Wrestling Books

[Sphinx]

A friend has lent me Flair's book. Good read or ghostwritten balls?

 

I found it pretty entertaining, but some others haven't been as positive about it. Worth a read, definitely.

[pol_pot_rick]

The Works have The Wrestling by Simon Garfield for

[JNLister]

Absolutely. It's the best all-round book on British wrestling by some distance.

[Jaffa]

I picked up Batista Unleashed for

[Victor Is God]

Ahem.

 

http://ukff.com/index.php?showtopic=131906

[Daily Buzzard]

Anyone else got "Mad Dogs, Midgets and Screw Jobs", the book about Montreal Wrestling? My copy just arrives, looks really good from having a quick flick through it!

[Flash]

im after the gary hart & stan hansen book any ideas where i can get them

[Maverick]

Here's Stan Hansen's book for about 15 quid plus shipping http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Outlaw-Stan...n/dp/098440905X Hart's seems pretty hard to get hold of and I can't find it anywhere for a decent price, maybe try ebay?

[The Reverend]

If you're interested in Wrestling Books (and magazines) please check out our new Facebook page and give us a 'Like' http://www.facebook.com/WrestlingReads

 

Thanks.

[The Reverend]

Got the book '10 Pounds of Gold' delivered yesterday all about the history of the NWA title belt - amzing stuff. Can't recommend enough!

[Sphinx]

Just started reading Animal's autibiography. I wish less wrestlers would try to put themselves over so much in their books. I start to believe their stories less and less and roll my eyes more and more. I've read so many stories along the lines of 'no one in our area was tougher than mr. And I mean NO-ONE'. Even Gary Hart's had that tone in it a lot of the time. I much prefer the self-depreciating humour of Foley's and, to a lesser extent, Jericho's.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

I thought Jericho came across as a right smug cunt in his book. And one story is so full of shit, it ruins the credibility in the book for me. Ron Hed filmed and released the Diary Queen video. All of the stuff Jericho did in his career, I have no idea why he'd want to take credit for that?

 

This dissection of Jericho's book is worth a read

Original Headline: "Chris Jericho In The Smoky Mountains: Another View"

Original Publish Date: December 22, 2007

Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter #1003

 

Note: I've known K.C. O'Connor for twenty years, since the days when he was a teenager and a part of the "Front Row, Section D" regulars who faithfully attended the monthly wrestling shows at the Greensboro Coliseum in the '80s until the early-'90s. K.C. fit right in with us and had a real ringside ability to get under the skin of wrestlers like the late Eddie Gilbert and Ron Simmons (Psycho Sid Eudy once hocked a loogie at him after K.C. accurately critiqued his wrestling ability). K C. was more than just another smart-ass, though. It turned out he was, and is, a real student of the sport.

 

Jim Cornette was so impressed after spending just a couple of hours watching a Clash of the Champions with him one night (the old TBS two hour WCW wrestling specials - kind of a quarterly predecessor to Monday Night Raw) that he hired K.C. to be one of his assistants in his fledgling Smoky Mountain Wrestling promotion. K.C. had never worked a day in the pro wrestling business before Cornette gave him the job.

 

He moved to Tennessee shortly after and spent a few years driving up and down the two-lane highways and dirt roads for Cornette, doing every behind the scenes dirt job there was to do for the promotion. I even spent a week traveling with him, attending the Smoky Mountain Wrestling "Bluegrass Brawl" in Pikeville, Kentucky - featuring the Final Conflict Loser Leave Town Cage Match between Jim Cornette's Heavenly Bodies and the Rock & Roll Express. It was one of the best, hottest shows I ever attended. K.C., the ringside attendant that night, even knocked Cornette down at the cage door at the climax of the match, saving the day for Ricky 'n' Robert, which was a little ironic seeing as Jimmy Del Ray of the Heavenly Bodies was one of his roommates.

 

Then one day he called to tell me that Cornette had just attacked his car with a baseball bat, something about a dispute over back pay and a video camera.

 

K.C. is now a successful real estate broker in Wyoming and recently emailed me asking for some book and DVD recommendations. I had just finished Jericho's memoir and told him he ought to get it first, since K.C's name was actually on the lease of the apartment in Morristown that Chris Jericho lived in while in SMW and described so vividly in the book.

 

A week and a half later, I received the following email:

 

I'm 270 pages into Jericho's book, up till his working in WAR.

 

If the chapters on his time in SMW are any indication, he's taken as many creative liberties in his memoirs as every other bullshit artist before him.

 

I couldn't care less that he says the house was Anthony's, (Anthony Michael, one of the original Dudleys in ECW) when Anthony moved in with me after Del Ray moved out. It's irrelevant that he thinks he was invited to stay in my house and Rex and Bruiser weren't. Corny was the one who asked me, not Brian Hildebrand. Brian had his own place and said, "no," when Corny asked him to put Jericho up.

 

***image1***It's flat out false that he almost came to blows with Bruiser and Bruiser liked him. He piped off one time in the car and Bruiser shut him up with one line, end of story. I mean, really, we're supposed to believe he was gonna challenge Bruiser f---ing Bedlam to a fight over dirty dishes? Please! Whenever Bruiser went back to Hamilton for a few days, he made it clear to me that I could use his Jeep, but Chris wasn't allowed to touch it.

 

Bruiser particularly thought Jericho was the one guy in the locker room that would be voted most likely to "Honk On Bobo." (I will give Y2J for reminding me of that K9 classic, as I'd forgotten that one...) Bruiser especially thought Jericho was a piece of shit when he wouldn't cover me one night at Subway, when Chris was pulling down $900 a week while I was driving him around without being reimbursed for gas, and I was making $150 a week.

