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]

Fighting Spirit Magazine
EditorBriaElliott
FrequencyMonthly Fighting Spirit Magazine Spirit Magazine
PublisherUncooked Media
First issue13 April 2006
Final issue15 August 2019
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

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 a poll for readers to determine the winners of their annual FSM Reader Awards. These awards would be won by the likes of Drew Galloway, Kris Travis, Andy Wild, Insane Championship Wrestling and numerous others.[7][8][9][10][11]

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
(Increase +X) Gained X place(s) in comparison to the previous year's list.
(Steady 0) Placed identically to the previous year's list
(Decrease -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.
Year-by-year placements in the FSM 50:
Place 2014[12] 2015[13]
1A.J. StylesA.J. Styles (Steady 0)
2Kazuchika OkadaKevin Owens (N)
3Shinsuke NakamuraKazuchika Okada (Decrease -1)
4Seth RollinsHiroshi Tanahashi (Increase +8)
5Tomohiro IshiiJohn Cena (Increase +20)
6RicochetSasha Banks (N)
7The Young BucksRoderick Strong (N)
8Sami ZaynZack Sabre Jr. (Increase +6)
9Masaaki MochizukiKota Ibushi (Increase +25)
10Akira TozawaMatt Sydal (N)
11Tetsuya NaitoBrock Lesnar (N)
12Hiroshi TanahashiChris Hero (N)
13CesaroShinsuke Nakamura (Decrease -10)
14Zack Sabre Jr.Seth Rollins (Decrease -10)
15Kyle O'ReillyYuji Okabayashi (N)
16Katsuyori ShibataTomohiro Ishii (Decrease -11)
17Adam ColeCesaro (Decrease -4)
18Luke HarperDaisuke Sekimoto (Increase +4)
19Dean AmbroseMasato Yoshino (N)
20T-HawkWill Osprey (Increase +30)
21The UsosFinn Balor (N)
22Daisuke SekimotoAkira Tozawa (Decrease -12)
23SheamusThe Young Bucks (Decrease -16)
24Tomoaki HonmaKushida (Increase +8)
25John CenaTimothy Thatcher (N)
26El Barbaro CavernarioShingo Takagi (N)
27CIMARicochet (Decrease -21)
28Daniel BryanKyle O'Reilly (Decrease -13)
29NevilleTommy End (N)
30Minoru SuzukiNeville (Decrease -1)
31Dolph ZigglerPentagon Jr. (N)
32Austin AriesHirooki Goto (Increase +3)
33Jay BriscoeFénix (N)
34Kota IbushiHarashima (N)
35Hirooki GotoKatsuyori Shibata (Decrease -19)
36Randy OrtonMichael Elgin (N)
37KushidaDrew Galloway (N)
38YamatoRoman Reigns (Increase +7)
39Masato YoshinoLa Sombra (N)
40Johnny GarganoMeiko Satomura (N)
41Tommy EndMike Bailey (N)
42RushTomoaki Honma (Decrease -18)
43Big Daddy WalterJay Lethal (N)
44EitaJun Akiyama (Increase +4)
45Roman ReignsBayley (N)
46Mark AndrewsJay Briscoe (Decrease -13)
47Rey HechiceroMarty Scurll (N)
48Jun AkiyamaDragon Lee (N)
49RusevMark Haskins (N)
50Will OspreayVolador Jr. (N)

References
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. "Fighting Spirit". Uncooked Media. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  4. Mooneyham, Mike (February 1, 2015). "WWE feeling aftershocks of Royal Rumble". The Post and Courier. Evening Post Industries. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  5. Elliot, Brian (April 9, 2014). "Fighting Spirit Magazine editor on Ultimate Warrior memories". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Dave Meltzer. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  6. Frederick, Logan (November 3, 2008). "WWE, THQ Censor Smackdown Game Previews". The Escapist. Defy Media. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  7. Dunning, Kyle (June 21, 2016). "The Best Of British, Vol. 3".
  8. Docking, Neil (June 6, 2015). "British wrestler Kris Travis who defeated cancer set for sensational ring return". mirror.
  9. Gibbons, Laurence (June 16, 2021). "Who is Andy Wild? NXT UK's Worthy Recruit".
  10. Wilson, Steven; McLeod, Ross (February 21, 2019). "From zero to hero - resurgent Andy Wild eyes ICW world title shot". mirror.
  11. Staff, PWMania com (February 11, 2014). "Insane Championship Wrestling Wins Award & ICW Worldwide – Season 2 Episode 1 Video - PWMania - Wrestling News".
  12. "Fighting Spirit Magazine's Top 50 Of 2014". Death Valley Driver. 18 January 2016.
  13. "Analyzing Fighting Spirit Magazine's 2015 Top 50". Voice of Wrestling. 18 Jan 2016.
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