Product Description
There is no better-known villain in professional wrestling than Ted DiBiase. But in real life, the Million Dollar Man is not the arrogant, evil character he appears to be on television. Quite the opposite. Ted DiBiase is a kind; caring man who deeply loves his wife and three sons, a man who shares is faith in large group meetings-especially with teens-and who has a deep, genuine walk with Christ. Every Man Has His Price tells the story of Ted's life, from his humble beginnings in a broken home to his days on the pro wrestling circuit, to his dramatic conversion to Christianity a few years ago. Every Man Has His Price is more than a biography. It is the story of a man's compassionate heart for God and for ministry. Readers will be inspired to serve the Lord from wherever they are today, and will see through the life of Ted DiBiase that God can make even a "villain" his beloved child. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (71)

MILLION DOLLAR BORE
THIS BOOK BY TED DIBIASE IS FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TED AND HIS BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN LIFE. IF YOU WANT TO LEARN SOME DETAIL ABOUT HIS WRESTLING CAREER, YOU WILL HAVE TO FIND ANOTHER BOOK. THE $1,000,000 MAN FILLS THIS BOOK WITH SOME EVENTS IN HIS LIFE ALONG WITH A BIT OF WRESTLING BUT ALOT OF VERSES FROM THE BIBLE AND SOME DETAILED EVENTS OF LIFE AS A CHRISTIAN. I REALLY THINK THIS BOOK IS BORING AND NOT WORTH IT FOR THE AVERAGE WRESTLING FAN.

The Price Was Nearly Greater Outside The Ring
Back in the day, Ted DiBiase was the ultimate pro wrestling heel - as the Million-Dollar Man - who could get the fans worked up during one of his classic monologues on why, "Every man has his price."

But - in wrestling parlance - it was truly all a "work."

Published a decade ago, the autobiography traces his life as a child who grew up around the business of pro wrestling - he is the stepson of legendary grappler, Iron Mile DiBiase, who passed away in the ring - to how he climbed the ladder to stardom and the pop culture trappings of success that nearly ruined more than his career inside the squared-circle.

There is space devoted to his wrestling career - taking tentative steps while still a student at West Texas State University, the refining of his character in the old NWA territories and attaining main event status - but the book is not only about the industry; it is atestimony on how Christ showed him the direction that ultimately saved his life and his marriage.

DiBiase was blessed with a vision to found Heart of David Ministries and that is a major reason why the book needs to be reissued, with additional information concerning the events in churches, schools and - yes - in the ring throughout the world.

This is not the typical pro wrestling autobiography that focuses solely on the action inside the arena and the drama in the locker room & corporate offices. DiBiase gives the reader his true story and the tragic price he nearly paid without the ultimate tag-team partner in life.

well worth it at any price
For most people, Ted DiBiase is not one of the most well-known wrestlers.In the world of pro wrestling, DiBiase is one of the best heels ever.He perfectly played the part of the millionaire wrestler with arrogance and charisma.
This book is far more than just a wrestling autobiography, although you will read about his fine wrestling career.DiBiase delivers enough wrestling stories and details to interest any wrestling fan.
This book also relates the story of a man very devoted to his family and his God.In telling stories of his early family life, DiBiase clearly shows his love of family life.This sets the foundation for his total salvation later in life.
DiBiase also discusses his life on the road as a wrestler and how that life style almost ruined his life.Fortunately, DiBiase's deep commitment to his God and his family saved him.He is very open and honest in discussing all of this.He is a devout Christian and he encourages all to follow his path, but he never comes across as phony or preachy.He just wants all to share in the same love as he does.
This is a very good book for wrestling fans and all others, as well!

Black Glove treatment
Ted Dibiase, a.k.a The Million Dollar Man, has added to the growing pantheon of professional wrestling autobiographies / biographies with this self-authored tome. Dibiase, a second-generation professional wrestler, has lived the life and walked the walk that so many wrestling fans desire to read about. The autobiography is a quick read but nonetheless full of candor and detail. Most interesting to me was the circuitous professional history of Iron Mike Dibiase, the father of the Million Dollar Man. These tales of the old days in professional wrestling totally ground the reader in hard work habits and touring road life, moving families about to stay fresh in the public eye. Dibiase's story is one of trial and error. He endured the deaths of both of his parents (both professional wrestlers) and survived the consolidation of the pro wrestling "territories" into just a few dinosaurs, eventually ending where we are at today with one professional organization, the WWE. Dibiase attended college in Texas on a football scholarship, and met several other future pro wrestlers there. The book also chronicles the religious development of Dibiase, presenting a unique Christian point-of-view within the professional wrestling circles that Dibiase was forced to retire from due to injuries suffered in the ring. If you are planning on buying this book for lurid detail and scandal, save your money for the tabloids. Dibiase is a straight-shooter who does without cussing. His biggest shortcoming is that he dropped out of college to earn money as a wrestler to support his family. With his deep bass voice and loaded black glove (his original trademark before becoming the Million Dollar Man) Dibiase could make a good political candidate. I came away from reading this book with more respect for Dibiase and his way of living life. He is a real person with a real voice. He also could have made the book longer with more anecdotes about his accomplishments inside the ring, with more name-dropping and historical recollection. If anything, Dibiase is too modest about his long career. This book is still well worth the cost of admission to glimpse behind the curtain and see the wrestlers as human instead of performers.

