Inside American Wrestling with Charlie Jenkins

How do you like it so far?

In this episode, we chat with Charlie Jenkins, whose lifelong passion for wrestling sparked a remarkable journey into writing. He started writing fan fiction around the age of five, dictating stories for his father to type on the computer. In high school he became an active player and game master in e-wrestling, an online roleplaying game that allowed fans to write their own pro wrestling characters and storylines, and now Charlie has crafted a unique voice in wrestling literature. His novel American Wrestling 1989 fills a niche in wrestling-related fiction, weaving together the complex narratives of individuals in the industry and capturing the vibrant essence of 1980s wrestling beyond traditional sports stories.

We explore the emergence of wrestling fiction as a genre, influenced by the mainstream success of wrestling personalities and Charlie’s own experiences working with a small wrestling franchise. The conversation examines how American wrestling shapes cultural narratives and its global representation, alongside the transformative role of WWE and Vince McMahon in the industry's evolution.

Here are some of the references from this episode, for those who want to dig a little deeper:

Charlie Jenkins’ book: American Wrestling, 1989 buy on Amazon, Audible

Clips featured in the episode:

The Undertaker
Dusty Rhodes
Sasha Banks & Bianca Belair
Zeb Colter and Jack Swagger address Glenn Beck

Wrestlers Mentioned

• The Undertaker and his instagram
• Hulk Hogan
• Dwayne Johnson and his instagram
• John Cena
• Dave Bautista
• Rick Flair
• Dusty Rhodes
• Yokozuna
• Bret Hart
• Mick Foley
• Gorgeous George
• Anthony Bowens
• Sonya Deville
• Shayna Baszler
• Toni Storm
• Nyla Rose
• Sonny Kiss
• Becky Lynch
• Jake Hager

Creature From the Black Lagoon (movie)

Pee-wee Herman

WWF Superstars of Wrestling
Young Rock (watch on NBC)
Heels (watch on Netflix)
GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling - watch on Netflix)
Masters of the Universe (watch on Netflix)

Cirque du Soleil

The WWE and AEW

Lucha VaVoom de La Liz

Wayne Cowan

Vince McMahon
McMahon Family
Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America, by Abraham Riesman

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Music:
“In Time” by Dylan Emmett and “Spaceship” by Lesion X.
In Time (Instrumental) by Dylan Emmet https://soundcloud.com/dylanemmet
Spaceship by Lesion X https://soundcloud.com/lesionxbeats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/in-time-instrumental
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lesion-x-spaceship
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/AzYoVrMLa1Q
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