Download or read book WWE Legends Superstar Billy Graham written by Billy Graham and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-05-11 with total page 616 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "I'm the man of the hour," Superstar Billy Graham told his audiences, "the man with the power. Too sweet to be sour!" Despite years of devastating health issues (a long history of drug abuse led to a liver transplant in 2002), the man regarded as one of the most influential professional wrestlers of the past thirty years still flaunts the same optimism that made his interviews as compelling as his matches. In Tangled Ropes, his autobiography, Graham remembers his victories -- and his setbacks -- on both the wrestling and the evangelism circuits in vibrant detail. At his core, Graham is still Wayne Coleman, the artistic, curious boy who escaped the wrath of his disabled father in post-war Phoenix through painting, sports, and bodybuilding. When his photo appeared in a bodybuilding magazine, the young man caught the attention of a family in Texas who began praying for his soul. Soon, Wayne found religion at a revival meeting, then mortified his parents as he left home to bend steel, rip phone books in half, and preach the Gospel on the back roads of America. Because of his natural athleticism, Wayne held a series of jobs -- from bouncer to boxer, from repo man to football player. However, it was under the training of the "Mentor of Mayhem," Stu Hart, that the wrestler was revealed. Then the fading headliner Dr. Jerry Graham bleached Wayne's hair blond and transformed him into an in-ring "brother." Still reverent of men of faith, Coleman became "Billy Graham," after the preacher. Graham completed the package with his golden tan and enormous "pythons," a succession of color-coordinated outfits and jive-talking -- a persona imitated by countless wrestlers, including Hulk Hogan and Jesse "The Body" Ventura. The Superstar's greatest wrestling achievement came in 1977, when he took the World Wide Wrestling Federation Championship from Bruno Sammartino. He held the prize for nearly a year -- the first wrestling villain to do so. But after he lost the title to wholesome Bob Backlund, Graham fell into a deep depression. He disappeared from the business, squandering his money and losing himself in a haze of drugs. In Tangled Ropes -- co-written with Keith Elliot Greenberg -- Superstar Billy Graham tells a story that transcends his life in the wrestling profession, offering candor, nostalgia, inspiration, and humor. Graham's narrative is supplemented by anecdotes from personalities like Vince McMahon, Jesse Ventura, Ivan Koloff, Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, and California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Download or read book Superstar Billy Graham written by Billy Graham and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2006 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'The man of the hour, the man with the power, too sweet to be sour!' That was how Superstar Billy Graham described himself, and who could argue? Graham was perhaps the single most influential performer of the past thirty years, and the mark of that influence can be found in Superstars ranging from Hulk Hogan to Scott Steiner. His outrageous ring attire and Muhammad Ali-style interviews were a breath of fresh air during an era when sports entertainment was much more bare-bones than it is today. Just as fans flocked to see the Superstar compete in the ring, so they loved to listen to him pontificate on the microphone, even if he was bad-mouthing the Superstars they held dear. With his equally colourful manager the Grand Wizard at his side, Graham toppled Bruno Sammartino from his WWE Championship perch for the last time on April 30, 1977. He went on to hold the prize for nearly ten months, the longest reign for any ring villain in WWE history to this day.Clad in tie-dye and feather boas, the Superstar was a sign of things to come, and boasted a chiselled, muscular physique that was very unique at the time. During the late 1980s, he made a brief return to WWE competition, and even enjoyed stints as a manager and broadcaster. Graham has experienced it all and he's going to be talking about it in this book, with stories about all the legendary wrestlers - including Sammartino, Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka and Sergeant Slaughter - that no true wrestling fan will want to miss.
Download or read book WWE Legends written by Brian Solomon and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-06-15 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: WWE Legends gives fans an inside look at more than fifty of the greatest wrestlers ever to slip between the ropes and enter the “squared circle.” They were World Heavyweight Champions: Bob Backlund, Superstar Billy Graham, and Bruno Sammartino. They were fan favorites: “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka, Chief Jay Strongbow, and Andre the Giant. They were the villains everyone loved to hate: Killer Kowalski, Ernie Ladd, and the Fabulous Moolah. They were ethnic heroes, someone just like you that you could cheer for: Ivan Putski, Pedro Morales, Peter Maivia. They were the stars that shined the brightest, and left an indelible mark on the memories of countless fans. In a time when professional wrestling was divided into territories, no place created bigger Superstars than World Wrestling Entertainment. From the company's centerpiece in Madison Square Garden, legends were born. WWE Legends is the every fan's guide to the legends of the ring. They are all in here, from Andre the Giant to George “the Animal” Steele, with quick stats and descriptions of their most famous matches. No true wrestling fan should be without this book.
