R.D. Reynolds and Bryan Alvarez, Dave Meltzer (Foreword)
ECW Press, 2014 - Revised Edition of 2004 Release
Hardcover, Paperback, Ebook
A little over a decade ago Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Weekly's Bryan Alvarez and Wrestlecrap's R.D. Reynolds paired up to write the definitive guide to the rise and fall of the WCW. In 2014 the pair released an updated and expanded edition. Reynolds, the co-founder of the Wrestlecrap website, is also the author of Wrestlecrap: The Very Worst Of Pro Wrestling and The Wrestlecrap Book of Lists! Alvarez is the founder of Figure Four Weekly newsletter, has written for Fighting Spirit magazine and is the host/co-host of several podcasts under the Wrestling Observer / Figure Four Weekly banner. This is his only book. The both versions of the book (2004 and 2014) won the Wrestling Observer Book of the Year Award.*
The Death of WCW is a well researched, tragically funny and as close to complete as possible chronicle of the events of the prosperous boom and mind numbingly quick bust of World Championship Wrestling. Alvarez and Reynolds, both of whom are well respected for their witty analysis of the wrestling industry, expertly take the reader on a clear and concise (as one possibly can be) roller coaster ride that was World Championship Wrestling. So often people have blamed a specific factor (guaranteed contracts, expanding beyond the southern fan base too quickly, World Champion David Arquette) as the prime reason for WCW's demise, Alvarez and Reynolds present the case that WCW tanked due to overall mismanagement and that the company's end was more due to death by a million cuts than any one person or event.
The book is extremely critical of those who repeatedly acted out of their own self-interest and/or, due to lack of experience, common sense or both were grossly inept at their jobs. In isolated cases these individuals (and their characters/storylines/matches) may have worked well on occasion, but there was not enough of this to counterbalance the plethora of bad creative and business decisions. WCW was a company that was losing mass amounts of money as ratings plummeted and credibility - a tough thing to attain in wrestling at the best of times - was lost.
The book takes WCW management to task for not creating new stars, and this is a legitimate point as many cite the lack of new stars as the main reason WCW failed, but would anyone have been successful without extreme changes to the whole management and creative structure? This question is not a criticism of the book, but rather one of many head scratchers that the book causes the reader to ask him or herself. As is evident time and time again as they go through the history of WCW, the company was plagued by more than simply creative control clauses in the contracts of a few key players. Did the company's death begin with the signing of Hogan? The promotion of Bischoff? The acquisition by Turner? The 1973 death of Jim Crockett Sr? The colonization of Atlanta? There is no clear answer and readers who enjoy thinking (or over thinking) about this type of question will find the book perfect food for thought.
The Death of WCW is extremely funny. At times it is difficult to decide if it is Alvarez and Reynolds' analysis or their summaries that will elicit more laughs. This should come as no surprise to those who are familiar with either's work or those who recognize how perfectly suited to black comedy the late 90s WCW was.
At times the authors make some overly generalized statements that are incorrect in a purely literal sense i.e. "nobody cared about" or "nobody wanted to see." While these exaggerations were often used as a means of simplification, there are points where the authors may cross the line from providing a negative commentary to being mean spirited and/or taking pot shots at talent who were doing what they are told to do. (One wrestler is criticised for not following the company program and refusing to lose while another is criticised for following the script and doing a foolish angle.) It is a very picky and moot point, but WCW - like all large companies - had its die hard fan base who loved the product even to its dying days. Some of the criticism may be justifiably overly harsh to these readers. (Mind you, even the Gobbledy Gooker and the Ding Dongs have their defenders.)
The expanded edition makes a number of allusions to TNA Wrestling. While the creative decisions of the company are eerily similar to those of WCW - partially due to the fact that they were made by many of the same people - from a purely business sense, it is not a fair comparison. With its history of established stars, backing of a large media mogul, guaranteed television spots and a firmly established fan base, WCW was in a far better position to succeed than TNA has ever been. At times, the authors don't make a clear distinction between bad business and bad creative. While both translate into money loss, there is a huge difference between the two.
These criticisms are, by and large, very moot ones. Overall the book is a very strong entry into the pro wrestling canon. While some have criticised the tone of the book and its lack of primary sources, neither were overly strong enough to effect the enjoyment level of the book. All things considered, this book (either version) should definitely be on most fan's must read list.
* This award is not selected by the staff, but is chosen by fan voting.
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