To celebrate the anniversary of Mick Foley’s groundbreaking first book, Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Socks, we’re counting down the best wrestling reads of the last 20 years.
david gibb and john corrigan, editor-in-chief of wrestling estate, each compiled their own list, compared options, and then debated which should make the final cut. it was an exhausting challenge to determine which ones deserve our highest recommendation, and many of our favorites were still left out. (Larry Matysik’s Wrestling in the Chase, David Zapatero’s Circle Square, Into the Pit with Piper, Daniel Bryan’s Autobiography, and Lex Luger’s Autobiography, just to name a few.)
You are reading: Best books about pro wrestling
20. Pro Wrestling FAQ: Everything Left to Know About the World’s Most Entertaining Show (Brian Solomon)
brian solomon has “toasted champagne cocktails in rich style all night in manchester, england; he hung out in freddie blassie’s basement ‘classy’ while wearing his slippers; And he was once stuck in a limo with Vince McMahon for three hours and lived to tell the tale.” Despite all those anecdotes, the former WWE, Raw and SmackDown magazine writer and editor has not written an autobiography. instead, he covers professional wrestling from its origins in fairs to modern sports entertainment. Solomon’s Tome is the definitive guide to everything one needs to know about the history, the athletes, and the appeal of the genre. – john corrigan
19. countdown to confinement: a hardcore diary (mick foley)
mick foley’s fourth and final memoir chronicles the preparation and execution of his tna world championship match against sting at lockdown 2009. it is similar in style to his third book, in which he discusses the preparation and execution of his wars with ric flair and ecw’s resurrection in 2006. i’m more drawn to this one simply because i attended the match with sting, and reading what foley was thinking during the chaos is fascinating. In addition, he also talks about his painful experience as a commentator for Vince McMahon. – john corrigan
18. its not a four letter word how i failed at spelling but succeeded in life to the guy very well)
I don’t enjoy self-help books and don’t usually want celebrity advice, but the pacing and structure of It’s Not a Four Letter Word makes it a very addictive and entertaining read.
Each chapter is based on a specific life lesson Jericho has learned and contains specific examples of how that lesson has played out on his path to success (usually filled with smile-inducing celebrity anecdotes). This may seem like weak praise, but it’s the perfect bathroom reader: something that can digest a few pages at a time and reflect between reading sessions. -David Gibb
on this holy day, we learn from the four gospels of jericho. @iamjericho #merrychristmas pic.twitter.com/9pskvndoqm
– the wrestling estate (@thewrestlingest) December 25, 2017
17. undisputed: how to become the world champion in 1372 easy steps (chris jericho)
In the highly anticipated sequel to his first memoir, Chris Jericho takes us behind the scenes of his arrival at WWE, which was plagued by political turmoil. For fans of the early 2000s, it’s fascinating to see how the locker room reacted to the arrival of the NWO and Radicalz, Jericho’s confrontation with Goldberg, the rise of John Cena, and much more. In addition, Jericho delves into his adventures outside the ring, such as Hollywood, Fozzy, and becoming a father. the most moving part of the book is the chapter on chris benoit and how he will never face what his best friend did. – john corrigan
16. the hard truth: the bob holly story (bob holly with ross williams)
It is often said that history is written by the victors, but wouldn’t it be much more interesting if it wasn’t?
The Unconditional Truth is a daring attempt to cut through the bs of coded history and explain what it was really like to break into TV wrestling after the territories had died and swim in the ultra-competitive shark tank of the late ’90s. wrestling outfit. Holly is honest (or tries to be honest) in the book and ends up looking both very similar and very different from her TV character in several surprising ways. -David Gibb
15. be the man (ric flair with keith elliot greenberg; edited by mark madden)
The title of ric flair’s ghostwritten autobiography will likely be on display in his case against wwe for labeling becky lynch “the man”. Long before he recorded interviews, podcasts, and espn 30 for 30, the nature boy first opened up about his illustrious career with this tale in 2004. Known for wearing his heart on his sequined sleeve, Naitch took shots at everyone from Bret Hart to Bruno Sammartino to Mick Foley to Eric Bischoff. He also let the world know a little about Richard Morgan Fliehr, a black market baby struggling to juggle his own family life with the demands of being the greatest pro wrestler of all time. – john corrigan
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14. Big Gold: A Closer Look at Pro Wrestling’s Most Celebrated Championship Belt (Dick Bourne w/ Dave Millican)
as ric flair liked to say, “if it ain’t great gold, it’s second best!”