Download or read book Hollywood Hulk Hogan written by Hulk Hogan and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2002-12-06 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: You think you know Hollywood Hulk Hogan™? Brother, you don't know squat about me. Yeah, I'm the towering red-and-yellow warrior who revolutionized the wrestling business, the larger-than-life superhero who transformed an entire country into a horde of Hulkamaniacs. I'm the guy who spit blood and breathed fire to help create an empire called World Wrestling Entertainment™. But it wasn't always like that. Once I was a fat kid named Terry Bollea watching legends like Dusty Rhodes and Superstar Billy Graham, never dreaming I'd be a professional wrestler myself one day. Run with me on the streets of Tampa, where a bass guitar became my salvation. Fight alongside me in the wrestling arenas of Japan, where opponents try to bite your fingers off to make a name for themselves. Slide into the ring with me against 700-pound Andre the Giant, who only became my best friend after he found out he couldn't beat me down. Then cruise L.A. with me and Sylvester Stallone on the heels of Rocky III. Learn why Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura hates my guts. Go head-to-head with Dennis Rodman in a hard-liquor drinking contest, and share a dressing room with Liberace. Find out what makes me cry like a baby, what makes my blood boil, what I think of Jesus Christ, and what scares the living hell out of me. Then tell me you know the man called Hollywood Hulk Hogan. Join the Babe Ruth of wrestling on a gritty, no-holds-barred odyssey from his start in the barbaric wrestling arenas of the seventies through the heartbreak of potentially career-ending surgery to the achievement of his greatest triumph yet. Along the way, lock up with the likes of Cyndi Lauper, Andy Kaufman, Dolly Parton, Mr. T, Ted Turner, George Foreman, Jay Leno, Undertaker, Triple H, The Rock...and of course, Vince McMahon, head of World Wrestling Entertainment™. They're all in here, waiting to show you what they've got. Hollywood Hulk Hogan™. It's the real deal, brother.
Download or read book Ric Flair To Be the Man written by Ric Flair and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-05-11 with total page 527 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout the years, there may have been equally charismatic performers, comparable athletes, and even better interviews, but none were blessed with the same combination of talents to manage to stay on top for over three decades. To wrestling fans, the Nature Boy is a platinum-blond deity, a sixteen-time world champion who accurately boasted that he could have a five-star match with a broom. No matter how limited the opponent, Flair had the skill and determination to bounce all over the mat, transforming his rival into a star. When the camera light went on, "Slick Ric" could convince viewers that, if they missed an upcoming match, a momentous life experience would pass them by. Flair's opponents were challenged with this simple taunt: "To be the man, you have to beat the man." Away from the arena, Richard Morgan Fliehr spent years struggling with his own concept of what it meant to be a man. He suffered periods of crushing self-doubt, marital strife and—in a profession where there was room for only one Ric Flair—broken friendships. Ric Flair: To Be the Man, cowritten with Keith Elliot Greenberg, chronicles the anguish and exhilaration of Flair's life and career—in painfully honest detail. In addition to his own words, Flair's story is enriched by anecdotes from ring greats like Superstar Billy Graham, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Harley Race, Sgt. Slaughter, David Crockett, Arn Anderson, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, "Mean" Gene Okerlund, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Undertaker and Brock Lesnar. To Be the Man traces the rise of one of wrestling's most enduring superstars to the pinnacle of the sports entertainment universe, and is a must-read for every wrestling fan.
