Wrestling books

Megahab

Registered User
Apr 30, 2009
7,168
1,264
Toronto
Finished Moxley's book today. It picked up in the last third or so of the book but overall disappointing. I'd give it like 5 or 6 out of 10. It was weird, not in any chronological order. The chapters seemed to have been put in a totally random order or maybe I am just too dumb to notice that there was some kind of purpose to the order. I don't think so though. It also ends pretty abruptly.

There are random chapters where he just talks about his favourite movies and albums. Like actual mini-chapters devoted to individual movies and albums.
 

Bondurant

Registered User
Jul 4, 2012
6,528
5,995
Phoenix, Arizona
Still flabbergasted as to why orders have not been fulfilled for this book. I was tired of waiting twiddling my thumbs so I went direct to the source and ordered an autographed copy from the author. Arrived today!

IMG_20220430_153824303.jpg
 
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branimal84

..and that's why I kicked your leg outta your leg.
Mar 27, 2019
93
213
Ottawa
www.everyreadthing.com
Still flabbergasted as to why orders have not been fulfilled for this book. I was tired of waiting twiddling my thumbs so I went direct to the source and ordered an autographed copy from the author. Arrived today!

View attachment 538394

This book was great. I didn't have a lot of knowledge about the Detroit territory, so I found that stuff super interesting.
 

mj2sexay

Registered User
Jul 2, 2009
234
236
Nitro by Guy Evans was fantastic.

Bret and Mick's books are honestly the holy grail.

I try to stay away from the WWE licensed books through Reagan publishing or whoever they were working with (except for Mick's of course) but Flair's was actually very, very good.
 

sabremike

Friend To All Giraffes And Lindy Ruff
Aug 30, 2010
22,842
34,411
Brewster, NY
The Tracy Smothers book has my highest recommendation. Very entertaining, very informative (did you know he grew up with the dad of future MLB star Sonny Gray?) so buy this book OR EVERYBODY DIES!
 

Bondurant

Registered User
Jul 4, 2012
6,528
5,995
Phoenix, Arizona
Solomon's Sheik bio is one of the better wrestling books you will read. Worth the painfully long wait to get published. He runs with Greg Oliver who posts in the History of Hockey forum. Perhaps he will pop his head in here one day.

Recommended. Get it if you can. I think the distribution issues have been rectified.
 
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BruinDust

Registered User
Aug 2, 2005
24,367
21,810
Solomon's Sheik bio is one of the better wrestling books you will read. Worth the painfully long wait to get published. He runs with Greg Oliver who posts in the History of Hockey forum. Perhaps he will pop his head in here one day.

Recommended. Get it if you can. I think the distribution issues have been rectified.


Did Oliver write about pro wrestling over at Slam! Sports back in the day? Name sounds familiar.
 

branimal84

..and that's why I kicked your leg outta your leg.
Mar 27, 2019
93
213
Ottawa
www.everyreadthing.com
I'm just about finished Steven Bell's new book about The British Bulldogs - "Dynamite & Davey". As someone who had read Dynamite's book last year and has read both Bret's book and the book about Stampede Wrestling, there isn't a lot of new information here. But it's written really well and I would recommend it for anyone who hasn't had a chance to check out Pure Dynamite as he pulled a lot of information from it.
 

CaptainCrunch67

Registered User
Aug 23, 2005
6,472
1,063
Pure Dynamite was a hard book to read because he was a mean spirited woman abusing junkie who threw away his life and was completely un apologetic about it.

Its similar to Bob Holly's book where he was a steroid abuser and an bully and took pride in all of it, and wonders why his former friends don't stay in contact with him.
 
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Bondurant

Registered User
Jul 4, 2012
6,528
5,995
Phoenix, Arizona
I'm just about finished Steven Bell's new book about The British Bulldogs - "Dynamite & Davey". As someone who had read Dynamite's book last year and has read both Bret's book and the book about Stampede Wrestling, there isn't a lot of new information here. But it's written really well and I would recommend it for anyone who hasn't had a chance to check out Pure Dynamite as he pulled a lot of information from it.
How did you swing a copy of Dynamite & Davey?
 

Poppy Whoa Sonnet

J'Accuse!
Sponsor
Jan 24, 2007
7,302
7,722
Already mentioned but Bret Harts book is the best one I’ve read. He’s sincere and not desperately self promoting. Great book on my favorite era.

Similarly I loved the Titan Trilogy.

