Smark Out Moment

If you're a fan of Chris Jericho—and chances are, if you're on this site, then you are—you need to enter Smark Out Moment's latest giveaway contest.

You can win a free copy of Chris Jericho's latest book No is a Four-Letter Word: How I Failed Spelling but Succeeded in Life just by showing your support for Smark Out Moment!

HOW TO WIN

One winner will be chosen at random based on the Gleam competition module above. Enter as many times as you can for more chances to win. However, any falsified entries will be grounds for total dismissal from the entire contest, voiding all entries for that particular person.

Chris Jericho Book Giveaway


If any aspect of the above widget does not function, please leave a comment below to call attention to the matter at hand.

Like the Smark Out Moment Facebook page
Follow the Smark Out Moment Twitter account
Subscribe to the Smark Out Moment YouTube channel

We're riding the wave of WrestleMania Week inching closer and closer to WrestleMania 33 this Sunday, April 2nd and WWE is all over the place with specials on the WWE Network, media appearances, promotional tours and all sorts of other means to get us pumped up for what they've dubbed "the ultimate thrill ride" this year.

If you're like me, you're starting to feel the hype even if you're not into the full card, and even though there's a chance Roman Reigns might beat The Undertaker (ugh, please, no) you're still excited to see what WWE has in store for us.

With that in mind, you should check out the latest special collector's edition magazine on sale right now.

Inside, you'll take a trip down memory lane with a breakdown of some of the biggest matches and most important moments from the history of the event—everything from profiles of some of the best of all time (Shawn Michaels, Edge, Randy Savage, Roddy Piper, etc) to a top 10 of the biggest shocks and a refresher of some of the best entrances, which are always much more lavish than any other time in the year.

To get yourself prepped for WrestleMania 33, there's a preview of some of the featured wrestlers for this year's card as well as the inductees in the 2017 class of the WWE Hall of Fame.

You'll also get two free posters on the inside—one of The Architect Seth Rollins and the other of the headliner for this year's Hall of Fame, Kurt Angle! Isn't it great to see him back under WWE's roof again?

The latest venture in WWE publishing is The Official WWE Book of Rules (and How to Break Them) which just released February 28th.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy provided by the good folks over at Topix Media Lab and I'm pleased to say it's something I think everyone who frequents Smark Out Moment would be interested in checking out at some point down the line.

In the opening, it is made clear just what we're in store for. It presents itself as a collection of photocopies of an imaginary rulebook found backstage and passed down from generation to generation—almost like stumbling across a "no girls allowed" sign in your kid's tree house.

Basically, think of it as the equivalent of the leaked scripts of Raw and SmackDown from time to time which break down the segments and have various notes written on them, however, with a heightened sense of reality wherein the insanity of WWE's storylines and the locker room antics bleed through to blur the lines from satire and a document that would expose government secrets.

"The rules are not neatly typed, bound and coated in a swank leather cover. Many are scrawled on scrap paper, some are penned on paper towels, pieces of stationery, sticky notes and in one case, a police report."

And so it is, which is why to go with the theme, you'll be getting some bootleg cell phone snaps as images in this article!


The setup is that there were times in the past where Titan Tower typed up the rules in a more proper format, but as more and more people bend and break the rules, adjustments are made on the fly with whatever tools they can manage to use while on the road. Sometimes, you need to grab a pen and scribble onto a napkin that Vince McMahon's decree that "a Superstar should never drive a zamboni, forklift, monster truck or beer truck to the ring for any reason" also applies to milk trucks, or you'll see an added note that "going forward, WrestleMania will be a minimum of four hours long to allow time for Undertaker entrances."

Obviously, it's essentially a tongue-in-cheek picture book and not a literal scholarly evaluation of rules within the company from a non-kayfabe perspective (although one has to know it's scripted to be able to enjoy the references and jokes).

If you're looking for something that elaborates on when there was a change in policy to allow open fists or what exactly led to the adjustments where chair shots to the head and piledrivers were no longer legal, this is not your book.

However, if you're looking for page after page of illustrations that poke fun at some of the more ridiculous things in the WWE Universe that we all love, this will be right up your alley.

It's a quick read for sure, as it isn't so much a "read' but more of a "flip through" in a sense. This is a true coffee table book for people to pick up and skim for random chuckles, which are in abundance.

Every page has a handful of things to laugh at, as even the most formal notice letters have scribbles on them with comments from wrestlers who disagree with the rules.

Case in point, as the rules of the Royal Rumble state that eliminations occur when a Superstar is thrown over the top rope and both feet touch the floor, Curtis Axel has circled it and written down that this is exactly why he was never eliminated and he's still in it.

Since this is so thoroughly packed with jokes, some of them will invariably be weak, as humor is entirely subjective and it's clear this was a project worked on by a lot of people throwing in their ideas all over the place, but that just means there's something for everyone.

I certainly don't want to spoil every little bit, so here are just a collection of a few more of the jokes that I liked from the first few sections of the book:

• The section on cultural diversity states that "Superstars of any nationality are free to perform as many region-specific maneuvers as they wish" to drive home the point that you don't have to be German to do a German suplex
• Clarification from the times of Team Hell No that if you and your tag team partner win the tag team titles, you are indeed BOTH the tag team champions, not just one of you
• Remember Michael Cole's plexiglass cubicle? That has been banned.
• Pointers for new referees such as "Don't allow William Regal to begin a match without patting him down first" and "Don't assume the correct Bella Twin is in the ring."

For more casual WWE fans, this certainly won't strike home, but the longer you've been invested in the company, studied up on its history and went along for the ride, the more jokes you'll get and the more fun you'll have reading it. Anybody like myself who has been a fan since he was a kid will undoubtedly love getting flashbacks of old feuds and ludicrous gags from the past as well as current references still going on today, like "what?" being a rhetorical question and Kevin Dunn asking people to limit the time they spend on entrance poses so it doesn't disrupt the flow of the show.


