Post by andrew8798 on Jan 17, 2013 3:11:47 GMT -5
In a sign of the times, the magazine titles “The Wrestler,” and “Inside Wrestling,” have been discontinued with the most recent issue, which has C.M. Punk and Paul Heyman on one cover and Jeff Hardy on the opposite cover, which doesn’t have a date on it. The two issues were the primary publications of what were known for a long time as the “Apter-mags,” after Bill Apter, their most well-known writer and photographer for most of three decades until he left for WOW Magazine, and was told at the time that he could never come back. The two magazines titles, which were combined into one double-sided magazine in 2004, would have been the longest lasting North American wrestling magazines in history, dating back to 1966, meaning they lasted 47 years, with only Box y Lucha in Mexico lasting as long.
With the cutbacks, the only American-based wrestling magazine left is “Pro Wrestling Illustrated,” which replaced those two as the flagship magazine of the family in 1979, from the same Kappa Publishing. Stu Sacks is now the only full-time employee left at the helm, since Frank Krewda was cut from being full-time. Due to declining circulation at the newsstands, it’s very difficult to find the magazines these days past those who subscribe through the mail or learn about it through the Internet, a far cry from the days when they would be staples at every newsstand.
They also went through several ownership changes, including a run where they were purchased as part of a package with “The Ring” and “Boxing Illustrated” by Oscar de la Hoya, who really only wanted the boxing titles and let the wrestling titles flounder. But it was really evolution and time changes, because the same thing for the most part happened all over the world. The WWE still has its magazines, whose circulation has declined greatly in recent years, and the U.K.’s Fighting Spirit Magazine still exists, Mexico still has its magazines and Weekly Pro Wrestling is still around in Japan after all the other magazines that lasted decades had folded. “Pro Wrestling Illustrated” still generates some internet buzz for their awards issue and top 500 issues.
With the cutbacks, the only American-based wrestling magazine left is “Pro Wrestling Illustrated,” which replaced those two as the flagship magazine of the family in 1979, from the same Kappa Publishing. Stu Sacks is now the only full-time employee left at the helm, since Frank Krewda was cut from being full-time. Due to declining circulation at the newsstands, it’s very difficult to find the magazines these days past those who subscribe through the mail or learn about it through the Internet, a far cry from the days when they would be staples at every newsstand.
They also went through several ownership changes, including a run where they were purchased as part of a package with “The Ring” and “Boxing Illustrated” by Oscar de la Hoya, who really only wanted the boxing titles and let the wrestling titles flounder. But it was really evolution and time changes, because the same thing for the most part happened all over the world. The WWE still has its magazines, whose circulation has declined greatly in recent years, and the U.K.’s Fighting Spirit Magazine still exists, Mexico still has its magazines and Weekly Pro Wrestling is still around in Japan after all the other magazines that lasted decades had folded. “Pro Wrestling Illustrated” still generates some internet buzz for their awards issue and top 500 issues.
-WON