Review: Chris and Nancy: The True Story of the Benoit Murder-Suicide and Pro Wrestling's Cocktail of Death by Irvin Muchnick

Chris and Nancy: The True Story of the Benoit Murder-Suicide and Pro Wrestling's Cocktail of Death
Irvin Muchnick, Phil Mushnick (Foreword)
ECW Press, 2009
Paperback, Ebook, Audiobook

This review was written in 2011.  Minor edits were made for this posting.

Journalist Irvin Muchnick's 2009 book Chris and Nancy: The True Story of the Benoit Murder-Suicide and Pro Wrestling's Cocktail of Death is an interesting marriage of pro-wrestling and true crime. Muchnick, a prolific author whose work has appeared in publications such as People and Sports Illustrated, is an unapologetic critic of the shortcomings of the professional wrestling industry.  His wrestling related work frequently deals with premature deaths, drug use and abuse within the industry and the generally dangerous life choices made by many of the industry's practitioners. Muchnick's other works include: Wrestling Babylon, Concussion Inc, and Justice Denied: The Untold Story of Nancy Argentino's Death in Jimmy Superfly Snuka's Hotel Room. He is nephew of late Kansas City promoter and former N.W.A. President Sam Muchnick.

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: Titan Sinking: The Decline of the WWF in 1995 by James Dixon

Titan Sinking: The Decline of the WWF in 1995
James Dixon, Benjamin Richardson (Illustration) Jim Cornette (Foreword)
Lulu.com, 2014
Hardcover, Paperback, Ebook

James Dixon's Titan Sinking: The Decline of the WWF in 1995 tells the story of the "sports-entertainment" juggernaut's worst financially (many would also argue creatively) performing year since Vince McMahon assumed the reigns of the WWF/E. Dixon, a member of the History of Wrestling team, uses a plethora of apt resources to present a complete and concise look at a year that was fraught with backstage political posturing and a product that left much to be desired on several fronts. Dixon and the History of Wrestling team have written several books detailing various periods and promotions including annual editions of The Raw Files, WWF/E Video Guides and the Superstar Series. Titan Sinking is the first in a proposed trilogy focusing on the WWF/E in the mid-late 1990s.  Titan Shattered, the second part of the trilogy, was released in 2015. More information on the group's titles can be found on their website.

Review: The Road Warriors: Danger, Death and the Rush of Wrestling By Joe "Animal" Laurinaitis

Road Warriors: Danger, Death and the Rush of Wrestling
Joe "Animal" Laurinaitis w. Andrew William Wright and "Precious" Paul Ellering (Foreward)
Medallion Press, 2011
Hardcover, Paperback, Ebook

Author Joe "Animal" Laurinaitis was one half of the revolutionary pro wrestling tag team The Road Warriors. Along with his late partner, Mike "Hawk" Hegstrand and (more often than not) their manager "Precious" Paul Ellering, The Road Warriors/Legion of Doom dominated the 1980s pro wrestling tag team scene. Their hard as nails personae, along with leather spikes and face paint impressed promoters and fans alike as the team were awarded championships in every major promotion during their career. Laurinaitis' book chronicles the team's life in and out of the ring.  The Road Warriors: Danger, Death and The Rush of Wrestling is his first book.  It is co-written by Andrew William Wright (Booker T: From Prison to Promise and Booker T: My Rise To Wrestling Royalty.)

Review: Drawing Heat by Jim Freedman

Drawing Heat
Jim Freedman
Crowbar Press (Re-release) 2010 / Black Moss Press, 1988
Paperback, Ebook

In the early 1980s Jim Freedman, a college professor at the University of Western Ontario, began working on a book about professional wrestling. Unlike many others who had a specific subject to cover or personality to profile, Freedman allowed his book to be shaped by his experiences rather than pick and choose events that meshed with a pre-determined theme or thesis. The majority of Freeman's piece revolves around a series of tours run by Ontario based wrestler/promoter "Wildman" Dave McKigney.  McKigney, best known as the trainer of Terrible Ted the Wrestling Bear, allowed Freedman to be a part of some tours he ran in Ontario and to write about his experiences. The result of his gradual immersion into the world of professional wrestling is Drawing Heat.  

Review: Justice Denied: The Untold Story of Nancy Argentino's Death In Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka's Motel Room by Irvin Muchnick

Justice Denied: The Untold Story of Nancy Argentino's Death In Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka's Motel Room
Irvin Muchnick
Amazon Digital Services, 2013
Ebook

Irvin Muchnick has been one of professional wrestling's foremost critics since the late 1980s.  This book is a short collection of his writings dating back to 1992 regarding the death of Nancy Argentino in 1983. Argentino - the girlfriend of WWF Star (and later Hall of Famer) Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka - died after suffering a severe head injury while touring with Snuka. While some claim it was an accidental fall, others have speculated that Argentino was the victim of abuse at the hands of Snuka and that the grappler was directly responsible for her death. Muchnick's works include: Pro Wrestling Babylon: Tales of Drugs, Sex, Death and Scandal (2007), Chris and Nancy: The True Story of the Benoit Murder-Suicide and Pro Wrestling's Cocktail of Death (2009) and Concussion Inc: The End of Football As We Know It (2015.) Muchnick operates the website http://concussioninc.net/