The Wrestling Book Thread

[Sammy]

Since both of these books are now available on the Kindle, I was going to buy one for some weekend reading. So, if you had to choose, which book would you read? JJ Dillon or Ole Anderson?

 

Ole's book is amazing, just for the fact that he exposes himself to be a bitter old fuck. He pulls no punches, so that alone will make it stand out among most of the wrestler autobiographies.

[offspring515]

So I am almost done with the Bret Hart book. To anyone else who read it, didn't you think the package that Carlo sent to Bret after Owen died was a little fucked up?

Refresh my memory on what it was.

[Skeeball Wizard]

So I am almost done with the Bret Hart book. To anyone else who read it, didn't you think the package that Carlo sent to Bret after Owen died was a little fucked up?

Refresh my memory on what it was.

I don't know how to make the spoiler box dealy, so if you

haven't read it, avert your eyes....SPOILER

Carlo sent him a box with Owen's bloody Blue Blazer gear. The idea of that whole scene just creeped me out.

[mco543]

Yeah, I'd forgotten that (probably for good reason), I'd say thats beyond a little fucked up and has ascended to incredibly fucked up and horrifyingly creepy.

I wonder what Bret did with it, I don't remember the book saying. He probably gave it to Martha or something which would raise the question of what she did with it. I can't imagine Bret wanting to keep it.

[Casey]

Why can't I find this in the book? Morbid curiosity. I guess I'm bad with searching the index.

[The Green Meanie]

I've been reading Brody.  I don't really like it.  I didn't need 2 chapters on his wife's childhood.  The Larry Matysik written chapters are terrible.  I was hoping for so much more, but I guess that's what happens when the subject of the book is dead.   

 

 

 

I've been reading Brody.  I don't really like it.  I didn't need 2 chapters on his wife's childhood.  The Larry Matysik written chapters are terrible.  I was hoping for so much more, but I guess that's what happens when the subject of the book is dead.   

 

I have this book and I couldn't get through it. Maybe I need to revisit it but it seemed like the book was going to be a complete whitewash and not at all accurate.

 

 

 

Brody wasn't too bad, though I can agree with the above comments. I tried his other book, "Drawing Heat" and it was mostly just complaints about the modern day product. Not sure exactly how I made it through that one.

[offspring515]

So I am almost done with the Bret Hart book. To anyone else who read it, didn't you think the package that Carlo sent to Bret after Owen died was a little fucked up?

Refresh my memory on what it was.

I don't know how to make the spoiler box dealy, so if you

haven't read it, avert your eyes....SPOILER

Carlo sent him a box with Owen's bloody Blue Blazer gear. The idea of that whole scene just creeped me out.

Wow,yeah. I read Bret's book but there's so much in there I should probably give it another go.

[Sammy]

Because there hasn't been a decent wrestling book released in months, I'm re-reading Jericho's first book. 

 

I forgot how much he talked about the other wrestlers, my favorite being about Hardbody Harrison:

 

"He was constantly submitting weird angles and stories to the office, trying to get himself a push. First he came up with the idea of painting his face and becoming Sting's black nemesis, Stang." (P. 330)

[The Green Meanie]

Because there hasn't been a decent wrestling book released in months

 

Checking Amazon, there's fairly slim pickings, but these look interesting:

 

The sequel to his first book finally has a release date of December this year. This will take off where his first book ended, with him and Stevie Ray driving off to join WCW for the first time. I'm definately looking forward to this one.

 

 

 

"The Squared Circle grows out of David Shoemaker’s writing for Deadspin, where he started the column “Dead Wrestler of the Week” (which boasts more than 1 million page views)—a feature on the many wrestling superstars who died too young because of the abuse they subject their bodies to—and his writing for Grantland, where he covers the pro wrestling world, and its place in the pop culture mainstream."

 

 

"Time Heels takes an up-close look at the world of heels over the past 30 years, counting down the top heinous moments, wacky lists, first-hand fan perspectives, foreign objects, and stables in 256 jam-packed pages of why the bad guys do it better."

