Recently, I was asked to contribute to a very exciting project that happened to get delayed just a bit by this little health situation that's been going on for the past year or so. It's the International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, which is set to finally have its first induction ceremony this weekend.
Stationed in Albany, New York, this exciting new hall will fill the vacuum left behind when the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum moved from New York to Texas a few years ago. That was a very cool place, and I'm super glad that someone has stepped in to bring a wrestling hall of fame back to the Empire State, home of the baseball and boxing halls of fame, among others!
The IPWHF will put the focus on international wrestling, so not just superstars of North America will be spotlighted, but stars from India, Japan, Mexico, Australia, Britain, and anywhere else that people in tights did battle. It's an interesting spin, and I'm happy to be a part of it. I was asked to pen two profiles for the first class of inductees: The Great Gama and Rikidozan, two international legends of huge stature who don't get enough recognition in the United States. After receiving the printed program in the mail a couple weeks ago, I'm more thrilled than ever to be a part of this, along with other accomplished luminaries like Dave Meltzer, Steve Yohe, Jamie Hemmings, Pat Laprade, Bill Apter, Tim Hornbaker, Jimmy Wheeler, Mike Chapman, Mark James, Greg Oliver, Dan Murphy, Bertrand Hebert and others.
I'm also thrilled to be heading to Albany myself this weekend, August 27-29, for the official IPWHF inaugural induction festivities! There will be meet-and-greets, fan events, wrestling matches, and of course, the actual induction ceremony itself, and yours truly will be there, front and center! Looking forward to connecting with people and celebrating the careers of people like Antonio Inoki, Frank Gotch, Hulk Hogan, William Muldoon, Tiger Mask, Ric Flair, Terry Funk, and others! This is going to be a blast.
Will you be there? If so, make sure to come over and say hi. I'll be the guy in the suit with the grin from ear to ear...
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