If you're interested in picking it up, you can order it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and elsewhere books are sold.

Released in 2002, In The Pit With Piper by Roddy Piper, in his own words, is the story of one of the greatest wrestlers ever. The bagpipe-playing legend gets down and dirty about the world of professional wrestling-and his own career.

Our tale starts with a fifteen year old Roderick Toombs leaving home to pursue his wrestling dreams. For whatever reason, Roddy has omitted much of his formative years about his parents, school years, and general upbringing. A shame given that these are key parts of any autobiography and often make up a large part of a wrestler's backstory.

However, on the upside, it does mean that we get the wrestling part of the story far sooner, which is a good thing for someone as colorful as Roddy who we all know has seen and done so much. What follows is a largely linear telling of his early territory and travel days, his Scottish gimmick formation, and learning of the ribs and tricks from the old guard (including one very amusing tale of a wrestler faking a rabies attack to avoid paying for a steak dinner!)

Sadly, the chronological order does not hold up for long, and we soon find ourselves jumping between vague story to vague story with no explanation over the timeline or territory it occurred in. Annoyingly, this vagueness becomes a recurring theme in the latter part with literally years skipped out without expansion or explanation. A key emphasis is on the years leading up to WrestleMania 3, but everything after is blitzed through at such a speed that you do not get a true picture of what was going on or how he felt.

Such examples include leaving WWE after his treatment at the hands of Vince McMahon, only to then be back two years later doing voiceover work — and all within the space of one page! The same can be said of his time in WCW, an organization that he casually mentions joining without any sort of backstory about how or much about what happened there either.

His movies career does get a look in too, which I found very interesting, and I would have loved to have heard about more his films, but then this sadly may have detracted from his already watered down wrestling history.

Roddy is a good writer in the sense that he is very funny, and his distinctive voice can certainly be heard, but the book could have benefited from being longer. Someone as storied as Roddy Piper could have easily squeezed in another 30-50 pages to allow more time spent on the 90's onward. As is stands, the book reads a little like Roddy talking in a pub, and he is just giving you the CliffsNotes version of certain events before drunkenly slurring into another topic altogether.


A more comprehensive look at the life and of times of Roddy Piper can be found in the biography published after his death, but without the obvious benefit of hearing it in his own words. But all in all, once you have accepted that not every event you want to hear about it gets the Spanish inquisition, what we have here is still a largely enjoyable read that fans of the Hot Rod are certainly not going to want to miss out on.

Released in March 2016, Hustle, Loyalty & Respect: The World of John Cena is the ultimate reference book on one of the greatest champions of WWE. Cena has been in and out of the ring for more than sixteen years and in the meantime, he managed to become a rapper, an actor, and a WWE SmackDown show host. Hustle, Loyalty & Respect (his personal code of conduct) offers a great overview of his career.

Source: Amazon

This hardcover book is 208 pages long, divided into five short chapters and it's perfect as a coffee table trophy for all members of the "Cenation".

The author, Steve Pantaleo has more than ten years of experience at WWE. He wrote many books on wrestling superstars such as The Rock, Daniel Bryan and Sheamus. Pantaleo also authored the WWE Ultimate Superstar Guide which makes him one of the most knowledgeable people in the world of wrestling.

Source: Wikimedia

This time he produced a truly excellent title about John Cena - "The Face of the WWE." Wrestling is all about images and in this release you will find more than two hundred colorful photos depicting the life and evolution of the most famous "babyface" of all time. The book also comes with one of Cena's famous armbands (similar to the ones you can get at the WWE events), and other bonus materials.

The foreword by Vince McMahon offers some behind-the-scenes information and after that, we dive straight into a sub-chapter with some little known facts about the wrestler. For example, Cena is an avid poker player, and is reported to have spend a sizable amount of time accruing skills on online platform PokerStars, allowing him to made a stellar debut as a professional the World Series of Poker. He also loves and collects muscle cars such as 1971 AMC Hornet SC/360.

Chapter One contains stories about his childhood and they're especially interesting for fans who want to learn more about Cena's background. Then there's a lot of information about his rise to fame as a wrestling superstar, and especially his early days as "The Prototype." It's great to look at these facts just to get a feel for the breadth of Cena's career. It makes you realize that often, a unique gimmick is what paves the way for a successful wrestler.

Source: Wikimedia

Later chapters contain exciting information about Cena's WWE career. There's information about every crucial match he ever had, his signature moves, outfits, nicknames and entrances. Often the facts are presented in an easy to read, infographic form which enable readers to catch a quick glimpse of Cena as a wrestler. The book also contains a neatly designed career timeline with all key stats and figures.

All in all, I would recommend this book to all members of the "Cenation". Just like with other WWE titles, there's tons of tightly-packed information presented in an attractive way. In addition to quick facts and career highlights, this release contains quotes from Cena himself and among other things, information about his work ethic and his mindblowing exercise routine.


What are your thoughts on Steve Pantaleo's book? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Released in 2012, 'From Prison to Promise' is a spirited tale of redemption from a seemingly insurmountable life of tragedy and crime, and sees Booker T. Huffman detailing his life before celebrity status in the ring.

This is not your average wrestling autobiography. The rough format given to most "wrasslin' reads" is around one-third childhood, one-third arduous journey to stardom, and then the last third focusing on what happened once they reached the promised land (WWE in most cases.)

However, 'From Prison To Promise' does not follow this cookie cutter format, and goes for an entirely different approach instead. Sure, his childhood is in there, but do not go into this book expecting to learn of Booker T's WWE or even WCW days. As the title suggests, this book's central focus is on how he got away from a life of crime, cleaned up his act, and eventually got onto the path of wrestling training with his brother.

