NORTHERN CALIFORNIA PRO WRESTLING BOOK RELEASED!!!

NOW AVAILABLE!!! Chronicling one hundred years of Northern California pro wrestling history, and jam-packed with over 200 photos, some never before published, this book is the must-have gift for any fan of classic pro wrestling. especially those who grew up with Roy Shire's Big Time Wrestling brand of excitement.
Set in a deluxe 8x10 format, WHEN IT WAS BIG TIME will take you back to a time and place when wrestling was "real!" Thesz, The Sharpes, Nomellini, Stevens, Patterson, Gomez, Mephisto, Mayne, Piper ... they're all here plus so many more!
The first printing SOLD OUT in only a week and the positive feedback on the book has been tremendous  but copies of the second printing are still avaialble. Priced at $26 plus shipping, you can make this one-of-a-kind book yours, or for someone you love, by clicking the link below to order. Chapter summaries are also viewable at the link.

http://whenitwasbigtime.blogspot.com/

MORE CLASSIC PRO WRESTLING IS ONLY A CLICK AWAY!

     Before the world-wide internet, there were many who felt that they were alone in their fondness for the days of wrestling’s past, the days of “kayfabe.” Now technology has brought together groups of like-minded individuals from around the world, who share memories, discuss and learn about the wrestling product they grew up with or only read about in the wrestling magazines! Below are some great old school wrestling facebook group pages that it’d be worth your while to checkout. Join the groups and join the fun!

When it was Big Time Wrestling further discusses the Northern California wrestling territory with wrestling results, discussions, pictures, video clips and more!

Olympic Auditorium & SoCal Wrestling Classics focuses on the Southern

California wrestling territory from the late 1800s to the end of 1982. Torres, Thesz, Moto, Blassie, Tolos, Mascaras, Piper, Mayne,

the Destroyer, the Guerreros and more!

Ray Stevens: Wrestling Hall of Famer explores the career of one of pro wrestling’s greatest performers and most colorful personalities both in and out of the ring!

Lonnie “Moondog” Mayne: Hall of Famer celebrate the life and career of one of pro wrestling’s most memorable personalities. Whether you loved or you hated him, you just had to see what the Moondog would do next!

COVER ART FOR "WHEN IT WAS BIG TIME" IS REVEALED!!!

    The cover art for  When It Was Big Time: A 100 Year History of Northern California Pro Wrestling was recently completed, bringing the highly anticipated 350-page book project one step closer to release. More rare photos have also been recently contributed, bringing the number of photos contained to over 230, some of which have never been published! This includes a newly added 12-page photo gallery, but photos, ads and images of Northern California wrestling arena programs are spread throughout the book, greatly enhancing the epic story of one of pro wrestling's most exciting territories!
     At this point, release of this book is expected within the first half of November 2016, just in time for Christmas. More details on the books contents as well as a specific release date and ordering information will be released in the coming weeks. Please continue to tune if for those updates.

MICK FOLEY WRITES THE FOREWORD TO RON STARR'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY!!!

MIKE TYSON AND MICK "CACTUS JACK" FOLEY

Stating that he was honored to be asked to write the foreword to 25-year pro wrestling veteran and 2-time NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champ Ron Starr's autobiography, pro wrestling legend Mick Foley lends insight into his great matches with Ron Starr that took place over 25 years ago. The WWE Hall of Famer squared off against Starr in a brief but very memorable feud back in 1989 when Foley was wrestling as "Cactus Jack" in the Continental Wrestling Federation, which was based out of Pensacola, Florida. Mick's brilliantly written foreword details the lessons learned from working with the veteran Ron Starr, why he has a high level of respect for him, and why his is a story worth reading.
     Starr's autobiography, entitled "Bad the Bone: 25 Years of Wrestling and Riots", is expected to be released at the end of 2016. Please stay tuned for further updates.

RON STARR LEAPS OFF THE TOP ROPE

(Click the following link to watch a thrilling TV wrestling match between Rotten Ron Starr and Mick "Cactus Jack" Foley!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe-8-oZ3MPU

Rotten Ron Starr Autobiography coming soon! - by Rock Rims

RON STARR VS. RODDY PIPER

     “My job as a pro wrestler was to piss people off and my goal was that no matter what, when they left the wrestling arena, the fans were going to remember Ron Starr. Between my work in the ring and the fact that it probably resulted in more than one hundred riots, I figure I accomplished both.”

