Ringside

Ringside PDF Author: Scott Beekman
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 0313026785
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 219

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Book 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.

Ringside

Ringside PDF Author: Scott Beekman
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 0313026785
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 219

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Book 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.

The History of Professional Wrestling

The History of Professional Wrestling PDF Author: Graham Cawthon
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781493566891
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 594

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Book Description
Since 2002, The History of WWE.com has served as the premiere online resource for the in- and out-of-the-ring histories of multiple wrestling companies. Now, for the first time in print, you have access to the thousands of dates, cities and ring results that comprise pro wrestling's past. You can now find the hidden gems, the main events that drew thousands and the ones that only drew flies. This second volume in "The History of Professional Wrestling" series contains EVERY known result from the World Wrestling Federation from 1990 to 1999. It's "The Ultimate Challenge" to the height of the Attitude Era and everything in-between!

The History Of Professional Wrestling Vol. 1

The History Of Professional Wrestling Vol. 1 PDF Author: Graham Cawthon
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781492825975
Category : Wrestling
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Since 2002, The History of WWE.com has served as the premiere online resource for the in- and out-of-the-ring histories of multiple wrestling companies. Now, for the first time in print, you have access to the thousands of dates, cities and ring results that comprise pro wrestling's past. You can now find the hidden gems, the main events that drew thousands and the ones that only drew flies. This first volume in "The History of Professional Wrestling" series contains EVERY known result from the World Wrestling Federation from it's inception in 1963 all the way through 1989. Did you know...? While Buddy Rogers was recognized as WWWF World Champion for the better part of 4 months, he wasn't presented with the title belt until mere weeks before his title loss to Bruno Sammartino? The WWWF was operated as a territory in the northeastern United States. But in the days before a national or global audience, it was not uncommon to see the heavyweight champion in Japan, Canada, Florida, Nashville, Indianapolis, or California. And he would often bring his belt to defend against the local star. Bruno Sammartino was "defeated" for the heavyweight crown a few times by the likes of Gorilla Monsoon, Ray Stevens and Prof. Tanaka. The title was returned on a technicality. WWWF action aired on HBO as early as 1973. Top names like King Kong Bundy, Curt Hennig, Jim Duggan, Eddie Gilbert, and Mick Foley all had their start on TV as enhancement talent during the timeframe of this book. Many marquee matches at TV tapings never saw the light of day in the U.S. but some were later televised exclusively in Europe or Canada. During the expansion of the 1980s, fans of other wrestling organizations didn't always appreciate the WWF product when it debuted in their area. Often, even with Hulk Hogan on the card, hosting events in a new part of the U.S. was not an immediate success when it came to attendance. And there are countless others you'll come across in this incredible "History of Professional Wrestling" series!

The Encyclopedia of Professional Wrestling

The Encyclopedia of Professional Wrestling PDF Author: Kristian Pope
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
Presents an illustrated chronicle of professional wrestling history and includes approximately one thousand very brief "slamographies" of significant wrestlers and managers.

Chokehold: Pro Wrestling's Real Mayhem Outside the Ring

Chokehold: Pro Wrestling's Real Mayhem Outside the Ring PDF Author: Weldon T. Johnson
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 9781462811724
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 556

