Michael Rickard's Blog, page 8
August 4, 2019
Special Feature: The Greatest United States Heavyweight Champion of All Time Tournament: Round One Match Four: Ricky Steamboat vs. Terry Funk
Copyright Michael W. Rickard II
Originally presented at Canadian Bulldog's World.It’s time for part two of round one of The Greatest U.S. Champion of All Time Tournament, presented here at Canadian Bulldog’s World. In case you’re just tuning in, this tournament includes the 21 greats who held Jim Crockett Promotions’ United States Heavyweight Championship, one of the most prestigious titles in the National Wrestling Alliance. The belt served as a stepping stone to the NWA World Heavyweight Cha...
Originally presented at Canadian Bulldog's World.It’s time for part two of round one of The Greatest U.S. Champion of All Time Tournament, presented here at Canadian Bulldog’s World. In case you’re just tuning in, this tournament includes the 21 greats who held Jim Crockett Promotions’ United States Heavyweight Championship, one of the most prestigious titles in the National Wrestling Alliance. The belt served as a stepping stone to the NWA World Heavyweight Cha...
August 2, 2019
Farewell to Harley Race, one of the giants of professional wrestling.
Copyright Michael W. Rickard II 2019Editor's Note: Like so many fans, I'm saddened by the death of one of wrestling's true giants. The words legends and icons are often thrown out without much thought but Harley Race was and is one of the greatest figures in professional wrestling-in any era. There will be plenty of excellent obituaries so instead, I've put up a link to my review of Harley Race's memoir, King of the Ring. It's a great read about a true great in the ring. It's hard to believe...
July 29, 2019
Special Feature: The Greatest United States Heavyweight Champion of All Time Tournament: Round One Match Three: Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka vs. "Magnum" T.A.
Copyright Michael W. Rickard IIOriginally presented at Canadian Bulldog's World.It’s time for part three of round one of the Greatest U.S. Champion of All Time Tournament, presented here at Canadian Bulldog’s World. In case you’re just tuning in, this tournament includes the 21 greats who held Jim Crockett Promotions’ United States Heavyweight Championship, one of the most prestigious titles in the National Wrestling Alliance. The belt served as a stepping stone to the NWA World Heavyweight C...
Originally presented at Canadian Bulldog's World.It’s time for part three of round one of the Greatest U.S. Champion of All Time Tournament, presented here at Canadian Bulldog’s World. In case you’re just tuning in, this tournament includes the 21 greats who held Jim Crockett Promotions’ United States Heavyweight Championship, one of the most prestigious titles in the National Wrestling Alliance. The belt served as a stepping stone to the NWA World Heavyweight C...
July 24, 2019
The Short Life of WWE Superstar Ashley Massaro
Copyright 2019 by Michael W. Rickard II
While Ashley Massaro only worked in the WWE from 2005-2008, she left her mark on the promotion, its fans, and her fellow workers. As short as her WWE career was, she accomplished much in 3 years including guest appearances on television and in music videos, along with a well-received Playboy pictorial.Click here for the rest of the article.Originally presented at Ten-Bell Salute.
While Ashley Massaro only worked in the WWE from 2005-2008, she left her mark on the promotion, its fans, and her fellow workers. As short as her WWE career was, she accomplished much in 3 years including guest appearances on television and in music videos, along with a well-received Playboy pictorial.Click here for the rest of the article.Originally presented at Ten-Bell Salute.
July 21, 2019
Special Feature: The Greatest United States Heavyweight Champion of All Time Tournament: Round One Match Two: Barry Windham vs. "Number One" Paul Jones.
Copyright Michael W. Rickard IIOriginally presented at Canadian Bulldog's World.It’s time for part two of round one of the Greatest U.S. Champion of All Time Tournament, presented here at Canadian Bulldog’s World. In case you’re just tuning in, this tournament includes the 21 greats who held Jim Crockett Promotions’ United States Heavyweight Championship, one of the most prestigious titles in the National Wrestling Alliance. The belt served as a stepping stone to the NWA World Heavyweight Cha...
Originally presented at Canadian Bulldog's World.It’s time for part two of round one of the Greatest U.S. Champion of All Time Tournament, presented here at Canadian Bulldog’s World. In case you’re just tuning in, this tournament includes the 21 greats who held Jim Crockett Promotions’ United States Heavyweight Championship, one of the most prestigious titles in the National Wrestling Alliance. The belt served as a stepping stone to the NWA World Heavyweight Cha...
