Book Review Time - Wrestling Forums : WWE, TNA, ECW, E-Fed, Wrestlemania, Live Wrestling Streams

Lynch · 02-07-2005, 06:03 PM

I've recently read Flair's, Lawler's and Piper's. So here goes.

Jerry Lawler-It's good to be the Kings, Sometimes.
Unless you were really into Lawlers career in Memphis, this book is pretty boring. Lawler comes off as a likeable guy and all, but its just wasn't that interesting to me most likely because I was barely aware of him till the WWF. You get the typical "I was the first to do this, I sold out that" stuff and there's some dirt on him and The Kat. Other than that, no revelations or big backstage heat or great stories, easily the worst of the 3 mentioned here.

Roddy Piper-In the pit with Piper.
Now this is loaded with heat, crazy stories, and revelations. Yet how much is accurate remains to be seen, considering the amount of drugs and alcohol Piper admittedly took, some of them seem to strain credibility. Such as, out running Mt. Everest eruption to make it to a wrestling match on time, wrestling a bear for over 5 minutes while it mauled him, and it was him that sold out everything and he built the WWF, not Vince and Hogan. Not to mention he tells match stories as if wrestling's real,(Arn Andersons book apparently does this to, which is why I refuse to read it), along with the fact he then contradicts himself as he refuses to job to anyone. The heat between him and Mr. T is interesting as well as the book in general on an entertainment level, if you pick it up, take it with a grain of salt, but worth reading.

Ric Flair-To be the Man.
The best of these 3, and maybe the best of the wrestling biographies I've read so far,(Dynamite kids may be the best). Suprisingly good by Flair self admitted bad behavior and insecuritys about himself, and his stories about WCW's downfall and stories about his hatred for Bischoff are fantastic. Plus he let's it loose on who he thought was good and who was overrated. Hart, Savage and Foley would be on that list. I blew thru this book in about 5 hours, 300+ pages, Lawlers is the same length and it took me a week to read it. Highly reccomended.

If you've been watching wrestling for 20 years, Flairs and Pipers are prolly must reads, even if Piper's facts may come off as.....embelished. Lawlers is well done, just wasn't that interesting to me, if you've followed him a long time, then you'll prolly like it.

Thats it till next time.