BOOK DETAILS
Paperback: 195 pages
Dimensions: 8.5x11
Publisher: Crowbar Press
Programs: 44 b&w
Cover: Full color
ISBN: 978-1-940391-36-6
Item #: 81-cap06
Price: $24.95
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"Classic Arena Programs #6: St. Louis, volume 1 — 1943-1945" is available exclusively from Crowbar Press.
All books will be shipped via Media Mail (U.S.), Priority Mail, or International Priority Mail (Canada/overseas).
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR —
One of my big regrets in life is that, during my days working in the wrestling business, I never made the trip to see one of Sam Muchnick’s cards at Kiel Auditorium. For that matter, I never took the time to visit Madison Square Garden, Charlotte Park Center, Dallas Sportatorium, Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium, or Memorial Hall in Kansas City, all of which were historical sites for pro wrestling through the decades.
This project, "Classic Arena Programs," has given me the opportunity to experience, to a small degree, what it was like to be in those legendary smoke-filled arenas, and to me, the programs from St. Louis — "Sports Pointers," "In the Ring," and "WRESTLING" — are the crown jewels of what wrestling programs were during the Golden Age of Wrestling. Each issue contains news, stories, photos — both posed and action — and an amazing treasure trove of history.
Now, for the first time — thanks to Koji Miyamoto, who was the beneficiary of the huge collection of programs amassed by the late, legendary Jim Melby — we are offering reprints of these programs in bound volumes. Few originals of these programs still exist, but the copies preserved by Koji and Jim — with the exception of a few — were good enough to allow us to scan, clean, brighten, sharpen, and reprint in a condition that looks close to that of the originals.
This first volume features 44 of the 54 programs published during 1943 to 1945, most of which have never been seen by wrestling fans other than those who attended the shows in St. Louis during that era. While the man best-known for promoting wrestling in St. Louis was Sam Muchnick, these programs were sold by Tom Packs, the man responsible for originally making St. Louis the "pro wrestling capitol of the U.S.A."
An additional bonus in this volume is the entire 20-page program for the July 12, 1927, American Legion Welfare Fun benefit card that featured Joe Stecher against Paul Jones at the St. Louis University Athletic Field.
This is the first of what will be 16 volumes of classic arena programs from St. Louis, the pro wrestling capitol of the U.S.A.
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