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The Wrestling Book Thread


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Forgot to mention I finished Kamala's book. It's good but it's a lot like Stan Hansen's in that he really doesn't go in depth on any of his wrestling career, it's mostly told through quick anecdotes. Still a good read though. 

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How is Jimmy Valiant's book? Does it have a lot of content, or is it more of a coffee table book?

It's the perfect book for a glass table.
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JV's book is really fun IF you are a fan of the Boogie Woogie Man, as I am. It's a very personal recollection of his many stages of his long career. Not too much big picture stuff but he was everywhere. Occasionally you wish he would go into more detail in several areas but there are a lot of good stories. It's is a good read, similar in style to the BHart book.

- RAF

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Just finished the Kenny Bolin book and it's highly recommend. I don't know how much was true but it was absolutely hysterical. BEETS BY BOLIN~!

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  • 2 weeks later...

My usual reading habits have been curtailed for the time being due to my hand surgery, but I picked up a couple of books at the Big Event the other weekend. (Cowboy Bob Orton signed my cast. Robert Gibson CHOPPED me while I was chatting with Ricky Morton. Had a good time.)

 

Tuesday Night at the Gardens: Mark James/Jim Cornette's 70s Louisville history book looks really cool with tons of photos/clippings/commentary from the weekly shows.

 

Wrestling Fan's Book (Sid Feder): This is basically a 1953 PWI Almanac and is IMPOSSIBLY nifty. Lots of great profiles on the top stars of the day (men and women), coverage of Helsinki Olympic wrestling, some how-to-wrestle stuff, stories on "gimmick" matches and THE MIGHTY MIDGETS... a real treasure trove from the early golden age of wrestling, and well worth $10.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I've been reading a bunch of books on pro-wrestling lately after not having touched one for four or five years.

Firstly, let me add another vote for the Hardcore Holly book.  He comes across as a no-nonsense but likeable guy, which is completely at odds with his persona as reported on the interweb.  I seem to remember a story circulating when he departed the company that nobody had attended his farewell party.  I could be wrong as it seems implausible and I cannot find it now.  Anyway, he goes to great lengths to address the misconception that he was this dislikeable bully and my opinion of him had changed drastically by the time I reached the end.  Not only is it a great firsthand account of the WWF locker room from the early 90s until his departure in 2009, but he has a fantastic personal story to tell as well.

I read Jericho's second book having read his first way back when it was initially released.  A great read.  I probably don't need to pump it up too much as I trust most people here would have read it already.

The other two I've read which I can't recommend enough are James Dixon's Titan Sinking and the follow-up, Titan Shattered.  I have not seen them mentioned in the recent pages of this thread but they are two tremendously well-researched and captivating accounts of the WWF in 1995 and 1996 respectively (naturally the 1997 sequel to be released later this year is called 'Titan Screwed').

I bought them from the Book Depository because I like books way more than eReaders, and because of that, they were a bit pricey.  However, I'm pretty sure the Kindle version of both is fairly cheap.  I had no idea who the author was or what the site 'History of Wrestling' is all about and only came across it as a related product when I was viewing Lex Luger's book (which I did not buy).

http://www.bookdepository.com/Titan-Shattered-James-Dixon-Lee-Maughan-Benjamin-Richardson-Justin-Henry/9781326355814?ref=grid-view

http://www.bookdepository.com/Titan-Sinking-the-Decline-of-the-Wwf-in-1995-James-Dixon-Jim-Cornette-Benjamin-Richardson/9781291996371?ref=bd_recs_1

It covers quite a few things I knew about, but goes to new level of detail  (for example, the author interviewed the lawyer for one of the marines involved in the altercation with HBK that became an on-screen storyline).

If you're looking for something new to read, do yourself a favour and try out Titan Sinking.  Highly recommended.

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So I visited the Kinokuniya bookstores in NYC and nearby NJ a couple weeks ago, looking for my long lost "gaijin wrestlers photo" book (see previous whinging post in this thread). Not only was my quest unfulfilled, but I was told in a quite matter-of-fact manner that they were phasing out most Japanese wrestling content from their stores. I guess they need more room for soft-core cosplay books, Pusheen phone charms and ALL THE U.S. BOOKS YOU CAN BUY ANYWHERE ELSE that they are stocking their stores with. I was overcome with mono no aware at this news, and still am.

- RAF

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Read Jericho's Undisputed, and like any second autobiography, it wasn't as strong as the first...but it had some interesting moments. I like how it tied into the first, and smartly sets up a third; and while Jericho's humor is at least two levels below "dad humor," I did appreciate that he could mock himself for his failed attempts at reality TV, movies, etc.

