James C. Melby (1949-February 11, 2007) was an American

professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...

historian and magazine

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

, publishing almost 100 wrestling projects since 1991.

Career

Melby's first publication was ''Matmania'' which he started aged 15 in his home state of

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, and later joined Kietzer Publishing as an editor of numerous wrestling magazines including ''The Wrestling News'', ''Wrestling Revue'', ''Wrestling Monthly'' and '' The Ring's Wrestling Magazine''. He was also co-editor with Norman Kietzer of ''Major League Wrestling Programs'', which was produced for nearly every major promotion including the

American Wrestling Association The American Wrestling Association (AWA) was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 until 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo. The territory was originally part o ...

World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...

National Wrestling Alliance The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and former professional wrestling governing body operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc. Founded in 1948, the NWA ...

, World Wrestling Association, and numerous independent promotions. He would also edit the ''Pro Wrestling Report'' publication of AWA founder

Verne Gagne Laverne Clarence Gagne (February 26, 1926 – April 27, 2015) was an American amateur and professional wrestler, football player, wrestling trainer, and wrestling promoter. He was the owner and promoter of the Minneapolis-based American Wrestling ...

. Melby also published wrestling profiles under a ''Wrestling Facts'' banner, which were career retrospective booklets featuring many early stars such as Gagne, Bronko Nagurski, Red Bastien,

Dr. Bill Miller William M. Miller (June 5, 1927 – March 24, 1997) was an American professional wrestler. He is a one time American Wrestling Association world champion and also wrestled in the National Wrestling Alliance, the World Wrestling Association (Indi ...

Whipper Billy Watson William John Potts, (June 25, 1915 to February 4, 1990) was a Canadian professional wrestler best known by his ring name "Whipper" Billy Watson. He was a two-time world champion, having held both the National Wrestling Association title and the ...

, Rikidozan and numerous others. Aside from periodicals, Melby also wrote two books. First was ''Mat Wars!'' in 1985, written with Gagne, profiling the AWA's roster and stars of the period. His second was ''Gopherland Grappling: The Early Years'', a pictorial book showcasing Minnesota wrestling history, came twenty-one years later in 2006, and featured photographs he had taken over the years. The book was planned as the first of two due to the amount of material Melby has amassed. Melby's later work included contributing to the newsletters of the Cauliflower Alley Club, of which he was Photographical Librarian, and continued to write for ''Wrestling Revue''. Outside of wrestling, he also published articles about music and architecture. In 2006 the Iowa-based

George Tragos/Lou Thesz Hall of Fame The George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame museum located within the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum's Dan Gable Museum. The hall of fame honors wrestlers with a strong am ...

honored Melby with an award in his name. Melby was at the ceremony and was unaware of an award honoring wrestling historians, or that he would not only receive the inaugural awarding but that it would be called the James C. Melby Award.

Personal life

His personal life included a battle with

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

since 1971, which resulted in a

kidney transplant Kidney transplant or renal transplant is the organ transplant of a kidney into a patient with end-stage kidney disease (ESRD). Kidney transplant is typically classified as deceased-donor (formerly known as cadaveric) or living-donor transplantati ...

and the

amputation Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on indi ...

of both legs. Melby was married twice, both ending in divorce. Melby was found dead beside his bed on February 11, 2007, and is survived by his mother June, daughter Michelle and son-in-law Chad. He had corresponded with friends online the night before his death.

Awards and accomplishments

* George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame ** James C. Melby Award (2006)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Melby, James C. 2007 deaths 1949 births Professional wrestling journalists and columnists Professional wrestling historians