Bruno Sammartino


Book Description

BRUNO! BRUNO! BRUNO!The iconic chant that resonated everywhere Bruno appeared, whether he was the Champion at the time or not. It was a combined 11 years, during two title reigns, that Bruno Sammartino was the World Wide Wrestling Federation Champion: 1963-1971 and 1973-1977 (4,040 days). He headlined New York's famous Madison Square Garden 211 times, including 187 sell-outs, a record that still endures to this day, and will most likely never be broken. In his final headline appearance at Madison Square Garden, he got to address another sold-out crowd as he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.Born in 1935, in a small Italian mountain town, Bruno and his family survived World War II, before emigrating to the USA. From this inauspicious start, his sheer willpower and determination drove him to become of the most popular and respected wrestlers of all time.This is the definitive autobiography of the life of Bruno Sammartino, expanded to 568 pages to cover his life ... from his childhood in Italy through the bumpy road he traveled to become The Living Legend of Professional Wrestling and then beyond the ring.This is the true story as told by Bruno himself, and includes tributes and anecdotes from his peers, friends, and family, with many photos that have never been seen before. He may be gone, but his unparalleled career will live on through this book, YouTube, the WWE Network, and most importantly, everyone who ever met him.




The WWE Championship


Book Description

Presents a history of the championship matches hosted by World Wrestling Entertainment, tracing their expansion and popularity throughout the world, and citing the contributions of such performers as Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, and the Iron Sheik.




WWE Championship


Book Description

A deluxe oversized hardback book packed with photos, telling the story of the WWE Championship from Buddy Rogers in 1963 to current champ Bobby Lashley! Buddy Rogers, Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Rick Flair, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, John Cena, Randy Orton, Drew McIntyre, and Bobby Lashley are just a few of the 50-plus Superstars who've body slammed their opponents, thrilled countless millions of wresting fans, and lofted the WWE Championship belt in triumph over the WWE's legendary 60-year history. And now, mixing everything from the Spinebuster and Lionsault to the Stomach Claw and Rock Bottom, WWE Championship: The Greatest Title in Sports Entertainment goes to the mat for WWE fans, exploring the changing face of the WWE Championship through its beloved wrestlers and their epic battles in the ring. Hundreds of action photos and posed portraits capture the most memorable moments and personalities in WWE history. Among the greatest matches revisited are: - WrestleMania VI's Ultimate Challenge between Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior - Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart's Iron Man Match at WrestleMania XII - Hulk Hogan’s famous Slam Heard ‘round the World against André the Giant at WrestleMania 3. - Triple H and Cactus Jack's Street Fight at Royal Rumble 2000. Author Jeremy Brown takes a "raw" look at the WWE Championship by breaking down each WWE era in chronological order: - Early Years - 1967-1980s - The Golden Era - 1980s to early 1990s - New Generation -- Early 1980s to mid-1990s - Attitude Era - Mid-1990s to early 2000s - Reality Era - 2014 to 2016 - The New Era - 2016 to the present WWE Championship: The Greatest Title in Sports Entertainment is the perfect gift for WWE uber-fans and wrestling newcomers alike.




Is Wrestling Fixed? I Didn't Know It Was Broken!


Book Description

The anticipated memoir from a sports entertainment fandom legend As a kid growing up in New York in the late '50s, Bill Apter fell in love with professional wrestling, and it wasn't long before he was rubbing shoulders with the greats as a young reporter and photographer. He's since become the world's best-known wrestling magazine personality, and he's had professional and personal relationships with a who's-who of the business, like Triple H, Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Sting, and Ric Flair. In his fun-loving memoir, Bill Apter takes us from the dressing rooms of the Bruno Sammartino era and the last days of the territories, to the birth of WrestleMania, the emergence of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and the "Attitude Era," to today's WWE Superstars like John Cena, Daniel Bryan, and Roman Reigns. He also shares stories of his days photographing boxing stars like Muhammad Ali and other champions, and he documents his appearances on the WWE Network and his work as editor of 1wrestling.com. Find out which wrestler threatened him, learn about the dead wrestler who was really alive, and discover how hanging out with Andy Kaufman led to the comic's notorious feud with Jerry "The King" Lawler. Still intimately involved in the wrestling business, the award-winning Apter has a story on everybody.




