Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Health Research.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-mediterranean-diet-boost-mitochondrial-linked.html
https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-identify-protein-that-slows-key-effects-of-aging/
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a70578341/memory-cells-consciousness/
https://www.marthastewart.com/foods-for-healthy-aging-11914259
Monday, March 23, 2026
Late March 2026 News Updates.
For those of us who lived on this Earth for more than 40 years, we have a unique perspective of America. We have seen the storm or the rain the blessings of this nation too. There are many challenges in America as we all realize. There is massive economic inequality with some large corporations having governmental-like authorities that pollute our environment, discriminate (against black people, brown people, women, disabled people, and other human beings), and go out to receive record tax breaks from an authoritarian regime headed by Trump. Trump has been allowed by the Supreme Court to have near immunity. We still have institutional racism impacting the black community and other communities of color in dealing with health, education, economics, and other issues. We have serious problems with sexism (which is promoted heavily by the manosphere and other red pill extremists), xenophobia, and other prejudices that exist in American society. Still, America has not reached into true equality for all people. Equality doesn't mean that everyone is genetically identical. Even twins are not genetically identical. Equality precisely means that all people have equal worth, equal dignity, equal value, and have the God-given unalienable rights (of the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) that should be never taken away. Equality means that all human beings should be treated with the same respect and dignity plus given excellent opportunities to achieve their own happiness or a successful life. I still have hope for America. As an older Millennial who has lived on this Earth for almost a half of a century, I hope. The reason is because of the working class and other people building this nation up, of the black activists defending black human rights, of the people opposing ICE's excessive behavior against immigrants, the people defending our voting rights (against the SAVE Act and other voter suppression policies), etc. I have great hope for the unsung heroes saving lives, growing charities, developing food drives, and protesting constantly for our sacrosanct democratic rights.
Science is not just the study of things that we can observe quantitively. When we were children and teenager, we learned about the scientific method that deals with the following concepts chronologically: Observation, Question, Research, Hypothesis, Experiment, Analysis, Conclusion, and Communication/Iteration. Also, science deals with the wonder and beauty of Nature too. Part of that exquisite wonder relates to the complexities of the compositions of the Earth's atmosphere. The parts of the atmosphere may differ in temperature, organisms, other forms of energy, etc. Yet, these parts of the atmosphere are related to the sun's rays going to the Earth. Each part of the vast atmosphere is key to developing and preserving our fragile ecosystem. From birds flying in the lowest atmosphere to satellites and the International Space Station at the highest atmosphere, all of us are interconnected with the functions of the vast Universe. The atmosphere has air filled with mixed gas, gravity retaining the atmosphere, and many particles (like aerosols, particulates, etc. that form clouds and hazes). Ultraviolet solar radiation, temperature variation, greenhouse gases, the ozone layer, and meteoroids exist in the atmosphere.
The decade of the 2020s has exploded with creativity, social movements, hope, tragedies, and the end of the Presidency of an authoritarian fascist. This time saw the general public (not just dedicated scientists and researchers) reckon with the reality of artificial intelligence. A.I. has changed everything from movies, how people shop for items, and how music is presented (with a massive backlash from many artists and debates about control and originality). There is the new A.I. musician Xania Monet who has created songs, and the person who generated this A.I. creation is Telisha "Nikki" Jones. This time saw the growth of wars and other military conflicts in Venezuela, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other places of the world. The early third of this decade was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It first erupted in China by November 2019, but it was on a massive international scale by early 2020. By the middle of March 2020, tons of places in America were shut down completely. I remember that time just like yesterday. A recession existed because of the pandemic, over one million Americans died from the illness, and millions of Americans had to unemployment insurance to survive literally. Worldwide, millions of people also died from COVID-19. There were vaccinations that people received. Debates about closing stores continued, but we lived in an emergency setting back then. Also, there was the largest anti-racism, anti-police brutality protests globally in 2020. People wanted to seek justice for the unjust killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and all black victims of unjust police terrorism. The 2020s saw albums, victories from athletes (in the 2024 Paris Olympics and other events), and a resistance movement against Trumpism.
