Chat! culturecrossfire.slack.com

Wrestling Books Discussion Zone

Baby Shoes

Baby Shoes
Messages
25,399
Reaction score
2,222
Points
293
Pulled the trigger and ordered the Nitro book by Guy Evans that I keep hearing so much on today. Did anyone read that? Got hyped as the closest thing to like a college text on wrestling and has all kinds of internal emails from WCW and other little known things. I know Bischoff said he got details he was t pricy too with how deep some of the interviews went. Just hope I don’t get overhyped.
 

claydude14

Integral Poster
Messages
600
Reaction score
110
Points
93
I mean the only hype I’ve heard is from listening to 83 weeks but I’m interested to hear an unbiased opinion on it to see if it’s worth it. Is available digitally?
 

Baby Shoes

Baby Shoes
Messages
25,399
Reaction score
2,222
Points
293
I know 83 Weeks talked about it - I swear I heard stuff elsewhere too. Feel Bischoff's seal does give it some credibility to me. I bought my copy on Amazon and they do have the Kindle edition for $19.99
 

Super Leather

Integral Poster
Messages
897
Reaction score
238
Points
93
Location
Oakland, CA
I picked up Jericho's The Best in the World the other week and while that's cool, I also found a copy of a book titled Pro Wrestling FAQ. Haven't delved into it yet, but it looks like a fun historical primer that would be enjoyable for any level of wrestling fan. Authored by Brian Solomon who did the WWE Legends book and apparently once wrote for Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Meltzer, Tim Hornbaker, and Steve Yohe (Wrestling Classics board) were some of his sources for research, so I think it's safe to say that there is much to still be learned here.
 

Epic Springs

Epic Reine
Messages
12,611
Reaction score
1,879
Points
253
Location
NYC
Very disappointed at the lack of Kindle deals on wrestling books for Cyber Monday (picked up a sweet behind-the-scenes book on The Simpsons though). I was hoping to get my hands on the new Nitro book. They do have Bob Holly's book for only $8 so maybe I'll pick that one up since the reviews have been good.
 

Super Leather

Integral Poster
Messages
897
Reaction score
238
Points
93
Location
Oakland, CA
Mailordered copies of Hooker by Lou Thesz and Ole Anderson's Inside Out from Crowbar Press recently. I read Ole's book first, but I wasn't exactly clearheaded when I did and want to give it another go before offering an opinion.

I started Pro Wrestling FAQ the other day. Currently reading a section on Stanislaus Zbyszko and I already feel that I've been searching for this book my entire life.
 

Epic Springs

Epic Reine
Messages
12,611
Reaction score
1,879
Points
253
Location
NYC
https://www.amazon.com/Self-Help-Lessons-Bizarre-Wrestling/dp/1770414398/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=al+snow&qid=1550258375&s=gateway&sr=8-1

Baby Shoes & Kamala, where you at?
 

alkeiper

Welcoming our new insect overlords
Messages
10,589
Reaction score
2,074
Points
253
Location
Northeast Pennsylvania
Snow wrestled so long on the indies in the '80s and early '90s that he probably has a ton of interesting stories. Especially wrestling for the Sheik.
 

Baby Shoes

Baby Shoes
Messages
25,399
Reaction score
2,222
Points
293
Found out today that Kamala (wrestler not the poster) has a tell-all he sells through his website

http://www.kamalaspeaks.com/

Guessing I still need to get the Brutus Beefcake one first because that one is probably full of more fantastical bullshit, I would assume
 

Super Leather

Integral Poster
Messages
897
Reaction score
238
Points
93
Location
Oakland, CA
Randomly found a copy of The Pictorial History of Wrestling: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly at a small bookstore for a nice price. This book was my wrestling bible when I was a little kid, but I also ruined the black & white photos by coloring them in with crayons. Really happy to have a replacement copy complete with the dust jacket.

I then went to shelve the book and discovered that apparently I bought Shinsuke Nakamura's autobiography at some point. I'm assuming I did that during the two months I was on the shelf with a concussion earlier this year.
 

Baby Shoes

Baby Shoes
Messages
25,399
Reaction score
2,222
Points
293
Yesterday I got hyped when I found out this fall there is a Hornswoggle book coming called Life is Short and So Am I that is currently up for pre-order with a September release.

Today I see they announce an incoming memoir by NEW JACK

Great time to be alive
 

Valeyard

Retarded sexuality and bad poetry.
Messages
14,073
Reaction score
6,653
Points
253
I can promise you one of those will be vastly more entertaining than the other, and better have an audio version.
 

King Kamala

Integral Poster
Messages
60,440
Reaction score
8,296
Points
293
Location
Vacationland
Tito Santana is coming out with an 2nd autobiography (1st one was a 100 page quickie a decade ago) next month called Don't Call Me "Chico". It's gonna include passages written by Jesse Ventura, Greg Valentine, and Konnan among others.