waste of money
dibiase was in the business for over 20 years. for a man with that much experience he sure wrote a terrible book. he rarely talks about the other wrestlers he met in all those years.too much information about his pre-wrestling years. i'm a wrestling fan for 25 years, i want to read about wrestling and the wrestlers. dibiase wastes chapter after chapter talking about playgrounds, grammer school, how many times he had to move, his grandmother. he talks about his wcw days for approximately 3 pages - what a rip-off.he's a fake and a coward when he refuses to talk about his preChristian partying days. don't waste your time, read dynamite kid's book(british bulldogs)- much more entertaining ... Read more

Product Description
In Foley Is Good, Mick Foley -- former Commissioner of the World Wrestling Federation, aka Cactus Jack, Dude Love, and Mankind -- picks up right where his smash #1 New York Times bestseller Have a Nice Day! left off, giving readers an inside look at the behind-the-scenes action in the Federation. With total honesty and riotous humor, Mick Foley shines a spotlight into some of the hidden corners of the World Wrestling Federation. From the ongoing controversy surrounding "backyard wrestling" to the real story behind his now-infamous "I Quit" match with The Rock, Foley covers all the bases in this hysterically funny roller-coaster ride of a memoir.

Customer Reviews (141)

Hey, Buddy!
Mick continues where he left off in 'Have a Nice Day'. His work is an easily read insiders look into the business of sports entertainment, with a kind of "Hey Buddy, let me tell ya a story" type of delivery.

VERY DRAWN OUT AND PRETTY BORING!!
To be simple, this book is BORING and I fell asleep reading it a few times.The problem is that this book is wayyyyyyyyyyy too long.The book should be about half the amount of chapters, it is 34 chapters in total (if I recall right) and it could have easily been done in 15 or less. Most of the book is about how he came to write his first book and then bragging about how well the book sold for entire chapters. Also, he gets sidetracked so much in the book that sometimes an entire chapter is wasted on a simple thought or popular culture reference.There are a lot of attempts at jokes that take up half of a chapter at a time and more often than not this isn't needed and just makes the book more boring and draw out. For example, he will be telling a story about wrestling then compare himself to (for example) Batman and then waste a whole chapter talking about Batman and everything that happened in a Batman show ever. He does this with Britney, Mickey Mouse and several other characters. The reason he does this is to get his book to appear under specific keywords (such as britney spears) to sell more books. Also, he spends entire chapters talking about how Vince is so fast and so great and caring and funny.. I mean geese calm down. However, if you want to know EVERY and I mean EVERY detail about this guy's life then pick this up. You will get entire chapters of "he whipped me into the ropes and I was tired but I was able to reverse and run into the ropes for a closeline, then he lifted me up and dropped me on my lag and I got up and hit him then he hit me" BORING.

The play-by-play of his matches sometimes takes up entire chapters and probably makes up atleast 30% of the book. Do we really need to read every move in a match? The book includes a list of his favorite coasters and parks and a ton of talk about every single time he had sex with his wife and how he came about and what she did, wore and said. Also, the majority of this book is about his previous book and how it sold so well and it was a lifetime accomplishment, he wasted a large amount of chapters talking about the other book and how he would promote it on wwe tv "then I went to the ring and said Jericho you can meet me at Walmart if you want and I'll be signing copies of Have A Nice Day". I liked his first book it was entertaining and a good read, but this one is drawn out and goes on forever. Tells you every little detail about his sex life over and over and the jokes are simply not funny here. The sidetracked stories for entire chapters are annoying and most of the chapters are pointless. Don't buy this, read it at your local bookstore if you want but save your money its pretty boring and I am a fan of his its basically 34 chapters about almost nothing other than how many times he attempted to retire, having sex with his wife and promotion of his other book and how the sales made him such a great author.

yes,Mick Foley is indeed good!
Mick Foley is truely a gifted individual.Ive watched him professionally for many many years,his in ring talents never faltered.His have a nice day book was a fabulous,and Foley is good is right on its tale.I look for wardto reading more by this author.This book is certainly something id recomend for any Mankind or Mick Foley fan.As well as westling fansalike.Even those just curious about the sport.

Another Foley Classic
I read Mick's first book when it first came out and enjoyed it immensely.His writing style is so personal, it's almost like we became friends.I've been to Santa's Village with my kids many times, and Mick seems to be the type of guy that wouldn't mind having a quick picture taken with him.He's just a regular down-to-earth guy, and I admire his ability to write his own material without the use of a ghostwriter.

