Missouri Wrestling Revival

By Cody Bozarth

Before the attitude age, before the anti-hero, professional wrestling was dominated by white-hat brawlers and masked heels from parts unknown.

In that era, Jacksonville’s Roger Deem came of age. He sat with his grandmother on Sunday mornings, watching muted matches while listening to the church broadcast on the radio. He took his first photos using his father’s camera during a trip to an event in St. Louis. As expected, the photos weren’t very good.

He stuck with it, and it was during a spot match in Jacksonville that he captured shots he could sell. Soon, he launched into a career freelancing ringside photos for major wrestling publications.

During that time, he got to know many prominent figures in the prestigious St. Louis Wrestling Club.

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