YOUR ALL-NEW WRESTLING BOOK THREAD

[AxB]

So is the Foreword to a book actually called The Forward in America? Because I keep seeing it called that, and it's so frequent I'm starting to think it's an actual Americanism, rather than a mistake.

[odessasteps]

Yes. 

[John E. Dynamite]

I don't read books nearly to the extent I should, but I have never seen it written as anything but a Foreward. That should never happen in America. Im chiled to the corre at the mear thott of the othre speling.

[zendragon]

5 hours ago, AxB said:

So is the Foreword to a book actually called The Forward in America? Because I keep seeing it called that, and it's so frequent I'm starting to think it's an actual Americanism, rather than a 

Edited April 22, 2023 by zendragon

[zendragon]

Death of the Territories: expansion, betrayal, and the war that changed wrestling forever

by Tim Hornbaker

fascinating look at what was going on with the territories during Vince’s expansion, a lot of which has been covered before but not in one place. Starts in 1948 with formation of the NWA and ends with Crocket selling to Turner. A lot of the smaller territories are charted as well which is interesting if your a fan of Vices Tales of The Territories. Goes into a lot of detail of who trying to expand, who had to sell, who had tv (a number of people went national before Vince with syndication or cable) who ended up pulling out of the NWA. Also it shows gate figures for Vince’s expansion shows and numbers for shows running opposition, you have think Vince viewed a lot of those early shows in a new territory as kids leaders as he often didn’t do well out the gate

[notoriusvig]

How are the Al Getz Charting the territories books? Are those more stats and results than anything?

[odessasteps]

There’s only 1 so far. The second one Is coming out soon. 
 

It’s not just stats. 
 

(may I humbly say listen to the pod we did when it came out.) 

[notoriusvig]

1 hour ago, odessasteps said:

There’s only 1 so far. The second one Is coming out soon. 
 

It’s not just stats. 
 

(may I humbly say listen to the pod we did when it came out.) 

So you'd recommend it as a purchase?

[odessasteps]

Yeah, especially  if you’re interested in the early 70s and/or that part of the country territory (pre Mid South) 

[SirSmUgly]

On 4/21/2023 at 5:26 PM, AxB said:

So is the Foreword to a book actually called The Forward in America? Because I keep seeing it called that, and it's so frequent I'm starting to think it's an actual Americanism, rather than a mistake.

It's still the foreword here unless you're a small printer with spotty editing.

[zendragon]

Jericho had Brian Solomon on his podcast talking his book on the Sheik it’s a good listen 

[EVA]

I was sorely disappointed by RINGMASTER by Abraham Riesman. The stuff about Vince’s childhood was interesting, and the reporting on  Vince’s 80’s scandals was great, but by the time the books hits the 90’s, Riesman is basically just recapping episodes of Raw with very little in the way of new information or insight. And the cultural criticism drawing parallels between Vince’s success and the rise of Trumpism is paper thin; almost an afterthought, really.

Also, it’s weird that Riesman chooses, of all things, Vince’s Higher Power reveal as the denouement of the book, with the subsequent two decades (including the purchase of WCW!) yadda yadda’d away in the epilogue.

[Happ Hazzard]

Anyone read any of the following recent releases?:

 

[Sammy]

I read the Luke & Butch book-- I liked it, you got a sense of their personalities, and they went deep into all the territories they worked. Nothing super illuminating, but a nice read if you were a fan. I'd be curious about Steve Keirn's book, waiting to hear more.

[Gorman]

It’s here! My WCW history book, “King of Atlanta: Who Was the MVP of World Championship Wrestling?” is now available. This is the sequel to the WWF book, “King of New York,” and I am working on the ECW book now.  Hope you enjoy it! Here is the link.

[zendragon]

Dynamite & Davey: The explosion lives of THE BRITISH BULLDOGS Steven Bell 364 pgs

Goes cradle to the grave on both men, from their starts in England to Dynamites final match in Japan and Daveys final WWE run. Very in-depth and well researched.

 I especially loved hear all about the Calgary days as it’s a territory that doesn’t get talked about much aside from being a footnote for the Harts. I love learning about territories that have historically fallen by the wayside. Speaking of which I really want to see those Calgary matches between Bret and Davey and Bret and Dynamite. Benoit, Owen and Jim Neinhart also get discussed as their careers often paralleled The British Bulldogs, so much that the book serves a bit of a Hart Gamily timeline. Benoit obviously looked up to Dynamite and was his mentor, there and internet radio interview between the two men that’s transcribed.

