Author Bio & Stories

Tom Breihan

Tom Breihan is a staffer at The Classical. He writes for Stereogum and tweets @tombreihan.

  • May 23, 2013
    The Thin Line Between "Hate" and Hate

    Ring of Honor World Champion Jay Briscoe is a fire-eyed, horrendously tattooed vision of backwoods vengeance, and he brings more passion than just about anyone else when he's ranting about the various ways he will hurt his opponents. In matches, he practically murders himself every time, which is a nice way of saying he gives fans their money's worth. He's also threatened to shoot people who tell his kids there's nothing wrong with gay people getting married. Is reconciling those things easier or harder than it should be?

  • April 5, 2013
    Yakkin' About WrestleMania: They're Coming Home (And Leaving a Mess)

    The biggest money match in history -- last year's John Cena vs. The Rock "Once in a Lifetime" main event -- will have its Twice-in-a-Lifetime sequel. When you throw in a dancing sociopath, more than a few Jurassic Park parallels and CM Punk wiping the fake ashes of the actually-dead Paul Bearer on him in preparation for his match with The Undertaker, it's no wonder people are predicting that this will be the biggest show in the history of the event. Our interpid reporters Tom Breihan and Nick Bond will do their best to prepare you. 

  • February 27, 2013
    WWE and the Vast Right-Crossface-Chicken-Wing Conspiracy

    As a surrogate for the Tea Party, WWE's Zeb Colter has railed against immigration -- Mexican, British and otherwise -- and incited a well-publicized beef with Glenn Beck. That this is all might be an elaborate allegory for the righteousness of the McMahon family's business-class brand of Republicanism tell you know all you need to know about why professional wrestling is the greatest show on earth.

  • January 31, 2013
    10 Royal Rumble Silver Linings

    It's usually one of the WWE's most reliably entertaining events, but Sunday's Royal Rumble was mostly a dispiriting and Rock-afflicted mess. Mostly, but not entirely.

  • January 14, 2013
    Japanese Wrestling Will Not Break Your Brain

    New Japan's Wrestle Kingdom 7 is, in its way, just as dumb and spectacular as anything you'll see from WWE, and that's a good thing.

  • November 15, 2012
    The Cost of Doing Business

    There are times when a mere inflection is enough to make you curl in shame. Rachel Maddow, election night, in the process of gleefully detailing an absolutely brutal series of Republican losses, brought her best "I am amazed and delighted at how stupid this is" delivery to the phrase "professional wrestling." She was talking about Linda McMahon, the longtime WWE executive and wife of malevolent company figurehead Vince. And, if we're being honest, Mrs. McMahon had it coming. 

  • October 19, 2012
    Chikara: The King(s) of Trios

    Chikara's King of Trios tournament is a microcosm of what the relatively unknown wrestling company does best: mixing nostalgia with innovative storytelling to create a mythos all its own. And if you've got $30, nine hours to kill and even the slightest interest in professional wrestling, you'd do well to check it out. 

  • October 10, 2012
    Bargain Bin Treasures: Tom Breihan and "The Biggest Little Man" — The Clog

    There are many treasures you can find if you look hard enough. Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man DVD set may not sound like one of them, but considering the gold that Tom Breihan was able to mine from it, we're willing to reconsider. 

  • August 28, 2012
    Inside Indie Wrestling's Garden of Eden

    Wrestling has its share of great buildings: Madison Square Garden, Chicago's Allstate Arena, Philadelphia's just-shuttered ECW Arena. And the American Legion Hall where Pro Wrestling Guerrilla holds almost all of its shows belongs on that list. 

  • August 13, 2012
    Giant Size

    In a world filled with larger than life characters, "The Big Show" Paul Wight looms largest. But he's okay with that. And that's a lot more than most people his size can say.