fbpx

Interview: Japan Wrestling, Hamburger Eating, Jewish Blogger – Brad Garoon

[additional-authors]
December 5, 2011

Last year I sat across the table from this guy and we got to talking. Turns out we both appreciate wrestling and Jewish education. Not to mention we run blogs. Below is an interview with wrestling blogger Brad Garoon. Check out his site and of course Dragon Gate wrestling.

” rel=”nofollow nofollow” style=”color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;” target=”_blank”>http://bgsays.wordpress.com/. It’s the most comprehensive Dragon Gate and Dragon Gate USA blog there is. I also record English commentary on Dragon Gate’s Japanese PPVs, which can be found at ” target=”_blank”>PWPonderings.com. I also have my MA in Jewish Education, but that’s besides the point.

2) What got you interested in writing a wrestling blog?

When I was in college I lived with independent wrestler Jimmy Jacobs and got a gig writing Ring of Honor DVD reviews for ” target=”_blank”>dgusa.tv and buying some of their DVDs.

5) Favorite wrestler of all time?

My favorite wrestler ever is probably Randy Savage, but I’ve always been a massive fan of Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, Ric Flair and although I’m always embarrassed to admit it, Sid. My favorite non-Dragon Gate wrestler today is Daniel Bryan. As a matter of fact, when he got fired from WWE for that whole necktie nonsense he did a short run through Dragon Gate USA and had one of the best matches of the last few years against Shingo Takagi there.

6) Best match you have ever seen?

Asking me the best match I’ve ever seen is like asking me to pic amongst my children. But I’ve watched Flair vs. Savage from WrestleMania VIII dozens of times and it never gets old. I also love Austin vs. HHH from No Way Out 2001 and Austin vs. Rock from WrestleMania X-7. I think those are the two best modern matches, and it kind of blows my mind that they happened over a decade ago.

7) Over the top Battle Royal. Who wins? Goldberg, Macho Man (alive of course), Colt Cabana, The Genius, Kane, Kurt Angel, The Genuis, or Barry Horowitz?

Since Yokozuna isn’t on that list I’m going with Randy Savage. You’re not a real wrestling fan unless you know to what I’m referring.

8) Ever use wrestling and Jewish education together?

I used professional wrestling as an example of suspension of disbelief a lot throughout graduate school and while teaching Hebrew school. I think the logical leaps we take with wrestling in order to feel entertained and overjoyed by it are similar to those we take as spiritual seekers.

Thanks to Brad for the time. We will keep an eye out for more Dragon Gate news.

And Let Us Say…Amen.
– Jeremy Fine
THEGREATRABBINO.COM

Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.

Editor's Picks

Latest Articles

Post-Passover Pasta and Pizza

What carbs do you miss the most during Passover? Do you go for the sweet stuff, like cookies and cakes, or heartier items like breads and pasta?

Freedom, This Year

There is something deeply cyclical about Judaism and our holidays. We return to the same story—the same words, the same questions—but we are not the same people telling it. And that changes everything.

A Diary Amidst Division and the Fight for Freedom

Emma’s diary represents testimony of an America, and an American Jewish community, torn asunder during America’s strenuous effort to manifest its founding ideal of the equality of all people who were created in the image of God.

More than Names

On Yom HaShoah, we speak of six million who were murdered. But I also remember the nine million who lived. Nine million Jews who got up every morning, took their children to school, and strove every day to survive, because they believed in life.

Gratitude

Gratitude is greatly emphasized in much of Jewish observance, from blessings before and after meals, the celebration of holidays such as Passover, a festival that celebrates liberation from slavery, and in the psalms.

Freedom’s Unfinished Journey

The seder table itself is a model of radical welcome: we are told explicitly to invite the stranger, to make room for those who ask questions and for those who do not yet know how to ask.

Thoughts on Security

For students at Jewish schools, armed guards, security gates, and ID checks are now woven into the rhythm of daily life.

Can Playgrounds Defeat Antisemitism?

The playground in Jerusalem didn’t stop antisemitism, and renovating playgrounds in New York City is not likely to stop it there, either — because antisemitism in America today is not rooted in a lack of slides or swings.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.