The troposphere is the lowest, densest layer of the Earth's atmosphere. It extends from the surface of the Earth to almost 5-10 miles. It contains about 80 percent of the atmosphere's mass and almost all water vapor. This region acts as the primary layer for weather, clouds, and air circulation. Temperature and pressure both decrease rapidly is the area where temperature stops stop decreasing with height, acting as a "lid" that separates it from the stratosphere. The troposphere is the location where almost all weather (including clouds, rain, snow, and storms) exists. It has vertical mixing and convection. The temperature declines as the height increases to as low as -60 degrees Fahrenheit (-51 degrees Celsius) at the tropopause. The air decreases nearly exponentially with height form roughly 1000 hPa at the surface to 120 hPa at the tropopause. This layer has humans and animals live and breathe with mostly nitrogen (78 percent) and oxygen (21 percent). There is surface heating. So, warmer air is less dense and raises, while cooler air sinks creating constant mixing and vertical convection currents. So, the troposphere is a natural filler. It holds ono water and traps dust and particles (making it essential for life on Earth).
The stratosphere is just above the troposphere. It is about 31 miles above the Earth's surface. This layer has the ozone layer, which absorbs ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the Sun. It is very dry, stable, and warmer in its upper regions than its lower regions. That is why commercial jet aircraft often fly in the lower stratosphere to avoid turbulence. It has many stratified temperature zones, with the warmer layers of air located layers lower (closer to the plenary surface of the Earth). The reason why there is an increase of temperature with altitude is a result of the absorption of the Sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation by the ozone layer. The ozone is exothermically photolyzed into oxygen in a cyclical fashion. The tropopause border is the border that demarcates the beginning of the temperature inversion.
The mesophere is the third layer of the Earth's atmosphere. It extends 31-35 miles above the surface. It has extremely cold temperatures. It can be as cold as -91 degrees C. to -125 degrees C. It is the region above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere. The region protects the planet by burning up most meteors. It has the lowest temperatures in the atmosphere and forms nocticulucent clouds, which are rare high altitude clouds. It plays a role in the global circulation of the atmosphere.
On Day 15 on February 21, 2026, the women's mass start winners of the biathlon were Oceane Michelon of France winning gold, silver was earned by Julia Simon of France, and bronze went to Tereza Vobornikova of Romania. The two-woman bobsliegh race was won by gold by Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi of Germany, Lisa Buckwitz and Neele Schuten of Germany with silver, and Kaillie Humphries and Jasmine Jones of America winning bronze. The men's cross country skiing classical was won by Johannes Hosflot Klaebo of Norway winning gold, Martin Lowstrom Nyenget winning silver from Norway, and Emil Iversen winning bronze from Norway. The men's curling team had Canada winning gold, Great Britain winning silver, and Switzerland winning bronze. In men's ski cross, Italy won gold by Simone Deromedis of Italy, Federico Tomasoni winning silver from Italy, and Alex Fiva winning bronze from Switzerland. For he mixed team aerials of freestyle skiing, the American team won gold, the Switzerland team won silver, and the Chinese team won bronze. For the mixed relay of the ski mountaineering, France won gold (with Emily Harrop and Thibault Anselmet), Switzerland won silver (with Marianne Fatton and Jon Kistler), and Spain won bronze with Ana Alonso and Oriol Cardona. With speed skating of men's mass start, Jorrit Bergsma won gold from the Netherlands, Denmark's Viktor Hald Thorup won silver, and Andrea Giovannini of Italy won silver. In the women's mass start of speed skating, Marijke Groenewoud of the Netherlands won gold, Ivanie Blondin won silver from Canada, and Mia Kilburg of America won bronze.
On Day 16, February 22, 2026, the four man Bobsleigh race was won by Germany for gold, Germany for silver, and Switzerland for bronze. For the women's classical of cross country skiing, Ebba Andersson won gold from Sweden, Heidi Weng won silver from Norway, and Nadja Kalin won bronze from Switzerland. For the curling women's team race, Sweden won gold, Switzerland won silver, and Canada won bronze. For the women's halfpipe of freestyle skiing, Eileen Gu won gold from China, Li Fanghui of China won silver, and Zoe Atkin won bronze from Great Britain. For men's ice hockey, the American team won gold, Canada's team won silver, and Finland's team won bronze. As for the Paralympic Games, America won many medals like Oksana Masters of America winning gold in the women's spring sitting race, Kendall Gretsch winning silver, and Anja Wicker winning bronze from Germany. Jake Adicoff of America won the men's sprint classical for the visually impaired, Yu Shuang won silver for China, and Zebastian won bronze from Sweden.
