OFFICIAL SITE OF AUTHOR MICHAEL RICKARD

A few years back, I looked at how Bruno Sammartino saved the World-Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) from bankruptcy. Last week I looked at part one of "Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki: The Fight That Nearly Bankrupted the WWWF".Join me now for part two. Originally presented at Canadian Bulldog's World.

Copyright 2018 by Michael W. Rickard II This book is packed with some of Superman's greatest stories from Action Comics, but is it worth it? With Superman celebrating his 80th anniversary, you knew DC Comics was going to launch a celebration of the Man of Steel’s first appearance. The problem is DC has already published some excellent tribute books, one of which was published just five years ago (Superman: A Celebration of 75 Years). How can DC celebrate the Man of Tomorrow’s

Copyright 2018 by Michael W. Rickard II Editor's Note: Last fall, I took a graduate-level class concerning James Joyce's Ulysses. Here is an analysis of a few lines from the novel's 12th episode. Ulysses’ 12th episode lines 1784-1795 focus on the Citizen cursing Leopold Bloom, reflecting his anti-Semitic hatred. While Bloom is ridiculed by the patrons at Barney Kiernan’s pub, the Citizen makes little secret of his hatred for Jews. The episode is narrated by an unknown person

A few years back, I looked at how Bruno Sammartino saved the World-Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) from bankruptcy. Join me for part one of "Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki: The Fight That Nearly Bankrupted the WWWF". Originally presented at Canadian Bulldog's World.

Wrestling has a considerable number of big men in the squared circle today, but once upon a time, giants were a rare sighting. One big man who definitely stood out was William "Haystacks" Calhoun. Originally presented at Ten-Bell Salute.

Copyright 2018 by Michael W. Rickard II Last week I began my analysis of Phillip Wylie's 1930 novel Gladiator and its influence on Superman. Gladiator was eclipsed by the success of Superman, but Superman’s success would not go unnoticed by author Phillip Wylie. Siegel and Shuster’s work contained far too many similarities for Wylie not to consider it plagiarism. Siegel and Shuster denied Superman was based on Gladiator, but legend has it that Jerry Siegel mentioned Gladiato

Japanese sensation Shohei "Giant" Baba enjoyed an incredible career after he made the jump from the baseball diamond to the squared circle. Join me as I look at the remarkable life and career of Giant Baba. Two of the world's most successful wrestlers. Originally presented at Ten-Bell Salute

Copyright 2018 by Michael W. Rickard II While Superman was an innovative creation in comic books, the character of a superhuman living among mortals can be found in myths dating back to Gilgamesh, Hercules, and many other cultures. As scholars such as Joseph Campbell have observed, myths often share similar elements. Whether this is due to cultures appropriating the myths of others or the idea of archetypes in a collective unconsciousness, rare is the original story or charac

"The Showcase of the Immortals" is just days away and the good people at Canadian Bulldog's World have their predictions online. Check out my predictions as well as those of the Canadian Bulldog, ZAH, the Big Rybowski, and Adam Zimmerman.

All wrestlers play a part in the spectacle of sports entertainment, from enhancement talent to main eventers. Although Joey Maggs never reached the top of the mountain, he was considered the best at what he did-making any opponent look like a superstar. Join me for a look at the all too short career of enhancement talent Joey Maggs. Originally presented at Ten-Bell Salute