Meet the Pro Wrestling Stories Team!
JP Zarka
Founder and Editor-in-Chief
JP Zarka founded Pro Wrestling Stories in 2015 and is the creative force behind the website as editor-in-chief. From 2018-19, he was the podcast host and producer for The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo, brother of WWE legend Macho Man Randy Savage. His diverse career includes work as an elementary school teacher, assistant principal, and musician, notably as a singer-songwriter with the London-based band Sterling Avenue. Zarka has appeared on TV programs like "Autopsy: The Last Hours of" on Reelz (U.S.) and Channel 5 (U.K.) and has contributed research for programming on ITV and BBC.
Evan Ginzburg
Senior Editor and Writer
Evan Ginzburg is a published author and was an Associate Producer on the Oscar-nominated movie “The Wrestler,” starring Mickey Rourke, and “350 Days,” with Bret Hart and Superstar Billy Graham. He is a 30-plus-year film, radio, and TV veteran and a voice-over actor on the radio drama Kings of the Ring.
Javier Ojst
Senior Writer
Javier Ojst is an old-school wrestling enthusiast currently residing in El Salvador. He’s been a frequent guest on several podcasts and has a few bylines on TheLogBook.com, where he shares stories of pop culture and retro-related awesomeness. He has also been published on Slam Wrestling and in G-FAN Magazine.
Jim Phillips
Senior Writer
Jim Phillips has been a journeyman writer for the past decade, a wrestling fan since the late ’70s, and senior editor at TheGorillaPosition.com.
Benny Scala
Senior Writer
Benny J. Scala is a writer and co-host of the Dan and Benny In the Ring podcast. He is also a writer/promoter for Jimmy Valiant’s Boogie’s Wrestling Camp and Hall of Fame Museum (BWC). Benny is a licensed Florida Realtor and recently joined the writing staff of the Through The Fence Baseball website. He has been a fan of professional wrestling since the late ’60s.
Bobby Mathews
Senior Writer
Bobby Mathews is a published author and award-winning journalist whose bylines have appeared in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Birmingham News, The Denver Post, as well as other newspapers around the US. He currently lives in suburban Birmingham, Alabama.
Tim Buckler
Senior Writer
Tim Buckler has been a writer for over a decade, penning articles for WhatCulture, Screen Rant, Inside The Ropes, and many more, but his heart will always belong to Pro Wrestling Stories! He presents a pop culture radio show called “The Little Telly Upstairs,” which airs every Thursday 8-10 pm on Radio Woking, featuring news, views, music, and talk on film, television, comic books, video games, and, of course, pro wrestling.
Griffin Kaye
Senior Writer
Griffin Kaye is a life-long pro wrestling fan and historian with a love for ’80s and ’90s WWF, the NWA, WCW, ECW, and AEW. His favorite wrestlers include Ricky Steamboat, Bret Hart, William Regal, Tito Santana, Stan Hansen, Mr. Perfect, Ric Flair, and Chris Jericho.
Ian Aldous
Senior Writer
Ian Aldous is a former International Boxing Organization fight commissioner and writer for BoxingNews24.com. He briefly covered pro wrestling in the late 2000s for WrestlingNewsWorld.com and the PWB Podcast before finding a home for his work on Pro Wrestling Stories.
Alexa Pruett
Senior Writer
A wrestling fan since childhood, Alexa Pruett used to be body-slammed onto her family’s couch by her brother. Now, she writes and produces a podcast called That Wrestling Wench. The podcast focuses on the women wrestlers who, although vital pieces of this industry, do not get the same praise as their male counterparts. Alexa is a recent graduate from California State University, Northridge, with a focus on psychology and human sexuality studies, where she reveled in any opportunity to study and write about wrestling.
Joseph Finnegan
Senior Writer
Joseph Finnegan is a published author and produced screenwriter who has earned a BFA in Creative Writing from Full Sail University. He is currently working on a fiction anthology series, "Random Tales." You can keep up with the development of that series at the Twitter link below.
Braeden Farrell
Senior Writer
Braeden Farrell is a long-time wrestling fan and contributor of Pro Wrestling Stories based out of Adelaide, Australia.
Si Powell
Senior Writer
Si Powell is a married father of four, obsessed with rock/heavy metal music, podcasting, and all things wrestling for over 30 years.
Marc Madison
Senior Writer
Marc Madison was one of the very first writers to join the Pro Wrestling Stories family back in 2016. You can find his latest bylines on his website, ProWrestlingPost.com, where he gives a voice to independent wrestling promotions while also embracing the best and latest from wrestling past and present.