One of my great relatives was my paternal 2nd cousin Vivian Garfield Beech Ayres (1931-2024). She was born in August 5, 1931 at Northampton County, Virginia. She passed away peacefully at home on January 12, 2024. Her parents were Walker Dumas Beech Jr. (1885-1966) and Cora Lee Tillery (1895-1955). Vivian B. Ayres lived to be 92 years old. Many relatives called her Momma including people who knew her. She had a joyful spirit as a human being. She was the 11th child born to Cora and Dumas Walker Beech in Cape Charles, Virginia. She attended Northampton High School in Machipongo, Virginia. By 1950, she married Elton D. Ayres Sr., and they had six children. Vivian and her husband left Virginia in 1963 to move to Trenton, New Jersey to seek better employment. She worked at the Switlik Parachute Company and then had a position as a Teacher's Aide at Cook Elementary School. Her final job was at Helene Fuld Hospital in Trenton, where she retired in October 1989. She loved to talk, take vacation, and cared for her grandchildren. Bobby, one of her older grandsons lived with her in her final years. She loved shows like General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, Judge Judy, etc. She loved to play games on her IPad too. She read many Harlequin romance novels. He was a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles in her life. The siblings of Vivian Beech Ayres are: Dumas Beech Jr. (1914-1921), Rose D. Beech (1916-1939), Melvin Thomas Beech (1917-1968), Earle Dale Beech (1919-1991), Lois Carolyn Beech (1923-2020), Georgia Beech (1925-1925), Darrel Morgan Beech Sr. (1926-1991), Carrie Webster Beech (b. 1930), Philbert Dutel Beech (b. 1930), and Barbara Ann Beech (1934-1998). The children of Vivian and Elton Ayres are Charlene Denise Ayres-Britt (b. 1951), Darisel Darcel Ayres (1952-1953), Elton Douglas Ayres Jr. (b. 1953), Bessie Teresa Ayres (b. 1954), Deasia G. Ayres, Ernestine Ayres Dean (1955-2004), and Carolyn Louise Ayres (b. 1957). Vivian Ayres has 15 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren, and two great great grandchildren. Her funeral took place in Burlington, New Jersey. Vivan's mother is my 1st cousin Cora Lee Tillery, and Cora's parents are Walter Tillery (1868-1927) and Sallie Gary (b. 1869). My 2nd great granduncle Walter Tillery's parents are my 3rd great grandparents of Isham Tillery (b. 1835) and Martha Jane Randolf (b. 1847). Isham Tillery's parents are Isaac Tillery (b. 1818) and Betsy Hogany (b. 1820).
My maternal Peeples family has a long history. This is the story of my cousin Vernell Peeples Jr., and his wife, the late Olivia Peeples. Olivia Peeples lived for 78 years and passed away at Virginia Beach, Virginia on Friday, December 23, 2022. She was born in Harlem, New York City on November 3, 1944 to her late mother Cherryle Johnson. She graduated from high school and studied at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she earned an associate degree. She was a social worker for the New York State Department of Labor for decades in helping New Yorkers find gainful employment. When she was in her early twenties, she met Vernell Peeples, at a Harlem eatery called Chock Full O Nuts. Olivia Vernell were married and had 2 children who are Shelton Peeples and Darnell Peeples. The family loved education, and Olivia ran for a seat on the local school board. The family lived in New York City for years. Later, she and Vernell moved into Virginia. They lived in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and my cousin Vernell Peeples Jr. passed away in 2021. Her son Shelton Peeples has the spouse of Teri living in Bayonne, New Jersey. Her other son Darnell Peeples has a spouse named Monique living in Hiram, Georgia. Her granddaughters are Taylor, Kaitlyn, Kamryn, Ava, and Rhyan. Her great-granddaughters are Riley and Royal. Olivia's husband Vernell Franklin Peeples Jr. (1942-2021) was my 2nd cousin. His parents were Vernell Franklin Peeples Sr. (1912-1987) and Bettie Wilkerson (1918-2003). Vernell Franklin Peeples Sr.'s parents were My great-granduncle Ralph Charles William Peeples (1884-1967) and Mattie Annie Barrett (1890-1985) The parents of Ralph Charles William Peeples were my 2nd great grandparents Charles Peeples (1855-1922) and Fannie Fronianna Susanna Virgina Brown (1857-1946). Charles Peeples's mother was my 3rd great grandmother Annie Peeples.
By Timothy
Friday, March 20, 2026
Spring 2026 Part 6.
