English Wrestling

Kayfabe: A Mostly True History of Professional Wrestling is the story of how professional wrestling evolved from humble roots as a folk sport into an intricate and unique performance art, and a global billion dollar industry. It’s a history that takes in America’s Wild West, the Music Halls of Victorian London, the circuses of P.T. Barnum, the golden age of television, the genesis of Mixed Martial Arts, all the way to the dizzying heights of WWE's Wrestlemania and AEW's All-In. As befitting a story with roots in Vaudeville Theatre, it’s full of twists, turns, surprises, myth-making ...

Written without collaborators and based on decades of tape recordings he made throughout his career, Hitman is Bret Hart's brutally honest, perceptive and startling account of his life in and out of the ring that proves once and for all that great things come in pink tights...

There has been much said about Dusty Rhodes, the 'American Dream', over the years by both his fans and peers. Aside from the frequent fictional prose penned by wrestling magazine journalists and internet smart marks that run rumor-mill websites, however, there has not been much written about him. Until now. With the exception of a select few, there has been no bigger name or personality in the annals of pro wrestling history than Dusty Rhodes.

ECW was one extreme contradiction piled on top of another. It was an incredibly influential company in the world of professional wrestling during the 1990s, yet it was never profitable. It portrayed itself as the ultimate in anti-authority rebellion, but its leadership was, at various points, working covertly with the two wrestling giants, the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling. Most of all, it blurred the line between real life and the fantasy world of professional wrestling like no other company before it.

A breakthroughexamination of professional wrestling - its history, its fans, and its widercultural impact - that does for the sport what Chuck Klosterman did for heavymetal

The Squared Circle grows out of David Shoemaker'swriting for both Deadspin, where hestarted the column "Dead Wrestler of the Week" - a feature on the many wrestlingsuperstars who died too young because of the abuse they subjected their bodiesto - and Grantland,where he covers the pro-wrestling world and its place in the pop culturemainstream. Shoemaker's sports writing has since struck a nerve withgenerations of wrestling fans who, like him, grew up worshiping a sport oftenderided as "fake" in the wider culture. To them, these professional wrestlingsuperstars are not just heroes but an emotional outlet and the lens throughwhich they learned to see the world.

Starting in the early 1900s and exploring the path of prowrestling in America through the present day, The Squared Circle is thefirst book to acknowledge both the sport's broader significance and wrestlingfans' keen intellect and sense of irony. Divided into eras, each section offersa snapshot of the wrestling world, profiles some of the period's preeminentwrestlers, and examines the sport's influence on our broader culture. Throughthe brawling, bombast, and bloodletting, Shoemaker argues that pro wrestlingcan teach us about the nature of performance, audience, and, yes, art.

Full of unknown history, humor, and self-deprecatingreminiscence - but also offering a compelling look at the sport's rightful placein pop culture - The Squared Circle is the book that legions of wrestlingfans have been waiting for. In it, Shoemaker teaches us to look past thespandex and body slams to see an art form that can explain the world.

He’s been a fixture in professional wrestling for five decades. He helped introduce a hardcore wrestling style that you see in the WWE and Japan today. He’s made his mark in Hollywood. He’s Terry Funk, and this is his story. In this captivating look at the life of a living legend, Funk opens up about growing up in a wrestling family, working with various entertainment companies (including the ECW, WWE, and WWF), and so much more.

He was the most vicious, bloodthirsty, reviled villain in the history of the ring. During the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, he drew record crowds everywhere he went and left a trail of burned and bloody opponents in his wake. But what those legions of fans screaming for his head never knew was that The Sheik was really Eddie Farhat. The son of Arab immigrants, Farhat served his country proudly in World War II and was fulfilling the American dream. When he wasn't screaming unintelligibly and attacking his enemies, he was busy being the owner and operator of World Wide Sports.

Bobby Blaze Smedley's forthright autobiography, Pin Me, Pay Me, Have Boots Will Travel, is a powerful and insightful look at the inner workings of the world of professional wrestling, written in an introspective story-telling style that puts you in the ring with him. Overcoming illness and adversity to rise to the heights of his chosen profession, Bobby takes you on the road and around the world as he realizes his lifelong dream, to be one of the rare individuals who earns his living as a professional wrestler.

That neighbor of mine is a cute, surly ghoul whose pretty green eyes and angry scowl just make me want to rile him up even more. We've never really been buddies, despite living side by side for three years. But when he starts working at Goliaths as our IT manager, helping to bring us into a new digital age, our lives begin to become a bit more entangled. Mainly because he starts watching me each night while I… relax. So I make sure to give him a good show through my living room window.

