Download or read book Living the Dream Memphis Wrestling written by Randy Hales and published by . This book was released on 2020-09-22 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Randy Hales knows Memphis wrestling...he's lived it his entire life. From humble beginnings as a fan, fascinated by the larger-than-life heroes and villains doing battle in the squared circle, to getting involved as a picture seller and ring announcer, to rising up the ladder as booker and promoter, to finally running his own company, Randy Hales has done it all in the Memphis wrestling scene...and lived to tell about it. Through all the highs and lows, and thousands of miles traveled, Living The Dream is the story of how passion and hard work allowed a shy, awkward kid to live his dream and go on to become the Founder, Owner, and President of his own professional wrestling company that helped develop future wrestling superstars. Living The Dream takes you inside the Memphis wrestling scene with tons of stories about your favorite legends, wild stories from the road, infamous mega-matches of Memphis, and all about being a WWE developmental system. From "The King" to "The Superstar", from Mid-South Coliseum showdowns to Louisville Gardens throw downs, Randy Hales shares what it was like to be a part of the wild, wild world of Memphis wrestling and the incomparable legacy it left behind.
Download or read book Professional Wrestling in Mississippi A History written by Jeffrey Martin and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2023-06 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bounce off the ropes for a high-flying jaunt through the history of Magnolia State professional wrestling. At its peak, professional wrestling was arguably the most popular sport in Mississippi. The pageantry and colorful personalities appealed to grandparents and grandchildren alike. Author Jeffrey Martin invites readers to step inside the squared circle and revisit everything from the carnival wrestling days of the late 1800s to the chiseled melodrama of modern wrestling. Along the way, readers will learn about Billy Romanoff, the old-school wrestler turned promoter who made wrestling a weekly staple at the Jackson City Auditorium; Jerry Lawler and Bill Dundee, who brought down the house on Friday nights at the Tupelo Sports Arena; and George and Gil Culkin, the father-and-son duo who split with "Cowboy" Bill Watts to create their own Mississippi territory, kickstarting the careers of Kamala, Terry Gordy, Michael Hayes and many other pivotal figures.
Download or read book Wrestling Reality written by Chris Kanyon and published by ECW Press. This book was released on 2011-11 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A rare glimpse not only into the life of a professional wrestler, but the life of a gay man in a straight world, this tragic memoir is told in Chris Kanyon’s own words, with the help of journalist Ryan Clark. One of the most popular wrestlers of the late 1990s, Kanyon kept his personal life private from his fans until finally revealing his biggest secret in 2004: he was gay. Going through the various roles that Kanyon played, both in the ring and out of it, as well as his battle with manic depression, this book explores the factors that led to his suicide in 2010. In his voice and the way he wanted it told, these are Kanyon’s last words about his experience rising through the ranks to the top of the professional wrestling world while keeping his sexuality hidden.
Download or read book Pro Wrestling FAQ written by Brian Solomon and published by Hal Leonard Corporation. This book was released on 2015-04-01 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: (FAQ Pop Culture). Sport? Entertainment? Art form? Perhaps a bit of all three, with a certain intangible extra something thrown in for good measure, making professional wrestling a truly unique entity unto itself. From its origins in carnivals and sideshow attractions of the 19th century, right up to the multimillion-dollar, multimedia industry of the present day, and all the bizarre, wild, and woolly points in between, Pro Wrestling FAQ delves into the entire history and broad scope of one of popular culture's most enduring yet ever-changing spectacles. With chapters devoted to the many fascinating eras in the history of the business, as well as capsule biographies of some its most memorable and important figures, this book will serve as the ultimate one-volume reference guide for both long-time wrestling nuts and initiates to the grappling phenomenon. Revisit the legendary 1911 "Match of the Century" pitting World Champion Frank Gotch against archrival George Hackenschmidt, "the Russian Lion"; experience wrestling's TV golden age in the 1950s, a time of such colorful personages as Gorgeous George and Antonino Rocca; relive the glory days of Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant, when WWF impresario Vince McMahon took the business mainstream; and get the lowdown on recent favorites, such as John Cena, CM Punk, and others who have taken the business boldly into the 21st century.
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 The Comic Book Story of Professional Wrestling written by Aubrey Sitterson and published by Ten Speed Graphic. This book was released on 2018-10-02 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the host of the critically acclaimed pro wrestling podcast Straight Shoot, this graphic novel history of wrestling features the key grapplers, matches, and promotions that shaped this beloved sport and form of entertainment. As a pop culture phenomenon, professional wrestling--with its heroic babyfaces and villainous heels performing suplexes and powerbombs in pursuit of championship gold--has conquered audiences in the United States and around the world. Now, writer/podcaster Aubrey Sitterson and illustrator Chris Moreno form a graphic novel tag team to present wrestling's complete illustrated history. Featuring legendary wrestlers like Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, and The Rock, and modern-day favorites like John Cena, Kenny Omega, and Sasha Banks, the book covers wrestling's progress from the carnival days of the Gold Dust Trio to the dominance of the WWF/WWE to today's diverse independent wrestling scene, and it spotlights wrestling's reach into Mexico/Puerto Rico (lucha libre), the U.K. (all-in), and Japan (puroresu).