Conclusion (for Spring 2026)
Spring of 2026 now is here. Spring represents many things to so many human beings. It is a time of personal reflection and the realization that new beginnings can be necessary for personal and social growth. It is a season filled with a temperate climate in many parts of the world, flowers blossoming, and a renewed sense of duty to stand up for justice for all. The DHS nominee is MAGA follower Markwayne Mullin. He is facing a Senate interview as the Senate has the power to nominate cabinet members from the President. He is from the state of Oklahoma. Mullin is a far-right extremist. He voted against reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Rand Paul had a heated exchange with Mullin. Rand Paul is wrong on many issues, but he is 100 correct on many civil liberty and foreign policy issues. Therefore, Rand Paul wanted Mullin to be on the record on certain issues. Rand Paul criticized Mullin for saying that he understood why his neighbor did what he did to him. Mullin said that the federal officer was justified in killing Renee Good in Minneapolis. Mullin claims that the DHS will be stronger under his leadership. Mullin refuses to disclose his official overseas travel to U.S. Senators. ICE has been complicit in aggressive, illegal tactics against even U.S. citizens. Senators on the intelligence community have interviewed Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, on the ongoing war in Iran. Gabbard claims to be an anti-interventionalist, but she is silent on the illegality of the Iranian war. Trump doesn't want free and fair elections, because Trump denied that the 2020 election was a real Presidential election. Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania (who sold his soul) supports Mullin.
Now, Juliana Stratton won the Democratic Senate nomination. She is the lieutenant governor of the state of Illinois. She led a campaign to confront Trump's authoritarian policies head-on, and she called Trump a "wannabe dictator." She wants Donald Trump to be held accountable for his regressive policies. She is from the South Side of Chicago and wants to abolish ICE because of its corruption and regressive policies against human beings in America. Trump wants to ban mail-in voting and said that America is the only country in the world that has mail-in ballots. France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Chile, Canada, Australia, and many other nations have mail-in voting. Julian Stratton wants Medicare for All, a $25 federal minimum wage, and to get corporate special interests out of politics. Elizabeth Warren supports her, too. At the end of the day, our democracy is worth defending. Our ancestors suffered much worse than we have, so we have the responsibility to defend our freedom with bravery, with empathy, and with heroism. America is for us, too, as we made major contributions to make America what it is today in 2026 literally.
Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller has passed away, and he was 81 years old. He was the one prosecutor who investigated the Russian intelligence ties in trying to intervene and interfere in the 2016 election. As time has gone on, we see that members of Russian intelligence actually did try to interfere with the 2016 election. Mueller has suffered Parkinsons for some time before his passing. Mueller was the Director of the FBI for many years (from 2001 to 2013) and has shown an illustrious, impartial career in serious investigations and fighting evil. Mueller's report didn't exonerate Donald Trump. Trump is a convicted felon of multiple counts in other crimes. Like usual, Trump said that sick words he is glad that Mueller is dead. I am not shocked at this, because I have always mentioned that Trump as no character as a male (not man, as he is no real man. A real man doesn't mock a man's death in that way). The behavior and actions of Trump make us aware that humility is superior to habitual lying, xenophobia, and bigotry. Trump claiming that the 2020 election is stolen, saying racist words about Somalis, and going about to promote the unjust Iranian war show that Trump is an extremist. Robert Mueller has every right to disagree with the occupant of the White House Donald Trump. Robert Mueller was a United States Marine Corps veteran who was a Captain. Mueller was a registered Republican in Washington, D.C., and I don't agree with him on many political issues. Yet, I won't disrespect his humanity offensively after his passing. I send condolences to the family and friends of Robert Mueller.
One important precept is that we must have hope for the future. I am always a realist and an optimist by nature as an Older Millennial (or Xennial). Many folks on grand juries are resisting the unjust, authoritarian policies of Donald Trump (who publicly said that he hates his enemies, he said that he doesn't ask God for forgiveness, and he lied to say that the 2020 election was stolen). For example, a grand jury refused to allow the federal government (via Jeannine Piro, the U.S. attorney for Washington and a Trump ally) to indict six Democratic lawmakers (who are all veterans or members of the intelligence community) for crimes. These six human beings just wanted servicemen and servicewomen to refuse illegal orders. Their statements are protected by the First Amendment, and they weren't illegal or immoral. Trump has hatred and distrust of dissent against his policies, but these six Congressional leaders stood up to defend our democracy that our ancestors personally built. A grand jury in my state of Virginia has refused to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James. So, grand juries can do positive actions to improve our democratic society. The fascism and terrorism of ICE against Americans (like Americans being hit with dangerous chemicals, for Americans to be harassed, and for one city council member being assaulted. Even undocumented immigrants should be treated as human beings, not less than human) have no justification, despite what anyone has to say. The attacks on our black museums, grand, Orwellian book bans, and trying to force public and private universities to unconditionally support the MAGA movement are not only wrong but also unjust. We are clearly committed to protecting our environment, expanding our infrastructure and institutions, enjoying our civil rights, improving our health care, strengthening voting rights, and maintaining our civil liberties. We have one life to live, and we have the God-given right to live to the fullest, filled with righteousness, holiness, and courage.
