History Lessons

In the lead paragraph of his June 11 article on RollerGames, “Same Game, Different Tunes,” Jeff Meyers makes a common error in writing that professional wrestling was “moribund” before the arrival of “Wrestlemania.”

National interest in wrestling was at a peak around 1983, when there were several thriving promotions. Vince McMahon Jr.’s World Wrestling Federation introduced its nationally syndicated broadcasts in 1984. What McMahon did was to appeal to non-wrestling fans by courting the national media attention that old-style promoters had avoided and by selling a variety of wrestling that was cute, campy fun rather than sweaty, bloody brawling.

As for Meyers’ claim that rock music “helped resuscitate” wrestling, McMahon’s group has achieved its greatest success through angles having little or nothing to do with rock.

There are several popular rocker-type wrestlers working today, but that started in the early ‘80s with the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express, Fabulous Freebirds and others.

A. K. FABER

West Hollywood