Blaine van der Griend
Network:
  • Home
  • About
  • Industry Experience
    • Career
    • Supplemental Experience
  • Life Long Learning
  • Published Work
    • Online
    • Print
  • Blog - The Griend
  • Connect
  • Test

It's amazing what you can find on the Internet these days...

          Hard News
Picture
Afghan MP Malalai Joya fights for women's rights
Picture
As a reporter for a local newspaper at the time, it was such a rare treat for me to actually be able to cover a story about life outside of Toronto. I don't think everybody realizes the struggles that women are facing in foreign countries, and this piece stuck out to me, because it gave me the opportunity to raise awareness on the issue.
Dolph Ziggler getting ready for WrestleMania
Picture
The WWE is the top wrestling company in the entire world, and to this day, Dolph Ziggler is one of its top stars. So when I was presented with the opportunity to interview him, I had to jump on it.

             Features
Picture
Pro Wrestling Marketing
Picture
As a lifelong fan of professional wrestling, I've recently taken an interest in the business side of the industry. Before writing this, I had no idea just how difficult it was to promote a wrestling event and make it successful. I think this story provided helpful tips for anyone looking to start a new business, and I really learned a lot myself.
Pro Wrestling Announcers
Picture
​I actually wanted to be a wrestling announcer for the longest time, but I later discovered that I have a bigger passion for writing than talking. Not that I am anti-social, but I just find that I can be more creative when I write. I really enjoyed this story, because I got to interview the cream of the crop as far as wrestling announcers go, and based on the feedback I received from readers, it was very educational.

              Reviews
Picture
Best of Nitro
Picture

               Obituaries
Picture
Charles Buffong
Picture
The hardest part about writing an obituary is talking to the family of the deceased, right after the person`s passing. This was my first obit, so I didn't know what to expect and I was very nervous. But fortunately, the family members and friends understood that and were willing to give me their time. From this experience, I really learned how to approach a touchy subject such as this
Captain Lou Albano
Picture
Captain Lou Albano was one of the first wrestling personalities to actually make the transition to Hollywood. He appeared in several of Cyndi Lauper`s music videos in the `80s, and voiced over the Super Mario cartoon character. As you can read in this story, he seemed to have such a profound impact on not only the wrestling business as a whole, but also on each person individually. It was a sad piece to write, and I just hope that I did right by his family and friends.

              Event Coverage
Picture
Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame 2009
Picture
​This was my first big story for Slam! Wrestling. It was a road trip to Amsterdam, NY for the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame banquet. Even though there wasn`t much to do in the city, I really enjoyed my time just chatting with some of the wrestlers, my fellow reporters and fans. Everybody seemed to be in a good mood and very approachable for interviews, so I thought this really needed to be included.  
Randy Savage Art Show comes to Toronto
Picture
Randy Savage was one of the most influential characters in all of professional wrestling, and there were several tributes to him following his unfortunate passing in 2011. I was privileged enough to attend this one, and I must say that it was quite unique. This story was more about promoting the event than reporting on it, but it`s one of the most memorable ones that I`ve done, just because some of the performance art was incredible to watch.  

             Columns
Picture
Wrestling Royalty
Picture
I wrote this piece around the time that The Royal Wedding happened, and I`ve always been fascinated by gimmicks like this and the different interpretations of it, so it made so much sense for me to write this piece.

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.