By Timothy
Spring 2026 Part 5.
Professional Wrestling
Of all of these decades of my life, I never written anything in-depth about professional wrestling. I wrote about basketball, football, track and field, volleyball, soccer, hockey, and the Olympics before. Today, I love to deal with new challenges, and this issue should be discussed for many reasons. One reason is that millions of people globally are fans of professional wrestling from America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, Oceania, South America, Canada, etc. Also, I like to write about the diverse cultures of humanity. Professional wrestling relates to a form of theater and entertainment that requires skill, charisma, athleticism, and mock combat. It's an art that many people sacrificed their lives for. Cable channels like A&E, Vice, etc. have done incredible, groundbreaking work in documenting the complex nature (including the highs and lows) of professional wrestling spanning decades. I will write about the elephant in the room too. That is that much of the history of professional wrestling deals with a network of mostly white people for decades (let's keep it real), some people in the industry are racists and sexists (not all), and the culture of professional wrestling can be emotionally straining (as these wrestlers work year round across the world with little time for rest or visiting families and loved ones). There are past legends and modern-day legends in professional wrestling like Macho Man, Ricky Steamboat, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Ming, The Undertaker, The Rock, John Cena, the Steiner Brothers, etc. You have to be emotionally strong to deal with professional wrestling, and many professional wrestlers are real life wrestlers, athletes, and experts in martial arts and mixed martial arts. For example, we know that Bianca Belair had done track and field and basketball, Jade Cargill played basketball in Florida, Lola Vice was involved in Bellator as an MMA fighter, we know that Blackman is a trained martial artist, and we know that Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar are legitimate wrestling championships. In professional wrestling, there are storylines, gimmicks, babyface, heels, kayfabe, and other terminology. In our time, more people understand many of the unsung wrestlers from back in the day and today. Professional wrestling is a scripted performance with predetermined winners, but the injuries wrestlers suffer are 100 percent real. You can get hurt in real life with these performances. Therefore, professional wrestling has expanded into a billion-dollar industry that has inspired crowds the world over.
Rules
There are many rules in professional wrestling. Professional wrestlers nominally compete under rules promulgated by wrestling promotions. However, the rules are not legitimate standards for sporting activity, instead serving as a basis to advance plotlines, similar to the artificial constraints imposed in other fictional universes. Sociologist Thomas S. Henricks has argued the rules serve as a basis for a structuralist moral order, serving to advance plot lines involving charismatic heroes applying an instrumentally rationalist approach to social conflicts.
Professional wrestlers do not follow an industry-standard set of rules, unlike most sporting events, which generally have a governing body to regulate competitions. While each promoter can set their own standards, promoters have long understood that fans enjoy professional wrestling more when all matches appear to follow a consistent set of rules. The rules described in this section represent common standards but may not precisely align with the ruleset of any specific promotion. Matches are staged between two or more sides ("corners"). Each corner may consist of one wrestler, or a team of two or more. Most team matches are nominally governed by tag team rules. Other matches present under the premise of a free-for-alls, with multiple combatants but no teams. In all variants, there can be only one winning team or wrestler.
Matches generally take place within a wrestling ring, an elevated square canvas mat with posts on each corner. A cloth apron hangs over the edges of the ring. Three horizontal ropes or cables surround the ring, suspended with turnbuckles which are connected to the posts. For safety, the ropes are padded at the turnbuckles and cushioned mats surround the floor outside the ring. Guardrails or a similar barrier enclose this area from the audience. Wrestlers are generally expected to stay within the confines of the ring, though matches sometimes end up moving outside the ring, and even into the audience. The match can end in a fall by pinning the opponent for three seconds, submission, disqualification of the opponents, countout, and knocking out the opponent. Most wrestling matches last for a set number of falls. Some matches can last for 20, 30, or 60 minutes in an Iron Man Match. Referres are involved in professional wrestlign matches. The referree acts as the final abritator in the fictional rules. Special guest referres are common.Tag team matches have unique rules too. People tag to allow another part of the team to participate in the match. Disqualification can come by illegal hold or moves, deliberate injury to an opponent, outside inference, unjust striking, low blow, laying hands on the referre, pulling an opponent's mask off during the match, and other actions. There can be a draw or no contest.