Over the years, and as I age (I'm now 36), I admit I've lost touch with most of the wrestling world.I was a HUGE fan in the 80's and 90's.Mick's first book brought back memories.This book was very informative as well, particulary the epilogue.It's loaded with Al Snow and Test jokes, as well as going behind-the-scenes with great information about certain matches over the years.I read this book (about 475 pages) in a few days, and had trouble putting it down.His writing style and approach just clicks with me.

Why then, only four stars?Simple.It's nearly impossible to follow up a classic with a classic.It's like when AC/DC's "For Those About to Rock" album was released in 1981.Did it go to number one on the charts?Sure it did.Did it sell over four million copies?Sure it did.Did it measure up to it's 1980 predessesor "Back in Black" (Twenty-two million copies sold)...no way.

Unfortunately for Mick, his first book was so good, one could say he peaked too early.Once you hit the peak of the mountain, it's impossible to go any higher, and there's only one way left to go...down.Still a great read.If this were his first book, I'd give it five, but when compared to Have a Nice Day, just comes up a bit short...(but still great...do you know what I mean?)

Foley continues his ranting, raving, and charming storytelling
With the massive success of "Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks" it seemed unlikely that a wrestler/entertainer would put out another autobiography only a year after the first.Having told all in the last 800 pages or so, what new could he possibly tell us in another 500?

With the pace pro wrestling moves, an assload, and not only that, but with his personal life as well.Much of the book focuses on his fun and spellbinding journey through 1999 in the WWF, with the main subject being his pain from years of hard wrestling.There's also a lot of focus on his Royal Rumble 1999 match with The Rock, and the documentary Beyond the Mat, which featured footage of his wife and children crying as Mick was hit about 9 times more than originally agreed upon by The Rock with a steel chair.

It becomes obvious by at least Wrestlemania XV that Foley is close to retiring, and his in-ring wrestling quality notably deteriorates.He more than makes up for this with great charisma, and truly humorous promos, interviews, and just random things he did in his career then.

Some of the book is simply repeated in the documentary portion of the video/DVD "Hard Knocks and Cheap Pops", but a lot of the book is also dedicated to things outside of wrestling, from Foley's book writing, his interviews with prime time news programs, and the experience of having his interview manipulated to make him look like an uncaring asshole, and defending the WWF against such reports as the Indiana University one which, as Foley discovered after calling the professor heading the research, was grossly exaggerated and mis-represented, with absolutely no fact-checking occurring afterwards.Foley then takes the opportunity to conduct a similar study with watching hours worth of soap operas and sitcoms---and the results are astounding, as going by the standards set by the study, he finds the amount of reported "sex acts" to vastly outnumber those in the WWF, and simulated "drug use" (which included alcohol) to far outnumber those in the WWF.

The latter part of Foley's book is very sharply devoted to defending the WWF against the usual gauntlet of highly intolerant, narrow-minded conservative groups and people who used the WWF as the scapegoat for acts of violence among children, TV violence and sex, and other issues of "morality" and the like.

Brent Bozell is especially harsh on the WWF, and thus Foley is especially harsh on him, exposing him for the cold, harsh, hypocrite he is (if Foley's facts are accurate), to the amount of acts of children killing children blamed on wrestling, when in fact out of the many cases used by the likes of Bozell, virtually none of them could be directly attributed to pro wrestling, and the few that did being largely the result of parental incompetence and anti-social and sociopathic behavior of the children carrying out the crimes.

His first book is definitely better, but this one is not in the same category, as it explores beyond his wrestling career of the past and focuses more on that of 1999-2000, and his career and life outside of wrestling, including humorous tales of his fandom of Britney Spears, and coming out to his friends with this, to discover The Blue Meanie, Edge, Stevie Richards, and others are also Spears fans, as well as finally explaining the legend of the Penis Suplex, and its origin.

Highlight: An audition for a commercial with Jerry Seinfeld in New York which many wrestlers attend, including ECW stars.When asking Taz (Peter Senerchia) if he could guarantee Jerry's safety during the shoot, Taz, acting on their fears of wrestling being real, replies "I can't guarantee nothin'.If Jerry gets in there with me, he's kind of taking his chances." ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Sumo? Very amusing!
Sumo is a very humorous and informative book about a esoteric (to Americans) Japanese sport. Especially amusing are comparisons to American sports and athletes. An easy, fun read.

The Goods
If you enjoy sports, any sport, you will enjoy this book. If you enjoy sumo, you will LOVE this book. It is deliciously irreverent, to be sure, but at the same time it comes from someone who truly knows and loves the sport. Not stuffy, but full of good stuff. One warning: If you read this with anyone else nearby, you are going to want to read parts of it aloud. You're going to want to, but first you'll have to stop laughing and catch your breath. Makes me want to go back to Japan at the earliest opportunity.