Download or read book The Legends of Wrestling Classy Freddie Blassie written by Keith Elliot Greenberg and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-06-15 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Classy" Freddie Blassie is universally acknowledged as one of the most hated heels in wrestling history. Freddie really knew how to antagonize the fans -- how to "get heat." Death threats were frequent, enraged fans stabbed him twenty-one times, and he was even doused with acid. Undeterred, Blassie just took the action up a level. He reveled in being the heel. It was almost commonplace to see him biting his opponents and then spitting out their blood. Blassie would routinely "file" his teeth during interviews. His matches in Los Angeles' Olympic Auditorium brought him to the attention of Hollywood. Freddie's style and unpredictability made him a natural for the medium and he became one of the biggest draws in the wrestling business. In the early '60s, this notorious heel was invited to wrestle in Japan. Blassie both horrified and mesmerized sedate Japanese society. It was reported that a number of Japanese television viewers suffered fatal heart attacks after seeing Blassie bloody an opponent in the ring. A child of immigrants, Freddie grew up in a working-class neighborhood in south St. Louis. At seventeen, Freddie made his wrestling debut in a carnival. Unhappy with his choice of occupation, his family persuaded him to keep his "real" job, and for a while he worked as a meatcutter. But after serving in the Navy in World War II, Freddie returned to the world of wrestling, which was at the time still something of a carnival sideshow. Here he picked up his catch phrase: "pencil neck geek." Early in his career, Blassie wrestled on cards promoted by Jess McMahon, and would later work for both his son, Vincent James McMahon, and his grandson, Vincent Kennedy McMahon, the current owner of World Wrestling EntertainmentTM. Even after his active days in the ring came to an end, he showed that he still had the power to generate heat: "Classy" Freddie Blassie became the manager of heels, transferring to a whole new generation of wrestlers the style and knowledge that had made him a legend of wrestling. Blassie is still provoking the public, with his autobiography -- Legends of Wrestling: "Classy" Freddie Blassie -- Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks -- written with Keith Elliot Greenberg. Freddie weaves vibrant tales of his days in wrestling with the likes of Hollywood Hulk Hogan, The Rock, George "The Animal" Steele, Capt. Lou Albano, John Tolos, The Destroyer, Killer Kowalski, Nikolai Volkoff, and the Iron Sheik. He frankly chronicles his dealings with colorful members of the wrestling fraternity and the promoters, even recounting the controversies -- like the infamous "boxer vs. wrestler" match with Muhammad Ali, who was managed by Blassie. His out-of-the-ring stories are equally compelling. Freddie details his countless sexual exploits and his three marriages. He reflects on the cult status that he gained after his song "Pencil Neck Geek" rocketed to the top of the Dr. Demento Show playlist. He recounts his touching relationship with comedian Andy Kaufman, who cast him in Breakfast with Blassie -- an underground classic in which Blassie uttered: "What the hell ever happened to the human race?"
Download or read book Kamala Speaks written by James "Kamala" Harris and published by . This book was released on 2015-01-17 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Ugandan Giant" Kamala is a former WWE superstar wrestler who never spoke once during his 30 year wrestling career. Kamala wrestled in every major promotion in the world. Having wrestled the likes of Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, The Undertaker, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, and The Ultimate Warrior, readers from around the world will finally hear what he has to say. This book is a tell-all story of life, bouts with blatant racism, the gritty underbelly of professional wrestling and overcoming obstacles in and out of the ring.Despite diabetes claiming first his toes, his feet, and then both legs above the knees, this book is inspirational. It is not an angry/bitter tale told from someone harping on missed opportunity. Kamala's story includes a great balance of behind-the-scenes stories including plenty of humor, while illustrating the tough and interesting man that James "Kamala" Harris actually is.
Download or read book The WWE Championship written by Kevin Sullivan and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2011-11-29 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents a history of the championship matches hosted by World Wrestling Entertainment, tracing their expansion and popularity throughout the world, and citing the contributions of such performers as Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, and the Iron Sheik.
Download or read book 50 Greatest Professional Wrestlers of All Time written by Larry Matysik and published by ECW Press. This book was released on 2013-03-14 with total page 663 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: No-holds-barred, honest, and objective, this is a definitive look at the greatest pro wrestlers who ever stepped through the ropes. Blending the old and the new and delving into what made these 50 remarkable performers the best in their sport, this guide illustrates their contributions to the massively popular spectacle of the wrestling world. The antidote to the marketing-motivated claims made by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is provided here, sweeping aside the corporate profit motive of listing standouts who can sell DVDs and dolls and instead shooting from the hip, revealing who sincerely belongs among the cream of the crop. The complexity of choosingand rankingthe 50 finest ever from a strong group of talented candidates also spins a secondary tale about the evolution of pro wrestling and how this unique sport operates. Revealing these stars' compelling stories in detail, this collection adds up to an entertaining and enlightening description of a monumental business through the history of its legends.