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On 4/6/2016 at 1:47 AM, TheeReverendAxlFuture said:

So I visited the Kinokuniya bookstores in NYC and nearby NJ a couple weeks ago, looking for my long lost "gaijin wrestlers photo" book (see previous whinging post in this thread). Not only was my quest unfulfilled, but I was told in a quite matter-of-fact manner that they were phasing out most Japanese wrestling content from their stores. I guess they need more room for soft-core cosplay books, Pusheen phone charms and ALL THE U.S. BOOKS YOU CAN BUY ANYWHERE ELSE that they are stocking their stores with. I was overcome with mono no aware at this news, and still am.

- RAF

Kinokuniya can be dicks to people, especially the ones who aren't "their" people. I'd recommend Book-Off on 45th Street next time you're in town... they seem alot friendlier to the palefaces.

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13 hours ago, Kuetsar said:

Read J.J. Dillon's book. Its all great, but Vince is the biggest asshole ever, and Bischoff came off looking like a guy who was clueless and over his head the entire time.  . . . 

I loved JJ's book. I couldn't imagine what it must've been like during those marathon booking sessions that he and Patterson had at Vince's house and then having to go home and wait by the phone for Vince to call.

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23 hours ago, Kuetsar said:

Read J.J. Dillon's book. Its all great, but Vince is the biggest asshole ever, and Bischoff came off looking like a guy who was clueless and over his head the entire time.  . . . 

I've been thinking about getting this. Worth it? On that, is JJ's book still available, or sold out/OOP like Gary Hart's? 

 

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Absolutely, and go here http://crowbarpress.com/ for $20, or get it on kindle through amazon for $10.  The stuff about the territory days is good, but the details of the times booking for Vince, and the inside story of the late days of WCW is practically required reading.  I am now re-reading my copy of Gary Hart's book, but there's no point in pimping that, since its so rare. . .

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Anybody else read Piper's book? Its a bit strange, as through the NWA days he plays it fairly straight, but when it gets to the WWF section it gets a bit weird. I don't notice any huge Hoganesque bullshit, but it definitely feels like he's not playing completely straight. Overall it was worth the $4 I paid for it off the internet, but not much more. . . 

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Piper seemed to me, like the kind of wrestler who you'd think would put out a great book, because he didn't give a shit. Instead, it's like Arn's book where it's bordering on kayfabe, so you're left disappointed. 

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Piper's book was a huge letdown for me.  Full of bullshit, but like boring bullshit.  At least Hogan's bullshit was so over the top you had to laugh. Piper's is mostly just the usual "they were drawing ten fans, by the time I left it was drawing 30,000 and turning just as many away at the doors" garbage.

 

Plus the blind, black, poor ring attendant who calls everyone Horse Cock is like something out of Central casting.  IIRC he dies and Piper is the only one at his funeral.

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I just finished Howard Brody's book, Swimming With Piranhas, and while it covered a period that few other books do, it was a tough read due to his absolute desperation to be involved in something, anything, to do with the wrestling business. It cost him two marriages (to the same woman) and saw him taken advantage of so many times that you either want to hug or smack him.

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On 4/6/2016 at 2:47 PM, TheeReverendAxlFuture said:

So I visited the Kinokuniya bookstores in NYC and nearby NJ a couple weeks ago, looking for my long lost "gaijin wrestlers photo" book (see previous whinging post in this thread). Not only was my quest unfulfilled, but I was told in a quite matter-of-fact manner that they were phasing out most Japanese wrestling content from their stores. I guess they need more room for soft-core cosplay books, Pusheen phone charms and ALL THE U.S. BOOKS YOU CAN BUY ANYWHERE ELSE that they are stocking their stores with. I was overcome with mono no aware at this news, and still am.

- RAF

That reminds me, I've been off and on looking on-line for the book but never found anything matching your description. And dusty old book stores in Japan are becoming a rare beast (at least around me since I don't live in a big city). Did you have any more information about the book?

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On 4/19/2016 at 2:08 AM, lostinube said:

That reminds me, I've been off and on looking on-line for the book but never found anything matching your description. And dusty old book stores in Japan are becoming a rare beast (at least around me since I don't live in a big city). Did you have any more information about the book?

I don't want to get bad juju or a kina hora by quoting my own post from earlier in the thread, but it was a trade paperback or mook, almost textless, with pictures of the major gaijin workers from the 50s thru the 80s. I can recall Bull Ramos, the Sharpe Brothers, the Destroyer, Dick the Bruiser, Dusty, Brody,,, What was cool about it was it had the posed studio publicity shots on one page, and action shots on the other. If I recall correctly, it had photos from several feds but I don't recall if they were all from one magazine or it just was a general historical book. I got it maybe 9 years ago. I have looked on Amazon, eBay, Google and various import book sites but to no avail w/o a title or publisher or more details. Thanks for helping a bruddah out.

- RAF

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