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Friday, August 14, 2026 at 2:24 AM

Once in a lifetime

Once in a lifetime
Jose ‘JJ’ Balderas has a strong passion for creative writing and storytelling, drawing on his experience in college, acting and as an aspiring cartoonist. His passion for storytelling is crucial in his role covering the news, events and people in the Springtown area for the Springtown Epigraph and The Azle News.

One of my latest Facebook Marketplace deals was a stack of old promotional photos of legendary professional wrestlers.

In the stack were photos of my favorite golden-era luchador, Mil Mascaras, or the Man of a Thousand Masks, and Texas legend Fritz Von Erich, who I’ve heard countless locals tell me about through stories of iconic matches his family had at the Dallas Sportatorium.

Holding those two photos in my hand took me back to a cold winter day in 1997, when my dad took me and my brother to the legendary Sportatorium.

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Jose 'JJ' Balderas Staff Writer
Upload date: 08/11/2026 02:44 PM
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