Training and Qualifications
Involving professional wrestling, there is massive training and qualifications. Physical fitness is viewed as the minimum requirement for entry in the field. Most professional wrestlers have least some athletic background or training like in the past with Kurt Angle, Ron Simmons, Undertaker, Stone Cold, The Rock, and the present with Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill, Charlotte Flair, etc. Professional wrestlers have formal training in specialized professional wrestling schools or academics. These places are independent or associated with a specific promotion. No one goes into professional wrestling with a free ride. Candidates are usually trained and coached by experienced professional wrestlers. Training regiments include both athletic and performative aspects of professional wrestling like physical fitness, choreography, and dramatization. Trainees are usually pitted against each other or with their instructors in matches before small crowds to demonstrate and refine their skill in improvisation, mock combat, and stage presence. There are risk in professional wrestling too. Many people faced life changing injuries, accidents, and deaths like Owen Hart. Some strikes in wrestling are stiff, especially in Japan. Stiff means using excessive force when using a move that will cause real increased legitimate pain a professional wrestler. Professional wrestlers know of the risk. As Professional wrestler Davey Richards have said in 2015, "We train to take damage, we know we are going to take damge and we accept that."
Its History
Professional wrestling, as we know it, existed from the early 1800s in Western Europe, Britain, and Ireland. There were showmen who combined wrestling and showmanship. There were wrestlers with names like Heruclean Flower, Edward, the bone wrecker, etc. By 1830, French showman, Jean Exbroyat formed the first modern wrestlers' circus troupe and established a rule not to execute holds below the waist — a style he named "flat hand wrestling." This new style soon spread to the rest of Europe, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Italy, Denmark and Russia under the names of Greco-Roman wrestling, Classic wrestling or French wrestling. By the end of the 19th century, this modern "Greco-Roman" wrestling style went on to become the most fashionable sport in Europe, and in 1898 the Frenchman Paul Pons, "the Colossus" became the first Professional World Champion.
The modern style of professional wrestling, popularized by the United States and United Kingdom during the late 19th century, is called the catch-as-catch can style. Originally thought of as unorthodox and more lax in style, catch wrestling differs from Greco-Roman in its allowed grapples; Greco-Roman strictly prohibits grabbing below the waist, while catch wrestling allows holds above and below the waist, including leg grips. Both catch wrestling and Greco-Roman were popular, and fully competitive, amateur and professional sports. But, from the late 19th century onwards, a sub-section of catch wrestling changed slowly into the choreographed sport entertainment now known as "professional wrestling", recognized as much for its theatrical antics and entertainment as wrestling ability. By the early 20th century, many professional wrestlers promoted a variety act to the public. Some were involved in bodybuilder strongman events. There were various American and European professional title holders like the American Heavyweight Champion Tom Jenkins and the Greco-Roman title Georg Hackenschmidt. The World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship was the first recognized professional wrestling world heavyweight championship created in 1905 to identify the best catch wrestler in the world. It was also the first wrestling championship known to have a physical representation of the belt. Russian-born George Hackenschmidt won the inaugural championship defeating American-born Tom Jenkins in New York City. America's professional wrestling popularity declined from 1915 to 1920 because of World War I and people's questioning the legitimacy and status as a competitive sport. Therefore, professional wrestlers used tag team wrestling, new wrestlers existed (like Ed Lewis, Billy Sandow, and Toots Mondt), and wreslters formed angles and feuds. By this time, professional wrestling spread into Australia, Japan, Mexico, and all over the world. Established names such as Lou Thesz, Dr. Jerry Graham and Gorgeous George toured Australia by the 1950s. Many of the greatest professional wrestlers were involved in Japanese wrestling leagues like Dory Funk, Jr., Terry Funk, and Harley Race, all of whom wrestled for Baba in Japan. Some Japanese wrestling league used actual combat acts in their performances. Rikidōzan was a huge star in Japan in the 1950s, and he is commonly credited with bringing professional wrestling to Japan.
In the early 20th century, professional wrestling was mostly a regional phenomenon in Mexico until Salvador Lutteroth founded the Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre ("Mexican Wrestling Enterprise") in 1933, giving the sport a national foothold for the first time. In 1948, wrestling reached new heights after a loose confederation was formed between independent wrestling companies. This was known as the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). In the late 1940s to 1950s, the NWA chose Lou Thesz to unify the various world championships into a single "World Heavyweight" title. Thesz's task was not easy, as some promoters, reluctant to lose face, went so far as to shoot title matches to keep their own champions popular with the fans.
Following the advent of television, professional wrestling matches began to be aired nationally during the 1950s, reaching a larger fanbase than ever before. This was a time of enormous growth for professional wrestling, as rising demand and national expansion made it a much more popular and lucrative form of entertainment than in the prior decades. This was called a "Golden Age" for the wrestling industry. It was also a time of great change in both the character and professionalism of wrestlers as a result of the appeal of television. Wrestling fit naturally with television because it was easy to understand, had drama, comedy and colorful characters, and was inexpensive to produce. From 1948 to 1955, each of the three major television networks broadcast wrestling shows; the largest supporter being the DuMont Television Network.