Well written, amusing and educational
I felt I learned a lot about sumo from this book. It is both entertaining and educational.
... Read more

Product Description

Despite its status as one of the oldest and most enduringly popular sports in history, wrestling has been pushed to the background of the current American sports scene. Most people today would have a hard time even considering wrestling (with some of its modern theatrics) in the same terms as track and field or boxing. But until the 1920s, wrestling stood as a legitimate professional sport in this country, and a widely practiced amateur one as well. Its past respectability may not have endured, but the advent of cable television in the 1980s offered the sport a renewed opportunity to play a determining role in American popular culture. This opportunity was not wasted, and wrestlers now assume places in politics and film at the highest levels. Ringside, the first work to fully examine the history of professional wrestling in this country, provides an illuminating and colorful account of all of the various athletes, entertainers, businessmen, and national outlooks that have determined wrestling's erratic route through American history.

This chronological work begins with a brief account of wrestling's global history, and then proceeds to investigate the sport's growth as a specifically American institution. Wrestling has continued to survive in the face of technological developments, scandals, public ridicule, and a lack of centralized control, and today this supremely adaptable entertainment form represents, in sum, an international industry capable of attracting enormous television and pay-per-view audiences, along with massive amounts of advertising and merchandizing revenue. Ringside focuses on the business of wrestling as well as on the performers and their in-ring antics, and offers readers a fully nuanced examination of the development of professional wrestling in America.

Customer Reviews (4)

Well Written and Informative
Professor Beekman provides an excellent history of American wrestling in Ringside. He proceeds in roughly chronological fashion from prehistory to the present with a heavy emphasis on twentieth century America. The early chapters on the myriad of early wrestling styles such as catch, collar and elbow, and Cornish were particularly helpful for my research. More than a simple history of the matches, Ringside provides thoughtful analysis of the economics, symbolism, and technology of wrestling. The work's prose is easy to read and free of theoretical terms. Ringside is an excellent choice for scholars doing research as well as ordinary guys who just want to know more about wrestling. I only wish the book was longer. With only 146 pages of text the narrative seems a little rushed.

The Backstory
Before buying nearly the entire professional wrestling industry, Vince McMahon tried to erase the history of sports entertainment, or so it seemed to the weekly viewer of his numerous shows. In taking the World Wrestling Federation national, breaking with the territorial agreements of old, he sought to have his organization exist in a vacuum. To the viewer of WWF programming, no other federations existed, and any wrestler that did not wrestle for him was just as invisible. When wrestlers did leave the NWA or AWA to join the WWF, they left their past with them.

So what came before the rise of the WWF (now WWE)? Beekman follows the trail back through the heyday of the National Wrestilg Alliance, to the days when run-of-the-mill George Wagner decided to reinvent himself as "Gorgeuos George." He digs even deeper to the stories of the famous stars of the early part of the twentieth century, to find Jim Londos, Ed "Strangler" Lewis and Frank Gotch. He traces the story of William Muldoon, a contemporary and friend of boxing's first hero, John L. Sullivan. He reveals wrestling presidents and finds the activity in Civil War camps.

The author reaches even farther back, to find the roots of the professional side of wrestling, the first moneymakers, and finds them in a place no one might have guessed. He also unveils the evolutionary sequence that brought the sport to its familiar form today, from the elimination of wrestling styles to the development of angles and storylines.

In all fairness to the McMahon and his WWE, now that the wrestling war has been won - for now, if history is any indication of what's to come - their stance has softened considerably, and the history of the sport is now embraced with open arms.

An exhaustive history of pro wrestling in America
Scott Beekman was a subscriber to my pro wrestling history newsletter for years and corresponded (and credited me) in his book.Yet, it was I who learned from him.

This book is one the best pro wrestling history books I have ever read.Tremendous in it's coverage of the pioneer era of wrestling (the days before Frank Gotch).Inside you will learn of the various styles and how they progressed and changed.The different masters of the styles and how they eventually developed into what we today know as pro wrestling and MMA.

Yes, the two genres have their roots in the pioneer days of wrestling.Frank Gotch and Farmer Burns had far more in common with Matt Hughes and Randy Couture than with Triple H or the Undertaker.However, in just a few short decades that all changed.The original sport of American pro wrestling evolved (or de-evolved!) from legitimate competition into farcical fantasy.Yet both sides of the tree grew into billion dollar businesses.

Scott's book is a must have for any serious wrestling or MMA historian.