The Titan Trilogy: The story of the WWF from 1995 to 1997
Amazon.com: The Titan Trilogy: The story of the WWF from 1995 to 1997 eBook : Dixon, James, Henry, Justin, Maughan, Lee, Richardson, Benjamin: Kindle Store

Also Meltzer has his old wrestling observer stories in anthologies reading that years later was very fun.

The Wrestling Observer Yearbook '93: The Year of Major Beginnings and Major Endings (Wrestling Observer Newsletter 1)
Amazon.com: The Wrestling Observer Yearbook '93: The Year of Major Beginnings and Major Endings (Wrestling Observer Newsletter 1) eBook : Meltzer, Dave, Titan Insider Press, Richardson, Dante: Kindle Store
 

Sheppy

Registered User
Nov 23, 2011
56,443
58,848
The Arctic
Pure Dynamite was a hard book to read because he was a mean spirited woman abusing junkie who threw away his life and was completely un apologetic about it.

Its similar to Bob Holly's book where he was a steroid abuser and an bully and took pride in all of it, and wonders why his former friends don't stay in contact with him.
It's funny with Holly because he was a bully to everyone except the guy who broke his neck. If that was anyone else they'd be getting it the next time, but it was Lesnar and he wouldn't try pulling anything because Brock would legit murder him.

Just funny how some people pick and choose.
 

Megahab

Registered User
Apr 30, 2009
7,168
1,264
Toronto
It's funny with Holly because he was a bully to everyone except the guy who broke his neck. If that was anyone else they'd be getting it the next time, but it was Lesnar and he wouldn't try pulling anything because Brock would legit murder him.

Just funny how some people pick and choose.
Didn't he get his neck broken because he tried to make Lesnar look bad? From what I remember he wasn't cooperating with the powerboat and Lesnar just dropped him.
 

CaptainCrunch67

Registered User
Aug 23, 2005
6,472
1,063
Yeah Holly legit tried to show up Brock by sandbagging that whole match, and Brock who was still a bit green, but legit one of the strongest guys in the business, said screw this I'm doing it any ways.

Brock is an interesting, because he's like Scott Steiner, if he decides to do something he's going to do it, and you can't stop it. But I've read where he's pretty professional with workers that he's worked with behind the scene. People point to the Bloody Randy Orton incident, but Orton asked Lesnar to hard way him, and Lesnar pretty much murdered him to get blood.
 

CaptainCrunch67

Registered User
Aug 23, 2005
6,472
1,063
I love Bret's book, I ranked it up there with Mick's first two books, and Jericho's books as must reads.

Bret's book very much reflects his personality. Super researched, super detailed, at a time way to dense, I probably couldn't read it again. But the chapter on how Bret and Anvil sold the pink tights showed that he has a wicked sense of human that you only see once in a blue moon.

Mick's books are really good, but I will argue that after the second book. The hardcore diaries was a major step back in quality, and countdown to lockdown felt literally like his Impact career which was going through the motions for money.

Jericho's books, I really liked his first book, and he didn't feel like he took himself as seriously as he does now. His conversations around his time in Mexico, his times in Germany and even his time in WCW were hilarious. While his time in post stampede and Japan felt like they could have been better. Also his time with Cornette with Lance Storm as the Thrill Seekers was the highlight of the book.

His second book was really good and the first half very honest when he talks about his failures to control his efo and his drinking and his early struggles in WWE, even the second part of the book where he goes into things like the forming of Fozzy was terrific.

I wasn't a fan of his third book. It just seemed like Chris' extra large ego really came into play, and the humor and easy reading narrative style of the first two was gone. I couldn't be bothered to read his 4th book which was more like from what I understand a self help guide. I did hear that he's working on a new book .
 

sabremike

Friend To All Giraffes And Lindy Ruff
Aug 30, 2010
22,842
34,411
Brewster, NY
Yeah Holly legit tried to show up Brock by sandbagging that whole match, and Brock who was still a bit green, but legit one of the strongest guys in the business, said screw this I'm doing it any ways.

Brock is an interesting, because he's like Scott Steiner, if he decides to do something he's going to do it, and you can't stop it. But I've read where he's pretty professional with workers that he's worked with behind the scene. People point to the Bloody Randy Orton incident, but Orton asked Lesnar to hard way him, and Lesnar pretty much murdered him to get blood.
You are correct that Lesnar was just doing as he was told but it was the company who came up with the idea, not Orton (who very reluctantly agreed to it). A notable story that came out of this is that after the match Jericho went nuts not knowing that was the plan and confronted Lesnar backstage (might've even been at the Gorilla Position) and legit challenged him to a fight. Thankfully it was prevented and they explained everything to him, but you have to admit Jericho has balls of steel for doing that.
 

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