Download or read book Backlund written by Bob Backlund and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2015-09-15 with total page 536 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bob Backlund began life as a poor farm boy in the little village of Princeton, Minnesota, with a population of just over 2,000 people. He was a below-average student with a lackluster work ethic and a bad attitude, who hung with the wrong crowd and made a lot of bad choices. He was a kid whose life was headed for disaster—until a local coach took interest in him, suggested that he take up amateur wrestling, and offered to work with him if he promised to stay out of trouble. It was in North Dakota that Bob Backlund had the first of several chance encounters that would shape his destiny. While working out at the YMCA gymnasium in Fargo, North Dakota, where he wrestled for North Dakota State, Backlund met a well-known professional wrestler, “Superstar” Billy Graham. The men talked, and at Graham’s suggestion, Backlund was inspired to pursue a career in professional wrestling. Less than five years from that day, on February 20, 1978, Backlund would find himself halfway across the country, standing in the middle of the ring at Madison Square Garden with his hand raised in victory as the newly crowned World Wide Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Champion. The man Backlund pinned for the championship that night was none other than "Superstar" Billy Graham. Featuring contributions from Bruno Sammartino, Harley Race, Terry Funk, Pat Patterson, Ken Patera, Sergeant Slaughter, The Magnificent Muraco, George “The Animal” Steele, “Mr. USA” Tony Atlas, The Iron Sheik, and many others, this book tells the incredible story of the life and nearly forty-year career of one of the most famous men to ever grace the squared circle. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, is proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. In addition to books on popular team sports, we also publish books for a wide variety of athletes and sports enthusiasts, including books on running, cycling, horseback riding, swimming, tennis, martial arts, golf, camping, hiking, aviation, boating, and so much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Download or read book Main Event written by Brian Shields and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-06-15 with total page 213 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every saturday night in the eighties fans would gather around their television to watch, not Saturday Night Live, but Saturday Night The Main Event. WWE wrestling beat the ratings for the most talked about show on television week after week. Here is that era captured. “Introducing your champion, from Venice Beach, California, at three hundred and three pounds—Hulk Hogan! And his challenger . . .” Hearing those words ring out across the arena meant you were there. It didn't matter if you were there in person, or watching on television or closed circuit. You were in the place where everyone wanted to be. You could feel the crowd; as the tension built, you were swept up and into the action. You knew you were going to witness history. You were experiencing the main event at a live WWE show. It seemed that wrestling had changed overnight, that the men who entered the squared circle were suddenly larger than life. Everyone wanted to see the behemoth Hulk Hogan wrestle. And the men who wrestled with and against him were his equals in creating a match and a character that no one would soon forget: Andre the Giant, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, Jake "the Snake" Roberts, Sgt. Slaughter. They all kept you pinned to your seat as they were pinning their opponents to the mat. You just knew that you were going to see things that no one had ever seen before. The eighties was the era that cemented WWE as the place where the best wrestlers on the planet worked. Main Event -- WWE in the Raging 80s dips into those years and reveals the most celebrated wrestlers and the matches that will be recalled as not just the best of the eighties but the best of the ages.
Download or read book Andre the Giant written by Michael Krugman and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2009-11-24 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The unforgettable story of everyone’s favorite giant—and a life cut short—wrestler and actor Andre the Giant. At seven-foot-five, four hundred and fifty pounds, André the Giant was a living, breathing legend—a behemoth taking on all comers. Billed as “the Eighth Wonder of the World,” he was the greatest attraction in sports entertainment and one of the most famous athletes in the world. André the Giant: A Legendary Life is the story of how his enormous charisma and undeniable presence aided World Wrestling Federation's explosive rise to the forefront of popular culture. André's battles with such rivals as Ernie Ladd, Killer Khan, Big John Studd, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, and Randy “Macho Man” Savage are certifiable classics, while his epic WrestleMania III match with Hulk Hogan—before 93,000—still holds the record for largest attendance. Outside the ring, André Roussimoff was equally formidable—his voluminous appetite for life is the stuff of legends. Moreover, André was among the first wrestlers to cross over into pop superstardom with roles in such television series as The Six Million Dollar Man and films like The Princess Bride. André's incredible tale is told through his most memorable matches, with reminiscences and recollections from the people closest to him. In addition to blow-by-blow analysis of his greatest in-ring triumphs, author Michael Krugman takes us behind the curtain to see how this amazing athlete struggled with his size and his stardom, as well as his fight with crippling pain caused by both his profession and the disease that made him who he was. André the Giant: A Legendary Life is the true-life tall tale of one of the most influential and adored Superstars in sports entertainment history.
