Review: Is Wrestling Fixed? I Didn't Know It Was Broken By Bill Apter

Is Wrestling Fixed? I Didn't Know It Was Broken

By Bill Apter, Jerry Lawler (Foreword), Joey Styles (Afterword) 

ECW Press, 2015

Paperback, Ebook, Audiobook

Bill Apter is at the top of the short list of well-known and well respected professional wrestling journalists. The long time editor of Pro Wrestling Illustrated and its sister magazines was such a guiding force in the publications that they are still, years after his departure, referred to as "The Apter Mags." Is Wrestling Fixed? is Apter's autobiographical look at his almost 50 years covering the professional wrestling industry. 

While best remembered as a kayfabe guarding journalist - unlike Dave Meltzer, Wade Keller, etc - who was semi-complicit in the pro wrestling ruse of yesteryear, this book is not "a work." Apter's story is that of a young wrestling fan who gradually grows from "unofficial" freelance photographer to staff contributor for Stanley Weston's family of magazines to being one of the key players in the professional wrestling industry. While many of the variables pertaining to the professional wrestling industry and journalism as a whole have changed, Is Wrestling Fixed? is certainly a good read for those with an interest in covering the sport.

Review: Pro Wrestling FAQ: All That's Left To Know About The World's Most Entertaining Spectacle By Brian Solomon

Pro Wrestling FAQ: All That's Left To Know About The World's Most Entertaining Spectacle

Brian Solomon

Backbeat Books, 2015

Paperback, Ebook

Former WWE magazine editor Brian Solomon pens a very complete look at the history of professional wrestling. Solomon is the former editor of WWE and Smackdown magazines and is the author of the WWE release WWE Legends.

Covering the evolution of the sport from its carnival days to the present, Pro Wrestling FAQ touches on many of the industry's most influential people and most significant events with a level of detail that is often not seen in books that cover such a wide timeline. Solomon is at his best when covering significant events of the late 19th and early 20th century as he presents a historical narrative in a concise yet comprehensive look at the dark ages of professional wrestling.  The book is rife with biographical and/or historical information concerning many different personalities, events and regions.  While it is essentially a reference book, it is also written in a manner that makes it an entertaining and - despite its length - a very easy read.

Review: The Undertaker: 25 Years of Destruction by Kevin Sullivan

The Undertaker: 25 Years of Destruction
Kevin Sullivan
DK Publishing, 2015
Hardcover

Kevin Sullivan's The Undertaker: 25 Years of Destruction is a detailed chronicle of the career of one of the WWF/E's most legendary performers. Sullivan is the author / co-author of several books detailing the history of the WWE including: The WWE Encyclopedia, WWE 50, The WWE Championship: A Look Back At The Rich History Of The WWE Championship.

Like many of the WWE books published by DK Publishing (i.e. WWE: The Attitude Era), The Undertaker: 25 Years of Destruction is a treasure trove of photos that provide a very complete look at the subject. Without a doubt the individuals responsible for the image selection meticulously mined the WWE photo archive to achieve a comprehensive retrospective into the quarter century career of The Undertaker that is informative and visually appealing.

Review: Titan Shattered: Wrestling With Confidence and Paranoia By James Dixon

Titan Shattered: Wrestling With Confidence and Paranoia
James Dixon, Lee Maughan, Benjamin Richardson, Justin Henry (Foreword)
Lulu.com, 2015
Paperback, Ebook

Titan Shattered: Wrestling With Confidence and Paranoia is James Dixon's (History of Wrestling) follow up to the acclaimed Titan Sinking. Whereas Titan Sinking chronicled the ups and downs (mainly downs) of the WWF in 1995, Titan Shattered picks up where its predecessor left off and brings readers through the tumultuous timeline of 1996.  This is the latest of a number of books written or co-written by James Dixon who is a member of the History of Wrestling staff and is part two of a proposed three part series. A complete list of their publications including their Raw Files, Superstar Series and Video Guides is available on the group's website.

