The last issue of WWE Magazine came out this week and though it may seem like an unlikely source to most, this monthly periodical taught me how to read. Growing up, my mother tried in vain to get me to read. No move on her part, from forcing me to check out books, to reading with me, and more seemed to work. Throughout elementary school I struggled with poor grades, but all that changed when I found a subject I would be passionate about for the rest of my life — professional wrestling.
It seems like only yesterday that I discovered Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) and the Apter family of magazines. My mother was hesitant to let me read “lucha libre” publications, but when she saw my deep interest, and more importantly that I was reading each and every word printed in them, she supported it. I grabbed every wrestling magazine I could get my hands on and read and read and read. Quickly, and though still young, my fandom matured. Pro Wrestling Illustrated covered all wrestling, but I wanted something even more specific — @WWE (then WWF) Magazine.
I loved all things wrestling, but WWE was the undisputed champion of professional wrestling in my youth. I craved learning more about superhero-like superstars Hulk Hogan, Macho Man, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, Iron Sheik, Ultimate Warrior, or Jake the Snake. I would see WWF Magazine advertised on Craig DeGeorge's (now Craig Minervini, a local Miami Marlins baseball announcer) weekly WWF Updates from the Event Center on WWF Wrestling Challenge and Superstars of Wrestling, the local syndicated programs. Trips to my neighborhood Circle K, Walgreens, or Woolworth’s (where I would buy PWI) turned up with no sign of WWE Magazine. Searching for WWE Magazine became a ritual anytime I’d visit any store with a magazine rack. For a long time, it seemed I would never find an issue at all. A year passed before I walked into an Eckerd’s Drug Store and saw Ted Dibiase flaunting the Million Dollar Belt. That day and that cover of the May 1989 issue of WWE Magazine are forever etched into my memory.
After that, it seemed every store had caught on and WWE Magazine was just about everywhere. I was still young though, and had to secretly ride my bike to the Westchester Bookstore in order to buy up every issue I could. My clandestine adventures hidden from my mom lasted a few years until I got my first summer job as a telemarketer with the Police Athletic League. Now I was able to become a subscriber and get WWE Magazine delivered straight to my home. Yes, this was via what is now known as snail mail, but back then there was no Internet and the anticipation caused by waiting was part of the fun. From that point on, the steady flow of information about the WWE began in earnest. Month after month I was reading about my heroes and most importantly I was reading a lot.
Today, the WWE holds an annual WestleMania Reading Challenge where WWE Superstars visit local schools as they tour the country to encourage young fans to read. Though they didn’t do the challenge when I was a kid, I like to think of myself as an unofficial success story. For 27 years I’ve read WWE magazine and since the very first one, I’ve been a devoted fan of wrestling — a lifer — one of those kids who never grew out of the orchestrated action of sports entertainment. Because of the influence of WWE Magazine, my grades rose, I won turnaround student of the year, and ultimately received a bachelor’s degree from Florida International University. For that, I bid a fond farewell and loudly shout “THANK YOU” to the magazine that quite literally transformed my life.
Edited by Ruben Diaz @RMartian.
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