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Book Description
This meticulously crafted and searing critique of pro wrestling is unlike any wrestling book published: Chokehold is a penetrating description of pro wrestlings dark side, a secret underworld of deception, exploitation and greed. The storyteller is Big Jim Wilson, All-American football player and survivor of seven years in the NFL, who was promised wealth and the world championship as pro wrestler. Instead, Jim Wilson found a surprisingly lucrative sports entertainment industry built on a pyramid of secrets that included abusive control of its performers and a long history of illegal business practices and corruption of politicians and state athletic commissions. Chokehold describes and documents the abuses that Jim Wilson witnessed and endured blacklisting, strong-arm tactics, homosexual blackmail, defiance of the U.S. Justice Department and bribery of TV executives and arena managers. Chokehold is an explosive indictment of the pro wrestling industrys business practices as well as a thoughtful proposal for pro wrestlings reform. This book is not a conventional expos of pro wrestlings orchestrated stunts, gimmicks and blade jobs. Instead, it is an unprecedented examination of pro wrestlings less visible cons outside the ring -- its hidden manipulation of wrestlers with broken promises and broken bones and a backstage power of the pencil that writes scripts for wrestler stardom or extinction. Chokehold describes a secret slice of the wrestling life where traveling troupes of heels and babyfaces understand how they got into the game, but cannot find a way up or out. This is the story of why and how the big guys almost always lose. Chokehold is part autobiography and part pro wrestling history. Written in wrestlespeak (the industrys insider argot), it is dedicated to the memory of the older boys whose broken bodies and shattered lives should have taught us something. In addition to Jim Wilsons experiences in The Business, this book reviews significant but forgotten episodes in the wrestling industrys long history of gangland tactics. The industrys infamous blacklist is revisited by revealing the dozens of wrestlers from the past whose names were on it. The industrys history of predatory promotional wars in California, Georgia, Texas and Virginia is told with FBI reports obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. From court documents, this book names compromised state athletic commissions, TV station managers and local politicians from wrestlings viewpoint, the best that money could buy. There are many famous wrestling names in this book --Gorgeous George, Lou Thesz, Jack Brisco, the Funk brothers, Dusty Rhodes, Bruiser Brody, Bill Watts and others. Another is The Sheik (Eddie Farhat), who says: There aint no nice guys in this business. There aint no people theres dollars! Another is Jim Wilsons tag team partner Thunderbolt Patterson who warned Jim, The wrestling business takes advantage of anybody who has any notoriety or ability. You got to understand that wrestlers are worse than whores. They are pimped. They use you as long as they possibly can or as long as you dont complain. When you complain, they get rid of you. Another is Jim Wilsons friend The Magnificent Zulu (Ron Pope) who summarizes his career this way: Its such a crooked business. The guys [wrestlers] are a bunch of crooks. They steal from the marks and the promoters steal from them. The guys [wrestlers] want to be stars! Theyll do anything theyll cut throats for it. Actually, wrestlers dont have to be paid. All they need is a couple of six packs of beer a night and a nice looking ring rat with a good body. Or, drugs and a ring rat. Its not the money. Its being a star! Its the glory and the pussy! This book confronts the wrestling industrys traditional practice of punishing wrestlers who refuse

Pro Wrestling FAQ

Pro Wrestling FAQ PDF Author: Brian Solomon
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation
ISBN: 1617136271
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 394

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Book Description
(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.

Professional Wrestling

Professional Wrestling PDF Author: Jeri Freedman
Publisher: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc
ISBN: 1615311378
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 50

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Book Description
Professional wrestling has always been huge entertainment. Starting in the 1980s, however, the wrestlers themselves started to become cartoonishly huge—many with the aid of steroids and other supplements. This book shines a light on the history of steroids in pro wrestling, taking a critical look at the wrestlers whose lives have been irreversibly harmed by the fallout from using performance enhancing drugs.

Tonight-- in this Very Ring!

Tonight-- in this Very Ring! PDF Author: Scott Keith
Publisher: Citadel Press
ISBN: 9780806524375
Category : Wrestling
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
An unprecedented look at this bizarre world of professional wrestling and the characters who inhabit it, offering a fan's history of the world's most fascinating sports entertainment form. Not the politically correct 'official' version, but the real life story the fans lived through from the glory days in the 80s when Hulk Hogan reigned supreme, through the dog days of the early 90s to the organisations remarkable come-back in the late 90s. Keith uncovers Vince McMahon, the entrepreneur and visionary who made pro-wrestling such an entertainment blockbuster.

Pro Wrestling

Pro Wrestling PDF Author: Lew Freedman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Wrestlers
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This book provides readers with an abundance of information and historical perspective as well as entertaining and memorable anecdotes about professional wrestling. Readers will also learn unusual snippets of trivia that will enhance their comprehension of the sport. This authoritative work on the history and culture of professional wrestling features the biggest names in the wrestling world since the sport emerged on the American sporting landscape. It comprises short biographies of all of the key players in the sport's evolution and rise to popularity-from old-timers to barrier breakers to household names such as Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Andre the Giant, and more-and includes not only men but also many women who have made a name in the sport. Surveying professional wrestling from its roots, dating centuries, to the modern era, pre-20th century and into the 21st century, the work tells the transformational stories of prominent wrestlers and the sport as a whole, in many cases bringing out the humor and outrageousness in the nature of an activity that has always straddled the line between show business and sport.

Pro Wrestling Kids' Style

Pro Wrestling Kids' Style PDF Author: Shawn Crossen
Publisher: Crossen & Flink Services, Inc.
ISBN: 9781879000124
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 162

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Book Description
Tells the story of the creation and success of The Kids Pro Wrestling League, started by the author in Minnesota when he was fourteen years old.