big gold is the ultimate deep dive into fan minutiae, devoting two hundred pages to the history, design and cultural significance of the most celebrated championship belt in wrestling history. . If you’ve ever wondered what goes into the process of creating a new wrestling championship, both in terms of creativity and craftsmanship, Big Gold is here to turn even the most casual wrestling fan into a devotee of the title. -David Gibb
13. Second Nature: The Legacy of Ric Flair and the Rise of Charlotte (Ric Flair and Charlotte with Brian Shields)
is the incredibly heartbreaking saga of professional wrestling royalty, but it’s also relatable to every family in America. both styles are to be commended for their brutal honesty, making readers feel more like friends than fans. this is the best work from co-author brian shields, translating his inner turmoil and anguish (over the death of a son/sibling, domestic violence, forced retirement) into an eloquent, inspiring, and captivating story of survival and redemption. – john corrigan
12. the pro wrestling hall of fame: tag teams (greg oliver and steven johnson)
Tag wrestling has its own psychology, its own flavor, and its own distinct appeal, and you can feel that Oliver and Johnson wanted to honor that in tag teams. The book begins with a well-written “we don’t care what you think, these are the right answers” Top 20 professional wrestling tag teams of all time before delving into historical subcategories. the structure and feel of the book make for a blast to read, and each chapter feels like a satisfying “coincidence” in itself.
The heels, heroes and icons of oliver and johnson are also essential reading for completists. -David Gibb
11. bobby the brain: wrestling bad boy tells all (bobby heenan w/ steve anderson)
as much fun as you’d expect from the brain. From dropping out of school in the eighth grade to help out his mother and grandmother to becoming the greatest manager of all time, Bobby Heenan certainly lived the American dream. Of course, there were many difficulties along the way, which the weasel recounts after 40 years in the crazy world of bodyslams and nonsense. Its sequel is also recommended, though it’s packed with more out-of-ring anecdotes and life lessons than specific wrasslin stories. – john corrigan
10. wrestler, memoir of a masked man (lynn denton with joe vithayathil)
len denton wrestled and booked his best matches in portland, which took him a little off the radar of mainstream wrestling during his athletic prime, but he was one of the sharpest minds of the late territory era and universally respected by his peers, from ric flair to raven. grappler, memoir of a masked man does a great job of illustrating what life was like for an ordinary wrestler trying to become a creative force in the business without selling his values as “one of the guys.”
grappler… is the kind of book that makes you want to go out and see all the available matches and promotions that its author has done. -David Gibb
9. it’s good to be king…sometimes (jerry lawler with doug asheville)
Published a year after his return to WWE in 2001, Jerry Lawler’s autobiography came too soon. In the nearly 20 years since then, there’s so much more for King to open up about, from the tragic death of his son to her heart attack on Raw and his fellow podcast scammer Glen Moore. That’s not to say you shouldn’t read this book: Lawler dives into Memphis territory, jumping into WWE and his heartbreaking breakup with Stacy “The Kat” Carter. is a brutally honest and funny account of the king’s illustrious career. – john corrigan
8. death of the territories (tim hornbaker)
Death of the Territories is essentially the unauthorized story of Vince McMahon’s early ’80s power play that changed wrestling forever. Hornbaker does an excellent job building backstory at the beginning of the book, which makes the death of the territories very engaging and accessible for readers who are new to wrestling history, while also providing the level of detail that is needed. hardcore fans crave.
If you’re trying to understand Vince McMahon’s real place in wrestling, television, and American history, Death of the Territories is the perfect place to start. -David Gibb
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7. is wrestling fixed? I didn’t know it was broken! (invoice later)
full disclosure: I’m friends with bill apter. but so is everyone else! wonderful willie is pro wrestling’s greatest ambassador, having helped countless people (wrestlers, commentators, reporters, you name it) find their way in the industry over the past 50 years. His memoir doesn’t follow the traditional autobiography style: it’s filled with random illustrated anecdotes about his days in professional wrestling, witnessing Bruno Sammartino lose the WWE Championship, befriending Andy Kaufman, and much more. plus. As entertaining as it is educational, Apter’s book feels like you’re sitting next to him at a mod pizza, giggling as you devour another burnt slice. – john corrigan
6. bib (jim ross with paul o’brien)
slobberknocker was probably the most anticipated wrestling memoir since hitman, falling at the height of the wrestling podcast craze and chronicling the journey of one of the sport’s most recognizable faces and voices throughout the ages. last half century. The book refreshingly shifted deep dives into specific moments of the attitude era, but instead focused on J.R.’s family, his entry into what was still a very closed business, and his struggle to balance the two.
