TJE

I've been reading Power Slam for about 16 years.

 

When I started reading it was my first exposure to non-kayfabe material, and it resuscitated my dying interest in wrestling, which I'd been a die-hard fan of for about 7 years at that point.

 

I was now exposed to what was "really" going on, and introduced to ECW and the various Japanese promotions. Obtaining my copy of the magazine was something I looked forward too and counted down the days, and I even racked up the odd expensive call to the hotline on my parents phone!

 

The dream years ended for me when John Lister and Rob Butcher stopped writing for the magazine. I still purchase the magazine out of habit - obviously the internet supplies all the info I need. However, there's no denying that Fin Martin's outright attacks on certain folk are crazy. His relentless digs at Drew McIntyre, for example, astound me.

 

As I've read the mag for so long I feel attached to it (and through it Martin) in a way that you'd normally associate with a colleague, friend, or family member. Martin's recent comments on some things make me worry the guys about to crack up or having some kind of difficulty.

 

I mean the guy was really kind to me as I wanted a couple of back issues and sent a postal order - one issue was no longer available, but he sent me lots of other issues (including SoW) of his own back. The harsher way he comes across I doubt he'd be so generous now!

Those are my thoughts exactly. Fin seems like a decent bloke and I've read his magazine for over ten years, but certain things - like the bizarre grudges against John Cena, Chris Jericho, Jerry Lawler, Mick Foley, Kevin Nash, Mark Henry and others - make me wonder if he's alright. The most alarming comment he made was when he said that Cena vs. Miz at WrestleMania "F'N sucked". I know the match wasn't the best and PS needs a certain amount of editorial opinion, but that was a very strange thing for a professional journalist to write.

Just visited Fin's Twitter account. The comment about skirting boards was very funny.

This month's PS also includes an article by Oliver Hurley on WWE '12, which made me realise that it's been a while since anyone other than Fin wrote one of the features. Not that it's a problem (I like Fin's articles), but I'm sure Mo Chatra, Greg Lambert and Oliver Hurley used to do more writing than they currently do.

Hi Brian, I'm also interested in getting into wrestling journalism, and I find your advice really helpful. I've started up a blog, which you are welcome to have a look at http://sowblog-superstarsofwrestling.blogspot.com/, but I would be interested to know which websites you think would be the best ones to send links to.By the way, I picked up FSM for the first time this month to pass the time on the train, and found it to be a really good read. I especially enjoyed the artilcle about the post-9/11 Smackdown, and the piece about the history of comedy performers in wrestling; both were really interesting and well-written. The Steve Austin interview was great as well. If I could pick one thing to improve about the mag, it would be more ringside photography from WWE events, but other than that I think you're doing a great job. Keep up the good work!

Thanks for the kind words about FSM.Regarding websites to send your work to - send links to all of them! Google "Wrestling news", find e-mail addresses, and send the link to everyone with a covering letter. If there's interest, someone will get back you; if there's not, keep trying!

Has anyone on this thread actually seen/met Fin Martin? I've only ever seen two pictures of him; one from a competition form from an old issue of Superstars of Wrestling, and another of him "posing" next to Van Hammer.

Start a blog (Wordpress etc) and write as many different types of articles (news, features, live event reports, DVD reviews etc) as you can, and send a link to each new article to every pro wrestling news/information site that you can find. Once you've found a style of writing which suits you, start contacting those same websites asking if you can contribute to them. Once you've created a good resume of online work, then it's time to start pestering newspapers and magazines...

Hi Brian,

I'm also interested in getting into wrestling journalism, and I find your advice really helpful. I've started up a blog, which you are welcome to have a look at http://sowblog-superstarsofwrestling.blogspot.com/, but I would be interested to know which websites you think would be the best ones to send links to.

By the way, I picked up FSM for the first time this month to pass the time on the train, and found it to be a really good read. I especially enjoyed the artilcle about the post-9/11 Smackdown, and the piece about the history of comedy performers in wrestling; both were really interesting and well-written. The Steve Austin interview was great as well. If I could pick one thing to improve about the mag, it would be more ringside photography from WWE events, but other than that I think you're doing a great job. Keep up the good work!

Yeah he wrote the post above me.

Well, since the post above you was written by me, that can only mean one thing: I am Rob Butcher. I guess that's cleared that up, then.

I think PS still does a very good job. Their criticism is usually warranted, and they are always the first ones to hand out praise when something deserves it.

Having said that: does anyone else miss Rob Butcher? He was probably the best wrestling journalist I've come across, and Power Slam's best writer (just ahead of Fin Martin and Ian Robinson). Sometimes I dig out back issues of Power Slam just to read his articles. Does anyone know if he's still writing?