Download or read book Do Ya Wanna Be a Wrestler Kid written by Beau James and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2011-09-01 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the age of 14 Beau James has done just about everything in the world of Pro Wrestling. Starting out at the age of 14 helping promote towns, work on the ring crew, and selling merchandise. His in ring career start at 15 years old. At the age of 16 he started his own Pro Wrestling Promotion Southern States Wrestling. For the past near quarter century he has travel America living his childhood dreams. In his new book "Do Ya Wanna Be A Wrestler, Kid?" you will follow his life long love affair with Pro Wrestling. Hear first hand accounts of his battles and struggles to get SSW started. The daily battles that have followed him to present a product that is as close to what he watched and followed as a kid. How older wrestlers set out to stop him. Who helped him along the way. Get a behind the scenes look at a life of someone who wrestles for a living and how it becomes harder with each passing day. His personal thoughts of how wrestling has changed for the worse and who is to blame. It will surprise you. His tributes to many of his heroes turned friends who are no longer with us. The dangers of traveling 120 to 200 days a year. The fun wrestlers have by pulling elaborate practical jokes on each other. And never before publicly told stories of wrestling legends Jimmy Valiant, Ricky Morton, Dr. Tom Prichard, Dutch Mantell, Buddy Landel, Ivan Koloff, Jerry Lawler, Robert Fuller, Jimmy Golden and many more. Let's not forget his fairy tale love story with Misty. How her love helped change Beau many ways for the good. The book also includes praise for Beau from WWE, TNA, and NWA stars. 348 pages that once you start reading you will not be able to put it down.
Download or read book Jim Cornette Presents Behind the Curtain Real Pro Wrestling Stories written by Jim Cornette and published by IDW Publishing. This book was released on 2019-08-21 with total page 83 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book Self Help written by Al Snow and published by ECW Press. This book was released on 2019-05-07 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Professional wrestler Al Snow delivers highlights from his onscreen antics and never-before-heard tales from the road in this high-flying memoir spanning 30 years in the ring In the late 90s, wrestling journeyman Al Snow looked in the mirror and saw a man who needed help. A man whose reputation within the wrestling industry was excellent but whose career was going nowhere. Channeling his frustration into the gimmick for which he would become best known, Al began talking to (and through) a mannequin head. With Extreme Championship Wrestling, Al reinvented himself as an unhinged neurotic and became one of the hottest acts in the most cutting-edge promotion in America when wrestlingÕs popularity was at its peak. This led to a journey back to the industryÕs main stage, World Wrestling Entertainment, during the wildly popular Attitude Era, and in the central role as a trainer and father figure on the MTV reality show, Tough Enough. Now, after 35 years in the industry, Al Snow tells the stories of the unbelievable yet true events that formed his career, from his in-ring recollections to out-of-ring escapades, including drunken midnight journeys with a vanfull of little people, overuse of Tasers at autograph signings, and continual attempts on his life by assorted members of the animal kingdom. Self Help is Al Snow at his best, delivering what everybody wants and needs.
Download or read book Wrestlers are Like Seagulls written by James J. Dillon and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 357 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Intown Living written by Ann Breen and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2005-02-28 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After decades of abandonment, cities across North America are experiencing a renaissance. A new generation is seeking greater excitement and diversity than the typical suburban subdivision offers and many people are instead looking to make their homes in lively urban environments. In Intown Living, authors Ann Breen and Dick Rigby document this movement, arguing that if properly nurtured, it could help slow current patterns of sprawling development and help revitalize America's cities. They illustrate the many benefits of city living and offer strategies and encouragement for public officials and private developers to team up and expand central city housing opportunities. The authors present in-depth studies of eight cities--Atlanta; Dallas; Houston; Memphis; Minneapolis; New Orleans; Portland, Oregon; and Vancouver, British Columbia--that are experiencing this type of renaissance, and consider common elements shared by the cities, as well as their differences. Intown Living is an important new resource for a wide audience of professionals involved with urban design and planning. It will also be of interest to the many people concerned with historic preservation or smart growth, and for students and researchers involved with urban studies and related fields.
