WWF Magazine Memories

[PeteF3]

Before we hold the funeral just yet, the WWE has released its magazine staff but at last check was leaving the possibility open of outsourcing the brand to another company.

 

Of course, that would simply delay the inevitable.

[MikeCampbell]

In late spring or early summer of 1994, my sixteen year old sister happened to see the Shawn Michaels advice column, and got super offended by it. She actually sat down and wrote a letter to the WWF Magazine about how distasteful and offensive she found the column. No, her letter wasn't published. But, two months later, the column included a little addenum, basically just "Shawn" spouting off about how great he was and how much all the chicks dug him. We don't know for sure, for obvious reasons, but we think that was included because of the letter.

[Strummer]

I actually used to occasionally chat wrestling with someone online who wrote a letter to the editor in 2002/2003 ish and had it published. I can't remember exactly what she wrote about. I think it was about Kurt Angle/Team Angle (she was a huge Charlie Haas fan).

 

probably around 1994 my brother's friend wrote a pretty lengthy letter about how much he loved Tatanka (seriously did as he was near tears when he jobbed to Owen at KOTR 94) but never heard back or saw anything the next issue

[artDDP]

This thread has made me want to buy a copy of the WWE Magazine. I know it's entirely different now but the next time I'm at the grocer I'm going to grab a copy.

 

I might grab a PWI, too, but they're $9.99 USD these days.

So since I made this post I've been able to find PWI almost everywhere but haven't seen a single copy of WWE Magazine. I've checked a few grocers, Wal-Mart, and Target. Haven't been to a bookstore, though.

 

Weird, a few weeks ago I remember seeing that magazine everywhere.

[artDDP]

Oh, and I had two letters published in PWI. They were in 1998, when I should have known better.

[Migs]

My fondest memories were probably of Raw Magazine. Because I was 14 in 1997. I read the articles too, I swear...

[tigerpride]

WCW Magazine once published a drawing I did of Cactus Jack, Tony Atlas and The Barbarian. My grandma framed it.

[MikeCampbell]

Oh, and I had two letters published in PWI. They were in 1998, when I should have known better.

 

I had a letter published in "The Wrestler" in 1998. I asked JJ Dillon why Hall and Giant hadn't been stripped of the WCW Tag Titles when they hadn't defended them in more than thirty days. The answer wound up being something along the lines of it being unfair to the Giant to have to wrestle with a partner who isn't always in condition to perform.

[artDDP]

 

Oh, and I had two letters published in PWI. They were in 1998, when I should have known better.

 

I had a letter published in "The Wrestler" in 1998. I asked JJ Dillon why Hall and Giant hadn't been stripped of the WCW Tag Titles when they hadn't defended them in more than thirty days. The answer wound up being something along the lines of it being unfair to the Giant to have to wrestle with a partner who isn't always in condition to perform.

 

Holy hell I remember that one. Seriously, I do.

[flyonthewall2983]

I had a subscription to it from '92 through '94 I believe. The immediate thing I noticed was how well their photography was compared to the Apter mags. The WrestleMania X PPV program was a thick mofo with tons of pics from the first 9 WM's. Of all the magazines I collected and eventually lost, that's the one I regret most of all.

[Strummer]

it's official:

 

http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/96-wwe/38331-wwe-news-wwe-sends-letters-to-subscribers-informing-them-magazine-is-finished

[Johnny Sorrow]

Well, no one was buying it. I'd flip through it at the grocery store and it's not bad at all with great photos and trivia. But again, no one is buying it.

[fakeplastictrees]

I had every single WWF magazine from 1996-1999. I feel like I had a few some 2000, but at some point I stopped. All these magazines sat in the basement and one day the basement flooded....memories washed away. I haven't picked up a WWE magazine in years.I will definitely get the final issue. Out of all the covers I remember the Bret/Bart Simpson one, Goldust/Mankind, the beyond tacky WM13 cover, and Val Venis serving up hot dogs with the ladies from Scores.

[MikeCampbell]

Does anyone remember Vic Venom? Even before I knew he was Russo (and I didn't connect those dots until 1999 when Russo put himself on WCW TV), I thought he was annoying. The Venom stuff I'm recalling, from 1994 or so, were basically just the equivalent of reading a heel color commentator, with nowhere near the humor of Jesse or Bobby.

