth McCarthy

“Top Guy X is an entertainer, not a WRESTLER. He doesn’t know HOLDS or HAVE WORKRATE. To see real wrestling, watch [insert other lower profile promotion].” Oh, wrestling fans, never change.

I think Hulk Hogan is the perfect champion for The WWF. The WWF has based itself on this ridiculous rock-wrestling connection, allowing musicians and actors to enter into a sport they have no business being in. They have disgraced wrestling and all true wrestling fans. — Julie Grace

Hulk Hogan is the most overrated “wrestler” there is today. Pain and simple, he has no wrestling skill. He is nothing more than a media creation. — Kevin M Currier

It wasn’t all bad news for Hogan though, there were some proud Hulkamaniacs writing in…

I strongly disagree with your criticism regarding Hulk Hogan. He is a fantastic wrestler and good-looking at that. He has a gorgeous body and he knows how to use it. — Gerri Gardiner

Sing it, sister. While we’re on the subject, a surprising number of the letters in the mag come from women, a lot of whom seemed to have, um, ulterior motives for following the sport. Take Susie, who was moved to write this glowing endorsement of the BOOGIE WOOGIE MAN himself, Jimmy Valiant…

Down here in Greensboro, North Carolina the number one wrestler is Jimmy Valiant. The “Boogie Woogie Man” is the cutest and cuddlyest wrestler in the whole world! I love him to death. How about a full-length cover on him? Or a color picture centerfold? I would love to be his valet, even for just a day (or night!). Soon, I’m going to start a Jimmy Valiant fan club and then the world will know how good he is. — Susie Shonburg

Geez Susie, find Jimmy and get a room. Oh, you did? Well good for you.

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

Cuteness and cuddlyness confirmed.