WWE Legends


Book Description

WWE Legends gives fans an inside look at more than fifty of the greatest wrestlers ever to slip between the ropes and enter the “squared circle.” They were World Heavyweight Champions: Bob Backlund, Superstar Billy Graham, and Bruno Sammartino. They were fan favorites: “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka, Chief Jay Strongbow, and Andre the Giant. They were the villains everyone loved to hate: Killer Kowalski, Ernie Ladd, and the Fabulous Moolah. They were ethnic heroes, someone just like you that you could cheer for: Ivan Putski, Pedro Morales, Peter Maivia. They were the stars that shined the brightest, and left an indelible mark on the memories of countless fans. In a time when professional wrestling was divided into territories, no place created bigger Superstars than World Wrestling Entertainment. From the company's centerpiece in Madison Square Garden, legends were born. WWE Legends is the every fan's guide to the legends of the ring. They are all in here, from Andre the Giant to George “the Animal” Steele, with quick stats and descriptions of their most famous matches. No true wrestling fan should be without this book.




The Comic Book Story of Professional Wrestling


Book Description

From the host of the critically acclaimed pro wrestling podcast Straight Shoot, this graphic novel history of wrestling features the key grapplers, matches, and promotions that shaped this beloved sport and form of entertainment. As a pop culture phenomenon, professional wrestling--with its heroic babyfaces and villainous heels performing suplexes and powerbombs in pursuit of championship gold--has conquered audiences in the United States and around the world. Now, writer/podcaster Aubrey Sitterson and illustrator Chris Moreno form a graphic novel tag team to present wrestling's complete illustrated history. Featuring legendary wrestlers like Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, and The Rock, and modern-day favorites like John Cena, Kenny Omega, and Sasha Banks, the book covers wrestling's progress from the carnival days of the Gold Dust Trio to the dominance of the WWF/WWE to today's diverse independent wrestling scene, and it spotlights wrestling's reach into Mexico/Puerto Rico (lucha libre), the U.K. (all-in), and Japan (puroresu).




Sex, Lies, and Headlocks


Book Description

“Current fans and recovering Hulkamaniacs alike should find [Sex, Lies, and Headlocks] as gripping as the Camel Clutch.” —Maxim Sex, Lies, and Headlocks is the ultimate behind-the-scenes look at the backstabbing, scandals, and high-stakes gambles that have made wrestling an enduring television phenomenon. The man behind it all is Vince McMahon, a ruthless and entertaining visionary whose professional antics make some of the flamboyant characters in the ring look tame by comparison. Throughout the book, the authors trace McMahon’s rise to power and examine the appeal of the industry’s biggest stars—including Ed “Strangler” Lewis, Gorgeous George, Bruno Sammartino, Ric Flair, and, most recently, Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock. In doing so, they show us that while WWE stock is traded to the public on Wall Street, wrestling remains a shadowy world guided by a century-old code that stresses secrecy and loyalty. With a new afterword, this is the definitive book about the history of pro wrestling. “Reading this excellent behind-the-scenes look at wrestling promoter McMahon . . . is almost as entertaining and shocking as watching the most extreme antics of McMahon’s comic-book style creations such as Steve Austin and The Rock.” —Publishers Weekly “A quintessentially American success story of a cocky opportunist defying the odds and hitting it big . . . Sparkling cultural history from an author wise enough to let the facts and personalities speak for themselves.”—Kirkus Reviews




The Comic Book Encyclopedia of Pro Wrestling


Book Description

It's an ENCYCLOPEDIA of Pro Wrestling in comic book style!The Comic Book Encyclopedia of Pro Wrestling! 280 pages of true stories of ten legendary professional wrestlers, plus original encyclopedia entries featuring these superstars and their allies and enemies! There's never been a collection of wrestling stories and articles like this!Read the true stories of how these wrestlers' careers and personas evolved from their challenging childhoods to their initiation into the wrestling industry, all the way to the road to superstardom! All stories are written by wrestling historian, John Crowther, and are based on actual interviews he conducted with the wrestlers.




Hooker


Book Description

Biography of professional wrestler Lou Thesz.




Wrestling Archive Project


Book Description

A series of volumes featuring exclusive interviews with pro wrestling's greatest stars from the past.