Similar to how Chris Jericho's first book ends just before he debuts in WWE, Booker T closes with having just gotten the call for a tryout at WCW, but having no idea what the future may hold.

The tale is a captivating read all the way through with its emphasis on grit, grime, and crime. From Booker T being left to fend for himself after his mother died, how he planned robbery heists across a fried chicken franchise, and, of course, his time in prison once the game was up.

These aforementioned sections are particularly interesting, offering a fascinating insight into real life crime and life behind bars.

Although some wrestling fans might be disappointed about the lack of insight into his latter-day career, this actually plays very nicely into the tale. By not reminding us that everything worked out great in the end, you are subconsciously drawn further into his story, rooting for him and hoping that something will make him turn a corner and succeed. It is a sign of good writing that he is able to convey this desolation despite us knowing full well how his life did turn out.

However, this is not to say that the tale is entirely devoid of wrestling, for his training school and early independent days do get a look in towards the end.

Alongside co-writer Andrew William Wright, the pair have done an excellent job in ensuring the writing flows, and the voice of Booker T can be heard throughout. The book is structurally sound with no noted typos or formatting errors.

Overall, I have no hesitation recommending "From Prison to Promise". You do not even need to be a wrestling fan to understand or appreciate the story told here, as anyone with the slightest interest in inspirational stories or real life crime will get a lot out of it as well.

"From Prison to Promise" approaches the wrestling autobiography genre in an entirely different way, and manages to pull it off masterfully.

Released in November 2000, I'm Next: The Strange Journey of America's Unlikely Superhero accounts the early life and meteoric rise of NFL player turned WCW star Bill Goldberg.


In reviewing this book, it is a little difficult to know exactly where to begin, for the book itself is somewhat choppy in its narrative. We start with Bill at a pivotal moment in his WCW career, and then onto his college and NFL days, then his childhood, and then back to wrestling, and his journey to WCW.

The book is also frequently interrupted with inserts from the likes of Sting and Mean Gene Okerlund saying how great Goldberg is. Fair enough, but what with this being an official WCW release, somehow the statements come across as hollow and forced, especially when they are so at odds with what many other wrestlers have gone on record to say about the man's lack of passion for the business.

However, this is far from the worst thing about the book. I was actually more put off by the decision to have the wrestling part of his journey conclude halfway through the book! Why? Just like a WCW storyline, it ends with no conclusion or reason.

The rest consists of non-sequential random blog type chapters such as Bill and his charity work, Bill on being Jewish, and Bill's Dad, Bill's brothers, or Bill's ex-football coach on why Bill is great.

This book does not let you forget this. Bill is great, OK!

Order and construction of the book aside, the content did little to make me warm up to the man. Bill is quick to proclaim wrestling as goofy, silly, and that he did not watch much as a child. He has no shame admitting that he has no idea what any of the moves are called, and was clearly in no rush to learn.

Now, compare that to passionate men like Chris Jericho and Daniel Bryan. They traveled the world, paid dues, and went through hell to get the top. They were told they could not do it, but they did.

Bill was told that he should wrestle, and so he did. The end.

In one sense, I feel bad to criticize Bill Goldberg for not having any real roadblocks or drama in his tale, as that is just how his life has played out, but there is no getting around the fact that this makes for a rather uninteresting book, especially when he only pursues this journey as he needed a job. His football career hadn't worked out, and he wanted big money.

Another point of contention I had with the book was his frequent contradictions. For instance, despite saying that wrestling is silly, and he didn't care about winning or losing, he then goes on to describe winning the WCW Championship as the greatest feeling in his life. Or, when fed up with the length of WCW contract negotiations, he tells them he does not need their job, as can just go and work in his brother's restaurant, just pages after having actually worked for his brother, and stating that he would never do so again.

Those hoping for in-depth backstage gossip will also be disappointed. He does not like Kevin Nash, Vince Russo is a genius, and he thinks that Triple H is a prick. This is about as good as it ever gets.

However, at least we do get the full scoop on his feelings about Jericho's Greenberg taunt and WWE's Gillberg character.

He didn't like them.

The best autobiographies inspire, entertain, and help you warm to the writer's character. I'm Next: The Strange Journey of America's Unlikely Superhero fails on all three counts.

NEXT!

Released in July 2015, Yes! My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of WrestleMania is Daniel Bryan's behind the scenes story. From his beginnings as a child wanting to wrestle, to his ten years on the circuit before finally making it in WWE, this book chronicles all the hard work, values, influences, unique life choices and more leading to his watershed week at WrestleMania 30.

The book is 320 pages divided into 26 chapters with each chapter typically ranging from 15-20 pages long. This is an official WWE-sanctioned release, so the use of WWE photographs has been allowed in addition to photos of Bryan's independent circuit days and ones of a more personal nature too.

The story is essentially made up of two separate voices. There is the third-person viewpoint which opens each chapter, and then the second (and bulk of the book) is Daniel Bryan in first-person. Each voice also takes place in different time frames, with the third-person starting a few weeks prior to WrestleMania 30 and Bryan's starting from his birth and upbringing.

The third-person viewpoint observes the short-term "journey to WrestleMania" part of his story, following him around press events, signings, hotel rooms, and even what he goes shopping! The first-person sections, on the other hand, detail the long-term part of the journey—how he learned his skills, rose up through the independents, fought around the world, got to WWE, got let go, went back around the world, back to WWE, got let go, back around the world, and finally back to WWE.

Unsurprisingly, Daniel Bryan's own voice is the most interesting aspect of the book. The third-person part offers a nice insight, but obviously has heavy WWE editing, so it reads a little more like a PR magazine release at times. However, that being said, WWE has not been as intrusive for Bryan's side of the story, for there is a surprising amount of swearing and references to acts that are anything but PG! All of this helps to make it read as a more realistic and gripping tale.

