| HISTORY
OF PRO WRESTLING TORCH
Pro Wrestling
Torch Weekly was founded in 1987 by Wade Keller. It has been a
primary source for insider information, respected commentaries,
and newsbreaking interviews for nearly 20 years. It is wrestling's no.
1 widest read weekly wrestling publication and has been voted
the "Best Wrestling Newsletter" by Global Wrestling.
To view some historical covers of the Torch Newsletter from the
past 15 years, click here: HISTORICAL
TORCH COVERS
The Torch
Newsletter is widely read by wrestlers, promoters, and executives
in wrestling companies all over the world. Torch editor Wade Keller
has been interviewed as a wrestling expert by dozens of TV and
radio stations across the country; he has also been quoted in
dozens of major newspapers and magazines across the world. Media
entities that have featured Keller in stories covering wrestling
include National Public Radio, Fox News Channel, ESPN Magazine,
the New York Post, Entertainment Weekly, the Associated Press,
and the Washington Post. He also hosted his own weekly two hour
wrestling talk show on KFAN sport radio in the '90s. He is currently the host of the nationaly distributed Ultimate Insiders DVD series.
Over the past
20 years Keller has also interviewed, one-on-one, wrestling's
top names for in-depth "Torch Talks" and feature articles
including powerbrokers such as Vince McMahon, Eric Bischoff, Jerry
Jarrett, Bill Watts, Jim Cornette, Jim Crockett, Jim Herd, Paul
Heyman, Terry Taylor, Kevin Sullivan, Jim Ross, Gabe Sapolsky, Ed Ferrara, and Vince Russo;
top wrestling stars such as The Rock, Steve Austin, Mick Foley,
Kevin Nash, Rick Steamboat, Jerry Lawler, Bill Goldberg, British Bulldog,
Road Warrior Hawk, Honky Tonk Man, Jesse Ventura, and Hulk Hogan; and legends
such as Lou Thesz, Gordon Solie, Bruno Sammartino, Roy Shires,
Terry Funk, and Verne Gagne.
"Torch
Talks" also feature tomorrow's stars such as early-career
interviews with Al Snow, Lance Storm, Sean Waltman (1-2-3 Kid/X-Pac),
Shane Douglas, Amazing Red, Sonjay Dutt, Samoa Joe, Jack Evans, Jimmy Rave, Jerry Lynn, A.J. Styles, Ron Killings, and Sabu.
The Torch
Newsletter consists of 12-16 pages packed with text wrapped in a
pleasant, easy-to-read layout. It is mailed to thousands of subscribers
across the U.S. and the entire world each week (almost always
on Tuesday or Wednesday afternoons) via First Class Mail.
Because of
our substantial U.S. readership base, the newsletter's weekly
presorted mailings are CASS Certified and thus contain barcodes
that ensure the newsletters are expressed to subscribers in the
fastest stream technologically possible through the postal service.
Nancy in the
subscription department has worked full time for the Torch Newsletter
since 1991. She gives her full attention to making sure orders
are processed promptly and accurately (and does a great job doing
so!). She also tends to any subscription concerns that may arise
and handles address and e-mail changes.
Torch editor
Wade Keller works full time out of
his home-office in Minnesota.
The Torch
Newsletter staff also features columnists Bruce Mitchell, Pat
McNeill, Jason Powell, and James Caldwell, whose opinion articles are regarded
as among the best in pro wrestling. Bruce Mitchell of Greensboro,
N.C. has brought his controversial, sardonic, insightful, intelligent
writings to the Torch since September 1990. Pat McNeill of Fairfax,
Va. has brought his sometimes humorous, sometimes biting perspective
to the pages of the Torch since February 2001. He was a contributor
to PWTorch.com before joining the newsletter staff and is author of the book "All the Tables Were Broken." Jason Powell has been on the Torch staff since August 1998
and contributes a full page newsletter column and
insider news he gathers each week from dozens of insider sources
with whom he has established relationships over the years. Powell
also edited the Wrestling Times newsletter in the late '80s. James Caldwell joined the Torch staff in 2005 after specializing in TNA coverage for PWTorch.com the previous year. He writes regular columns for the Newsletter, plus The Caldwell Report for Torch VIP Email Express, hosts a weekly Audio Update, and writes Caldwell's Takes at PWTorch.com. He has also helped behind the scenes with the Ultimate Insiders DVD series.
The Torch
is known for its timely insider news, in-depth coverage of major
stories, unmatched staff of writers, and newsbreaking "Torch
Talk" interviews (as written about in Mick Foley's first
book). It's also known for its quality of writing and dynamic,
easy-on-the-eyes layout.
VIP
EMAIL EXPRESS service was added as a free bonus for Torch
Newsletter subscribers starting in late 2002. Beginning in April
2003, Torch Newsletter subscribers were also offered on-line access
to a members-only feature-filled, ad-free VIP
WEBSITE as part of their subscriptions. Beginning in January
2004, Torch VIP
ESub Memberships were offered for the first time, allowing
subscribers to save money by opting out of home delivery of the
paper copy of the Torch Newsletter and read the newsletter online
as part of their access to the VIP Website.
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