Matt Roberts
Contributing Writer
Matt Roberts is a lifelong wrestling fan from the UK. He remembers the golden era with joy and has a particular fondness for terrible gimmicks. If you were a garbage man or a tie-dye-wearing guitarist during the ’90s, Matt was undoubtedly a fan!
Mike Gentry
Contributing Writer
Mike Gentry is a lifelong professional wrestling fan whose production work in theater caught media attention and was featured on BBC South East Today, KMTV, Kent Online, and BBC Radio Kent. In 2021, he received an Accolade of Excellence for the National Operatic and Dramatic Association – South East awards.
Ash Jacob
Contributing Writer
Ash Jacob is a writer, YouTuber, Doctor Who enthusiast, and lover of the great sport of pro wrestling. He previously contributed articles for WhatCulture Wrestling, talked music at Everything Is Noise, and currently writes for The Book Network.
Jonathan Clark
Contributing Writer
Jonathan Clark is an artist and writer living and performing in the Blue Ridge Mountains. To read more of his work, check out his website at jonathanclark.net.
Aarij Arifeen
Contributing Writer
Aarij Arifeen is a lifelong wrestling fan with a great interest in related literature. He is a moderator for r/AEWOfficial on Reddit, has had bylines on TheSportster.com, and resides in Karachi, Pakistan.
Kevin Tanza
Contributing Writer
Kevin Tanza is a Venezuelan writer with a long experience working in several areas, such as digital marketing, music, sports, entertainment, and more.
Aaron Young
Contributing Writer
Graduating from Minnesota State University, Mankato, Aaron Young was a sportswriter and columnist for their student newspaper, "The Reporter." He is currently a Guest Experience Member for Minnesota United and at US Bank Stadium and enjoys volunteering for the ThreeSixty Program and MN Aurora FC.
Christa Pagliei
Writer
Christa Pagliei lives in Brooklyn, New York. Her fiction and poetry have been published in various outlets such as Fictionvale, Frostwriting, Strangelet, and Pseudopod. Christa is also the co-creator of the audio drama Lost Signal Society. In film, she’s worked on Succession, Sneaky Pete, and Mr.Robot. In addition to pro wrestling, Christa enjoys NJ Devils hockey, hiking, botany, 35mm photography, collecting rotational media, and cooking.
Ron Matejko
Writer
Ron Matejko is an award-winning writer and filmmaker for Turnbuckle Magazine (@TurnbuckleMag on Twitter / @turnbucklemagazine on Facebook), curator of Old Wrestling Pics (@OldWrestlingPic), and has covered MLB and NHL for ESPN.com.
Stosh Jonjak
Writer
Stosh Jonjak is a lifelong mark who proudly jobs to his three kiddos. A researcher by day who bends guitar strings at night, Stosh has never been afraid to wear Zubaz in public.
Matt Pender
Writer
Matt Pender is an old-school wrestling fan who currently lives in New Zealand. He is also a musical performer with his band OdESSA.
Ebony Nash
Writer
Since childhood, Ebony Nash has been a wrestling fan. She is based out of Cleveland, Ohio, and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 2020.
Ethan Absler
Writer
Ethan Absler is a freelance writer covering professional wrestling for NBC Universal and The USA Network. He is an independent wrestler based out of Chicago with a degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Missouri.
Rob Ireland
Writer
Rob Ireland is a long-time wrestling fan and early contributor to Pro Wrestling Stories from the UK.
Dan Sebastiano
Writer
Dan Sebastiano is a historian and host of the podcast Dan and Benny in the Ring. He is a US Navy Veteran and journeyman contributor appearing at wrestling shows and conventions across the Mid-Atlantic region. Dan has been a fan of pro wrestling for nearly forty years.
Special Guest Contributors:
Lanny Poffo
Guest Contributor
The late-great Lanny Poffo, formerly known as “The Genius” and “Leaping Lanny” of the WWF, was a published author, motivational speaker, host of Pro Wrestling Stories’ The Genius Cast podcast, and brother of WWE Hall of Famer “Macho Man” Randy Savage.
April Hunter
Guest Contributor
April Hunter is a television writer, short story author, and blogger. Her work appears in a variety of publications, including RxMuscle, Page & Spine, Medium, and European journal FONT. She is a model and former pro wrestler and can be heard on The A Show with April Hunter & Aron Stevens.
Bob Roop
Guest Contributor
Bob Roop had an active career in wrestling from 1969 to 1986. He is regarded as one of the great mat technicians, wrestling with Championship Wrestling from Florida, National Wrestling Alliance territories including Japan and Australia, and a dozen additional foreign countries. He also wrestled for outlaw group International Championship Wrestling run by the Poffo family.