July 17, 2019
"Seamus Heaney: Intersecting Spaces, Intersecting Times."
Part Three of Three
Copyright 2019 by Michael W. Rickard II
Editor's Note: Here's part three of a paper I wrote on Seamus Heaney's poetry, focusing on his use of intersecting both spaces and time.The Afterlife Heaney’s later work explores not only the future, but the afterlife. Foster posits “…his sense of the civic now extends to a pronounced interest in the populated afterlife” (209 ). This makes sense as Heaney faced his last years. Foster argues that the afterlife is an undeniable presence in Heaney’s work “I...
Editor's Note: Here's part three of a paper I wrote on Seamus Heaney's poetry, focusing on his use of intersecting both spaces and time.The Afterlife Heaney’s later work explores not only the future, but the afterlife. Foster posits “…his sense of the civic now extends to a pronounced interest in the populated afterlife” (209 ). This makes sense as Heaney faced his last years. Foster argues that the afterlife is an undeniable presence in Heaney’s work “I...
July 15, 2019
Special Feature: The Greatest United States Heavyweight Champion of All Time Tournament: Round One Match One: Harley Race vs. Tully Blanchard
Copyright Michael W. Rickard IIOriginally presented at Canadian Bulldog's World.As I discussed in my recent book review on Dick Bourne’s United States Championship: A Close Look at Mid-Atlantic Wrestling's Greatest Championship, Jim Crockett Promotions’ United States Heavyweight Championship was one of the most prestigious titles in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), serving as a steppingstone to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and being the focus of many top programs in JCP. The 2...
Originally presented at Canadian Bulldog's World.As I discussed in my recent book review on Dick Bourne’s United States Championship: A Close Look at Mid-Atlantic Wrestling's Greatest Championship, Jim Crockett Promotions’ United States Heavyweight Championship was one of the most prestigious titles in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), serving as a steppingstone to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and being the focus of many top programs in JCP. The 2...
July 9, 2019
"Seamus Heaney: Intersecting Spaces, Intersecting Times."
Part Two of Three
Copyright 2019 by Michael W. Rickard II
Editor's Note: Here's part two of a paper I wrote on Seamus Heaney's poetry, focusing on his use of intersecting both spaces and time.Mortality Human mortality is a trope found throughout Heaney’s work but particularly in collections such as District and Circle and Human Chain. The trope of the aging process is also seen in Heaney’s later work as he reevaluates past poems, looking at life through the lens of someone with perhaps more wisdom and certainly...
Editor's Note: Here's part two of a paper I wrote on Seamus Heaney's poetry, focusing on his use of intersecting both spaces and time.Mortality Human mortality is a trope found throughout Heaney’s work but particularly in collections such as District and Circle and Human Chain. The trope of the aging process is also seen in Heaney’s later work as he reevaluates past poems, looking at life through the lens of someone with perhaps more wisdom and certainly...
July 7, 2019
Special Feature: The Greatest United States Heavyweight Champion of All Time Tournament: Introduction.
Copyright Michael W. Rickard IIOriginally presented at Canadian Bulldog's World.As I discussed in my recent book review on Dick Bourne’s United States Championship: A Close Look at Mid-Atlantic Wrestling's Greatest Championship, Jim Crockett Promotions’ United States Heavyweight Championship was one of the most prestigious titles in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), serving as a steppingstone to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and being the focus of many top programs in JCP. The 2...
July 3, 2019
"Seamus Heaney: Intersecting Spaces, Intersecting Times."
Part One of Three
Copyright 2019 by Michael W. Rickard II
Editor's Note: Here's part one of a paper I wrote on Seamus Heaney's poetry, focusing on his use of intersecting both spaces and time.Critics such as Michael Parker have explored how “Heaney’s poetry has been highly self-reflexive and self-referential” (327), something seen throughout his work as he travels through the past, present, and future. As I will show, Heaney addresses himself, society, and his critics in these works. Self-reflection and memory...
Editor's Note: Here's part one of a paper I wrote on Seamus Heaney's poetry, focusing on his use of intersecting both spaces and time.Critics such as Michael Parker have explored how “Heaney’s poetry has been highly self-reflexive and self-referential” (327), something seen throughout his work as he travels through the past, present, and future. As I will show, Heaney addresses himself, society, and his critics in these works. Self-reflection and memory...