Professional Wrestling 101
I knew what I was going to get when I read this book before I even started it.When I saw that the author,Scott Beekman was a college professor (Ohio University)I knew Professor Beekman would be treating professional wrestling in somber tones.After all he has to face his esteemed colleagues in department meetings and annual conferences and he couldn't very well write a book on professional wrestling that was, well you know....fun or funny. (tongue firmly in cheek) I'll give one example of where the book fails to entertain.Managers havehistorically been an important part of professional wrestling and yet are barely mentioned here.Too bad.Any book on professional wrestling could/should have at least a chapter devoted to managers.The book is well-researched no doubt but not once did I laugh or even smile.I did however find myself saying "Hmmm,I never knew that". Entertaining ? Not at all.Informative ? Absolutely.Think of it as a textbook.Don't take it to the beach and don't buy the book,but rather borrow it from alibrary and read it while sitting in a straight-back chair.Somehow that seems appropriate. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not the greatest
Book was a lot shorter than I expected. I was very disappointed, It was written more like a documentary than for enjoyment. I Would not recommend this book to anyone. ... Read more

Product Description
In 'Wrestling-The Making of a Champion,' Bob Douglas presents a move-by-move guide to wrestling's most crucial maneuver-The Takedown. Douglas includes over 1,000 action sequence photographs that contrast a black wrestler w/a white wrestler against a measured horizontal and vertical grid. These photographs demonstrate clearly the relative position of the wrestler during each move, enabling the novice and expert alike to learn the technique of champions.

Douglas shows that the key to successful wrestling is a working knowledge of all the components of the takedown -the set-up, the penetration, and finally the second move.

Through illustrations that are remarkable for their clarity and through Bob's easy-to-follow instructions, the wrestler can learn several set-ups for each takedown and several second moves from each set-up, thus gaining the flexibility to become a champion.

CONTENTS: Foreword by Harold Nichols * Instruction * Stance * Penetration * the Tie-up * Double Leg Tackle * Fireman's Carry * Duck-Under * Single Leg Tackle * Near Arm & Opposite Leg Takedown * Arm Drag * Foot Kicks * Head Snap * The Shuck * High Crotch Takedown * Ankle Pick-ups * Headlock * Head and Arm Control * Breakdown from Behind ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An effective and simple set of takedown techniques
I first found this book when I was wrestling in junior high.Fifteen years later I still think it is one of the better grappling books.The picture are effective in showing the techniques.The takedowns demonstrated are simple enough to work well in a book format.I would also recomment this book to Brazilian Jiu jitsu competitors or MMA fighters if it can be found. ... Read more

Product Description
Explores the origins and development of steer wrestling as a rodeo event, discussing the rules, the training for wrestling and roping steers, the animals involved and judging of the events. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wrestling Steers
The book Steer Wrestling by author Josepha Sherman and in this book it is about Steer Wrestling.

The cowboy jumps off his horse, grabs the horns and wrestles it down and it is a rodeo event. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Best background
For anyone who loves pro wrestling, this is the only book that tells you how it started, and who owned titles up until the 1980' and how they did it.Also features long interview by Andre the Giant, Bruno Sammartino, and other greats.Knows more than MacMahon.

A fun and nostalgic read.
Writing a review of this book about twenty years after it was published, I appreciate it even more now than I did then.At the time, no wrestlers or people involved in the wrestling business were allowed to break"kayfabe" - carny-speak meaning they couldn't "expose"the wrestling business as entertainment and not truly sport.Now, that'sall changed.Therefore, the books we read now on wreslting are true,gritty behind-the-scenes recounts of the business side of things.RobertaMorgan's book paints a simple but nostalgic portrait of the majorsuperstars of the 1970's, filled with color photos, some of which havesince become wrestling classics.It has snippets of interviews,information on the wrestlers' backgrounds (now so obviously fictional) andis just an enjoyable read.For a longtime wrestling fan, it will bring aglorious and bygone era alive. ... Read more

Product Description
Wrestle and Win: The Wrestler's Guide to Strength, Conditioning, Nutrition and College Preparation is your guide to success in high school and college wrestling.Every wrestler has a daily mat practice, but great wrestlers know that it's what you do outside of practice that gives you the edge. This book is a comprehensive guide to the in-season and off-season training habits necessary to succeed at the state or national level.First, find out exactly what kind of strength training and conditioning you should be doing, including how to get the most out of your time in the weight room and what type of workouts to do during the off-season. Then get the facts on eating right, making weight and evaluating supplements. Finally, learn how to successfully make the transition from high school to college wrestling, including an inside view of the recruiting process and a step-by-step plan for getting recognized by college coaches.Author Steve Kimpel was a three-time collegiate All-American and has coached high school and college wrestlers, so he knows what it takes to succeed in the challenging sport of wrestling. Wrestle and Win is your roadmap to victory!Foreword by World Champion and 3-time Olympian Dennis Hall. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Any Coach Overseeing Wrestlers Should Own
I'm a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA and I think author Steve Kimpel did a great job with this book.

Wrestlers don't have to get weaker during the season. If you're a wrestling coach you might want to buy this book for just that one reason.

Having a foundation in the science of strength training and conditioning is great. But it's simply nice to have it spelled out how lifts common to we strength coaches correlate to a wrestler's specific needs at various stages throughout an entire calendar year.