The Royal Rumble has fascinated and enthralled wrestling fans around the world for over 30 years, captivating the imagination in a way that few other wrestling PPV concepts ever could. In the first volume of Retro Pro Wrestling's Complete History of The Royal Rumble, journalist and wrestling fan CJ Scholes relive every match, every angle, and every interview from the annual every-man-for-himself extravaganza. From Hacksaw Jim Duggan's victory in the inaugural TV special to The Rock's triumph at the 2000 event via back-to-back wins for Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin, the ...

What if the Montreal Screwjob hadn’t happened? What if the WCW Invasion would have worked? What if John Cena had turned heel? In Wrestling Rewritten, award-winning sports writer and lifelong pro wrestling fan BJ Pickard tackles some of professional wrestling's most often discussed and debated instances of what might have been. Through both historical and counterfactual examinations of the industry’s seminal angles and events over the last quarter-century, Wrestling Rewritten is an entertaining and informative read for fantasy bookers and casual fans alike.

Men cheat on women they love. That fact alone leaves many women confused, angry, and unable to trust their own judgment. "Wrestling with Nature: Understanding Why Men Cheat on the Women They Love" was written to answer one question clearly: why does this happen at all, even in relationships that still mattered to both people? This book explains male infidelity in plain language, without therapy jargon, political arguments, or moral speeches. It looks at biology, psychology, opportunity, impulse control, and modern relationship dynamics to show how a man can remain emotionally attached to a ...

SHE DOMINATED MEN IN THE RING… AND WROTE THE RULES OF #METOO 80 YEARS BEFORE THE HASHTAG The explosive sport biography reveals how Mildred Burke, the forgotten pioneer of girl wrestling, women wrestling, and pro-wrestling, invented sports feminism… and gives you the tools to smash your own limits. Step into vintage 1930s America, where a 5'2" waitress defied gender stereotypes, dominated male wrestlers twice her size in mixed wrestling (woman wrestling man) and catch wrestling (catch-as-catch-can), and became the first million-dollar female athlete. She built the first all-female ...

There are few people who have been in the wrestling business longer than Jim Ross. 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 seen it on his grandparents' TV.

THE ONLY SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY WORKBOOK THAT’S EXCLUSIVELY DESIGNED FOR WRESTLERS TO BUILD MENTAL TOUGHNESS AND BOOST THEIR ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE Athletes hear it all the time… "Wrestling is 90% Mental, and 10% Physical” "It's All in Your Head" "The Only One that Can Stop You is You" "You have to be Mentally Tough!" But what exactly do those sayings mean??? Without something concrete, it's difficult for athletes to understand what it specifically takes to have a mental approach primed for success. And rather than have a debate with someone who knows nothing about mental training or sports ...

Wrestling demands strength, skill, and strategy. Every grapple, takedown, and pin is a high-stakes battle requiring quick thinking and lightning-fast reflexes. The adrenaline rush that comes with each victory is like nothing else. This comprehensive guide teaches you the basics of wrestling and advanced techniques and strategies to help you excel in the sport.

The year 2001 began with a wrestling landscape rich with competition, featuring three national companies locked in a weekly ratings battle for a massive and devoted fanbase. By the time the calendar turned, only one promotion remained standing, fan interest had plummeted, and a steady decline began that continues to this day. This book chronicles how an entire industry, a true pop culture phenomenon, seemingly collapsed overnight. Follow the final, dying breaths of both Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling, from their last pay-per-view events to the day the lights...

Retro Pro Wrestling Presents: The Complete History of Wrestlemania Volume 1 - 1985 to 1998 Experience the history of Wrestlemania like never before! Relive every legendary match, captivating storyline, and unforgettable interview that made the early years of Wrestlemania the benchmark for professional wrestling entertainment. This volume takes you from the groundbreaking Wrestlemania 1, where Hulk Hogan and Mr. T teamed up to take on Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff, to the electrifying Wrestlemania 14, where Stone Cold Steve Austin ushered in a new era of Attitude in the World Wrestling ...

Professional wrestling has a long and storied history defined by pivotal moments and critical decisions that sent ripples throughout the industry. Have you ever wondered how differently things might have turned out if a key event had gone another way? This book explores those possibilities, diving deep into the most significant "what if" scenarios that could have reshaped the entire wrestling business. Imagine a world where Hulk Hogan never signed with WCW in 1994, leaving Ric Flair and Sting as the promotion's franchise players. Consider the landscape if the New World Order never invaded, ...

By creating WrestleMania, jumping into the pay-per-view field, and expanding across North America, Vince McMahon changed professional wrestling forever.