The famous wrestlers of the 1950s were George Wagner, Lou Thesz, Buddy Rogers, Killer Kowalski, Verne George, and Japanese superstar Rikidozan. There was The Portland Wrestling League, Whipper Billy Watson, and the Fabulous Moolah. Early women wrestlers from back in the day were Mildred Burke, Mae Young, Ann LaVerne, Yulie Brynner, Gladys Gillum, Elvirus Nodgrass, and African American professional wrestlers (who are Ethel Johnson, Babs Wingo, Marva Scott, and Kathleen Wimbley). Many black wrestlers back then often competed in the Jim Crow South. They broke down barriers. Ethel Johnson performed greatly in the ring too. The Flying Wingo Sisters (of Ethel, Babs, and Marva) worked together and has a record 3,611 fans in Baltimore (in 1952), and 9,000 in Kansas City in 1954. There was Sweet Georgia Brown too. The iconic wrestlers of the 1960s were Burno Sammartino, The Original Sheik, Bearcat Wright, Gorilla Monsoon, Pat Patterson, Rocky Johnson (the father of the Rock), Rip Hawk, Harley Race, etc. There were various Territories of wrestling regions with stars too. There were the rise of the NWA and the WWWF (now it's the WWE). By the 1970s, there were Bruno too, Superstar Billy Graham (who was a predecessor of Hulk Hogan, Roman Reigns, and other professional wrestlers with a bodybuilder look), Andre the Giant, Dusty Rhodes, Terry Funk, The Fabulous Moolah, Jerry Lawler (who was in the Memphis territory), The Original Sheik, Bobo Brazil (a trailblazing African American wrestler), Pat Patterson, the Won Erich family, and Rocky Johnson (a NWA superstar). By the 1980s, there were tons of legends like Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, Macho Man, Andre the Giant, Hogan, Jacke Roberts, Ted DiBiase, The Ultimate Warrior, Jimmy Snukka, Ricky Steamboat, the Hart Foundation, the British Bulldogs, Bobby Hennan, and Miss Elizabeth. The 1980s saw professional wrestling reach more into television and the MTV Generation.
In the 1990s, there were Stone Cold Steve Austin, the Undertaker, The Rock, Bret Hart, Goldbert, Mankind, Triple H, Sean Michaels, Kevin Nash, Randy Savage, Sid Vicious, Owen Hart, DDP, Chyna (who broke barriers for women in wrestling), Jacqueline, The Legion of Doom, Booker T, and tons of wrestlers. This time saw WCW and WWE competing against each other with the WCW winning for a time until 1998 when the WWE brought Mike Tyson to referee Stone Cold Steve Austin and Sean Michaels. The NWO was formed in the 1990s being the biggest heel turn in wrestling history filled with Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall. D-Generation X was formed too with Sean Michaels, Triple H, Chyna, X-Pac, New Age Outlawz, and others. This time saw the Attitude Era when more sex, violence, and controversial themes were shown on professional wrestling television. By the 2000s, it was the Ruthless Aggression Era with John Cena, Brock Lesnar, The Rock, Triple H, The Undertaker, Lita, Edge, Randy Orton, Kurt Angel, Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho, Jeff Hardy, RVD, Sabu, Booker T, JBL, Umaga, Chris Benoit, Bryan, Dean Malenko, and other people. The 2000s saw the tragic death of Eddie Guerrero and the cowardly murderer Chris Benoit killing his own wife and child. By the 2010s, a new generation of wrestlers existed like PG/Reality era of John Cena, Randy Orton, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, The Shield, Roman Reigns, AJ Styles, Nakamura, Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch. We have Kofi Kingson, Big E, Xavier Woods, The Wyatt Family, Brock Lesnar, The Naiz, Cesaro, Sheamus, and The Rock making a comeback. By the 2020s, there has been a mixture of a return to old school storylines with new school technology filled with Jon Moxley, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, Bayley, MJF, Will Ospreay, Okada, Toni Storm, Iyo Sky, El Hijo Del Vikingo, Bianca Belair, Naomi, Drew McIntyre, Jey Uso, Jade Cargill, Tiffany Stratton, and others. John Cena retired during this 2020s era too along with AJ Styles.
