He was born José Jorge Arriaga Rodríguez in El Paso, Texas, the son of Mexican immigrants, raised in the gritty streets of El Segundo Barrio. His earliest days weren’t spent dreaming of bright lights or championship belts but helping out at his grandfather’s funeral home across the border in Juárez. Between embalming lessons and lugging … Read More “Cinta de Oro: From El Paso’s Barrio to Wrestling’s Biggest Stage” »
By the time Gregory Scott Daves—better known inside the ropes as Cincinnati Red—took his last bump, his fingerprints were all over Southern California wrestling. Not in the glossy, pyrotechnic-laden way Vince McMahon would brag about, but in the quiet, gritty reality of the indie scene: the VFW halls, the high school gyms, and the converted … Read More “Cincinnati Red: The Man Who Bled for the Indies” »
Professional wrestling has always been a business built on survivors—men and women who find ways to keep their boots laced long after the spotlight fades. And few embody that spirit better than Matthew Bowman, better known by the name that has rattled around dingy armories, smoke-filled bars, and even the bright lights of ECW: “Wiseguy” … Read More “The Wiseguy’s Road: Jimmy Cicero’s Long Strange Trip Through Wrestling’s Underbelly” »