The Wrestling Kindle Edition

Excellent book about the history of pro wrestling in England. Lots ofinterviews with some of the greatest of all time. You get to hear lotsof stories from the past both in and out of the ring. Colorful person-alities and lots of drama.If you are a fan of pro wrestling you will like this book. If you area fan and have never seen any British pro wrestling check it out. It isstill a great read and you will learn a lot about the business and thewrestlers.

An interesting read. Fascinating recollections from people we watched every Saturday afternoon on the TV and knew nothing about.

The Wrestling: The Hilarious True Story of Britain's Last Great Superheroes.By Simon Garfield.Published by Faber and Faber.Released November 1, 2007 (Originally published in 1996).256 Pages, paperback.Simon Garfield is a British author of non-fiction books such as; Expensive Habits: The Dark Side of the Industry, The End of Innocence: Britain in the time of AIDS, and Just my Type. Garfield is also a well versed journalist appearing in such newspapers as The Independent on Sunday, The Observer, and the Sun, a long with editing Time Out magazine. Simon would be named the Mind Journalist of the Year in 2005. As a small boy he would be fascinated by the All-In professional wrestling featured on the television, when meeting Mick McManus, one of the top stars, years later it would compel Simon Garfield to compose a book on the story of The Wrestling.The Hilarious True Story of Britain's Last Great Superheroes isn't so much humorous as it is a unique look into the world of professional wrestling. The book is made up almost entirely of interview excerpts collated by Mr. Garfield. Whilst the chapters are put together in an order that is some what chronological the contents of the chapters is often hard to decipher the exact period of time is being spoken of, especially if you did not grow up watching the World of Sport TV show or seeing the live events that took place. After an introductory section to introduce some of the main characters of the era and to explain how the book came about, we naturally are treated to brief, selective history of British wrestling. A whole host of stars are featured including The Giant Haystacks, Big Daddy, Adrian Street, Jackie Pallo, Max Crabtree, and Kent Walton. The is also an on-going story that takes places involving Simon trying to make contact with one of the most talked about and notorious names in the locker room, yet known to a whole generation of people as a comedic wrestler, Les Kellett. The interviews themselves consist of comments on other wrestlers, promotions, promoters, memories they have of the business, and talk of how the business changed in Britain ultimately succumbing to the invasion of American style professional wrestling over the television channels. Backstage at a WWF (Now WWE) show in England he even managed to secure interviews with such stars as The British Bulldog, Shawn Michaels, and Hunter Hearst Helmsley. For the most part the wrestlers are light-hearted and just reminiscent of yester-year and the tremendous success achieved during their time on top of the entertainment scene in the U.K. Others come across as slightly bitter at how it all ended and towards other stars who they feel attributed to it's almost sudden demise. Followed by only a recount of an interview of may-be the most famous and mysterious character from this era, Kendo Nagasaki.The Wrestling is an enjoyable read if you are looking to just relive fond memories of your childhood in front of the fire during winter watching these larger than life personalities duke it out on T.V. It is also good if you want to get a loose feel for what that period of British wrestling once was and an idea of the sheer magnitude of success it saw. By no means is Simon Garfield's book an accurate representation of wrestling in the United Kingdom. Certain parts are glaringly mistaken or left out, may-be this is due to the wrestlers memories, but there are places where Mr. Garfield has added information, where as other segments are left uncorrected. It is an enjoyable read overall, but it can not be taken as a serious view on British professional wrestling.3/5 StarsBy Jimmy WheelerFull list of people featured as per the book:Bill Abbey (Promoter), Bobby Barnes (Wrestler), Roland Barthes (Semiologist), Big Daddy (Wrestler), Big Jim Harris, the Mississippi Mauler (Wrestler), Peter Blake (Artist & Fan), Dave Soulman (Wrestler), Don Branch (Wrestler), Wayne Bridges (Wrestler), Robbie Brookside (Wrestler), Frank Casey (Wrestler), CB Cochran (Promoter), Brian Crabtree (Announcer), Max Crabtree (Promoter), Dickie Davies (Commentator), Doc Dean (Wrestler), Alan Dannison (Wrestler), Brian Dixon (Promoter), Joe D'Orazio (Referee), Ian Dury (Singer & Painter), Greg Dyke (Television Executive), Brian Howard Finkel (Former WWE Announcer), Simon Garfield (Narrator), Giant Haystacks (Wrestler), Brian Glover (Wrestler & Actor), Steve Grey (Wrestler), Georg Hackenschmidt (Wrestler), Diana Hart (British Bulldogs Former Wife), Bobby Heenan (Former WWE Commentator), Hunter Hearst Helmsley (WWE Wrestler), Hulk Hogan (Former WWE Wrestler), Les Kellett (Wrestler), Kendo Nagasaki (Wrestler), Mucky Mal Kirk (Wrestler), Ilona Kirk (Mucky Mal Kirk's Widow), Kondyke Kate (Wrestler), Johnny Kwango (Wrestler), Ken Livingstone (Politician), James Mason (Wrestler), Vince McMahon Jr (WWE Owner), Mick McManus (Wrestler), Paul Merton (Comedian), Shawn Michaels (Former WWE Wrestler), Miss Linda (Valet), Mitzi Mueller (Wrestler), Sir Atholl Oakeley (Promotoer), Jacki Pallo (Wrestler & Promoter), Jackie Pallo Jr. (Wrestler), Steve Prince (Wrestler), Pat Roach (Wrestler & Actor), Rollerball Rocco (Wrestler), Lloyd Ryan (Drummer & Manager), Mal Sanders (Wrestler), Jimmy Savile (Wrestler & Celebrity), The British Bulldog (Former WWE Wrestler), Adrian Street (Wrestler), Tony Banger Walsh (Wrestler), and last but not least Kent Walton (Commentator),