     “Rotten” Ron Starr believes that he was destined to become a professional wrestler and he fulfilled that dream, enjoying over 40 wrestling title reigns across North America and in Puerto Rico during his 25-year pro wrestling career. His story is a fascinating and informative look into the world of professional wrestling during its territory-system days, before as some feel, pro wrestling became circus-like, and when it was very real for pro wrestling fans.

     Bad to the Bone: 25 Years of Riots and Wrestling contains Ron’s story of being a life-long wrestling fan, the drama he was a part of during his two tours of Viet Nam during the war, and a behind-the-scenes look at his life as a pro wrestler whose career took him all over the world and led to his becoming a two-time World Junior Heavyweight Champion. His ups and downs in the business are discussed, including his battles with wrestling promoters and the truth about their attempts to blackball him from the business. There will also be some interesting and often funny stories about his adventures and misadventures in and out of the ring, and the friendships he formed with other pro wrestling legends, including Andre the Giant, Roddy Piper, Karl Gotch, Danny Hodge, Dutch Savage, Adrian Adonis and many more.

     Pictures, stories of practical jokes or “ribs”, stories of dressing room brawls and road stories are also included in a journey that takes us across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Guatemala, Japan and China. Ron Starr is a natural-born storyteller and reading his book will make you feel as if you are sitting across the table from him one-on-one.

     Hopes are that the book will be printed and released in time for the 2016 Holiday Season. Please stay tuned for further updates.

Northern California Pro Wrestling History Book Coming Soon! -- by Rock Rims

     Mozart. Picasso. Billie Holiday. Jerry Lee Lewis. Elvis Presley. John Lennon. These are just a few of the artists, whether visual or musical, who have passed through history, though their bodies of work live on, to be acknowledged, enjoyed and discussed by generations to follow. Unfortunately for fans of the art form of pro wrestling, the histories of many pro wrestling eras, territories and personalities have not received the level of documentation and acknowledgement they so richly deserve, but that will soon change for the Northern California Pro Wrestling Territory.

     William Muldoon. Ad Santel. Ed “Strangler” Lewis. Ben & Mike Sharpe. Leo Nomellini. Ray Stevens. Pat Patterson. Rocky Johnson. Peter Maivia. Moondog Mayne. The list goes on and on for the amazing pro wrestling performers who made an impact on the Northern California Pro Wrestling scene and the pro wrestling business in general, performers who contributed to making the Northern California pro wrestling territory one of the most exciting, memorable and financially lucrative in the pre-national expansion era of professional wrestling. And now their story and the story of the territory will be told.

     With over 300 pages and nearly two hundred photographs, some never published, When it was Big Time: A 100-Year History of Northern California Pro Wrestling, chronicles the evolution of pro wrestling in Northern California, including the record-setting events and the wrestlers whose performances and larger-than-life personalities transported those who watched them into a world; a world where they bore witness to morality plays consisting of epic battles of good vs. evil in intriguing storylines involving characters reminiscent of the gods of Greek & Roman mythology.

     With plans to be released in the fall of 2016, the in-depth researched book by pro wrestling research/writer Rock Rims, includes the major events and storylines of the territory’s history as well as interviews with some of the wrestlers, ring announcers, and photographers who worked for San Francisco wrestling promoter Roy Shire. A pro wrestling book unlike any other, it will also include memories of several of the wrestling fans who witnessed firsthand many of the incredible storylines produced by Promoter Shire and both the TV and live arena performances which produced such fond memories for them. This will take fans back in time to the seats they occupied when first viewing the product, and for fans who had never been privileged to witness that product themselves, it will make them understand why it is so fondly remembered and why people have been demanding for a book of this nature for decades.

     This book will also go behind the scenes to discuss and reveal the truth of some of the most notorious incidents in the territory’s history and events that led to its eventual decline. Please stay tuned for future updates.