[Sammy]

Don't forget Backlund has a book coming out in the Fall.

 

Dust off your dictionaries-- Bob is ready to show off!

[Playa Shunna Ver 3.0]

It would be awesome if Bob's book was a dictionary.

[offspring515]

Backlund's book comes with an interactive feature. You have to name all the US Presidents, in order and in person, before he will sell you a copy. Fail and he will put you in the crossface chickenwing while calling you a plebeian.

[Happ Hazzard]

Is anyone getting Don Fargo's book and has anyone already read "I Aint No Pig Farmer!" by Dean Silverstone?

[OSJ]

Yeah. Dean's book is a must for anyone interested in the territory days or outlaw feds. If you call his record store (Golden Oldies) in Seattle, y'all can get a signed copy.

[Pete]

 

Mick Foley's first book is a bit like that for me - I can easily pick it up off my shelf, read a few chapters and have a giggle.

 

I'm dubious about most wrestling books as they're usually terribly (ghost) written and poorly edited. Only ones I've enjoyed have been Bret's and Mick's - never had the opportunity to read Dynamite's, Lou Thesz or Gary Hart's

 

I was fortunate enough to get Gary Hart's book right from the website. (I say 'fortunate' because apparently it's out of print and they sell for quite high prices on eBay.) It's really good. It was the first pro-wrestling book I ever read, so perhaps that plays into it as well, but it was highly entertaining, engrossing and educative. None of the other books I've read afterwards were as good by far, and they were still very good (Lou Thesz, Jody Hamilton and J.J. Dillon). Hart goes into details about angles, creating certain gimmicks, pay-offs, rivaling promitions, the entire Van Erich family... You can open it on any page and it remains as great as the first time.

 

 

For a guy who was such a booking genius, you'd think he would've been smarter when it came to publishing an actual book. Seriously, how hard can it be to reprint this thing?

[Jiji]

 

 

Mick Foley's first book is a bit like that for me - I can easily pick it up off my shelf, read a few chapters and have a giggle.

 

I'm dubious about most wrestling books as they're usually terribly (ghost) written and poorly edited. Only ones I've enjoyed have been Bret's and Mick's - never had the opportunity to read Dynamite's, Lou Thesz or Gary Hart's

 

I was fortunate enough to get Gary Hart's book right from the website. (I say 'fortunate' because apparently it's out of print and they sell for quite high prices on eBay.) It's really good. It was the first pro-wrestling book I ever read, so perhaps that plays into it as well, but it was highly entertaining, engrossing and educative. None of the other books I've read afterwards were as good by far, and they were still very good (Lou Thesz, Jody Hamilton and J.J. Dillon). Hart goes into details about angles, creating certain gimmicks, pay-offs, rivaling promitions, the entire Van Erich family... You can open it on any page and it remains as great as the first time.

 

 

For a guy who was such a booking genius, you'd think he would've been smarter when it came to publishing an actual book. Seriously, how hard can it be to reprint this thing?

 

He died before it was published. Oddly enough, Austin was berating the co-author, Philip Varriale, on the Christopher Daniels podcast saying he needs to get that shit out on Kindle and another print run.

 

I'm with Roman, in that Hart's book is the best wrestling book I've read. I've heard some things since that call into question the validity of some of Gary's statements but it's still awesome. His stories of Jardine alone are worth the price of the book. Inside the ring, Hart made him sound like the Undertaker before the Undertaker was a thing (rope walk, super agile big man with a tough as nails persona) and outside the ring... let's just say you made sure you were on Don Jardine's good side.

[OSJ]

I have to admit being baffled at the lack of a reprinting of the Hart book. Shit, send me a .txt file and I'll have that sucker up on Lightning Source, Create Space and Amazon so fast heads will spin. It ain't exactly rocket science. The only reason we're taking so long getting Steve Yohe's Strangler Lewis book done is that the sucker is huge, loaded with pictures and we want to make a statement as far as what a good wrestling book ought to look like...