Download or read book Dwayne the Rock Johnson the People s Champion from WWE to Hollywood written by James Romero and published by . This book was released on 2020-11-25 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: FINALLY... it's the wrestling biography every WWE fan and the millions... and millions of Rock fanatics around the world have been waiting for! Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson: The People's Champion charts the career of ten-time WWF/WWE/WCW Champion and movie megastar Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in-depth for the very first time.The People's Champion is the story of Dwayne Johnson's rise from troubled child to wrestling superstar to one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood, with all the highs, lows and controversies in between. Along with Stone Cold Steve Austin, Vince McMahon and the concept of "Attitude", the emergence of The Rock was instrumental in turning the languishing World Wrestling Federation, on the brink of downsizing, into a billion dollar entity within two years.With The Rock at the forefront, the WWF routinely broke viewership, box office and ticket sales records. In 2000, The Rock became the most well-known mainstream professional wrestler in the world and in 2001 Dwayne entered the Guinness Book of Records as the highest paid debuting lead actor for his star-making turn in The Scorpion King.After several years of ever-decreasing in-ring appearances, Dwayne left wrestling behind in 2004 to fully focus on his burgeoning Hollywood career. Despite commanding eight figure sums for every starring role, the mid-2000s would see Dwayne's career start to falter, with lukewarm critical reviews at best for his creative output. Dwayne had been forcibly separated from everything that had made him and The Rock character an overnight success until finally he decided enough was enough and took back control of his destiny. In 2011, Dwayne would return to his roots, not only as a pro wrestler but as The Rock, and has not looked back since.Jam-packed with quotes from his friends, family, co-workers and the man himself, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson: The People's Champion is the most comprehensive and exhaustive biography ever created on "The Most Electrifying Man in Sports and Entertainment". From childhood to getting cut by the Canadian Football League; from Flex Kavana in Memphis to Rocky Maivia in the WWF; from the Nation of Domination to The Corporation; from wrestling's biggest box office attraction to the highest paid actor in Hollywood. All the big storylines and why they happened. All the backstage manoeuvrings and inside stories. All the on-screen feuds and all the rivalries behind the scenes. All the people that got him to where he is today and the co-workers who did their damnedest to hold him back. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson: The People's Champion has got you covered, if you smell what The Rock is cookin'!
Download or read book Terry Funk written by Terry Funk and published by Skyhorse Publishing Inc.. This book was released on 2012-06 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the story of the life and career of unpredictable former professionalwrestling star Terry Funk, known around the world as "The Hardcore Legend."
Download or read book It Came From Memphis written by Robert Gordon and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2001-11 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gordon's critically acclaimed and richly entertaining exploration of the birthplace of rock and roll is peopled with Delta bluesmen, manic deejays, matinee cowboys and Elvis.
Download or read book The Mouth of the South written by Jimmy Hart and published by ECW Press. This book was released on 2004 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With Forewords by Hulk Hogan, Jerry "The King" Lawler, and Bret "The Hitman" Hart, this book is a "tell all" from the manager of the most wrestling champions in the history of the World Wrestling Federation. 40 photos.
Download or read book Bruno Sammartino written by Sal Anthony Corrente and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2019-03-04 with total page 568 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: BRUNO! BRUNO! BRUNO!The iconic chant that resonated everywhere Bruno appeared, whether he was the Champion at the time or not. It was a combined 11 years, during two title reigns, that Bruno Sammartino was the World Wide Wrestling Federation Champion: 1963-1971 and 1973-1977 (4,040 days). He headlined New York's famous Madison Square Garden 211 times, including 187 sell-outs, a record that still endures to this day, and will most likely never be broken. In his final headline appearance at Madison Square Garden, he got to address another sold-out crowd as he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.Born in 1935, in a small Italian mountain town, Bruno and his family survived World War II, before emigrating to the USA. From this inauspicious start, his sheer willpower and determination drove him to become of the most popular and respected wrestlers of all time.This is the definitive autobiography of the life of Bruno Sammartino, expanded to 568 pages to cover his life ... from his childhood in Italy through the bumpy road he traveled to become The Living Legend of Professional Wrestling and then beyond the ring.This is the true story as told by Bruno himself, and includes tributes and anecdotes from his peers, friends, and family, with many photos that have never been seen before. He may be gone, but his unparalleled career will live on through this book, YouTube, the WWE Network, and most importantly, everyone who ever met him.
Download or read book Plain Heathen Mischief written by Martin Clark and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2007-12-18 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Of The Many Aspects of Mobile Home Living, Martin Clark’s first novel, the New York Times Book Review wrote, “Like Nick Hornby in High Fidelity and Thomas McGuane in Nothing But Blue Skies, Clark has produced an oddly stirring portrait of a man in existential disarray.” Which–noted Malcolm Jones in Newsweek–“made me laugh so hard I fell off the sofa.” Plain Heathen Mischief ups the existential ante, as Joel King, a defrocked Baptist minister, finds life even more bedeviling once he’s served six months for a career-ending crime he might not even have committed. Now his incommunicado wife wants a divorce, the teenage vixen of his disgrace is suing him for a cool $5 million, a fresh start in Montana offers no hope for ex-cons of any religious persuasion, and the refuge provided by his sister turns as nasty as his parole officer. Talk about a crisis of faith. On the upside, a solicitous member of Joel’s former congregation invites him into a scam that could yield some desperately needed cash, and soon the down-on-his-luck preacher is involved with a flock of charming con men, crooked lawyers, and conniving youth. In a feat of bravura storytelling, Martin Clark ranges from the cross to the double cross, from Virginia to Las Vegas, from jail cells to trout streams, as he follows his Job-like hero through dubious choices and high-dollar insurance hustles to a redemption that no reader could possibly predict. Wildly imaginative, at times comic, at times profoundly sobering, and even more audacious than his wonderfully idiosyncratic debut, Plain Heathen Mischief is a spiritual revelation of the first order.
