Notable Professional Wrestling Books

We've come a long way since the pandemic altered our way of life in the spring of 2020. And while for a spell we had to completely change our way of life, saying a temporary goodbye to things we'd once enjoyed, slowly (maybe very slowly, but still) we are returning to some of our old habits and customs. One thing that never ceased operations were major professional wrestling promotions. Sure, they had to adopt a fan-free existence, but if a global pandemic doesn't stop the "weekly episodic saga" that is the wrestling business, nothing will. My hats off to them for giving us something unpredictable and live (that was not the ever-melancholy news). To show my thanks, I've compiled a list of solid pro-wrestling reads for you to browse through. Whether you're a fan of wrestling, wrasslin', lucha libre, or プロレス, there's something here for everybody. Let's go!

The Comic Book Story of Professional Wrestling: A Hardcore, High-Flying, No-Holds-Barred History of the One True Sport by Aubrey Sitterson and Chris Moreno; colors by Len O'Grady, Brad Simpson, Allen Passalaqua, and Jay Moreno; letters by Rus Wooton

The first stop on your tour through the annals of pro wrestling history should be this graphic novel. Chock full of both imagery and information, The Comic Book Story of Professional Wrestling  is a fantastic way to read up on wrestling history if you're just getting into it for the first time. Not only does it talk about wrestling in the United States, from its birth in our country to the way we know it today in modern times, but it also makes layovers in other countries too (like Japan, Mexico, the UK) so you can see the differences in styles that other countries flaunt. An absorbing read for both newcomers to the "one true sport" (as writer Aubrey Sitterson refers to it), and veterans to it as well.

Professional Wrestling: Sport and Spectacle (2nd Edition) by Sharon Mazer

A lot of people may not be sure just what to make of pro wrestling, and I kind of understand that. Is it an actual sport where athletes are performing feats of both strength and agility? Or is it all performing arts, actors using the setting of a wrestling arena to entertain fans as if they were simply watching a scripted play? The answer is...it's both. It's a profound mixture of the two, and that's where the title of this book really nails what pro wrestling really is— sport and spectacle. The first edition of this book penned by Sharon Mazer came out in 1998, one of the wrestling industry's hottest years in history. This second edition was released just last year in September, providing a much necessary update to how the business has changed even further in the 21st century.
 

The Squared Circle: Life, Death, and Professional Wrestling by David Shoemaker

For those who know a little of the sport's history, you know that it isn't all glamorous exploits of entertainment. While it's gotten a lot cleaner (and frankly, safer), wrestling's shadowy and somber past will always be part of its record. From drugs and painkillers being simply "a part of the lifestyle," to certain workers losing their lives way too soon, David Shoemaker does a great job telling the difficult part of wrestling's story, and making sure readers don't forget those who gave it their all every night to entertain the fans, but at the same time fell victim to the difficult way of life that came with it.

Wrestling's New Golden Age: How Independent Promotions Have Revolutionized One of America's Favorite Sports by Ron Snyder

Everyone's got to start somewhere. And on what's known as the independent circuit (AKA the indies), those just breaking into the wrestling business learn the ropes (in more ways than one!). Now that a lot of independent promotions are able to stream their shows on the internet, more eyes are on the indie scene now than ever before. Which is great for the sport as a whole. When I was a kid, if you weren't part of one of the major three promotions in the US, it was kind of hard for a large audience to know who you were and what you were about. Now that these smaller companies have the ability to get more eyeballs on their product, the independent scene is booming, and is a great place to watch up-and-comers cut their teeth on their way to being the stars of tomorrow.

Young Bucks: Killing the Business from Backyards to the Big Leagues by Matt and Nick Jackson  

In my estimation (as well as the Wrestling Observer Newsletter's (WON), based on its 2020 award winner selections), the upstart promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) won the pandemic era of wrestling. Absolutely the best looking and most entertaining product through the weeks and months the country was shut down, watching AEW's flagship show Dynamite was something to sincerely look forward to during a time when there basically wasn't anything else to anticipate. And this was reflected in WON's annual awards, as AEW absolutely dominated in nearly every category. Two of AEW's most recognizable talents, Matt and Nick Jackson (better known as the tag team The Young Bucks), were prominently featured on that list, winning Tag Team of the Year, being a part of the Pro Wrestling Match of the Year, and also winning the award for...Best Pro Wrestling Book! Check out their biography Young Bucks: Killing the Business from Backyards to the Big Leagues to read how two brothers from Montebello, California became the sensations they are now. 

Under the Black Hat: My Life in the WWE and Beyond by Jim Ross

The voice of many people's childhoods. Before the release of Under the Black Hat, Good Ol' JR released Slobberknocker: My Life in Wrestling, which detailed his upbringing, and how he first entered the wrestling business. However with this 2020 release, I knew going in I would be able to identify and recognize many more moments and occasions that he sheds light on. It is a great read for fans who grew up during the industry's boom period of the late 1990s. There were lots of iconic figures and meaningful circumstances (both good and tragic) during this stage in Ross's career, and Under the Black Hat does a splendid job pulling back the curtain for the fans.

Glow: Vs the Star Primas by Tini Howard

Maybe you have zero interest in professional wrestling and its history at all—which is fine. I know some people who don't follow the sport itself, but really enjoyed watching the Emmy Award-winning Netflix series GLOW. Based (loosely) on the actual women's wrestling promotion born in the 1980s, GLOW  (an acronym for Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling) ran for from 2017-2019, taking home 15 Emmy Award nominations (winning three) in the process. Unfortunately for fans of the show, though a fourth and final season was greenlit by Netflix, the pandemic caused a production shutdown, and they decided to instead cancel the show altogether. So while fans of the show will never see how Ruth "Zoya the Destroya" Wilder and Co.'s stories end up shaking out, you can at least see them through a new medium via this graphic novel.