 

Far as something that's just text with a section of b & w photos, that's easy. It's when you're attempting to have illustrations or photos on every other page mixed with the text that it becomes somewhat of a pain in the ass to lay out.

[odessasteps]

Bauer said on twitter there would not be a third printing.

You'd think Steve Austin plugging it would project hundreds if not thousands of copies sold just on his recommendation

[Michael Sweetser]

The Grappler has a book coming out on August 13th.  Check out http://www.grapplerbook.com/.

[Pete]

Bauer said on twitter there would not be a third printing.

You'd think Steve Austin plugging it would project hundreds if not thousands of copies sold just on his recommendation

Does he give a reason? I don't get his mindset at all- people are dying to read this thing and he's clearly leaving money on the table.

[cwoy2j]

Because there hasn't been a decent wrestling book released in months, I'm re-reading Jericho's first book. 

 

I forgot how much he talked about the other wrestlers, my favorite being about Hardbody Harrison:

 

"He was constantly submitting weird angles and stories to the office, trying to get himself a push. First he came up with the idea of painting his face and becoming Sting's black nemesis, Stang." (P. 330)

 

Don't forget about DDP carrying around a giant diamond that he (Harrison) would steal and put in a giant shark tank and DDP would have to fight him on ppv to get it back.

[caley]

 

Because there hasn't been a decent wrestling book released in months, I'm re-reading Jericho's first book. 

 

I forgot how much he talked about the other wrestlers, my favorite being about Hardbody Harrison:

 

"He was constantly submitting weird angles and stories to the office, trying to get himself a push. First he came up with the idea of painting his face and becoming Sting's black nemesis, Stang." (P. 330)

 

Don't forget about DDP carrying around a giant diamond that he (Harrison) would steal and put in a giant shark tank and DDP would have to fight him on ppv to get it back.

 

I believe he would also fall into the live shark tank on PPV, IIRC.

 

I always love the part in Jericho's book where he bombs as Super Liger in NJPW, then comes back and wrestles as Jericho and Riki Choshu comes up to him afterwards and has this exchange with Jericho:

"You Chris Jericho, same as Super Liger."

"Yes."

"Hmm, Jericho is very good.  Liger is very bad."

"I know, I think maybe Super Liger dead."

"I think that maybe bad idea."

[OSJ]

The Grappler's book will be a must. One of the most talented guys in the biz, spent most of his career as the big fish in a small pond up in the Pacific NW, but certainly could have been a draw anywhere in the country. Great promo guy and could have a good to great match with just about anyone...

[thee Reverend Axl Future]

I am reading The Grappler's autobiography right now, and it is very enjoyable (about halfway through). Some pluses: no glaring typos, excellent cover and design, no proselytizing, interesting lack of kay fabe and no dreary explanation of basic wrestling terms. Basically, Len Denton is aware of the state of the business in 2014 and assumes you know who he is and what wrestling is about. It's not too deep or detailed, but it is an amazing document about coming up through the territories. I would really be interested to see what an open-minded non-fan would think about it, as it does present the incredible ability and dedication it took to make it back in those days.

- RAF

p.s. - thanks to a late tax refund, it's been the month of auto/bios: this, "Secret Historian: The Life and Times of Samuel Steward, Professor, Tattoo Artist and Sexual Renegade", "Fug You: An Informal History of the Peace Eye Bookstore, the Fuck You Press, the Fugs, and Counterculture in the Lower East Side", " The House of Pain: The Strange World of Monique Von Cleef, The Queen of Humiliation: An Autobiography and a Message to All Human Slaves", "I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp: An Autobiography" by Richard Hell and I have the "Pig Farmer" and the Don Fargo books in the chute.

[Kuetsar]

I snapped up a copy of Hart's book on the second printing, worth every penny.