Dynamite obviously paved the way for smaller more athletic wrestlers like Benoit and Eddie but sadly what price he payed to get there also paralleled what happened to both of them. (Eddie’s death being an enlarged heart due steroids and pain medication and Benoit with CTE , this is all discussed)

Both men had a falling out over disagreement over career direction (Davey wanted to go back to WWF and trademarked the name British Bulldog, Dynamite wanted Japan) this lead to a split between not only the real life cousins but their respective families. 
 

now the book does not spot with the end of that tag team. We hear about various aborted main event pushes for Davey in WWF and WCW including the original plans for The European title, Canadian Stampede , loyalty to Bret during the screw job and his tragic Halloween Havoc accident.

sadly Dynamite seems to have been a horrible person to kinda got what he had coming in more ways than one and Davey needed a bit of a guiding hand and was lost without Bret or Dynamite.

 I put this one up there with the recent Sheik book on the patheon of great wrestling books. I hope he does an Owen book next 

[elizium]

2 hours ago, zendragon said:

I especially loved hear all about the Calgary days as it’s a territory that doesn’t get talked about much aside from being a footnote for the Harts.

If you haven't read it already, I highly recommend Pain and Passion, the history of Stampede Wrestling book.

[Curt McGirt]

^^^ Seconded!

[zendragon]

There's just one problem... true tales from the former, one-time, 7th most powerful person in WWE Brian Gewirtz 258pgs

Really fun read, interesting to hear from a non performer (excluding a couple of skits as a waiter), Brian was a "Hollywood writer." first hired in 1999 and over the course of a decade and a half worked his way up to head of creative. Very informative and lots of inside info from one of the most maligned jobs in WWE. 

Lots of crazy Vince stories (he hates dungerees and unsurprisingly didn't know who Dwayne Wade was ), and lots of stories about working with The Rock, Vince Russo's brief return, Austin's heel turn and walk out due to being pitched losing to Brock, Goldbergs one year (and the wig incident), Katie Vick, The XFL, Vince tearing his quads at the Rumble, working with Roddy Piper, writing Rock v Cena. and the guest host era which became the anonymous GM (including a decent bit about working with Bob Barker) 

Really interesting look at the creative side of WWE (and some fun thoughts about programs drawing money and the use of comedy in wrestling) from someone who started as a fan and ended up working his way pretty high up into the hierarchy

[Mister TV]

22 hours ago, zendragon said:

There's just one problem... true tales from the former, one-time, 7th most powerful person in WWE Brian Gewirtz 258pgs

Really fun read, interesting to hear from a non performer (excluding a couple of skits as a waiter), Brian was a "Hollywood writer." first hired in 1999 and over the course of a decade and a half worked his way up to head of creative. Very informative and lots of inside info from one of the most maligned jobs in WWE. 

Lots of crazy Vince stories (he hates dungerees and unsurprisingly didn't know who Dwayne Wade was ), and lots of stories about working with The Rock, Vince Russo's brief return, Austin's heel turn and walk out due to being pitched losing to Brock, Goldbergs one year (and the wig incident), Katie Vick, The XFL, Vince tearing his quads at the Rumble, working with Roddy Piper, writing Rock v Cena. and the guest host era which became the anonymous GM (including a decent bit about working with Bob Barker) 

Really interesting look at the creative side of WWE (and some fun thoughts about programs drawing money and the use of comedy in wrestling) from someone who started as a fan and ended up working his way pretty high up into the hierarchy

Vince hating jeans and calling them dungarees like it's 1851 is funny and not shocking.

[Firebreaker Chip]

I'm mostly through the Steve Keirn book and it's a pretty good, easy read.

His early life with his father being a POW is very interesting, and he gives a pretty good account of drifting into the business in Florida.

It's fairly low on sleaze (financial impropriety/stretching marks aside) but high on ribs and tall tales. If he is to be believed, this man has done stupid things with possums, one unbelievably stupid thing with an armadillo, and did probably the single stupidest thing someone doing a tour for New Japan could ever do (short of anything involving Yakuza) .

[Curt McGirt]

On 9/5/2023 at 8:31 AM, Firebreaker Chip said:

probably the single stupidest thing someone doing a tour for New Japan could ever do

Okay, I have to ask. Spoiler it if you think you should. I'm imagining someone roofying Inoki or something. 

[SirSmUgly]

I'm going to guess: Fucked some possums, fucked an armadillo, fucked Inoki's pet possum or armadillo.

[Curt McGirt]

I can totally see Inoki walking around with an armadillo on a leash. 

[Firebreaker Chip]

Spoiler

Possum: Caught a possum on the roadside and threw it into someone's hotel room at 1am

New Japan: fired after spontaneously, for seemingly no reason at all, taking a photo of himself and other gaijin in a bathhouse mooning the camera with himself clearly identifiable, and mailing it to Inoki

Armadillo: caught an armadillo on the roadside, shoved it into a 19 year old trainee's bag in the locker room, causing them to freak out and attempt to sprint at full speed through a closed door when they opened the bag. The trainee grew up to be...Haku, and Keirn spent the rest of his career apologising for the rib every time he saw him

[adult Haku reportedly sees the funny side of it and has not burst, snapped or eaten any parts of Keirn to date]