Chokehold Pro Wrestling S Real Mayhem Outside The Ring

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

This book looks historically at the harm that has been inflicted in the practice of sport and at some of the issues, debates and controversies that have arisen as a result. Written by experts in history, sociology, sport journalism and public health, the book considers sport and injury in relation to matters of social class; gender; ethnicity and race; sexuality; political ideology and national identity; health and wellbeing; childhood; animal rights; and popular culture. These matters are, in turn, variously related to a range of sports, including ancient, pre- and early industrial sports; American football; boxing; wrestling and other combat sports; mountaineering; horseracing; cycling; motor racing; rugby football; cricket; association football; baseball; basketball; Crossfit; ice hockey; Olympic sports; Mixed Martial Arts; and sport in an imagined dystopian future.

This definitive biography of Vince McMahon, former WWE chairman and CEO, is “riveting, essential reading” (Rick Perlstein, New York Times bestselling author) as it charts his rise from rural poverty to the throne of one of the world’s most influential media empires. Featuring exclusive interviews with more than 150 people who witnessed, aided, and suffered from his ascent. Even if you’ve never watched a minute of professional wrestling, you are living in Vince McMahon’s world. In his four decades as the defining figure of American pro wrestling, McMahon was the man behind Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, John Cena, Dave Bautista, Bret “The Hitman” Hart, and Hulk Hogan, to name just a few of the mega-stars who owe him their careers. For more than twenty-five years, he has also been a performer in his own show, acting as the diabolical “Mr. McMahon”—a figure who may have more in common with the real Vince than he would care to admit. Just as importantly, McMahon is one of Donald Trump’s closest friends—and Trump’s experiences as a performer in McMahon’s programming were, in many ways, a dress rehearsal for the 45th President’s campaigns and presidency. McMahon and his wife, Linda, are major Republican donors. Linda was in Trump’s cabinet. McMahon makes deals with the Saudi government worth hundreds of millions of dollars. And for generations of people who have watched wrestling, he has been a defining cultural force and has helped foment “the worst of contemporary politics” (Kirkus Reviews). Ringmaster built on exclusive interviews with more than 150 people, from McMahon’s childhood friends to those who accuse him of destroying their lives. “Smart, entertaining, impressively reported, and beautifully written. Wrestling fans will devour it, but everyone who wants to better understand this crazy country and one of its truly original characters ought to read it” (Jonathan Eig, author of Ali: A Life).

Gene Kiniski (1928-2010) was internationally known to a generation of wrestling fans and to Canadians everywhere as "Canada's Greatest Athlete." Older fans and wrestling historians remember him best for his accomplishments in the ring, his run-'em-over approach to the game, his growly demeanor, and his razor wit he could unleash at will. Drawing on recollections from fellow wrestlers, promoters, and friends, this first biography of Kiniski gives a full account of the life of a champion pro wrestler who won over fans throughout the United States, Canada, and Japan in a career spanning more than three decades.

Written by a law professor (who also happens to be a wrestling fan), this book is an entertaining and informative exploration of legal cases involving professional wrestling. Relying upon judicial decisions and court documents, it discusses the legal theories and procedures involved in legal disputes involving professional wrestling and explores how the legal system--an institution devoted to arriving at the truth involved in any conflict--has dealt with the business of professional wrestling, a business with a long history of obscuring the truth. Topics include: the legal issues involved when a wrestler goes into the crowd and beats up a fan; Hulk Hogan's defamation lawsuit against World Championship Wrestling for statements made during a live pay-per-view event; and race and sex discrimination in professional wrestling.

***Get Access to the Become A Pro Wrestler Facebook Group by purchasing your copy today***Have you ever dreamed of becoming a pro wrestler? Have you ever thought about quitting your job to travel the world and pursue your childhood dream? Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to walk down the ramp to your own entrance music, hearing the adoration of your family, friends, and fans? While this may sound like the rock star lifestyle, the truth is the pro wrestling journey is not easy. Not even close. It is a long road of sacrifices, challenges, and dedication. What if there was a book full of knowledge that helped accelerate your learning to make your pro wrestling dream become a reality without going through hardships of trial and error? Ian Bello has you covered with Becoming A Pro Wrestler. This book is wise, personal, and loaded with practical, real-world insights from Ian's personal experience to help you navigate your way to success in pro wrestling and sports entertainment. If you're looking to pursue pro wrestling as a full-time career or just trying to check-off the boxes on your bucket list, don't step foot inside the squared circle until you read Becoming A Pro Wrestler. In this book, you'll encounter: ✅ The essential skills a pro wrestler must have inside and outside of the ring✅ How to focus, set goals and find the right school for you✅ Ways to prepare yourself physically and mentally for pro wrestling ✅ Insight on how to improve your wrestling and performance skills✅ An in-depth guide on how to succeed in pro wrestling and win the hearts of your audience