Kimpel does a good job spelling out what strength exercises and conditioning circuits are good to use, when and why.

Kimpel also does a nice job spelling out nutritional basics and solid ways WRESTLERS can cut weight without sacrificing loads of strength and endurance.

Strength coaches can benefit from this book with sensible, science-based ideas and brushing up. Wrestling coaches you can benefit as well if you are doubling as the strength coach or just want to have a better understanding of why your school's strength coach is wanting to train your wrestlers a specific way.

I don't know Kimpel and had never heard of him until I bought this book on Amazon. ... Read more

Product Description

Exploring the steroid-fueled world of professional wrestling, this riveting chronicle lays bare the devastating events that led to the 2007 murder-suicide of Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy, and their seven-year-old son, Daniel. Benoit's performance-enhancing drug addiction—massive amounts of doctor-prescribed human growth hormone were found in Benoit’s home—and subsequent suicide proved to be the tipping point for the professional wrestling world, resulting in unprecedented scrutiny of the sport’s subpar health and safety standards. Using public records, dozen of interviews with those inside and outside of wrestling, and investigative results, this authoritative analysis provides an uncompromising look at the price athletes pay in this rough-and-tumble world.

Customer Reviews (10)

Maybe We Shouldn't Be Surprised...
Looks like JohnBuford stole all my thunder in regards to this book.

We have a company that has shown time and time again it cares nothing about anyone or anything other than it's own bottom line and will lie, cheat, steal and in the case of Owen Hart, kill. In the case of Chris Benoit and his wife and son, it's put forth by Muchnick that there may have been a coverup in regards to when the WWE knew what had happened and when they claim they knew.

Muchnick implies that a former WWE wrestler may have been sent to the Benoit home and found out about the murder/suicide days before the WWE claimed they knew. While this can't be proven and as time goes by it becomes less likely the facts if different from the official story will come out.

It is true that the county Benoit lived and died in is a rather crime free area of metro Atlanta. It's also a possibilty that because of the nature of the crime and the status of the victims and perpetrator that there would be a reluctance on the part of the district attorney, county sheriff and other powers that be in Fayette county to wish this whole thing to go away.

I am a police officer not far from where this crime occured and I do work in an area that has more than it's fair share of violent crime and murder and have seen more than my share in 15+ years of experience. I got to see the photo's of the crime scene and of the bodies and it's not well known, but Chris Benoit killed himself by tying a cable from a weight machine in his home gym and then wrapped a towel around his own neck, then wrapped the cable around the towel and then carried a 45 pound weight in each hand as he leaned forward and choked himself to death.

It was not an easy death and it must have been terribly painful. I've seen countless suicides over the years, but I've never seen or heard of one like this. It's suggested that Benoit was torturing himself for what he did to his wife and child, and Muchnick gives examples in the book of this kind of masochistic behavior that seemed to drive Benoit.

It talks about the seroids and whether or not his son was really mentally handicapped or not and how these issues may have been contributing factors in the deaths.

Regardless, there can be no excuse for what Benoit did and in the end he and he alone must be held responsible.

What sticks in my craw about this incident is that it's not isolated. As pointed out by others, the WWE has shown itself to be lower than low, and considering that wrestling has it's roots in conning people, and that they have always refered to fans as "marks" shows their total lack of respect to the people who put money in their pocket's and made Vince McMahon a member of the billionaire club is more than sickening.

I've known about kayfabe since the mid 1970's when I worked out at a gym that was used by professional wrestlers. Back then they told me of the low's a promoter would sink and how many wrestler's long before Benoit have committed suicide, murder or wound up in prison. I can no longer in good faith or conscience watch professional wrestling and I don't believe anything short of a total boycott of the WWE will do anything to improve the situation.

The only question is when will it happen again? You know that it will, you just don't know when.