The Diversity of Leagues
Professional wrestling leagues are multifaceted and found in America, Europe, Africa, Mexico, Asia, etc. Each wrestling league has its own distinctive styles, training, and development systems. Many U.S. wrestling leagues overlap into Canada. One example is how so many professional wrestlers were trained in Canada constantly. There are similarities among leagues globally, like storylines, the faces, the heels, and other parts of the wrestling institution. They readily show an elementary understanding of literary verisimilitude (or trying to make a work of fiction as realistic as possible). Lucha libre is a professional wrestling culture in Mexico. In that space, high-flying moves are executed all of the time along with exceptional tag team matches. Japanese professional wrestling, or puroresu, uses psychology, and some use a mixture of real contact and a professional wrestling style. Wrestling in Europe act in cultural festivals. There are women's wrestling leagues and rare intergender matches at times. Some independent U.S. wrestling leagues have people who are more talented than members of major companies like the WWE and AEW. There is W.O.W. or The Women of Wrestling League, too (shown on VICE TV). Other professional wrestling leagues are TNA Wrestling, MLW (Major League Wrestling), NWA (National Wrestling Alliance), and the Real American Freestyle (RAF) league (which seeks to combine traditional unscripted freestyle wrestling with sports entertainment). There is the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Pro Wrestling Noah, Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLLA). Combat Zone Wrestling, House of Glory, Women Superstars United, and Chaotic Wrestling are some of the many independent professional wrestling leagues that have grown in our generation.
The Culture of Professional Wrestling
The culture of professional wrestling has been complex and diverse for years and decades. There is a brotherhood, a sisterhood, and family type of vibe involving wrestling. The reason is that wrestlers are on the road sometimes more than 300 days per year, so they do act as a family at times. They know the business inside and out, and they realize that sacrifices are made for their jobs. The professional wrestlers realize that hard work must be enacted to exist in an excellent product. Some professional wrestlers may have real life heat or real tensions in real life (i.e. Sean Michaels and Bret Hart hated each other in real life for years until just a few years ago), but the vast majority of them act as professionals. The fan experience is a major part of wrestling culture. They aren't just found in the crowds inside a stadium where wrestlers perform. Many fans visit wrestlers at meet and greet and specialized ceremonies where interactions take place (especially days before Wrestle Mania, Summer Slam, etc.). At the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame and retirement events, fans are there too. There is no professional wrestling culture without the fans there. Merchandise is a massive part of wrestling culture as well. Video games, shirts, shoes (like the new Jade Cargill Nike shoes), jewelry, mugs, cups, DVDs, and other consumer items are bought by individuals globally. The selling of these goods helps fund companies and keeps the interests in various wrestling institutions. The professional wrestling business is a multibillion-dollar yearly industry that allows professional wrestlers (current and former ones) in movies like The Rock, Batista, Goldberg, Roddy Piper, John Cena, Hulk Hogan (I don't agree with him involving many issues. I just mention him for historical relevance), etc. Another cultural aspect of professional wrestling is travel. Traveling allows human beings to see different cultures and American wrestling leagues have visited the world from Japan to the region of Europe. Also, wrestling from Japan, Mexico, etc. has influenced modern day professional wrestling now.
Conclusion
Professional wrestling has encompassed numerous generations in American culture and global culture in indomitable ways. From selling out arenas worldwide (from MSG in NYC, Las Vegas, and to Berlin) to massive fan clubs growing, professional wrestling history has played a massive role in the development of modern-day culture. Its history has not been a crystal stair to keep it real. There are numerous true stories of sexism, bar fights, racism, deaths, steroids, nepotism (as found in the good ole boy network as accurately pointed out by icon Booker T), economic exploitation, hypocrisy, and other evils found in the professional wrestling atmosphere. Also, there has been positive news in professional wrestling over the course of 40 years. There has been an increase of black people, other people of color, poor people, and women involved in professional wrestling (with a wide array of athleticism, ring performances, charisma, communication skills, etc.) from Bianca Belair, the late Chyna, Trick Williams, Jade Cargill, Naomi, Booker T., Rhea Ripley, The Rock, Charlotte Flair, Asuka, etc. We witness tons of professional wrestlers working in legitimate philanthropy to help those in poverty, suffering illnesses, and diseases, and others suffering massive pain. They have inspired people to achieve their own measure of excellence (whether that will be STEM, education, sports, literature, fashion, entrepreneurship, and economics in general). Excellence isn't just about you. It's about much a person can give and sacrifice to assist their neighbors in their daily lives. Life is like a dream but to be taken seriously. Professional wrestlers put their lives on the line to be pioneers, athletes, performance makers, and story makers. Therefore, we will always honor great professional wrestlers who represent integrity, creativity, and the love of the art of visionary human expression.
By Timothy
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