Download or read book Too Sweet written by Keith Elliot Greenberg and published by ECW Press. This book was released on 2020-09-01 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Keith Elliot Greenberg chronicles the growth of indie wrestling from bingo halls to a viable alternative to the WWE and speaks to those involved in the Alternative Wrestling League with remarkable candor, gaining behind-the-scenes knowledge of this growing enterprise. As COVID-19 utterly changed the world as we know it, only one sport was able to pivot and offer consistent, new, live programming on a weekly basis: professional wrestling. 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.
Download or read book Ring of Hell written by Matthew Randazzo, V and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Ring of Hell" is the true story of Chris Benoit's journey through the destructive, dysfunctional, and bizarre pro wrestling industry, and the catastrophic physical and mental breakdown that led to his grisly end.
Download or read book Sex Lies and Headlocks written by Shaun Assael and published by Crown. This book was released on 2010-11-03 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Current fans and recovering Hulkamaniacs alike should find [Sex, Lies, and Headlocks] as gripping as the Camel Clutch.” —Maxim Sex, Lies, and Headlocks is the ultimate behind-the-scenes look at the backstabbing, scandals, and high-stakes gambles that have made wrestling an enduring television phenomenon. The man behind it all is Vince McMahon, a ruthless and entertaining visionary whose professional antics make some of the flamboyant characters in the ring look tame by comparison. Throughout the book, the authors trace McMahon’s rise to power and examine the appeal of the industry’s biggest stars—including Ed “Strangler” Lewis, Gorgeous George, Bruno Sammartino, Ric Flair, and, most recently, Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock. In doing so, they show us that while WWE stock is traded to the public on Wall Street, wrestling remains a shadowy world guided by a century-old code that stresses secrecy and loyalty. With a new afterword, this is the definitive book about the history of pro wrestling. “Reading this excellent behind-the-scenes look at wrestling promoter McMahon . . . is almost as entertaining and shocking as watching the most extreme antics of McMahon’s comic-book style creations such as Steve Austin and The Rock.” —Publishers Weekly “A quintessentially American success story of a cocky opportunist defying the odds and hitting it big . . . Sparkling cultural history from an author wise enough to let the facts and personalities speak for themselves.”—Kirkus Reviews
Download or read book Positively Page written by Diamond Dallas Page and published by Positive Publishing. This book was released on 2000 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Positively Page is the story of the life and times of one of America's top professional wrestlers living the American Dream. It is not only a book for the avid wrestling fan, but, also serves as a motivational tool for anyone looking to rise above adversity and achieve their ultimate goals. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Download or read book Dad You Don t Work You Wrestle written by George South and published by . This book was released on 2012-04-23 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: George South is a hold out from the glory days of professional wrestling. If you spend any time with him it's quickly apparent that the priorities in is life are his family, wrestling and his savior, Jesus Christ. As a child in the 1970s, he grew up watching Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. He knew then that he would soon be in the ring with his idols, men like Paul Jones, Wahoo McDaniel, Blackjack Mulligan, Ric Flair, the Anderson Brothers and Masked Superstar. Throughout his 30 plus year career in professional wrestling, George has maintained his strong faith in his Savior, Jesus Christ. Never willing to compromise, George has been able to stay on his daily walk with the Lord as well as keeping his focus on his wonderful family. George's journeys have taken him to the NWA, WCW and WWF and he's faced a who's who of wrestling legends. These experiences led George to open his own wrestling school which is still open today. Every weekend George still drives up and down the road to wrestling shows, thrilling the old-school fans. This book documents George's humble beginnings through his long career in professional wrestling. It's an amazing story told by an amazing man.