Difficult to read but well worth the effort.
I remember tuning into Monday Night Raw, WWE's flagship show, on June 25th 2007 to find it was a tribute show to WWE superstar Chris Benoit who had been found dead earlier that day along with his wife and young son. My blood turned cold and my skin broke out in goosebumps. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and quickly logged onto the internet to validate that this was real and not some twisted storyline (up until their recent change to a more PG rated product there was very little off limits in terms of WWE storylines including such topics as necrophilia, gay rape, wrestlers being covered in excrement and, ironically, the week previous to June 25th's episode the murder of WWE chairman Vince McMahon). Unfortunately, this was no storyline.
It's unfortunate that in my tenure as a wrestling fan that a whole bunch of my favorite wrestlers have died while still young including such greats as David Smith aka 'The British Bulldog', Curt Hennig aka 'Mr Perfect' and more recently Eddie Guerrero. What's even more unfortunate is that the passing of these lives occurred without much scrutiny from the media in general. All that changed with the Benoit tragedy.
If you're not familiar with Chris Benoit, or somehow missed the media explosion following the murder-suicide, he was regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of his era. He was a former WWE champion and looked upon as being a role model to fans and younger wrestlers learning their craft. Outside the squared circle he was known as a very humble and reserved man who always found time to pose for pictures, and sign autographs, for his fans. 'Chris & Nancy' looks at the reasons as to why Benoit snapped and committed such atrocities and the subsequent investigation into the murder-suicide along with the role the WWE played in distancing themselves from the scandal.
I found this a very difficult book to read due to the fact I was a big Chris Benoit fan and knowing what he done to his wife and child sickens me to my stomach. However, such crimes are not committed on a whim and I wanted to know more about the timeline of events and what might have led to such a tragedy. This book was the perfect source for such information.
The book itself is split into fourteen chapters each dealing with a particular topic related to the events that unfolded on that fateful weekend in June. Each chapter relays the officially stated facts pertaining to the particular topic it is dealing with and Muchnick's investigation into those facts. It soon becomes apparent that those "facts" are sometimes nothing of the sort and he exposes such things as inconsistencies in the police reports, information that was overlooked and a possible WWE cover up of the timeline to limit damage to their public image.
The investigation by Mr Muchnick is very much a thorough one although I felt some information would have been better left out of the book. For instance, Chris Benoit was rumored to be having an affair with a current WWE diva. Even though it might appear that this was true, and may have led to further instability in Benoit's already unstable marriage, there wasn't enough evidence to support this theory as concrete fact. Yes, the diva's phone number might well have appeared on Benoit's cell records but that doesn't necessarily mean they were having an affair. Although intriguing I also felt that the chapter on the Wikipedia hacker was more filler than it was anything substantial in relation to the investigation.
As for the rest of the book it was very well thought out and evidence was presented, as required, in relation to the case that Muchnick built throughout the text. Ultimately, the reader is left with many unanswered questionsthat we will never know the answers to due to the case being closed and many people involved refusing to speak further about the incident. One of those bigger unanswered questions, in my opinion, was why WWE wrestler Dave Taylor was at the scene of the crime but later denied being there at all? However, Muchnick does make it clear that multiple explanations are the likely cause of Benoit snapping including prolonged use of performance enhancing drugs (which WWE knew about but chose to look the other way), depression and trauma inflicted upon the brain. The biggest unanswered question though is how Mr McMahon sleeps comfortably of a night knowing the role that his company has played in the deaths of many its performers as well as Chris Benoit and his family?
I recommend this book if you are interested in finding out more about what took place, the attitude of the WWE to what happened and the reasons as to why the murder-suicide occurred as you will find 'Chris & Nancy' be the definitive source on the subject matter.

One of the best books I've ever read on wrestling
I grew up in the early 1980's when wrestling hit its peak in terms of popularity and entertainment value.What drew me in during that era of Hogan, Snuka, and the Junkyard Dog was the sheer fun of it all.Sure, there was an element of danger to it, but there was still a bit of wholesomeness with even the scariest of the bad guys like King Kong Bundy, perhaps due to the cartoonish quality the characters had.By the 1990's, wrestling (and more specifically the WWF--later WWE--had sucked all the fun out of everything and made it all about money.Wrestlers were taking steroids like never before, pushing themselves more and more over the line.It was no longer family entertainment.Instead, it became something sick and twisted.No story better exemplifies this than the cautionary tale of the Benoits.

Since I was also a bookworm growing up, I eagerly sought out and consumed any book I could find on wrestling.Most of them were terrible, with bad writing and shoddy structures.Not so with this book.Not only is the story compelling, but Muchnick writes it like a true writer with a firm command of language and knowledge of his subject.By far the best book I've ever read on wrestling, and I'd recommend it to anyone who's interested in wrestling, crime stories, or just good writing.

A facinating look at a recent tragedy
Irv Muchnick's latest book about Chris & Nancy Benoit is an in-depth look at the dark side of professional wrestling.Muchnick has gone above and beyond in doing research for his book, interviewing dozens of people associated with the murder-suicide, and bringing a level of investigative journalism to a subject usually relegated to fluff stories.I recommend this book to anyone interested in what happened to Chris Benoit, but also those who are interested in true crime books.

Sad twilight of pro wrestling
I first got hooked on pro wrestling back in the fifties and early sixties when televisions were still mostly in black and white. Gorgeous George was one of my early heroes. By today's standards he was relatively "normal," meaning not pumped up on steroids and human growth hormones. He had great, classic, freestyle moves. Over the past four years, the course of pro wrestling has been all downhill. It's a tragedy. Most books on wrestling are about as phony as today's wrestlers. Muchnick knows wrestling. His genuine love for this entertainment form is palpable. I'm guessing he misses the good old days as much as I do. What he's written here is a searing indictment of pro wrestling today--one big steroid phony mess. It's also also about the tragic deaths of three people who paid the ultimate price. Reading it was both a deeply sad experience and one that made me angry as hell that the days of Gorgeous George are gone forever!! ... Read more

Product Description

Somewhere beyond the circle of money, glitz, drugs, and controversy that characterizes professional sports in America, remnants of an ideal exist. In Iowa, that ideal survives in the form of high school wrestling.