Richard Steinberg
Guest Contributor
Richard Steinberg is a retired Corporate Advertising, Marketing, and Research Executive with credentials covering all facets of television and professional sports (including MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA, roller derby, and professional wrestling). One of his most unique engagements was as Director of Marketing Services for World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
Joel Eisenberg
Guest Contributor
Joel Eisenberg is an author, screenwriter, and producer. Joel has also developed or sold projects to TNT, Fox Studios, CBS-Decades TV, Atari, Roddenberry Entertainment, Garry Marshall, Cinemax, Warner Brothers, EUE/Sokolow, and Reelz Channel, among others. Joel frequently writes articles on sports entertainment, politics, social issues, and the arts.
Jon Finkel
Guest Contributor
Jon Finkel is the award-winning author of Hoops Heist, The Life of Dad, Jocks In Chief, The Athlete, Heart Over Height, “Mean” Joe Greene, and more. His books have been endorsed by everyone from Mark Cuban and Tony Dungy to Spike Lee, Kevin Durant, and Chef Robert Irvine. He has written for GQ, Men’s Health, Yahoo! Sports, The New York Times and has appeared on CBS: This Morning, Good Morning Texas, and hundreds of radio shows, podcasts, and streams.
Vinny Berry
Guest Contributor
Vinny Berry is an award-winning photographer, author of “Lance by Chance: Wrestling as a Von Erich,” lead writer for wrestleville.com, and has written for various combative sport websites.
Arthur Nager
Guest Contributor
Arthur Nager is an award-winning photographer, photo educator, and author of the book, “Wrestling – Sunnyside Garden Arena, November 27, 1971.” The discovery of the Sunnyside Arena photographs has inspired his interest in wrestling history and the stories behind the wrestlers.
Jack O’Hara
Guest Contributor
Jack O’Hara is a writer and host of Belly Up Sports’ 50/50 Booking Podcast and The O’SHOW Podcast, both available on Spotify and Podbean.
Ian Douglass
Guest Contributor
Ian Douglass is a columnist for The Ringer, Splice Today, Interim Fitness, and editor for Mel Magazine. He is a former reporter for NBC News in Flint, Michigan, and a co-author of the autobiographies of Dan Severn, Hornswoggle, Buggsy McGraw, B. Brian Blair, and more.
![Ian Matthew Harper is a professional wrestling commentator out of Bowling Green, Kentucky. Under the name Colonel Harper, he currently works for the World Wrestling Alliance as a heel commentator, manager, and occasional wrestler. [Photo copyright: World Wrestling Alliance]](https://prowrestlingstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Ian-Matthew-Harper-Pro-Wrestling-Stories-author.jpg)
Ian Matthew Harper
Guest Contributor
Ian Matthew Harper is a Kentucky Colonel and Jefferson Award-winning teacher from Lockport, New York, residing in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Additionally, he is a freelance writer, professional wrestling personality, and lead producer of The Colonelcast podcast.
Dr. Mike Lano
Guest Contributor
Dr. Mike Lano, DDS, has had his photography and writing featured in wrestling magazines since the 1970s. He has done freelance work for WWF/E, was on staff for the WCW Magazine in the 1990s, and has been the Cauliflower Alley Club’s board photographer since 1987 after serving on its executive board in the ’90s.
Social Media / Graphic Design Team
Joe Stasi
Social Media Team
Joe Stasi is behind many of the great, nostalgic wrestling photos you see shared on our social media accounts. He has been a wrestling fan since the ’70s, is an avid belt collector, and was a neighbor of the Poffo family before their WWF years in Lexington, Kentucky! He runs the “International Championship Wrestling – ICW The Poffo Years” and “Bruiser Brody – Wrestling’s Last Rebel” Facebook groups and has been mentioned on various podcasts such as the 605 Superpodcast, Jerry Jarrett, Jim Cornette, Booking the Territory, Kentucky Fried Rasslin, The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo, Breaking Kayfabe with Bowdren and Barry, amongst many others!
Chris Fason
Graphic Designer
Chris Fason is a Cartoonist, Graphic Designer, and all-around Illustrative Juggernaut from Birmingham, AL, who designed most of the t-shirts on sale at the Pro Wrestling Stories merch shop (PWSTees.com). He is the co-creator of indie comics “Hero Happy Hour” and “Donald of the Dead” with writer Dan Taylor and the illustrator of another indie comic with Taylor Mosbey, “Velour & Tweed,” and children’s book “Elkbar.” He currently works as a Graphic Designer and Illustrator in Film & Television and is plugging away with his own comic, “Wild Waste.” Reach out at the links below for commissions, comic work, or to talk nonsense!