Written in 1996, "The Wrestling" is a history of the heyday of Pro Wrestling in Great Britain, told entirely through the mouths of those who lived it. For those WWE fans who read the recent Hardy Boys autobiography, this is the same structure, but with a much larger cast of characters.The legends who narrate the history include Mick McManus, Exotic Adrian Street, Max & Brian Crabtree, Jackie Pallo, Pat Roach, Klondike Kate, Mitzi Mueller, Mal Sanders, Giant Haystacks, Big Daddy Crabtree, Kent Walton and scores more. Fond memories for England's wrestling fans, albeit melancholy to see how many interviewed in this book have passed away since its printing.Included is the 1980s new-era crossroads when WWF put a new face on the business, and many imitators followed suit. It is interesting to read the old-school grapplers comments on the change the biz went through. Included are players of the 1990s like Shawn Michaels and Davey Boy Smith.Not as deep a search into the mechanics and soul of the biz as many authors have done since, but a high quality read. Essential for anybody who wants to become a thorough historian of the pro wrestling business.

I picked this up in Ireland in 2000. Of all the wrestling books out there, good or bad, this is a good read and gives a unique look at the British wrestling scene from the 60s and 70s.Vince McMahon and the WWF steamrolled through the UK like it did the American territories. Still this book captures the rich history of stars like Big Daddy, Kendo Nagasaki, Giant Haystacks (Loch Ness of WCW) and others. Also detailed are grapplers like Dave Finley and Steve Regal who made it big over here.My favorite part is the exploits of Giant Haystacks. His account of being a debt collector is pretty funny.Garfield paints a great pictures and heavily uses direct quotes to give the wrestlers perspective. Anybody who loves wrestling should pick this book. Let the Lita and Edge books gain dust on the sales bin.

Il m'a rappelé de ma jeunesse en famille dans les années soixante! Bien écrit et très émouvant car ils sont presque tous décédés.

It is all here in this lovely book by Simon Garfield. For those of us who remember "Good Afternoon Grappling Fans!" by Kent Walton, this book is a must. The information we get on Mick McManus and Steve Logan, Kendo, Jackie Pallo and the boys is well written and compulsive reading. Later on the book the WWF/WWE appears briefly, and the differences between the British and American scene are explained succinctly.What a pity British wrestling has been allowed to decay. There was some real talent in the ring, and as the author points out, there were dozens of moves the Americans have not even heard of.Sadly many of the contributors and chaps mentioned have passed to that great square circle in the sky.Well done Mr Garfield.READ THIS BOOK!

The Wrestling is an old book - first published in 1995 - charting the history of professional wrestling in Britain. It was updated in 2005 with a short epilogue, mostly recording the deaths over the intervening 10 years of many of the household names who were interviewed for the original book. But make no mistake, British professional wrestling had died long before 1995.Most of the book comprises statements and anecdotes spoken by key players in the British wrestling scene. We have contributions from wrestlers themselves - Big Daddy, Giant Haystacks, Davey Boy Smith, Pat Roach and all; from the promoters - Max Crabtree, Mick McManus; and the presentation team - Kent Walton. There are many, many more contributors besides.What emerges is a story of regret; the heady days of the 1950s then led to the burgeoning success of televisation. Cash came rolling in, even if much of it was never passed on to the wrestlers. But then it went wrong as the televisation was withdrawn in 1988 and audiences found louder, better spectacle from across the Atlantic. There are stories of wrestlers packed like sardines in the back of minibuses, travelling for hours to and from shows, having to build their own rings, change in cupboards, play on through injuries, and cope with the loss if anything bad happened because the promoters were certainly not going to waste money on insurance. There are bitter recriminations, fond memories, insights into what really went on behind the scenes. And most of all, there was a great sense of good, almost-honest hard work. There were friendships and rivalries that were quite different to the staged feuds. There were tensions between sport and entertainment - and entertainment won.There is blame cast aplenty, much directed at the Crabtree family. Max Crabtree owned Dale Martin promotions, who staged the shows. Brian Crabtree was a referee, an essential part of staging the bouts. And Shirley Crabtree was Big Daddy, a fat, elderly man who was allowed to become the star attraction. Others asked how spectators could still believe in the product when Big Daddy's bouts were so obviously staged. Yet this ignores the rising supremacy of WWF (now WWE) wrestling which is even more staged, even more story-boarded.There are also some wonderful tales, such as the domestic life of Kendo Nagasaki and the philosophy of Giant Haystacks.From the opening scene, a reunion of old, broken wrestlers at a bar in London - through to an image of post-TV wrestlers fighting in front of 80 bored spectators with new and feeble gimmicks (e.g. The Red Power Wreslin' Ranger) coming too late for anyone to care, it is a sorry tale. Nevertheless, it is one which captures the imagination. The Wrestling is an intelligent, readable and compelling vision of long gone part of British entertainment history. It is about people as much as it is about wrestling.

An interesting reading, but slightly long

If you are of a certain age and remember the whole country stopping to watch the wrestling on a Saturday afternoon - this is a great book. It's informative, gives great insight but rather sad at times when you discover what happened to these great showmen.