Editor Brian Elliott Publisher Uncooked Media Country United Kingdom | Frequency Monthly First issue April 13, 2006 Language English | |
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FSM (Fighting Spirit Magazine) is a monthly professional wrestling and mixed martial arts magazine published in the United Kingdom by Uncooked Media. The publication launched its first issue on April 13, 2006. The UK's largest pro wrestling magazine, it is available in both print and digital formats.
Contents
Staff
Sportswriter Brian Elliott is the current editor of Fighting Spirit Magazine, having previously worked for the Belfast Telegraph in his home country of Northern Ireland. FSM feature columnists include professional wrestlers "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Nick Aldis, as well as Ring of Honor's former executive producer Jim Cornette. Guest columns have previously been provided by Bret Hart, Mick Foley, and Chris Jericho. Regular feature writers include 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, continues to work 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 Elliot penned an article on the recently-passed Ultimate Warrior, which was re-published on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter site.
2008 dispute with WWE
In September 2008, Fighting Spirit published a private memo sent by the WWE to the gaming press covering a WWE game release. The memo instructed the press not to publish screenshots of any characters bleeding or using weapons. Specifically, the memo declared that no screenshots of the 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 the wrestler Kane. The magazine Power Slam later corroborated the memo.
FSM Reader Awards
At the end of each year, FSM runs both an FSM Reader Awards poll, and the FSM 50.
FSM 50
The FSM 50 lists the 50 best pro wrestlers in the world, as per the views of the magazine's staff. The FSM 50 first ran in 2014.