There is some heartbreaking stuff in Slobberknocker, most notably Ross detailing his upbringing at the hands of a mid-century Wild West tough guy and his emotional reaction to the sudden death of his wife Jan, which threatened the book’s completion. itself. however, at the end of the day, it’s a really cool look at what it meant to be a smart, ambitious “normal guy” in the wrestling business when normal guys weren’t allowed. -David Gibb
5. sex, lies and headlocks: the true story of vince mcmahon and the world of wrestling entertainment (shaun assael & mike mooneyham)
I’ve probably read this book more than any other. As decades of accolades and reporting show, Mike Mooneyham is a great writer who knows how to engage the reader during history lessons. its co-author, shaun assael, is one of the original espn magazine staff members and a member of enterprise & amp; research group. Together, they examine Vince McMahon’s rags-to-riches journey, as well as Ted Turner’s entry into the Wrasslin’ business, McMahon’s steroid test, and the Monday Night War. If you think you’ve heard this story ad nauseam, I guarantee you’ll learn something new on this page turner. – john corrigan
4. fighters are like seagulls: from mcmahon to mcmahon (j.j. dillon with scott teal & philip varriale)
“…all they do is eat, shit and squawk”, dillon once heard vincent j. mcmahon tells his son backstage at madison square garden. Wrestlers Are Like Seagulls is essentially a parallel narrative, following both Dillon’s career, from part-time referee to wrestler, fringe-territory promoter, and finally manager, and the evolution of the wrestling business since the 1960s. , when he broke into the heyday. from Bruno Sammartino, through the sale of promotions from Jim Crocket to Turner, when J.J. he went to work for the wwf.
The book balances specific knowledge about situations and stars that dillon had first-hand knowledge of, as well as providing a great basic understanding of how the territories worked from someone who formed his bones in the heyday of the system. -David Gibb
3. tale of lions: around the world in spandex (chris jericho)
Taking the bard’s baton from Mick Foley, Chris Jericho has also penned a captivating series of memoirs. Knowing how much he takes pride in all of his efforts, it was highly unlikely that y2j would trust a ghostwriter, but he exceeded all expectations with his debut autobiography. Chronicling his journey from training with the deer (sort of) to the seconds before the millennium clock struck zero, Jericho wowed us with poignant anecdotes, humorous pop culture references, new slang, and never-before-seen stories. told about wrestling on smoky mountain, ecw, wcw and beyond. – john corrigan
2. hitman: my real life in the cartoon world of wrestling (bret hart)
bret hart’s autobiography hits all the expected notes: recounting his rise from calgary to king of the wrestling world, discussing the descent of his role model and close colleague, the dynamite boy, to complete self-destruction, details His main event fights Shawn Michaels literally step by step, and he dives deep into the devastation of losing his brother in an ill-conceived workplace accident.
what makes hitman… really great, though, is bret’s effort to tell an emotionally real story, albeit a subjective one. the perspective of him as an insider and an outsider (the son of a respected promoter and a huge star, but also a quiet artistic idealist) makes the book equally captivating and heartbreaking. -David Gibb
1. have a nice day: a story of blood and socks (mick foley)
the first wwe book is still the best.
By giving up a ghostwriter and writing the entire book (over 700 pages) by hand, Mick Foley became the forefront of professional wrestling autobiographies. The book debuted at #3 on the New York Times bestseller list on November 7, 1999 and peaked at #1 on December 5 with its vivid descriptions of enduring unimaginable pain, navigating between the Big Three , surviving hell in a cell and achieving her childhood dream, mrs. foley’s baby shattered the perception that professional wrestlers were grumpy, unintelligent buffoons and that their fan base were uneducated snot-eaters. Foley’s brilliance, charm and masterful storytelling captivated fans and non-fans alike, taking them on a rollercoaster ride through the world’s craziest industry and explaining why someone with Foley’s aptitude would be so enthralled with her. – john corrigan
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