Fighting Spirit Magazine
Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM) was a monthly professional wrestling and mixed martial arts magazine published in the United Kingdom by Uncooked Media. The publication launched in 2006, becoming the UK's largest professional wrestling magazine.[1] It folded in 2019, being merged into Wrestle Talk magazine.[2][3]
| Editor | Brian Elliott |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Publisher | Uncooked Media |
| First issue | 13 April 2006 |
| Final issue | 15 August 2019 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Staff
Sportswriter Brian Elliott was the editor of Fighting Spirit Magazine, having previously worked for the Belfast Telegraph in Northern Ireland. FSM feature columnists included professional wrestlers Stone Cold Steve Austin and Nick Aldis as well as Ring of Honor's former executive producer Jim Cornette.[4] Guest columns were provided by Bret Hart, Mick Foley and Chris Jericho. Regular feature writers included Michael Campbell, Will Cooling, Justin Henry, John Lister, David Bixenspan and Richard Luck. Former Pro Wrestling Illustrated editor Bill Apter, who had a regular column before being replaced by Cornette, worked on the magazine in an administrative role.
In April 2012, FSM announced that Cornette and Austin would be joining the magazine staff as columnists beginning with issue 79. The additions coincided with changes recently made to the magazine's editorial style, aiming to take a more formal and analytical attitude to reporting. In April 2014, editor Brian Elliott penned an article on the recently-passed Ultimate Warrior, which was re-published on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter site.[5]
2008 dispute with WWE
In September 2008, Fighting Spirit published a private memo sent by WWE to the gaming press covering the upcoming WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009. The memo instructed the press not to publish screenshots of any characters bleeding or using weapons. Specifically, the memo declared that no screenshots of wrestler Triple H could be used showing his character "in a defenseless or vulnerable position." In an article titled "Digital Politics" in issue #32, the magazine refused the WWE's demand and published a screenshot of Triple H being dominated by wrestler Kane. The magazine Power Slam later corroborated the memo.[6]
FSM Reader Awards
At the end of each year, FSM ran both an FSM Reader Awards poll, and the FSM 50.
FSM 50
The FSM 50 listed the 50 best pro wrestlers in the world, as per the views of the magazine's staff. The FSM 50 first ran in 2014.
| Légende | |
|---|---|
( +X) |
Gained X place(s) in comparison to the previous year's list. |
( 0) |
Placed identically to the previous year's list |
( -X) |
Dropped X place(s) in comparison to the previous year's list. |
| (N) | New entry, as did not place in the previous year's list. |
| Female wrestler in the rankings. | |
| Tag team in the rankings. | |
References
- Kennedy, Jamie (January 22, 2015). "ICW Wins FSM UK Promotion Of The Year For Third Year Running". Insane Championship Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
- Johnson, Mike (August 24, 2020). "Todd Pettengill, Suicide Squad/Cena, future Stonecutter Media PPVs, ECW's Chilly Willy, new wrestling magazine launches with Bill Apter & more". PWInsider. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
- "Fighting Spirit". Uncooked Media. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
- Mooneyham, Mike (February 1, 2015). "WWE feeling aftershocks of Royal Rumble". The Post and Courier. Evening Post Industries. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
- Elliot, Brian (April 9, 2014). "Fighting Spirit Magazine editor on Ultimate Warrior memories". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Dave Meltzer. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
- Frederick, Logan (November 3, 2008). "WWE, THQ Censor Smackdown Game Previews". The Escapist. Defy Media. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
- "Fighting Spirit Magazine's Top 50 Of 2014". Death Valley Driver. 18 January 2016.
- "Analyzing Fighting Spirit Magazine's 2015 Top 50". Voice of Wrestling. 18 Jan 2016.