Customer Reviews (34)

Excellent Insider Look at Wrestling
I already knew the stories of the wrestlers depicted in the book, but only as an outsider.Kreidler's book is such an engaging story about the heart and minds of kids at the highest levels of the sport.You don't have to have wrestled or know anything about wrestling to enjoy it.And if you have wrestled, you will find yourself relating to a lot of the world that he paints... while inspired by those who really excel in that world.

incredible!
This book is amazing! So well written! A must read if you have any interest in college/high school wrestling.

Book for my son
My son had me order this book for a school assignment. He loves it!Good choice!!I can't really write a review for this book as I do not know anything about it. But, my 16 year old son is really into wrestling and he said it's a great book.

Captures the Spirit
This was an excellent glimpse at high school wrestling in Iowa. It really captured the grit and determination it takes to participate in the sport, as well as be a supporting family member during the long wrestling season.

In a world where lies and corruption rule the day this book gives us hope that hard work and dedication
In a world where corruption on the national political scene seems to be not only common but accepted as justified and not that big a deal, it's refreshing to see that some out there are still bound by a higher set of standards.In fact, if one were to look at the two men highlighted in this book and contrast them to the most recent 2008 Presidential hopefuls they would seem more capable of guiding us thru the trouble ahead.Rather than relying on empty words these two young men face down all obstacles with hard work, an iron will, forged discipline, and an inner confidence that is built on trial by fire.

This book can show us all what true greatness is versus the current standard of greatness which can only be said is premised upon giving a great speech.Four Days To Glory could be a roadmap to finding our next set of real American leadership and hope. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

One of the Best Sports Books Written
Dramtic,articulate, and saddeningly reflective, Broadbent takes us back and forth between what happened on that fateful evening and the divergent paths both Pinter and Owens took to get there.

Broadbent's ability to coax from Pinter and Dick Owens how they feel 20 years later is the stuff of sports legends.The photos are great.

Sadly Dick Owens is now deceased however a segment on a cable television presentation would be terrific, though I doubt forthcoming.

Apparently a documentary exists with interviews in both the Pintor and Owen household of which I'd like to see. Does anyone know of it's whereabouts?

There will never be another Johnny.
Boxing aficionados should devour this book. Others will get to
meet a beautiful person. On occasion I felt the author wandered
off the main road, thankfully he always returned to Johnny. This
book was well overdue. I found it hard to put it down. If your
tear ducts need a little lubrication this might do the trick. I
think Johnny was loved by all those who came in contact with him, I believe it was rightfully so. ... Read more

Product Description
Dennis Johnson has compiled a coach's dream—169 drills and games to make practices productive and fun! The Wrestling Drill Book emphasizes the seven basic wrestling skills identified by USA Wrestling:

• Position

• Motion

• Level change

• Penetration

• Backstep

• Lifting

• Back arch

In addition to emphasizing necessary skills, the Wrestling Drill Book also helps you make practices interesting. You'll find a wealth of ideas for building skills without boring repetition. And games like Mat Chess and Sumo Wrestling add fun and novelty to keep wrestlers motivated.

The Wrestling Drill Book will help coaches, teachers, and camp directors at the peewee, junior high, senior high, and college levels teach wrestling skills in a fun and interesting way. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Wrestling drill book
Not what I expected very diappointed. I have been coaching for 15 years and was hoping it would give me a fresh approach but did not . Save your money. Brad Berrier

Wrestling Drill Book
I recently got a book called "Wrestling Drill Book". The author is D. Johnson. It was published by. This is the single best book on wrestling that I have ever seen! I am a very tough critic when it comes to martial art and wrestling books and this book blew me away! It contains tons of drills, tactics, and technique details. The book is divided up into 8 chapters. The chapters are as follows:

1. Leg Attack Drills2. Upper Body Attack Drills3. Setups, Ducks, and Drags4. Neutral Position Defensive Drills5. Top Man Drills6. Bottom Man Drills7. Games and Mat-Related Activities8. Warm-Up, Conditioning, and Endurance Activities

I recommend this book without hesitation.

Well organized idea book
The book is organized into wrestling drills, games, and conditioning.A "drill finder" makes it easy to select drills for a specific technique being taught.Skill levels from peewee to college are provided as well as drills for folkstyle, freestyle, and greco-roman.Overall this book can provide many new approaches to prevent stale practice sessions.Not a book for an average wrestler, this is a coaches manual.

Has many drills for a wrestling team.
This book is very resourceful for a wrestling coach. If you are looking for a book on wrestling moves, this is not the book for you. This book is practically useless unless you are a wrestling coach.

Many drills and games.
Great book for ideas to be used in a wrestling practice ... Read more