As Bryan spent ten years on the independents, and five (consistent) years in WWE, there is understandably a greater emphasis on the indy side. There are lots of great road tales here and plenty that made me laugh, but occasionally, he can spend a little too long describing almost every move that went into some matches. Unfortunately, this grates after a while, and I found myself wishing he would hurry up and get to the more "political" backstage goings-on of WWE. Deny it all you want, but fans love this part as much as the sport itself.


Once Daniel gets to WWE full-time again, he does manage to cover near enough everything I can remember of him. His NXT days, the United States title reign, the Bella Twins love triangle angle, feuding with CM Punk over AJ Lee, Team Hell No (which he wanted to call Team Friendship!), and of course, the YES Movement are all detailed.

However, a surprising omission is cancer patient Connor "The Crusher" Michalek. Given how much of an impact they appeared to have on each others' lives, I can only conclude out of respect for the family, he did not wish to be seen as exploiting it. Nevertheless, it still seemed strange to have not included him in the story.

Bryan does give a good balance between personal and professional, though, and provides plenty of insight into his own family life, relationship with wife Brie, his beard, diet, and general outlook on life. So, you will leave it feeling you understand a great deal more about the man he is today and what he is all about.

While it just falls short of the heady heights of the wrestling author alumni — Mick Foley, Bret Hart, and Chris Jericho—I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and if anyone was to ask me if I recommended it? YES-YES-YES!




* I have since discovered the UK version is edited slightly differently from the US version. Though I still cannot fathom why, this might have been one of the things edited out.

Released in 2011, Wrestling the Hulk sees Linda Hogan sharing her deeply personal stories about being married to the iconic WWF superstar Hulk Hogan. Stories of abuse, infidelity, celebrity, her "life on the ropes" and how the former VH1 reality TV star managed to step out of her marriage ring and make a fresh start. She begins the tale with such standard autobiography fare as childhood, school days, family life, and her early career working at a beauty salon. While nothing riveting is revealed, it is still an interesting read that helps us learn who Linda is and what she came from.

For instance, she recalls an incident when she was 19 going to the cinema with her mother on a Friday night, and how mortified and sad it was to be doing such a thing. This is mere pages after speaking about how important family is to her and how she loved nothing more than spending time with them.

That might sound a minor understandable occurrence given her age, but this contradictory nature is something that repeats itself throughout the book. What is also notable is how much time she spends talking about her pre-Hulk years, yet skips massive chunks of her married years to suit her attempt to paint a tarnished image of her ex-husband. One of the most significant leaps is when Hulk is seemingly top of the wrestling mountain in WWF during the late 80's, to it then being 1996 and he is in WCW. Save the birth of their children and a few paragraphs on the steroids trial, little else gets spoken of.

Were there any good times in these years? Perhaps, which is likely why Linda chose to ignore them.

Wrestling fans are also going to be a little disappointed how little attention Hulk's wrestling career actually gets in the context of all this. Considering these are probably the only people interested enough in Linda to read such a book, it is a strange thing to omit.

Forget reading about how she or Hulk might have felt about such occurrences as his WWF decline in the early 90's, signing to WCW, or getting back into the WWE. None of that gets a look in—not if it has nothing do with making Hulk look bad.

Although, perhaps I am being a little unfair; she does mention how good at sex he was when they first met—in far more detail than anyone really needs to know.

But frankly, Linda's belief about how controlling and manipulative Hogan is comes across as borderline paranoia. Private investigator you hired to trail your husband goes bust? Hulk's doing. Men in shades following you? Hulk's doing. Hairdresser tried to encourage you to drink and drive? Hulk's doing. Police stopped your car to search for drugs? Hulk's doing.

Despite her numerous attempts to make out she was in a living hell, I never found myself warming to or sympathizing with her. Yes, Hulk had an affair, and for that I felt sorry for her. But when you get upset your husband slept with another woman while you are divorcing him, then you are just making out you are a victim unnecessarily.

From start to finish, she bashes Hulk Hogan more times than he probably took in his entire in-ring career, and whilst doing so, she portrays herself as a selfless, dutiful, humble wife. But it is painfully obvious she is little more than a fame-hungry ungrateful gold-digger.

I would recommend reading this along Hulk's two books to get a bigger picture before passing any judgement on the situation. Yes, Hulk has a reputation for being a bit of bullshitter and blowing his own trumpet, but even he comes across as far more rational and reasonable than his ex-wife. One key difference being: he accepts he made mistakes. Meanwhile, nothing is Linda's fault. Ever.

Now, you may think that I am saying this book should be avoided at all costs, but I am not. While it is certainly is a skewed account of the events, it still provides some interesting insight into the personal life of wrestling's first global superstar that ardent fans of what happens outside the ring will enjoy.

Overall, there are far better books out there worth your time, but if you can take it with a large pinch of salt, then you may enjoy it as a guilty pleasure read.

Released in early 2015, Wrestling For My Life is the spiritual — in more ways than one — sequel to Shawn Michael's 2005 book, Heartbreak and Triumph. Detailing the journey from a self-destructive, drug-addled superstar to a devoted father, husband, and born-again Christian.

The book is a noticeably slimmer volume than its predecessor, weighing in at 160 pages long, divided into fourteen chapters. It should also be noted that though this is not an official WWE tie-in product, he has been allowed to incorporate numerous photographs from the WWE archives to go alongside the personal/family ones too. Michaels' story is also prefaced by two separate forewords from fellow WWE legends Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H.

Each chapter opens with a verse from The Bible, typically one relating to being saved/redemption, which Michaels then relates to a period of time or incident in his life he can associate it to. This may be something to do with wife, his children, hunting, his church, or — what I imagine most people would buy the book for — wrestling.

But this is by no means a wrestling book in the traditional sense. Yes, it is referred to throughout each chapter, but those wanting an in-depth look on his early life and career, should look to Heartbreak and Triumph instead.

