YOUR ALL-NEW WRESTLING BOOK THREAD

[RazorbladeKiss87]

Solomon was on a few podcasts the last few weeks. The JBL and Brisco one is pretty fun.

[RazorbladeKiss87]

Solomon was on a few podcasts the last few weeks. The JBL and Brisco one is pretty fun.

[zendragon]

He has Gorilla's daughter on his own podcast this week

[RazorbladeKiss87]

By the time I listen to all of these shows,  I won't need to read the book . 

[zendragon]

Same when he did the rounds for The Sheik book

[odessasteps]

Im prob doing a show with him sometime this month. 

[driver]

Kurt Nielsen was on the latest Brisco and Bradshaw talking about his Stan Frazier(aka Uncle Elmer) book. Great episode and now I'm interested in the book.

Fuck it., just ordered the Gorilla book and "Howdy, Neighbor"(the Stan Frazier bio).

 

Edited October 3, 2025 by driver

[Johnny Sorrow]

Im halfway through the Monsoon book and its incredible. 

[zendragon]

In one day?

[driver]

It took me a few months to get through the Sheik book as a throne room read. One thing you can say about Brian R. Solomon is that he is thorough AF. 

[Johnny Sorrow]

On 10/3/2025 at 4:24 PM, zendragon said:

In one day?

Yup. 

[odessasteps]

Solomon posted on his Patreon an appendix that got cut for space of a list of all the Bruno/Gorilla matches.

[Happ Hazzard]

There's a new Barry Darsow biography out.

[Happ Hazzard]

I bought Darsow's book on Kindle and have read about a third of it.  Most notable story so far is that he got his break into wrestling because he rang Stu Hart looking to get booked, Dean Hart picked up the phone and pretended to be Stu and as a rib, told Darsow to fly to Hawaii because he was booked on a big show there, Barry was told he would later be reimbursed for the plane tickets. Not only was Darsow not really booked on the show but the show itself had been cancelled, but Mark Curtis took pity on Barry and got him booked on some smaller shows in Hawaii, which led to bookings in New Zealand, which led to getting booked in Florida, and his career took off from there.

[zendragon]

Man those Hart ribs could really get out of control!

[The Green Meanie]

On 10/13/2025 at 7:13 PM, Happ Hazzard said:

There's a new Barry Darsow biography out.

I'm not entirely convinced that's actually Darsow in either picture.

Edited October 15, 2025 by The Green Meanie

[The Green Meanie]

FURTHERMORE, as a huge Demolition mark and quasi-historian of their face paint, I don't believe Smash ever actually used that exact pattern. He's done ones similar, but not as pictured.

[No Point Stance]

Definite King Diamond vibes to that design

[SirSmUgly]

The last two weeks have been something, man, and I finally had some time to myself yesterday afternoon, so I took myself out for two books and brunch.

One of the books that I got was Tim Hornbaker's book on Ric Flair, The Last Real World Champion. I'm just past the plane crash, and it feels pretty Hornbaker-y to me: Meticulously researched, sometimes the research is a bit much (I'm not sure that I needed to know all that much about how Flair's family on his adoptive dad's side immigrated here). Lots of info, but any analysis feels a bit undercooked. I am still enjoying it, though. No regrets about buying it.

Conversely, I have been reading Slobberknocker on Libby. That's a book that I wish had more facts. The chapters are too short; I still have questions about his MSW/UWF/JCP/WCW days. The writer certainly captured Jim Ross's voice, at least. Still, even though this is about what I expected from the book before reading it, I still find myself somewhat disappointed.

I do get a kick out of the Hornbaker book feeling (so far) somewhat hagiographic while at the same time, the Jim Ross book tells a story about what a demented pervert Flair is. That's one benefit of reading them around the same time. Ross countered any hagiography.

[zendragon]

Personally I'd recommend the second JR book over the first, gloves really come off for his relationship with Vince

[RazorbladeKiss87]

Yrah, Slobberknocker was okay for what it was but the second one who's name escapes me right now was more interesting and a little more revealing. 

I started The Six Pack. Not far yet but it's okay.  I also got the Vince book, Ringmaster, at Ollie's for a song. 

[SirSmUgly]

19 hours ago, zendragon said:

Personally I'd recommend the second JR book over the first, gloves really come off for his relationship with Vince

Is that Business is About to Pick Up?

[odessasteps]

Got my copy of JC’s book. It’s a magazine size soft cover full of remembrances and pictures. A wide variety of people including a bunch of profiles of old school TN folks, like Pat Malone, Sputnik, Lance and Ron Wright. Also, Heenan, Bruno, Ray Stevens, Percy, Vader, Troy Graham and the Sheik, among others. 

[zendragon]

6 hours ago, SirSmUgly said:

Is that Business is About to Pick Up?

That's his third (which I have not read) I reviewed Under The Black hat earlier in the thread if you are curious 

[RazorbladeKiss87]

1 hour ago, zendragon said:

That's his third (which I have not read) I reviewed Under The Black hat earlier in the thread if you are curious 

Damn. I didn't know he had a third one!