As a TV wrestler, readers challenge Vampire Vic, five-hundred-pound Awesome Al, and Carl the Colossus and vie for the chance to become the host of a wrestling show or be discovered by movie actor Sylvester Saloon.
He was born a congenital amputee, his arms ending at his elbows and his legs at his knees. But that didn’t stop Kyle Maynard from becoming a champion, on the wrestling mat and in his life. No Excuses is the inspiring story of Kyle’s battle against the odds. You’ll learn about the family who supported him, the coach who trained him, and the faith that strengthened him to face the toughest fights.
Lex Luger, wrestling megasensation and three-time world heavyweight champion, ruled the ring for years as “The Total Package.” Whether he was making a dramatic entrance from a helicopter, defeating champ Hulk Hogan, or sculpting a near-perfect physique, Lex was on top of his game. Yet backstage, he was wrestling with addictions to sex, drugs, and alcohol—things he clung to even when his mistress died suddenly of a drug overdose and Lex went to jail. There, Lex faced the truth: he was losing the fight for his life. And still awaiting him was his most brutal opponent yet, when the wrestling champ found himself helplessly paralyzed from the neck down. In Wrestling with the Devil, Lex Luger reveals never-before-told stories from his career, his struggle with personal demons, and how, through unexpected faith, grace, and redemption, he overcame all odds to fight the only battle that really matters.
A breakthrough examination of the professional wrestling, its history, its fans, and its wider cultural impact The Squared Circle grows out of David Shoemaker’s writing for Deadspin, where he started the column “Dead Wrestler of the Week” (which boasts more than 1 million page views)—a feature on the many wrestling superstars who died too young because of the abuse they subject their bodies to—and his writing for Grantland, where he covers the pro wrestling world, and its place in the pop culture mainstream. Shoemaker’s sportswriting has since struck a nerve with generations of wrestling fans who—like him—grew up worshipping a sport often derided as “fake” in the wider culture. To them, these professional wrestling superstars are not just heroes but an emotional outlet and the lens through which they learned to see the world. Starting in the early 1900s and exploring the path of pro wrestling in America through the present day, The Squared Circle is the first book to acknowledge both the sport’s broader significance and wrestling fans’ keen intellect and sense of irony. Divided into eras, each section offers a snapshot of the wrestling world, profiles some of the period’s preeminent wrestlers, and the sport’s influence on our broader culture. Through the brawling, bombast, and bloodletting, Shoemaker argues that pro wrestling can teach us about the nature of performance, audience, and, yes, art. Full of unknown history, humor, and self-deprecating reminiscence—but also offering a compelling look at the sport’s rightful place in pop culture—The Squared Circle is the book that legions of wrestling fans have been waiting for. In it, Shoemaker teaches us to look past the spandex and body slams to see an art form that can explain the world.
A deluxe oversized hardback book packed with photos, telling the story of the WWE Championship from Buddy Rogers in 1963 to current champ Bobby Lashley! Buddy Rogers, Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Rick Flair, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, John Cena, Randy Orton, Drew McIntyre, and Bobby Lashley are just a few of the 50-plus Superstars who've body slammed their opponents, thrilled countless millions of wresting fans, and lofted the WWE Championship belt in triumph over the WWE's legendary 60-year history. And now, mixing everything from the Spinebuster and Lionsault to the Stomach Claw and Rock Bottom, WWE Championship: The Greatest Title in Sports Entertainment goes to the mat for WWE fans, exploring the changing face of the WWE Championship through its beloved wrestlers and their epic battles in the ring. Hundreds of action photos and posed portraits capture the most memorable moments and personalities in WWE history. Among the greatest matches revisited are: - WrestleMania VI's Ultimate Challenge between Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior - Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart's Iron Man Match at WrestleMania XII - Hulk Hogan’s famous Slam Heard ‘round the World against André the Giant at WrestleMania 3. - Triple H and Cactus Jack's Street Fight at Royal Rumble 2000. Author Jeremy Brown takes a "raw" look at the WWE Championship by breaking down each WWE era in chronological order: - Early Years - 1967-1980s - The Golden Era - 1980s to early 1990s - New Generation -- Early 1980s to mid-1990s - Attitude Era - Mid-1990s to early 2000s - Reality Era - 2014 to 2016 - The New Era - 2016 to the present WWE Championship: The Greatest Title in Sports Entertainment is the perfect gift for WWE uber-fans and wrestling newcomers alike.
After 32 years, Montreal will soon lose its professional baseball team. The former president of the Expos explains how the team went from being one of major league baseball's most promising franchises to becoming a financial pariah, barely escaping extinction at the end of the 2001 season and now facing demise in 2002. This history of the team's troubled existence covers years of gradually declining revenue and attendance, the sale of the team to a consortium of business leaders in 1991, and the league's ongoing debate over eliminating the Expos once and for all.