The years 2005-2010 do get covered in a brief amount of detail, such as his feud with Chris Jericho, the DX reunion, and his WrestleMania matches with Undertaker, but probably not to the extent most wrestling fans would like, which may lead to disappointment if this is the sole reason one purchased the book.

Instead, the book largely focuses on his spiritual story and family life; something he touched upon in the first book, but not to the extensive amount of detail he does here. This book is far more about separating the character of HBK from the real-life Michael Hickenbottom. In other words, his real-life, not just his wrestling life.

Michaels writes frankly and humbly throughout, and though he has a different co-writer this time around in David Thomas, the book's narrative deeply engages the reader in the same fashion of the earlier book. His self-deprecating nature makes you warm to him easily (assuming you were not already a fan) and certainly left me with an even greater level of respect for him.

However, one criticism I will bring up over the writing style is the book's structure with time-frames. One might assume a book about redemption would have an obvious timeline to follow, but the chapters are not necessarily arranged in a way which best illustrates this. Occasionally, it can feel more like a series of blog posts under a spirituality theme, as opposed to being a true journey, which is a slight shame as this, in my opinion, would have made the overall message of the book more powerful.

As a Christian myself, I found the book very uplifting, and I thoroughly enjoyed this element of it. As a piece of stand-alone Christian literature, it also works exceptionally well. However, I am acutely aware this will not be for everyone.

I would hate to dissuade anyone from wishing to read a book with such a positive reflective piece, but if one was an ardent atheist with no room for being open-minded, then the book may grate ever so slightly. That is not to say Shawn is happy-clappy though; he acknowledges that Christianity is far from being all rainbows and unicorns, which to me made it a far more relatable read.

Overall, this book is not for every wrestling fan, but Shawn never intended it to be. This was a book he wanted to write as opposed to being asked to, and I for one, am glad he did.

Until Lita moonsaulted into WWE fans' hearts in early 2000, the idea of a woman laying any real offense to a man (and vice versa), was one largely reserved for Chyna. However, thanks to her relentless determination and passion, Lita soon found herself mixing it up with the midcard and main event men, and came to define the standard of what WWE divas should aspire to.

Released in 2003, "Lita: A Less Traveled R.O.A.D - The Reality of Amy Dumas" takes us on the journey of a woman considered by many as the most revolutionary diva in WWE history. It is a story that is all the more remarkable considering she did not even start watching wrestling until her early 20s when she saw her boyfriend watching WCW, and was immediately hooked on the costume, performance, and entertainment aspect behind it all.

The book is 320 pages, divided into 50 chapters. Each chapter is typically 3-7 pages long, making it perfectly suitable for any time-poor reading fans to dip in and out of.

Dumas' co-writer, Michael Krugman, has done an excellent job in assisting with the narrative and construction of the piece, with the flow following a logical chronological order of events. That may sound generous praise for an obvious step, but you would be surprised how many wrestling books jump back and forth between time-lines, skewering the emotion and focus on the journey being told.

The book's presentation and overall layout also benefit from a large array of personal and professional photographs peppered throughout.

From her family life and childhood, the finding of herself through punk-rock music, to working in animal hospitals and strip dancing, Dumas takes us through her formative years in just the right amount of detail; never staying too long on a subject so you get bored, but neither leaving you feeling cheated by a lack of information.

The second stage of the book is where her wrestling journey begins and follows the long, ardent road she took to make it to the top. She takes us through the trials and tribulations of training in Mexico, her independent circuit days, her ECW stint as Miss Congeniality and then, finally, reaching the big time with WWE.

Though some may think four years into her WWE career is too soon to release a book; it actually benefits from this, for it allows her to delve into all her major storylines during this time; how they came about, and what she felt about them. It covers her debut and split with Essa Rios, the formation of Team Extreme, battling The Radicalz, feuding with The Two-Man Power Trip, The Invasion, and the brand split.

Near enough, everything she got involved in gets a look in, right up to point she broke her neck.

The book is filled with some very interesting wrestling trivia that I suspect few will be aware of. For instance, did you know Lita once appeared as a "ho" for The Godfather in 1999? Or that she did not know her ring-name was Lita until she watched her Sunday Night Heat debut back on TV (nobody thought to tell her!)

But wrestling lore aside, Dumas does not hold back on her personal life and opinions either, with such topics as her (then) real-life relationship with Matt Hardy, life on the road, her problems with "one-dimensional divas,"and her many TV show appearances she did for WWE (none, of which she enjoyed!).

If I had to label one criticism for the book's writing style, it would be that she sometimes writes storylines/backstage screen conversations as if they were real life incidents, but is inconsistent with this approach, so it can come across as if she is unsure about breaking kayfabe or not. This does mean the lines between reality and fiction are sometimes blurred.

Nevertheless, all in all, it is a minor infraction measured against the overall excellence of the book, and should not detract anyone from the enjoyment.

So if you are a fan of Lita, wrestling books, or even just the Attitude Era, I highly recommend you pick this one up, somewhere along the road.

Released in 2013, "The Hardcore Truth," follows the trials and tribulations of eternal midcarder Robert Howard, aka Hardcore Holly. Alongside talented co-writer Ross Williams, Holly delivers the real biting truth behind his indie wrestling days, racing car career, and his fifteen year run with the WWE.

Shady backstage politics, who can and can't wrestle, THAT Tough Enough incident—Holly holds little back.

The book is 300 pages long, divided into 36 chapters, each around 8-15 pages long. Once you reach the end of a chapter, you get "The Hardcore Truth"; a page-long prose on such topics as the internet, fans, and Triple H. Here, Holly discusses what he perceives as the "truth" on the matter. These are equally fascinating as they are frank, much like the rest of the book.

The writing is exceptionally well constructed. It flows effortlessly, and it is very easy to find yourself reading far more than you intended to in one sitting. You really get the voice of Holly in your head as you read, and it almost feels like a personal conversation at times.

