Power Slam > Reviews (7)

Power Slam, and it's forerunner, Superstars of Wrestling, have been at the forefront of British wrestling publications for years. Currently upto the 88th issue of it's run, and packed from cover to cover with interviews, articles, news and gossip, this monthly magazine is surely the best on the shelves today, and at just £2.45, doesn't leave too sizeable a dint in your wallet.

Unlike other magazines, such as Raw or WWF Magazine, Power Slam has no affiliation to any group, and as such, operates from a poaition of impartiality. If something in the business is truly awful, they will tell you it's truly awful. For example, in the year preceding the demise of WCW, Power Slam had reviews of every single Pay-Per-View (PPV) event they broadcast, and charted the group's steady commercial and artistic freefall graphically. Despite letters accusing them of pro-WWF bias, there position was clear - if WCW improved, they would have been happy to inform readers. That it didn't is now obvious.

Starting with a comprehensive results section, featuring the goings-on on all the major groups TV programmes, as well as an update on both the Japanese and Independent scenes, Power Slam then moves on to the more mundane side of things, listing all the results from the month's notable house shows (non-televised events) including a few British promotions. There is an occassional video feature, in which the latest wrestling tapes are reviewed, and a Q&A section, filled to bursting with, well, usually quite stupid questions (although the mag can not be blamed for the insanity of certain parts of its readership!) Colour Commentary focuses on an aspect of the ring-wars high in the concsiousness, such as major stars, or more recently, the WWF-WCW takeover, and the way the angle (storyline) has been played out.

Manor's Mat Musings is a little light relief, as the writer (Stately Wayne Manor) basically just takes the mickey out of all and sundry. Small monthly features such as "I Heard It On The Grapvine" covering recent rumours, and "If I Can Be Serious For A Moment," which houses the best of the recent quotes, may be regarded as padding, but are superb nonetheless.

The main body of the magazine is taken up with interviews, reviews and articles. PS have interviewed some of the biggest names in wrestling. Anyone even vaguely familiar with the business are likely to have heard of men such as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Mick Foley and Hulk Hogan. However, it is often the smaller names that make for the better articles - one of my personal favourites being New Jack, a former ECW wrestler now on the independent (indie) circuit, who, in his interview, admitted to having 4 justifiable homicides in his previous job as a bounty hunter.

Recent articles have focused on both the Invasion storyline currently goping on, and also regular biographies of many of the leading wrestlers. There have also been recent, very interesting articles on both the British and Japanese wrestling scenes. Combined with reviews of most of the large PPV's, and of course the obligatory readers letters (most of which don't make sense, but hey!

that's what readers are there for), this makes PS a very entertaining read.

Plus, let's not forget the annual specials - the reader year-end awards; the PS 50 (the top 50 wrestlers in the world, as ranked by Power Slam writers and contributors) and the yearly review.

Let's be honest - if you're not a wrestling fan then you are never gonna bother buying this mag. But for those of us that are, and like to keep up to date with all the latest goinbgs-on, this is, in my opinion, the best title on the market. Superb writers, good articles, a wide range of coverage; Power Slam? Approved.