 

He never drove Murdoch around. That was my responsibility, to chauffeur Capt. Redneck. Jimmy would never ask his hot young babyface to drive his guest lead heel around for the tour. Kayfabe, ya know? Jericho heard me and Del Ray telling the story at home of tossing the beer bottles out the window as we were the ones in the car with Murdoch every night.

 

Same for the roaches in Boo's (Balls Mahoney) bed. He must have heard that from Anthony after he left, because Boo came in after Jericho was gone. And it was Anthony and D-Lo (Brown) that found the roaches. I was gone by then, too, and I left six months after Chris.

 

He didn't tape Corny at the drive thru, either, although he was in the car that night. J.R. Benson and Ron Hed, the sickies from CA, taped it. The Strange Kentucky People tape is 100 percent true. Even down to R&R and Jesus pics in the living room. Scariest thing I've ever seen.

 

I'm glad he admitted he had a shit attitude and f---ed Jimmy by not working the gimmick tables. He took, mocked, and gave nothing back to the company. Lance at least stuck around and worked with Brian Lee for $150 a night that summer. And Morristown wasn't a dry county; he just wouldn't go out with us. Del Ray and I invited him several times to the club in Mo-town, where we both got drunk and laid often. Even the Macho Man hit the club with us, but not Chris.

 

Yes, their videos did nothing for them. They were abysmal in theory and in fact.

 

Yes, the penalty box matches were a stupid idea and poorly executed.

 

Yes, he did skip a show one-night claiming car troubles when he really went to Nashville for a KISS reunion concert.

 

Yes, he used steroids. I saw the needles in his room and heard him talking to Bruiser about getting more.

 

Yes, he did kick it with a vampire stripper at the Mouse's Ear. Anthony and I goaded him all night to approach her. It was the only girl we saw him talk to the whole time we were there. He did leave with her.

[Sphinx]

My memory is poor, but I remember enjoying Jericho's two books at the time for being entertaining if nothing else. My mate has read it recently whereas I read them a few years back and he reckons Jericho comes acrosd a bit of a dick too. He says Foley comes across as a weirdo in his first book too. I haven't read that since I was about twelve though.

 

Jericho gloating over his scrap with Goldberg was a roll-of-the-eyes moment though. I think I became numb to rolling my eyes in Dynamite Kid's book, but it was an entertaining read.

[C-Rock]

I've just finished reading, the Hardcore Truth by Hardcore Holly, it only took me 3 days to read it, it really is a excellent read so far one of my favorites. I have totally changed my view and have a new found understanding and respect for Holly after reading his book. He comes across as such a stand up guy who had a real passion for wrestling, his loyalty to WWE shines out throughout the book and he tells of turning down an offer from Bischoff for double what WWE was making and he turned him down flat, which I really admire. It shows that he wasn't in the business just for the money alone.

 

He's not afraid to speak his mind and lay everything bare, he talks about people he likes and dislikes but with that said there is very few people he disliked. He wasn't a big fan of the Kliq and tells a story about how he put them in their place early on and after that they didn't bother him. He stood up to the likes of Nash, Shawn and even drew an X on the chin of Nash with his finger and said to him that's exactly where I'm going to hit you if you fuck with me (to that effect) and Nash didn't do shit. He often calls the Kliq pussy's which I think is great. However he does often say that Shawn and Triple H are two of the greatest of all time in the ring and talks about some of the good things they have done for the business so you don't get a feeling that he's being entirely negative about them, he's just being honest which comes through throughout the book and is one of the best things about it. It's not the kind of book were its constantly bashing and knocking people, he's very fair and gives his reasons which I found myself agreeing with for the most part.

 

He talks about all the guys he admires and the real tough guys he's worked with like APA and Steve Blackman, he says that Blackman didn't want to take part in the Brawl for All because he knew he'd hurt guys badly and he didn't want to get heat or worse fired because of it, Holly says he'd have won it hands down and beat Butterbean with ease.

 

He talks about his frustrations regarding never getting a proper push, being stuck in the lower to mid card level and putting people over who he felt he was better than. However, he also says that putting people over was his job and that WWE is a two way street, you win some and you loose some and for the most part he was happy to help younger guys like Orton early on in their careers. You never once get a feeling he's bitter far from it, frustrated definitely but he sucked it up and did what he was asked every time without complaint. The key to his longevity in WWE was that he was hardworking, realiable, never complained and from what I can tell was respected and admired by the other guys in the locker room. He stood up to Vince when he felt it was necessary which he says Vince respected and that he was one of very few who could stand his ground with him and get away with it.

 

He talks about being overly stiff in the ring (he tells a funny Mae Young story which really makes you think) and I found myself totally agreeing with everything he said.

 

Overall Bob Holly has totally got my respect and gained a new fan, he's a tough hardworking guy who was good for the business. WWE needed and needs more guys like Hardcore Holly, kept his nose clean, honest, reliable, worked hard and loved the business. Quality guy and a quality book!

Edited July 11, 2013 by C-Rock

[The Reverend]

Just started reading Animal's autibiography. I wish less wrestlers would try to put themselves over so much in their books. I start to believe their stories less and less and roll my eyes more and more. I've read so many stories along the lines of 'no one in our area was tougher than mr. And I mean NO-ONE'. Even Gary Hart's had that tone in it a lot of the time. I much prefer the self-depreciating humour of Foley's and, to a lesser extent, Jericho's.

 

I've just finished Animal's book and really enjoyed it. He's quite straight shooting and there are lots of things which I didn't know. He does seem to have a lot of bravado but I guess that just comes from the time he worked in when Wrestlers were constantly bigging themselves up at the biggest thing ever!

Edited July 11, 2013 by The Reverend