At the heart of professional wrestling is storytelling. In its simplest form, good guys compete against bad guys. In its more complex form, years of wrestling history can influence storytelling beats and crowd reactions. It's theater and includes costumes, acrobatics, and a great deal of showmanship. The more you know about professional wrestling, the more you’ll recognize the nuances of the storytelling; however, previous knowledge is not required. Professional wrestling is a spectacle all its own with flips and glitz abound.
If you’ve ever wanted a peak into the wild and sometimes wacky world of professional wrestling, check out this reading list!
With untold stories from a career spanning over 15 years and featuring the biggest names and controversial moments in wrestling history,
There's Just One Problem is an honest, unflinching look on how an introverted life-long fan unexpectedly became one of the most powerful men in all of professional wrestling. For decades wrestling was shrouded in secrecy. It had larger than life personalities, bone crunching physicality, and jaw-dropping theatrics, but backstage it was an industry devoid of outsiders.
There's Just One Problem is a story about perseverance, tenacity, and steel chairs. Most writers in the WWE last for a matter of months; Gewirtz was there for over 15 years, writing some of the most memorable and infamous storylines in WWE history. So how does a lifelong fan and outsider break through to become the ultimate insider? Taking advice from his idol, the late "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, when you're so full of fear, there's only one way to push through: become fearless.
The first and only in-depth look at the indie wrestling revolution. 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. Acclaimed wrestling historian Keith Elliot Greenberg's
Too Sweet takes readers back to the beginning, when a half century ago outlaw promotions challenged the established leagues, and guides us into the current era. He paints a vivid picture of promotions as diverse as New Japan, Ring of Honor, Revolution Pro, Progress, and Chikara, and the colorful figures who starred in each. This is both a dynamic snapshot and the ultimate history of a transformational time in professional wrestling.
Ever since the first-ever WrestleMania in March 1985, this annual, week-long, sold-out event has attracted hundreds of thousands of sports entertainment fans from all over the world. WrestleMania is where every WWE Superstar wants to make his or her name.
35 Years of WrestleMania allows sports entertainment fans to relive or discover all the most exciting matches, celebrity appearances, and controversies in this premier event's storied history. The key historic matches of every WrestleMania are explored in depth. Spectacular full-color photographs from WWE's own archive--many never seen before--superbly capture WrestleMania's unrivaled glamour and many of the most action-packed, unforgettable moments, both in the ring and behind the scenes. Get ready for the greatest spectacle in sports entertainment!
Is there a way to find truth in the stuff of legend? You may think you know André the Giant -- but who was André 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: The True Story of André the Giant transports readers beyond the smoke and mirrors of professional wrestling into the life of a real man. Born in France, André worked on his family's farm until he was 18 when he moved to Paris to pursue professional wrestling. A truly extraordinary figure, André went on to become an international icon and world traveler, all while battling acromegaly. While his disorder is what made him a giant and a household name, it's also what caused his untimely death at 46. With exhaustive research, exclusive interviews with family and friends, and an exploration of André's amazing in-ring career and the indelible mark he left on pop culture, Laprade and Hébert have crafted the most complete portrait of a modern-day mythical being.
Growing up AJ was a quiet girl trying to act "normal" when she felt anything but. As her family struggled with drug addiction, poverty, and mental illness, she found escape through comic books and video games and was inspired by the tough and unconventional female characters. It wasn't until she discovered pro wrestling that she learned superheroes could be real. Determined to become the superhero she'd always admired, AJ trained and sacrificed for years to achieve her dream of wrestling professionally. Yet she quickly faced industry pressure to play the role of the damsel in distress and to dress more provocatively to cater to male fans. But she fought back and created an ass-kicking alter ego that was a genuine representation of herself: nerdy, enthusiastic, and a little bit crazy. With humor and tremendous heart, AJ opens up for the first time about her harrowing struggle to understand her demons and the mental illness diagnosis that helped her gain control over her life. Charting her journey from a scrappy girl in an unstable home to an empowered wrestling champion,
Crazy Is My Superpower is an unflinchingly honest story and brave confessional about her long road to self-acceptance.
If you’ve caught a televised wrestling match anytime in the past thirty years, you’ve probably heard Jim Ross’s throaty Oklahoma twang. In this follow-up to his bestselling memoir Slobberknocker, he dishes about not only his long career, which includes nurturing global stars like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, and John Cena, but also about his challenges of aging and disability, his split from collaborator Vince McMahon, and the sudden death of his beloved wife, Jan. Under the Black Hat traces all the highs and lows of that wild ride, in which Jim served not only as on-air commentator, but talent manager, payroll master, and even occasional in-ring foil to threats like Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Undertaker. When suddenly stricken with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis that makes it impossible to smile, he started down his greatest fear—being cast out of the announcing booth for good. The result is a gruff, endearing, and remarkably human-scale portrait, set against the larger than life backdrop of professional wrestling.
Pro-wrestling's secrets and greatest moments are immortalized in this graphic novel from legendary wrestling personality Jim Cornette. A true-story style anthology, these insider tales will show the lengths that wrestlers went to uphold "kayfabe" (the old carny term for the presentation of legitimate conflict), as well as the noteworthy cultural, racial, and economic effects these events and characters had on society. This is the graphic novel that old school wrestling fans have been waiting their entire lives for: a no-holds-barred representation of the moments that wrestling insiders couldn't talk about for years.
Pro Wrestling Illustrated Published every other month, the magazine’s mission is to bring our readers right to the ringside with brilliant, high-impact photography and to inform and entertain readers about the Pro Wrestling world.
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Brittany
Information Specialist
Post Road
At the heart of professional wrestling is storytelling. In its simplest form, good guys compete against bad guys. In its more complex form, years of wrestling history can influence storytelling beats and crowd reactions. It's theater and includes costumes, acrobatics, and a great deal of showmanship. The more you know about professional wrestling, the more you’ll recognize the nuances of the storytelling; however, previous knowledge is not required. Professional wrestling is a spectacle all its own with flips and glitz abound. 
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