Review: A Star Shattered: The Rise And Fall Of Wrestling Diva By Tammy Sytch

A Star Shattered: The Rise And Fall Of Wrestling Diva

By Tammy "Sunny" Sytch

Riverdale Avenue Books, 2016

Paperback, Ebook

Tammy Sytch was a very prominent professional wrestling personality in the mid/late 1990s.  While also known for her tenures in SMW, ECW and WCW, it was during her role as Sunny in the pre-Attitude Era WWF/E that Sytch became a household name for wrestling fans. In the years since leaving the wrestling industry, Sytch has battled numerous personal issues.  A Star Shattered is Sytch's first book.

On the positive side, Sytch pulls very few punches with this book. She is very open with her memories and emotions regarding her pre, during and post wrestling life.  Uncommon to many books written by ex-wrestlers, especially those who have struggled after departing the industry, Sytch's passion for the business remains very apparent.  While she may have a case for post-wrestling bitterness, her love for wrestling - both as a fan and successful mainstream performer - remains evident. For the most part, the book is a very easy read.

Review: Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Canadians By Greg Oliver

The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Canadians
Greg Oliver with Foreword By Jacques Rougeau
ECW Press, 2002
Paperback, Ebook

Slam! Wrestling's Greg Oliver is one of the wrestling industry's most respected and prolific historians.  Oliver's The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Canadians (2002) is one of Oliver's masterful works that thematically chronicle key individuals and events in the history of professional wrestling. The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame series also includes: The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams (2005), The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Heels (2007) and The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: Heroes and Icons (2012). The Canadians is the only book in the series that was not co-written with Steven Johnson. Oliver is also the co-writer of Slam! Wrestling: Shocking Stories from the Squared Circle (2009) and was one of four contributors to Benoit: Wrestling With The Horror That Destroyed A Family and Crippled A Sport (2007) and has also written several books on the history of hockey.

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.

Note: Best Book of 2015 - Wrestling Observer Awards

The 36th Annual Wrestling Observer Readership awards were announced earlier this week. For a complete list of the winners and runners-up check out the Wrestling Observer website. 

Daniel Bryan and Craig Tello's Yes! My Improbable Journey To The Main Event of Wrestlemania was the bigger winner in the Best Book category with 386 votes.  A distant second at 82 votes was Backlund by former WWF Champion Bob Backlund and Robert Miller, followed closely by Lion's Pride by Chris Charlton with 81 votes. The complete list is below.  Most titles are available at Amazon. Canadian readers can get the goods and help support the site by visiting the Wrestlebook Review Amazon store.

2015 Wrestling Observer Best Pro Wrestling Book

Number of Votes are in brackets.

1. Yes! Daniel Bryan and Craig Tello (386)

2. Backlund by Bob Backlund and Robert Miller (82)

3. Lion's Pride by Chris Charlton (81)

4. My Fight/Your Fight by Ronda Rousey and Maria Burns

5. Strangler Lewis by Steve Yohe (15)

6. Battleground Baltimore by Graham Cawthon (13)

7. Is Wrestling Fixed by Bill Apter (11)

8. Capitol Revolution by Tim Hornbaker (9)

Review: 1984: The Year Wrestling Changed Forever By Dusty Wolfe

1984: The Year Wrestling Changed Forever: 
Wrestling's Most Pivitol Year: The Territories ENDED and the WWE Came To Power
By Dusty Wolfe
Self Published, 2014
Ebook

Long time journeyman Dusty Wolfe's self published ebook is a quick look at the 1984 professional wrestling scene. Wolfe has wrestled throughout the world and is best remembered for his time as a recurring enhancement worker in the WWF/E and WCW. 1984: The Year Wrestling Changed Forever is one of several books/articles written by Wolfe. His best known work is his 2008 autobiography Journal of a Journeyman.

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.