Unfortunately for Bob, the character of Hardcore Holly is one that has given him a rough deal in terms of his reputation. He played the role of a no-nonsense tough guy, one who would sooner hit you than smile. But, he was almost too efficient at it. Many are still under the impression that he is like this in real life.

Yes, he is tough, but through the course of the book, you learn he is a really decent guy. Frank, but always fair. Nothing is said out of spite or bitterness. He gives sound reasons for why he might have had a problem with someone, yet still finds a way to highlight the good in them too.

The best example of this is Hunter (Triple H). Hunter crops up numerous times through the book (and I mean numerous). Bob gives many instances where he believes people have been held down by Hunter, or have benefited from being his inner circle.

However, despite this constant allude to manipulative influence and back stabbing, he spends just as much time talking about how he considers him one of the best wrestlers' alive, as well as moments that show Triple H can be exceptionally kind to the boys, too.

It is because of this down to earth non-bitchy approach that you really believe Bob IS telling the truth; he is sincere through and through, and in no way a bitter man. Yes, he expresses a little regret about how he was used to get people over who proved to be a waste of time and money. Nevertheless, we learn he was pretty accepting of his role and just got on with it with minimal fuss.

Holly's midcard status actually makes The Hardcore Truth all the more interesting, though. For wrestling autobiographies are typically from those who reached the top, or those who are just delusional of their success. But what about those that remain in the mid-card their entire career? What is life-like for them? Bob proves they clearly have stories to tell, for he certainly does not skimp when it comes to covering his career in the squared circle.

Bob joined WWE at the time of The New Generation Era as racing car driver Thurman "Sparky" Plugg, he saw the birth and growth of the Attitude Era, the rise of the Ruthless Aggression days, and finally the PG Era.

Everything I remember vividly about Holly is here, and plenty more. The J.O.B Squad, fighting Al Snow in the Mississippi River, The Brawl For All Tournament, The Fighting Holly Cousins, The New Midnight Express, his thoughts on Owen/Crash/Eddie/Benoit's deaths, the ECW revival, tagging with Cody Rhodes.

Oh, yes. And, there's even a story about wrestling a bear.
You do not feel cheated by a lack of detail in any of the eras he mentions, something many autobiographies fall foul of. However, one noticeable omission is a lack of detail on Holly's family life in adulthood. Though he covers the birth of his daughter, and winning custody of her. For the most part, he largely keeps quiet on this front. I mistakenly thought that Bob never married until nearing the end of the book, when he mentioned in passing how he has gone through a few divorces.

But whether this is a negative is your personal perspective. Personally, I respect his no kissing and telling approach. Plus, in lieu of tales of woe about his family life, we get an abundance of wrestling talk, highly likely a reason one would have bought the book in the first place.

This being said though, Bob does share with us a very touching happy ending with a personal relationship, but I will not spoil that for you.

The Hardcore Truth easily ranks right up there with wrestling book alumni like "A Lions Tale" and "Have a Nice Day. If you are going to read one wrestling book this year, make it this one. Heck, if you are only going to read one book this year, make it this one.

Oh, and Bob. In answer to the question, you pose at the end of the book. "How do ya like me now?" The answer to that is, quite simply, rather a lot indeed.

Ain't that the truth.

Released in 2004, Tales From Wrescal Lane is one of the lesser-known works by Mick Foley and illustrator Jill Thompson. It is a children's book that imagines the stars of WWE as children and the adventures they would get up too.

The A4 sized book comprises of 64 beautifully illustrated pages, with two main stories.

The first focuses on the pre-Authority pre-school Stephanie McMahon and her determination to make money to buy the doll she so desires. The second tale focuses on the boastful Kurt Angle and roller coasters—the inclusion of which won't surprise any fans of Foley's autobiographies.

The writing style is not dissimilar to Dr. Seuss, with the entire book being told in rhyming couplets. In contrast to Foley's other lengthy tombs, each page is relatively sparse, with only around 2-3 sets of couplets per page in large font—but again, remember, this is not surprising given the target audience.

Long term adult WWE fans will not fail to be amused by the subtle inclusion of wrestling lore and legend hidden throughout. Sometimes it is in the text itself, other times in the illustrations, with the likes of Farooq's helmet at Stephanie's yard sale, or the WWF Winged Eagle belt in Vince's house. Many of these are going to be lost on children, but I feel they are for the amusement of Foley and the WWE fan parents reading along with their child.

The illustrations are all beautiful. It is very obvious which wrestler is what child, and it is plain to see a lot of detail has gone into these creations. The "Roster" of wrestlers included is relevant to the time of publication, and include the likes of Stacy Keibler, Al Snow, Matt Hardy, Lita, The Dudley Boyz, Little Mick Foley himself, Triple H, and The Rock.

All a delight to see, but sadly some of the inclusions may not be familiar with children a decade on from it's publication.

I did find it a little odd that the WWE theme park the children visit included an Edge roller coaster, splattered with pictures of an adult Edge, yet all his contemporaries are all aged 10 and below, but at this point I reminded myself that I really probably shouldn't be applying the same analysis I would normally give an adult's book.

But this being said though, one anomaly I must point out: young Mick Foley is nice to young Al Snow!

Overall the book is an enjoyable, albeit short read. Every page is a visual delight with the inclusion of hidden wrestling jokes tucked away in the images.

It is by no means an essential purchase, but 6 year old WWE fans familiar with the past will certainly get a kick out of it, as would any adult fan of Foley's writing style.

CRITIQUE RATING SCALE: 2- COUNT (Near Fall)

Released in 2008, Batista Unleashed takes a look at the life and times of "The Animal" David Bautista from the challenges growing up in a crime-ridden area of Washington D.C. to the journey he faced getting on the road to his meteoric rise in WWE.