'Clever, funny, authoritative and illuminating' - Times Literary Supplement 'Filled with passion, humour, and a little bit of welcome weirdness. A must-read for every die-hard wrestling fan' - Mick Foley For fans of books from Chris Jericho, Steve Austin, Daniel Bryan, Mick Foley and Jim Ross. 'We have all felt every emotion today. Remember today, the next time a family member or workmate tells you that wrestling is stupid. We've laughed, we've cried, we've screamed our lungs out. Professional wrestling is the greatest thing in the entire world.' - Jim Smallman, 2016 Comedian and PROGRESS Wrestling founder Jim Smallman takes us on a wild ride through the history of pro-wrestling, from its beginnings at the turn of the twentieth century to the pop-culture, pay-per-view juggernaut that it is today. Join Jim as he looks at the most defining and iconic moments in wrestling's history and attempts to nail down just why this ludicrous, over the top, compelling quasi-sport means so much to so many people.

The first investigative look at the extraordinary - and absurd - history of America's greatest mythological sport through the lives of the men and women who have starred in it A professional wrestler is more than just a sports hero or TV character. He (or she) is a demigod, a cultural icon. And these modern mytholigical characters have had a wider impact on our culture than one would imagine. Film politics, and modern folklore stem from their bravado. As David Shoemaker found while writing his popular columns on Grantlandand Deadspin, the fans of wrestling are numerous, culturally relevant, and profoundly interested in those iconic figures who have moved on to WrestleMania in the sky - and in how they shaped the minds of generations. The Squared Circle- Life, Death, and Professional Wrestlingis both a history of pro wrestling and a paean to its fans who, like the author, grew up worshipping a sport often derided as 'fake' in the wider culture. Wrestling's fans harbor real nostalgia for the sport and its spectacles, like the epic matches between Frank Gotch and George Hackenschmidt that caaptivated the country in the early 1900s - when wrestling and boxing were still duking it out to be the nation's pugilistic pastime - and the in-ring wedding of 'Macho Man' Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth. From the folkloric life of Andre the Giant and the grim human realities suffered by the Von Erich clan to the racial barriers broken down in the South by Junkyard Dog and the Native American stylings of Chief Wahoo McDaniel and Chief Jay Strongbow, The Squared Circlehighlights not only the legends that became the mythology of a century but also the impact they (and the sport) had on the world around them. Shoemaker treats wrestling as the significant pop-culture phenomenon it is and acknowledges both its broader significance and wrestling fans' intelligence and sense of irony while fully exposing and exploring its myth-laden history, including the legends of the superstars, the misconceptions about the craft, and the fact that fans have always been in on the sport's fakery. 'Since the earliest days of pro wrestling,' he writes, 'the sport's otherworldliness has been its calling card.' Throughout the book, the stories of the wrestlers' weird lives and often bizarre deaths vividly illustrate the clash of wrestling's painful reality with its peculiar unreality. And by looking past the spandex and body slams,The Squared Circleshows how the offscreen world of wrestling is almost as fantastical as the one on-screen. 'Few people write about anything as well as David Shoemaker writes about pro wrestling. And if you're the type who dismisses it as a 'fake' sport, just know that this awesome book contains real characters, real betrayals, and very, very real death. That's great reading.' Drew Magary, author of Someone Could Get Hurtand The Postmortal 'If you believe that pro wrestling is not a sport, then you've never read David Shoemaker. No one else so ably demonstrates the real-life drama and competition that takes place between the lines of the scripted action. No one else shows how true this fake world can become for the fans, promoters, and, yes, pro wrestlers who practice the trade. If you are a fan of sports and entertainment or the murky world in between, you will devour this riveting book. And if you believe pro wrestling can't produce top-shelf sports writing, then, yes, you've never read David Shoemaker. He's the CM Punk of the genere, a.k.a. 'The Best in the World.' Dave Zirin, author of Game Over- How Politics Has Turned the Sports World Upside Down 'This is undoubtedly the best book about professional wrestling I've ever read. And I hate to admit this, but I've read many books about professional wrestlin