[Blazer]

I had every single WWF magazine from 1996-1999. I feel like I had a few some 2000, but at some point I stopped. All these magazines sat in the basement and one day the basement flooded....memories washed away. I haven't picked up a WWE magazine in years.I will definitely get the final issue. Out of all the covers I remember the Bret/Bart Simpson one, Goldust/Mankind, the beyond tacky WM13 cover, and Val Venis serving up hot dogs with the ladies from Scores.

 

What was the Mania 13 cover?

[Guest Eduardo James]

Was it this one?

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxMjIz/z/W80AAOxyBvZTT-zm/$_57.JPG

[Sidebottom]

If memory serves, that was the preview issue.

[artDDP]

Does anyone remember Vic Venom? Even before I knew he was Russo (and I didn't connect those dots until 1999 when Russo put himself on WCW TV), I thought he was annoying. The Venom stuff I'm recalling, from 1994 or so, were basically just the equivalent of reading a heel color commentator, with nowhere near the humor of Jesse or Bobby.

In 1995 he "resigned" from the Magazine to publish his own "dirt sheet" called The Bite.

 

He published transcripts of Vince McMahon AOL chats and gave away TV taping results. The news was still strictly kayfabed and almost entirely fantasy booking. I don't think it lasted very long.

 

He outed himself as Vince Russo in the Venom column at some point in either 1998 or 1999.

[MikeCampbell]

 

Does anyone remember Vic Venom? Even before I knew he was Russo (and I didn't connect those dots until 1999 when Russo put himself on WCW TV), I thought he was annoying. The Venom stuff I'm recalling, from 1994 or so, were basically just the equivalent of reading a heel color commentator, with nowhere near the humor of Jesse or Bobby.

In 1995 he "resigned" from the Magazine to publish his own "dirt sheet" called The Bite.

 

He published transcripts of Vince McMahon AOL chats and gave away TV taping results. The news was still strictly kayfabed and almost entirely fantasy booking. I don't think it lasted very long.

 

He outed himself as Vince Russo in the Venom column at some point in either 1998 or 1999.

 

 

I had a subscription from 1994 through the end of 1996, so I missed his official outing. I just remember "Vic Venom" being on Livewire one morning, and then a few years later I saw Russo on WCW TV when he first jumped, and realized they were the same guy.

[C.S.]

Has this been posted?

 

From whatculture.com: Vince Russo’s 10 Insider Stories From Running WWF Magazine

[artDDP]

Has this been posted?

 

From whatculture.com: Vince Russo’s 10 Insider Stories From Running WWF Magazine

Hey, thanks for sharing that. It was actually a fun read.

 

I remember the Randy Savage interview from 1994. It was very in-depth and much more of a shoot than anything I had read up until that point. I was 12 or 13 at the time and that interview helped keep me hooked on wrestling. I felt the business was growing up with me in some weird way.

 

There was also a Shawn Michaels interview leading up to his title win at WrestleMania XII. He mentioned blading himself at a party one night and running around the streets with his forehead gushing blood. Russo published it unedited.

[iamthedoctor]

Was it this one?

 

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxMjIz/z/W80AAOxyBvZTT-zm/$_57.JPG

 

Just imagine if that Fatal Four Way had been the Main Event!

 

For me my first magazine I got was the one Roddy Piper was on in the December 1989 issue. From then on I continued to get them on a monthly basis till the newsagent cocked up my order and didnt get the May 90 issue with the Barber on yet down the road they had it in.

 

Apart from that I subscribed to get it I think somewhere around 1999/2000 ish but only because Powerslam magazine was more informative on WWF stuff as when you got a US wrestling magazine it was months out of date.

 

Sad to see it go after all these years as was a part of me and I never truely got rid of the magazines after all the years. I suppose when you have the internet you can find info out quicker anyway and I didnt buy the mag again until last month when I saw the Main Event DVD on it.

 

Didnt know the kids mag was also ending is that why its a Legends special?

[artDDP]

I always liked it for the incredible photographs.

[iamthedoctor]

Which magazine had pics of the Owen/HBK match from 1996? Sounds something like Raw mag would do but pretty sure WWF mag did the article. It pretty much resembled the Feb 96 IYH match except Shawn was split open.

 

Looked more enjoyable than the televised match.

[artDDP]

I finally found a copy of the farewell issue of WWE Magazine at a nearby Target. Aside from a small mention on the cover and a few mentions inside there isn't much else to it. It's just a standard issue of the magazine, complete with a Bo Dallas workout article. Man, if there's one guy on the roster I wanna look like it sure ain't Bo Dallas.

 

I flipped through it and decided not to buy it.