Big Egg Podcasting Universe: Episode 1 Show Notes

Welcome! The first episode of Big Egg Podcasting Universe, where I tag along with George and David from the Puro Pourri Podcast, is out now.

Our deep dive into the 10-hour, 24-match, interpromotional wrestling extravaganza starts with a potted history of Japanese women’s wrestling (joshi) and how we got to the ludicrous spectacle of November 1994.

I’ll be posting show notes on this site for every episode with links to where you can watch the show and how you can surpass us in your joshi knowledge with juicy extra reading. We all love homework.

Where to Watch

We watched Big Egg Wrestling Universe in two parts on Youtube. Fortunately for you, some utter hero has uploaded the entire show in one. Watch on Youtube

Reading Material

Sisterhood of the Squared Circle, Pat Laprade and Dan Murphy 

The section on Japan is too short, but a really useful primer. I couldn’t have done Episode 1 without it.

Months after we recorded this episode I came across a really interesting thread on Twitter about the nascent women’s wrestling scene in Japan before the first Mildred Burke tour:

‘Women have always been wrestling fans’, in Women Love Wrestling 

Alright, I’m citing myself, but here I went into a bit more detail about the phenomenon of young female wrestling fans driving the growth of the industry in the 1980s. You should read the rest of this book too.

Swap Some Links

I’m going to set up a Google Doc where everyone can share some of the most interesting and important sources on joshi – whether it’s where to find video, links to books and articles you rate, or even the Twitter feeds of joshi wrestlers.

Send your suggestions with this Google Form

Read the Joshi Link Exchange

Plugs

Women Love Wrestling 

An anthology of wrestling writing by and about women; all profits go to Women’s Aid in the UK and RAINN in the US. Get from Amazon

The Rise and Fall of Rikidozan: A Novel in Seventeen Matches

George’s debut novel, telling the story of a young man working for Rikidozan in the shady world of 1950s and 60s puro. Get from Amazon

Draw, Lose or Draw

David’s podcast about life as a Partick Thistle fan, its joys and, more commonly, its miseries. Listen on Soundcloud

13 Japanese Birds

David’s madcap ‘music’ project mentioned in the episode with tracks named after joshi icons.

Listen on Bandcamp

Author: Sarah Parkin

Sarah never really got over finding out that The Undertaker and Kane aren't really brothers. Now she spends her time telling anyone who will listen that Bull Nakano should be in the Hall of Fame. When she grows up, she wants to be Lita.

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