Review: Yes! My Improbable Journey To The Main Event of Wrestlemania By Daniel Bryan and Craig Tello

Yes! My Improbable Journey To The Main Event of Wrestlemania
Daniel Bryan and Craig Tello
St. Martin's Press, 2015
Hardcover, Paperback, Ebook, Audiobook

Daniel Bryan's Yes My Improbable Journey To The Main Event of Wrestlemania is an auto-biographical chronicle of the the career of WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan. The book, released in July of 2015, tells the story of Daniel Bryan (Byran Danielson) from his birth up to the point of his main eventing Wrestlemania XXX. Despite having a stellar independent career wherein he had developed a strong following due to his in ring skills and unrivalled ability to connect with audiences, Bryan struggled to be taken seriously as a top star in the WWE. The issue for Bryan was not if fans or even many of his co-workers would accept him as a top star, but rather whether or not the higher ups in the WWE would allow him to have the chance. The book is co-written by Craig Tello (Diary of a Heartbreak Kid, WWE: 100 Greatest Matches,)

Review: Booker T: My Rise To Wrestling Royalty By Booker T. Huffman

Booker T: My Rise To Wrestling Royalty
Booker T. Huffman w/ Andrew William Wright, Foreword by John Bradshaw Layfield
Medallion Press, 2015
Hardcover, Ebook

Booker T. Huffman and Andrew William Wright (co-author of The Road Warriors: Danger, Death and The Rush of Wrestling) return with their second book chronicling the life of one of the wrestling industry's most decorated performers.  My Rise To Wrestling Royalty (2015) picks up where the first book, From Prison To Promise (2012) left off. While his first book detailed his young life prior to entering pro wrestling, this one extensively covers his career from his early days in WCW through his 2012 entry into the WWE Hall of Fame. 

Huffman gives readers a very complete picture of his active and prolific in ring career. He (and Wright) pay great attention to detail with regards to dates, locations and elements of specific matches and angles. There are no major peaks in Booker T's career that are omitted.   Huffman also gives the reader a lot of thoughts and insight into many of his angles,

Review: WWE: The Attitude Era By Jon Robinson

WWE: The Attitude Era
Jon Robinson
Brady Games / DK Publishing, 2015
Hardcover, Ebook

A few years ago, with competition from WCW at its peak, the once family friendly - often times live action cartoon - WWF began producing a racier product. The period, best defined as mid 90s to early 2000s, has become known as The Attitude Era. With a beer-swilling, middle-finger raising and foul-mouthed champion, scantily clad women, pimps, porn stars, octogenarians giving birth to appendages and very thinly veiled race wars in the forefront of the product; the wrestling industry came as close as ever to entering the main stream of entertainment.  Traditionalists criticized the era for its excesses, but the vast majority of fans - many of them initially attracted by the adult themes and shocking story lines - loved it.

Review: Damn! Why Did I Write This Book? by Jayson (JTG) Paul

Damn! Why Did I Write This Book?
Jayson (JTG) Paul
Self Published, 2015
Ebook

JTG is best known for his 8 year stint as a member of the WWE Roster as both a singles wrestler and one half of the tag team Cryme Tyme. Damn! Why Did I Write This Book? chronicles the author's WWE tenure focusing, mainly, on his backstage interaction with other talents and management. This is JTG's first book. 

Damn! Why Did I Write This Book? was a surprise release this week. While it did not get the pre-release

Review: Wrestling For My Life By Shawn Michaels

Wrestling For My Life:
The Legend, The Reality, And The Faith of a WWE Superstar
Shawn Michaels w/ David Thomas. Triple H and Steve Austin (Forewords)
Zondervan Trade Books, 2015
Hardcover, Paperback, Ebook, Audiobook

Wrestling For My Life is Shawn Michaels' second book and the second one I wrote a review for, Heartbreak and Triumph was released in 2006. I will be posting that review (from 2007) in the coming days.

Shawn Michaels is widely considered one of the best-in ring performers in the history of pro wrestling. While always a top quality performer, Michaels battled a wide range of issues when away from the ring. In 1998, a serious back injury forced Michaels to walk away from the sport at the height of his career.

Review: Capitol Revolution By Tim Hornbaker

Review: Capitol Revolution: The Rise of The McMahon Wrestling Empire

Tim Hornbaker, ECW Press, 2015

Paperback, Ebook

Hornbaker's follow up to his 2007 book The National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of The Monopoly That Strangled Pro Wrestling, does not disappoint.  Capitol Revolution is an amazingly well researched book that follows the involvement of the McMahon family in sports promotion throughout the majority of the 20th century.  Hornbaker shows the birth and development of what would become pro wrestling's largest empire against the backdrop of the formation and expansion of the NWA and the growing involvement of the various state athletic commissions. The book shows an industry that was filled with fragile political alliances that were as important to its success as the in-ring product was. Hornbaker provides a great overview of the promoting careers of Jess McMahon, Vincent J. McMahon and Joseph "Toots" Mondt in a time period that is not often covered in other books.  While Mondt, due to his longevity and more colourful nature, is the more central character of the three; the book gives more insight into the lives and careers of Jess and Vince McMahon Sr. than any other contemporary source on the market.