The book is 320 pages long, divided in 10 main chapters, and each chapter contains numerous short subsections ranging from half of a page to five pages long. This makes it perfect for the time-pressed reading fan, as even five minutes can make for meaningful and enjoyable read. I also feel these micro-chapters fit well with Batista's nature and personality, as we come to learn. He is actually an exceptionally quiet and shy individual.

Many wrestlers make a start on their careers in their late teens/early twenties, but Batista was close to 30 when he got into the wrestling world, so there is plenty of life experience to talk about prior to his WWE days. Dave accounts early family life as a child in a dirt poor single parent family, the rough gang war way of life that surrounded his upbringing, and the struggles that ensued raising two daughters when he was still feeling lost in the direction of his own life.

While the subject of wrestling is largely missing from these chapters of his life, it does not make it any less interesting. He still alludes to present day events as he goes, but largely sticks to a chronological order in terms of his story's telling. I mention this as some wrestling autobiographies are notorious for skipping back and forth in time so quickly that there is little sense of a timeline. Dave does not make this mistake and the book benefits greatly because of it.

When he eventually does come into wrestling and the story behind it, Batista does a good job in covering his career. This includes trying out in the WCW Power Plant, his WWE development territory days as Leviathan, moving into his debut, becoming part of Evolution, and beyond.

Admittedly, he has far less material to choose between than a 20-year veteran, but this actually enables him to give what he has done a good deal more coverage. The only real part I really felt he skimped on the details for was perhaps his tag team/feud with Rey Mysterio. I personally would have loved to have heard a little more about that, but this is a minor gripe in comparison to what else is covered.

Like many WWE-produced books, it has the benefit of a skilled co-writer (Jeremy Roberts) to craft and direct the wrestlers' voice onto the page. But what is special about this book is the fact that the voice of Batista is very definite here. You really do feel like the man is just sitting down talking to you. Though I must admit, I initially found the narrative a little—how do I put this..."simple"—when compared to the likes of the wrestling literary alumni of Chris Jericho, Mick Foley and Bret Hart, it quickly grew on me as I came to realize this is just how the man is.

He is the first to confess that he is not a man of many words. Many family friends doubted he could ever be a wrestler because, as one Aunt put it, "But he doesn't speak? Won't he have to speak?"

At times, Batista's narrative is exceptionally funny. I do not think it is always intentional, but he is very frank. He just says what he thinks and does not care who he offends with it. If he thought someone was an asshole, you are going to hear about it.

On the flip side to this, if someone has been kind or he admired them, he could not be more complimentary. He praises Triple H and Ric Flair multiple times throughout the book for helping him. The same doesn't carry over to Randy Orton, whom he confesses has a lot of anger issues. Nonetheless, this praise does not come across as brown nosing. Through the book, it becomes obvious that Batista is a man who has a lot of love and time for people. Remember the days of Deacon Batista and Reverend D-Von? This is a section of his career which is covered in a lot of detail in the book, and Batista makes it evident how much respect he has for D-Von for letting him tag along, train, and teach him the basic fundamentals of surviving WWE protocol and politics.

All of this really helps you to understand the man Batista actually is. He is not arrogant—forget what you see him saying on screen. This book really shows that he is a very humble guy. He confesses he does not think he is a great wrestler, his asthma prevents him going for too long in the ring, and he knows he only got where he did due to his size and look, but he never once forgets that.

My biggest criticism on the writing style would be the inclusion of so many sections starting with phrases like, "I don’t remember the details but.." or, "I don't know why/what/when but…." The book unfortunately has a few too many road trip stories that are only 50-75% complete. Nobody expects anyone to remember each and every trip or incident they have ever undertaken, but it seems odd to have padded the book with so many tales like this.


In my opinion, the best wrestling books are those that inspire, inform and endear you to the author. This one hits the mark on all levels.While it is not "Have a Nice Day" or "A Lions Tale", based on its own merits, it is nevertheless an enjoyable book.

Released in 2006, WWE Legends takes a look at 40 of the greatest WWE Superstars from the pre-Hulkamania Era.

Written by former WWE Magazine editor Brian Solomon, the book is 192 pages long divided into 9 main chapters, each dealing with a subsection of Legend history including managers, ethnic heroes, villains and the weird and wacky. Each Legend's profile typically ranges from 3-5 pages long and features rare photographs courtesy of the WWE archives. The book also includes a foreword by WWE Legend Sgt.Slaughter.

It opens with Solomon explaining his criteria for what he has determined is a "WWE Legend". The main point for selection are those who found fame working in WWE between the 1950s-1984. This means the likes of Dusty Rhodes are not included, due to having found fame in organizations long before he came to WWE in 1989.  He also explains that a competing legend does not necessarily have to had been at the top of the game—they might have been an eternal midcarder or tag team specialist, just as long as they have made an impact that influenced or inspires to this day.

While he does acknowledge that some will be upset by the exclusion of certain Legends, based on his criteria, there was nobody who sprang to my mind that was evidently missing and I felt should have been there.

Each section typically reads as a micro-biography for each Legend. You get a little on their early days, how they got into wrestling and into WWE, information on title reigns, what they did that made them so memorable, the twilight of their career, and what happened to them after retiring from in-ring competition. The book is largely written in a kayfabe style (as if all the matches are shoots), but I did not find this bothersome. I think doing so fit in well with the Legends theme, for they would have come from a time where keeping kayfabe was kept like religious observation.

But while it might take a kayfabe approach to the match victories, it does not gloss over or skimp on a wrestler's imperfections. If a Legend was known to have struggled with drugs, committed suicide, or were notorious for being an arrogant prick, it is here.

The book is exceptionally well researched; his sources for information include interviews with living legends, wrestling magazines, eye-witness accounts, as well as wrestlers' autobiographies. On occasion, he does have a tendency to over use the autobiographies though, taking large copy and paste chunks at a time. I think around a quarter of Freddie Blassie's book "Listen You Pencil Neck Geeks" is here, but if you have not read these books in the first place, this will not bother you.


