Wrestling History

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

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 ...

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.

Ballyhoo! The Roughhousers, Con Artists, and Wildmen Who Invented Professional Wrestling is a history of professional wrestling’s formative period in the U.S., from roughly 1874 to 1941, and the contested interplay of wrestlers and promoters who built the “sport” as we know it. During this period, the major conventions that would define wrestling to the present day were perfected and codified, as wrestling morphed from a rough sport practiced on farms and at town gatherings to melodramatic mass entertainment that reliably drew large crowds in cities across the nation.

As a WWE wrestler with millions of fans, Shawn Michaels had adulation and all the attention he could ask for, but he found himself longing for something more. When he became a committed Christian at the height of his career, Shawn learned what it's like to be a man of faith in a secular arena. Wrestling for My Life documents Shawn's journey to finding a new way of life - one that's marked by faith, family, and forgiveness.

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.

Is there a way to find truth in the stuff of legend? You may think you know Andre the Giant - but who was Andre Roussimoff? This comprehensive biography addresses the burning questions, outrageous stories, and common misconceptions about his height, his weight, his drawing power as a superstar, and his seemingly unparalleled capacity for food and alcohol. But more importantly, The Eighth Wonder of the World transports listeners beyond the smoke and mirrors of professional wrestling into the life of a real man.

In early 2015, Roderick Toombs, aka Rowdy Roddy Piper, began researching his own autobiography with a trip through Western Canada. He was rediscovering his youth, a part of his life he never discussed during his sixty-one years, many spent as one of the greatest talents in the history of pro wrestling. Following his death due to a heart attack that July, two of his children took on the job of telling Roddy's story, separating fact from fiction in the extraordinary life of their father.

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 ...

In 2017, after being told that no independent wrestling group could draw a crowd of more than 10,000, a group of wrestlers took up the challenge. For several years, these gladiators had been performing in front of rabid crowds and understood the hunger for wrestling that was different from the TV-slick product. In September 2018, they had the numbers to prove it: 11,263 fans filled the Sears Center Arena for the All In pay-per-view event, ushering in a new era. A year later, WWE had its first major head-to-head competitor in nearly two decades when All Elite Wrestling debuted on TNT.

Lewis, Burns, Jenkins and Gotch, Legendary Wrestlers of the Legitimate Era In January 1881, Edwin Bibby defeated Duncan C. Ross to establish the first American based catch wrestling title, the American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship. For the next thirty-two years, the best wrestlers in American competed for the prestigious title. Learn the true history of the first catch wrestling championship in the United States.

In the world of professional wrestling, the goal is to make you feel something, to cheer the hero and despise the villain. But what happens when the attempt to create a hated character crosses the line from compelling television into genuinely offensive territory? This book explores the moments when WWE’s creative decisions went spectacularly wrong, resulting in storylines that were tasteless, uncomfortable, and often embarrassing to watch. This collection chronicles the most controversial angles in WWE history, from the early days of national expansion to the modern era. It delves into ...

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.

Who Will Survive? From the opening bell of the first annual Survivor Series to the controversial closing moments of Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels and The Montreal Screwjob of Survivor Series 1997, relive every single match, interview, and angle from the second-longest running PPV in WWE history. The Complete History of Survivor Series - Vol 1: 1987 - 1997 features a Who's Who of all your favorite pro wrestling superstars including: Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage, Andre The Giant. Demolition, The British Bulldogs, The Ultimate Warrior, The Rock. Sid, Kevin "Diesel" Nash. Scott "Razor ...

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 ...

As WWE prepares to present Clash at the Castle, it's first UK PPV in 19 years, Retro Pro Wrestling looks back at all the oft-forgotten British PPVs and major events that took place from the Battle Royal at the Royal Albert Hall* in 1991 all the way to the final UK event, Rebellion 2003. Recounting every match,every angle, and every backstage interview, The Complete History of WWE's UK PPVs features a Who's Who of top stars including Bret Hart, British Bulldog, Randy Savage, Ric Flair, Ultimate Warrior, John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, HHH and ...

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, ...

What if the Wrong Mindset or Poor Nutrition Choices are the Only Things Standing Between Your Athlete and Their Dreams? Could the Pressure to Perform be Eroding Their Confidence, Leaving Them Doubting Their Ability to Succeed? Is Your Athlete Equipped to Handle the Demands of Competitive Sports—or are They at Risk of Burn Out before Reaching their Peak? What if Your Athlete’s Lack of Understanding about Proper Nutrition and Hydration is Costing them Energy, Endurance, and the Chance to Outperform the Competition? Without the Right Guidance, Could Your Teen be Missing Critical ...

For as long as professional wrestling has existed, fans have passionately debated the question, "What if?" This volume journeys into several of wrestling’s most pivotal and often criticized eras, exploring the endless possibilities branching off from every creative decision. It is a vessel for the ultimate fan fantasy: the impulse to rewrite history and build a better world from the raw materials of talent and circumstance. Our first deep dive reimagines the wrestling landscape in the chaotic aftermath of the Monday Night Wars and the botched WCW/ECW InVasion angle. We then turn the clock...

As a kid growing up in New York in the late '50s, Bill Apter fell in love with professional wrestling, and it wasn't long before he was rubbing shoulders with the greats as a young reporter and photographer. He's since become the world's best-known wrestling magazine personality, and he's had professional and personal relationships with a who's who of the business, like Triple H, Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Sting, and Ric Flair.