Also if you pre-order from Tito Santana's website before Christmas, you'll get a personalized phone call from the Arriba Man.

This book actually looks pretty dang interesting since Tito was one of the few guys on the roster during the '80s boom that didn't seem coked out of its gourd. Title also seems to indicate he might call out racist BS although maybe not since the dude who called him Chico is writing in it too.
 

Epic Springs

Epic Reine
Messages
12,611
Reaction score
1,879
Points
253
Location
NYC
https://www.amazon.com/Mayor-Kane-Life-Wrestling-Politics/dp/B07ZQL7L6Y/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=kane+book&qid=1574729154&sr=8-1

Surprised no one knew Kane had a book out. I wouldn't mind reading it if I saw it for cheap. I bet there's lots of great stories in there.
 

Epic Springs

Epic Reine
Messages
12,611
Reaction score
1,879
Points
253
Location
NYC
https://www.amazon.com/Under-Black-Hat-Life-Beyond/dp/B07ZWHRTK4/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=jim+ross&qid=1578852899&sr=8-1

JR has a new book coming out. His first one was a disappointment so I'm unlikely going to pick this one up unless I can get it for cheap.
 

King Kamala

Integral Poster
Messages
60,440
Reaction score
8,296
Points
293
Location
Vacationland
https://twitter.com/MeltzerSaidWhat/status/1228006464859639809
"As God as my witness, that puppy's skull has been broken in half, King!"
 

Baby Shoes

Baby Shoes
Messages
25,399
Reaction score
2,222
Points
293
I remember people posting that when the book first came out. It’s strange, I’ve had no desire to pick up his last book. In wrestling books alone I have plenty of others of higher interest, not to account for other reading.
 

King Kamala

Integral Poster
Messages
60,440
Reaction score
8,296
Points
293
Location
Vacationland
I've heard him tell that story before, maybe on a podcast with Connie. Worst part is when I heard him tell that story, he did in a nonchalant "Well, parenting was different back then, folks." tone. :eek: :eek: :eek:
 

King Kamala

Integral Poster
Messages
60,440
Reaction score
8,296
Points
293
Location
Vacationland
JR doing one of his promos for Burger King or Skittles but instead of shilling junk food, he's talking excitedly about bludgeoning disabled puppies.
 

Baby Shoes

Baby Shoes
Messages
25,399
Reaction score
2,222
Points
293
My amazon suggestions show me that the Kindle version of Mayor Kane’s recent book is currently on sale for $2.99
 

King Kamala

Integral Poster
Messages
60,440
Reaction score
8,296
Points
293
Location
Vacationland
There's a new authorized biography out on Ken Shamrock. It contains hundreds of interviews and author spent a bunch of time interviewing The World's Most Dangerous Man himself. Never thought Shamrock would get this treatment. I'll have to give this a read then anklelock someone who is not practicing social distancing. Ironically, Ken Shamrock probably believes COVID is a hoax.
 

King Kamala

Integral Poster
Messages
60,440
Reaction score
8,296
Points
293
Location
Vacationland
I am reading JR's second book, somewhere between a third to half the way through. It's NOT the greatest wrestling book ever. CONRAD LIED TO ME! But I would say it's in second tier and it's a breeze to read. Ghostwriter did a great job capturing JR's voice as it feels like he's sitting in the room, telling you his history over a couple Moscow Mules.

Way JR and Conrad were talking about how personal and devastating book is made me assume JR wrote it himself. Like I know ghostwriters are used for a lot if not most of these autobiographies (including all of Jericho's, which ARE on first tier of wrestler memoirs) but it did kind of puzzle me when I saw he used one.
 

King Kamala

Integral Poster
Messages
60,440
Reaction score
8,296
Points
293
Location
Vacationland
Further into JR's book and man, it's probably the most depressing wrestling book that wasn't explicitly written about a tragedy. It's basically "Vince McMahon treated me like shit and got off on humiliating me for 25 years then my wife, who was the only person who kept me sane, died". JR is like the Job of professional wrestling. Yeesh.

I also didn't know JR was so into booze and pills in the mid '00s. Hell yeah.

I will say the chapter on Rock-Austin at WrestleMania XIX is as good of a chapter as any in a pro wrestling book. It just paints a picture of a side of Austin that I've never really seen before.
 

King Kamala

Integral Poster
Messages
60,440
Reaction score
8,296
Points
293
Location
Vacationland
9781770414662_1024x1024.jpg

Just started reading this new Andre bio. Really good so far. Lots of interviews with Andre's living family members from France who I hadn't seen interviewed much (if ever?) in these typical Andre biographies. Just feels way more in depth and honest look at the big man.
 

Baby Shoes

Baby Shoes
Messages
25,399
Reaction score
2,222
Points
293
Abraham Riesman, an author who did a biography on Stan Lee, is currently working on a Vince McMahon biography with a 2022 release targeted.
 
Top