Of particular notable merit are the sections for Toots Mondt and Vince McMahon Snr. Here, the background to WWE's formation, rise and early territories' days are very richly, but concisely summed up. Anyone with an ounce of interest in wrestling history will enjoy reading this part especially.

Many of the wrestlers included here may never get their own dedicated autobiography or biography, so it is nice that a little of their history is in print like this, helping to further cement and acknowledge their legendary status and contributions to the world of wrestling.

Overall, I highly recommend this to any serious WWE wrestling history buff. I hope Solomon will consider a Hulkamania to Attitude Era book one day.

Released in 2001 during the heyday of her WWE career, Chyna's "If They Only Knew" book details the Diva of D-Generation X's early life and the rough road she took to get to the ring.

For most wrestlers, it would seem a little premature to write an autobiography on a wrestling career this early on (I'm looking at you Batista). But Chyna's journey and career was anything but ordinary.

She was the first woman to ever enter a Royal Rumble, the first and only female Intercontinental champion, and how many women can say they have battled the likes of The Undertaker, The Rock and Stone Cold? (His exes don't count).

It was only in the latter stages of her WWE career that she actively entered the WWE Women's Division,  which unsurprisingly, she dominated.

At 316 pages long, the book is spread across 13 chapters. There is a decent amount of photographs scattered throughout, both from her early years and courtesy of WWE. The book also contains some guest writing segments from Triple H and Mick Foley.

Chyna details her early years from childhood to late teens, with memories of her chaotic upbringing in a fair amount of detail. It is interesting, if not a bit depressing. Her relationship with her mother was far from picturesque.

Chyna does not hold back in expressing her dislike for her. With the stories she tells, it is not hard to see why. From her mother forcing her into a drugs rehab clinic (despite the tests coming back negative), being banished from the family home, to chasing her down the road in a car minutes after Chyna had awoken from abdominal surgery, it definitely paints a picture.

It is fair to say the happy childhood memories are few and far between in this book. The handful there are mostly come from the complex relationship she had with her father (now estranged). But be ready for some melancholic reading for the majority of the early part.

The book is fairly devoid of wrestling talk until we reach the point she is in her early 20s. She accounts a tale of seeing wrestling on TV one night and deciding she could do that. This ultimately leads her to getting into Walter "Killer" Kowalski's training school.

It is here where Chyna obviously feels she has hit a turning point. The writing becomes slightly less bitter (but only slightly), and it has some fonder memories such as humorous stories about Kowalski's cheapskate nature, and his impossible to understand accent.

She talks in far too little detail about her independent circuit days, and as a result, we do not get the full feel of the struggle she no doubt endured. A few more road stories and bookings of who and where she fought would have been nice here. Before too long, she has met Shawn and HHH by chance, shown off her portfolio, and is in WWE.

Once we reach the point she is actually in WWE, there is sadly scant detail of her DX days in 1997-1999. Things like HHH taking over as the leader of DX and Owen Hart's death, even the Montreal Screw Job don't get a look in! Given her relationship with Triple H and Shawn Michaels, she must have had some insight.

Moving into late 1999/2000, aside from the coverage of the Jeff Jarrett/IC feud, it too feels a little brief. Surely, there were more key moments here she could have spoken about, as well.

Thankfully, there are mentions to her onscreen relationship with Eddie and the Mama Cita angle, but this too is devoid of detail. It also has no real sense of chronological order to it. Given how large a part of her work this was in 2000, it would have been nice to have had more depth here. But it is disappointing to learn how little sentiment or interest she places on the angle; that it was just another job to her.

Those looking for dirt, gossip and a deep insight on her thoughts about certain wrestlers are also going to be a tad disappointed. Triple H, Mick Foley, Jeff Jarrett and Vince McMahon are those who get the most attention, but most only get a brief passing mention.

In both Bob Holly and Jericho's autobiographies, it is clear they did not think much of her. Jericho despised working with her in the co-champion story line (which is not even mentioned here), and found her very difficult to work with. But what about her side of the story? We may never know. Possibly being released while still under contract limited her speaking out on this, but it is still a shame all the same.

Sadly, a lack of going into detail is not just reserved for the wrestling sections though. For instance, she mentions how her father made her join the Peace Corps, gets deployed abroad, hates it, and then returns home — all within the space of a paragraph. Want to know about the time Chyna went through the FBI recruitment process? Well you are in luck! It's all here — all half a page of it.

Another failing of the book is her WWE research. It is is spotty at best when it comes to dates and the finer details. She claims when she arrived, Kane was wrestling in the WWE as The Dentist. As many will know, he was in fact Issac Yankem DDS, whose gimmick was a dentist. It is a minor niggle, but something trivia buff WWE fans will pick up on.

Half-complete stories, poorly executed chronological order, and a lack of factual context aside, what really disappointed me was how bitter she seems throughout it (be warned she swears a lot). She does goes out of her way to say how grateful she is to Vince McMahon, but the overall tone does not resonate this. It is hard to enjoy tales of her experience, when she hardly seems to be enjoying it herself.

I love wrestling autobiographies. The best of them illustrate never giving up, believing in yourself and achieving dreams against all odds. This book should have been able to make me feel that; she had the potential tools and story to do so, but her execution of it makes it a let down.

"If They Only Knew" what Chyna? How terrible the book is? How disappointed they will be after they read it? How bitter you can be?

Come on Chyna. This could have been "so much more than that".

1. Learn something of her backstory
2. Detailed information on the Jeff Jarrett story line
3. Amusing tales about Kowalski's training school.

1. Lack of information on key moments of the attitude era
2. Incorrect wrestling trivia.
3. If you liked her before, you may not now.
4. Hops between chronological order in a confusing manner.