The professional wrestling world has created a massive fandom worldwide for many decades. To others, it’s a source of readily-available entertainment. But to others, it’s a way of life. And such is the case with Michael Parker, who founded the Pro Wrestling Mini-Museum to ignite and kindle a passion for the performing art.
Whether you’re a fan of the vintage clashes between Stone Cold Steve Austin and the Undertaker or the modern conflicts between Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley, one will understand the sense of excitement in pro wrestling. Jumping on that experience, Pro Wrestling Mini-Museum looks to breathe life into wrestling fandom. The virtual museum is one of the most extensive virtual collections of wrestling memorabilia from some of the most memorable moments and stars in the wrestling world. Currently, it stands as one of the most credible online wrestling museums globally in terms of information and accuracy. Legends, stars, and other fans continue to follow their archive until this day.
The inspiration for the website came from a place called the Pro Wrestling World Museum, which was found in Allenton, Pennsylvania. “It was a treasure trove of wrestling items and heaven for wrestling fans,” shares founder of the website Michael Parker. Another place that Parker frequented was a store called Adventure Land in New Jersey, where he would go for autograph signings. “They have their own display from guests they’ve had in the store,” he adds.
In 2015, Michael started what he calls the “Wrestling Wall” in his own home. The wall contained his own personal collections of signed photos and other memorabilia related to the pro wrestling world. In January 2018, news broke out that the Pro Wrestling World in Pennsylvania would be closing its doors, leaving a sense of sadness for many pro wrestling fans. Dedicated to making the most of the nostalgia, Michael would fill out the museum’s request forms to buy some of the items from the museum that meant the most to him and add to his collection.
A while after, he realized that he could bring the experience to life through the power of the internet. So Michael built the virtual Pro Wrestling Mini-Museum. Since he now had a sizable collection, he decided to take photos of his pieces, including signed photos, merchandise, authentic memorabilia, magazines, ring worn pieces, etc. Many of his pieces have never seen the light of day until the building of the site.
Since starting his online collection, many have come to visit his site. Moreover, the Pro Wrestling Mini-Museum started to pick up traction and gain recognition from news channels. The online collection museum has appeared on many significant publications and news outlets, including NBC, New York Weekly, and Yahoo! to name a few. To this day, Michael continues to grow his collection and share insights on the sport. He hopes to keep the love for pro wrestling alive and build communities around the culture.
To learn more about the Pro Wrestling Mini-Museum, visit the official website and Instagram profile.
