Jim Melby Award winner announcement

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame issued the following press release to announce Dave Meltzer as the winner of this year’s Jim Melby Award.

One of professional wrestling’s most influential journalists will receive the Jim Melby Award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. Dave Meltzer will be recognized during the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame induction weekend on July 14-16.

The Jim Melby Award recognizes excellence in professional journalism. The award is named in honor of Jim Melby, a professional wrestling historian and journalist who set the highest standard within his profession.

“I am very proud to receive this honor because of what it entails and because of my great respect for Jim Melby and the connection with Lou Thesz,” said Meltzer. “In 1971, I sent a newsletter to Melby, and he praised it in his fan club column in Wrestling Monthly Magazine. I started getting subscribers based on his recommendation. The truth is, there is not a chance in the world my life would have taken the turn it did without Melby, and he was so gracious with me when I was in my preteen and teenager years.”

Meltzer continues to be one of the most successful and popular journalists in professional wrestling and in Mixed Martial Arts. He best known for as the publisher and editor of The Wrestling Observer, a position he has held since 1983. Meltzer is also a regular contributor to the Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online audio podcasts.

A pioneer in MMA coverage since UFC 1, Meltzer currently serves as a MMA Senior Writer for SB Nation. His tributes to professional wrestling legends, annual readers’ awards, and in-depth business review are among his most popular features.

Meltzer was the first reporter of the modern era to cover pro wrestling for a major national publication when working for short-lived National Sports Daily newspaper through its entire existence from 1989 to 1991, and while with Yahoo Sports, was part of the team that was the first major mainstream outlet to cover MMA on a daily basis.

Frank Deford, editor of the newspaper, followed Meltzer’s career since that period and wrote in 2007 that he considers Meltzer the best sports reporter in the country.

All-access passes to the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Hall of Fame induction weekend are available for $100. They can by contacting the Dan Gable Museum at dgmstaff@nwhof.org or by calling (319) 233-0745.

A full schedule of events will be released on a later date.

2016 Hall of Fame induction class
George Tragos Award—Chael Sonnen
Lou Thesz Award—TBA
Jim Melby Award—Dave Meltzer
Frank Gotch Award—TBA
Distinguished Member (living)—TBA
Distinguished Member (posthumous)—TBA

Powell’s POV: Congratulations to Dave on this well deserved honor.