Wrestlingӳ biggest mistakes, most comical mishaps, and most egotistical performers are all featured in this cornucopia of nonsense presented in top-10 list format.Lists include The Greatest Mullets in the History of the Game, Wrestlers Who Moonlighted in Porn, The Wrestling Divas Who Suffered the Greatest Falls from Grace, and The 25 Worst Gimmicks of All Time. Irreverent, off-kilter, and certain to be offensive to all, this compendium is a hilarious look at the lunacy of professional wrestling.
WrestleCrap: The Very Worst of Professional Wrestling examines some of the ridiculously horrible characters and storylines that pro wrestling promoters have subjected their fans to over the past twenty years. Why would any sane person think that having two grown men fight over a turkey was actually a reasonable idea' Was George Ringo, the Wrestling Beatle, really the best gimmick that a major promotional organization could come up with' And who would charge fans to watch a wrestler named the Gobbeldy Gooker emerge from an egg' In an attempt to answer such questions and figure out just what the promoters were thinking, authors Randy Baer and R.D. Reynolds go beyond what wrestling fans saw on the screen and delve into the mindset of those in the production booth. In some instances, the motivations driving the spectacle prove even more laughable than what was actually seen in the ring. Covering such entertainment catastrophes as an evil one-eyed midget and a wrestler from the mystical land of Oz, not to mention the utterly comprehensible Turkey-on-a-Pole match (a gimmick which AWA fans might recall), WrestleCrap is hysterically merciless in its evaluation of such organizations as the WCW and the WWF. This retrospective look at the wrestling world's misguided attempts to attract viewers will leave wrestling fans and critics alike in stitches.
As history repeats itself, a wrestling classic becomes even more relevant. In 1997, World Championship Wrestling was on top. It was the number-one pro wrestling company in the world, and the highest-rated show on cable television. Each week, fans tuned in to Monday Nitro, flocked to sold-out arenas, and carried home truckloads of WCW merchandise. It seemed the company could do no wrong. But by 2001, however, everything had bottomed out. The company - having lost a whopping 95% of its audience - was sold for next to nothing to Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment. WCW was laid to rest. What went wrong? This expanded and updated version of the bestselling Death of WCW takes readers through a detailed dissection of WCW's downfall, including even more commentary from the men who were there and serves as an object lesson - and dire warning - as WWE and TNA hurtle toward the 15th anniversary of WCW's demise.
African Americans have made substantial contributions to the sporting world, and vice versa. This wide-ranging collection of new essays explores the inextricable ties between sports and African American life and culture. Contributors critically address important topics such as the historical context of African American participation in major U.S. sports, social justice and responsibility, gender and identity, and media and art.
Here, by popular demand, is the third volume in the Professional Wrestling Book Of Lists series! As in the first two volumes in this series, we tackle some of the biggest questions in the industry in countdown list format.Who were the youngest World Champions in history? Who were the biggest stars the Undertaker never got ahold of at Wrestlemania? The biggest failed attempts to create the Next Big Superstar? The things wrestling fans hate hearing the most? The greatest World Champions to hold World Titles in more than one company?The Third Professional Wrestling Book Of Lists has the answers to those questions and more!This book also includes the following bonus features:-How Many People WERE In The NWO?-WCW Uncensored: The Gimmick Pay Per View Gone Wrong-The Raw/Nitro Simulcast: The Last Night Of The Monday Night Wars
Fritz Von Erich, Rick Rude, Bruiser Brody, and a dozen more who couldn't walk away from the fame and the treadmill that came with it, even when their bodies quit and their families begged them to stop. It is an homage to their athletic ability, their charisma and drive, a celebration of the characters they brought us, and a warning to those who figure to follow in their footsteps. Book jacket.
The Wrestling Biography You’ve Been Waiting For! There are few people who have been in the wrestling business longer than Jim Ross. And those who have made it as long as he has (half a century to be exact) probably made enemies or burned bridges. But that’s just not JR. Slobberknocker is the story of how an Oklahoman farm kid, with a vivid imagination and seemingly unattainable dreams, became “The Voice of Wrestling” to record TV audiences and millions of fans around the world. Jim opens up about his life as an only child on a working farm, who became obsessed with professional wrestling having first saw it on his grandparent’s TV. Even though the wrestling business was notoriously secretive and wary of “outsiders,” he somehow got a foot in the door to start a historic career, one where he held almost every job in the business?from putting up the ring to calling matches, from driving his blind, drunk boss towards revenge, to consoling two naked 600 pound brothers in the shower room after a rough match. With all those adventures and responsibilities, he’s also recognized as the man who built and nurtured a once-in-a-generation talent roster that took the WWE to new heights, including “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Brock Lesnar, and The Rock to name a few. Readers will finally get the opportunity to hear never-before-told stories about the politics, wackiness, and personalities of all the biggest stars. But this isn’t just a wrestling story. It’s a story about overcoming adversity and achieving your dreams, as success did not come without significant costs and unforeseen challenges to JR, including multiple bouts of severe facial paralysis called Bell’s Palsy. Currently the host of the podcast The Ross Report, any fan of wrestling?from the territory days to today?will be enthralled with stories from the road and behind the scenes. Slobberknocker is the first time Ross tells his story?and you don’t want to miss it!
Offering candid and detailed accounts of bona fide wrestling legends and a Foreword by Bret Hart, Tributes II takes its place among the most important books ever written on the world of pro wrestling.