Inside Wrestling
December 1975
By Adam Zimmerman
Today, I want to take a look at the December 1975 issue of Inside Wrestling.
The cover boasts some interesting stories. A young Dino Bravo has a "sexy problem". I'm not sure what that's about. We also see Andre the Giant full-on standing on "Superstar" Billy Graham's torso. I've always heard that if Andre didnt like the person he was working with, he'd make it a rough night for them. Judging by this picture, I don't think he must've liked Superstar very much.
First, we arrive at the rankings page. There are several noteworthy points to consider here. Ivan Koloff is ranked as the #1 contender in the WWWF. This was a few years after he took the title from Bruno and shocked the world. Bugsy McGraw is ranked number 2, which seems odd to me. I don't know what Bugsy was doing in the mid-70s, but when I was a kid in the 80s, he was using a comedy gimmick of being a goof and was never any threat to anyone's title. Larry Heinime is ranked number 2 in the IWA rankings. A lot of fans may remember him best as one of the original Andersons - Lars. He wrestled as Lars Anderson previously to this publication and afterward, as well, so I'm not sure why he went by his birth name while wrestling in the IWA, but it's interesting to see.
We now get to an article that features Mr. Wrestling (Tim Woods) unmasking voluntarily. I have to say, while showing his face, he does not look like anyone you'd be intimidated by. I've heard Jim Cornette say that was one of the main reasons Tim Woods first donned a mask. He had been a wrestler for years, and he could still go, and his body was in good shape, but his face made him look like someone's friendly grandfather.
Next, there's a feature about how old rivals, Dick Slater and Bob Orton Jr. have come together to form a new tag team under the tutelage of Gary Hart. In February of this particular year, Hart was involved in a plane crash that claimed the life of Bobby Shane and severely injured Hart himself, Austin Idol, and Buddy Colt. Hart managed to rescue Idol and Colt but could not locate and rescue Bobby Shane in time.
Next, we have the Pen Pals section, which is pretty cool. It's kind of like the 70s equivalent of social media to connect with fellow wrestling fans.
Finally, in the back of these old magazines, there were always interesting ads. Ads for things like X-Ray Specs or "How To Be A Strong Man", etc. In the back of this magazine, I found a couple of ads that shockingly stand out.
One is an ad for "Spy Eye" and another is an ad to order "Sex Mates," which were apparently a brand of sex doll. Both of these ads feature barely censored nudity, and it begs the question - I am honestly very interested in what the final product was like if you ordered a "sex mate" from the back of this issue of Inside Wrestling. I can only imagine the premium quality product you would have received.
