Ballyhoo!
The Roughhousers, Con Artists, and Wildmen Who Invented Professional Wrestling (Sports and American Culture)
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Narrated by:
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Kirk Winkler
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By:
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Jon Langmead
About this listen
Ballyhoo! The Roughhousers, Con Artists, and Wildmen Who Invented Professional Wrestling is a history of professional wrestling’s formative period in the U.S., from roughly 1874 to 1941, and the contested interplay of wrestlers and promoters who built the “sport” as we know it. During this period, the major conventions that would define wrestling to the present day were perfected and codified, as wrestling morphed from a rough sport practiced on farms and at town gatherings to melodramatic mass entertainment that reliably drew large crowds in cities across the nation.
The narrative uses the life and career of Jack Curley—a boxing promoter whose fortune took a turn for the better when he began promoting wrestling matches—as a compass as it charts the development of wrestling. By the late 1910s, Curley’s shows were selling out Madison Square Garden monthly. Ballyhoo chronicles his competition with the other promoters, as well as the lives of colorful athletes like “Strangler” Ed Lewis, Frank Gotch, the “Masked Marvel,” Jim Londos, “Gorgeous George” Wagner, “Farmer” Martin Burns, and “Dynamite” Gus Sonnenberg.
The book is published by University of Missouri Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.
©2023 The Curators of the University of Missouri (P)2024 Redwood AudiobooksListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"A page-turning cultural history..." (Amy Reading, author of The Mark Inside)
“A meticulously detailed, gloriously colorful, continuously gripping account of a master showman and his cohorts...” (Jeff Leen, author of The Queen of the Ring)
“Langmead has crafted a history of a sport (or is it entertainment?) that feels definitive and engrossing." (Booklist)
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- By Mike on 09-03-18
By: Michael Matthews
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Thinner Leaner Stronger
- The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Female Body
- By: Michael Matthews
- Narrated by: Elliott Denkers
- Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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The bestselling fitness book for women who want to lose up to 35 pounds of fat or more and gain whole-body muscle definition in just 3-5 hours per week—and without giving up delicious foods or doing grueling workouts.
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"The Ultimate Female Body", but uses male examples
- By bookWorm on 06-29-15
By: Michael Matthews
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Playing to Win
- By: Michael Lewis
- Narrated by: Michael Lewis
- Length: 2 hrs and 13 mins
- Original Recording
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All over America, families are investing blood, sweat, tears, and retirement savings in their children’s sports careers, all with the ultimate goal of…what exactly? A college scholarship? A professional contract? Simply the taste of victory? Through the lens of the highly competitive world of girls’ softball, Lewis reveals the youth sports industrial complex that has arisen to aggressively monetize after-school pastimes.
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Great Listen
- By Brian Bray on 10-15-20
By: Michael Lewis
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Barbarian Days
- A Surfing Life
- By: William Finnegan
- Narrated by: William Finnegan
- Length: 18 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Pulitzer Prize, Biography, 2016. Barbarian Days is William Finnegan's memoir of an obsession, a complex enchantment. Surfing only looks like a sport. To initiates it is something else entirely: a beautiful addiction, a demanding course of study, a morally dangerous pastime, a way of life.
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What a Jerk.
- By ML Sadler on 03-06-17
By: William Finnegan
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Buried in the Sky
- The Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2's Deadliest Day
- By: Peter Zuckerman, Amanda Padoan
- Narrated by: David Doersch
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When Edmund Hillary first conquered Mt. Everest, Sherpa Tenzing Norgay was at his side. Indeed, for as long as Westerners have been climbing the Himalaya, Sherpas have been the unsung heroes in the background. In August 2008, when eleven climbers lost their lives on K2, the world’s most dangerous peak, two Sherpas survived. They had emerged from poverty and political turmoil to become two of the most skillful mountaineers on earth. Based on unprecedented access and interviews, Buried in the Sky reveals their astonishing story for the first time.
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Sherpas, The True Unsung Heroes
- By Kathy in CA on 07-26-15
By: Peter Zuckerman, and others
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The Best Hunting Stories Ever Told
- By: Jay Cassell - editor
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 32 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Follow the trails of hunters - the original storytellers - as they interpret signs, examine tracks, and chase and catch their prey (or fail to). Listeners can curl up with the best authentic hunting fiction and non-fiction, bringing the great Mount Kenya and the prairies of the American Bison into your living room. From Theodore Roosevelt and Gene Hill to Rick Bass and Charles Dickens, remember classic hunting tales and discover new stories of hunters’ luck, camaraderie, and use of smarts on the trail.
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A broad collection of hunting tales
- By Elaine on 06-21-15
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Wildlife Wars
- The Life and Times of a Fish and Game Warden
- By: Terry Grosz
- Narrated by: Pete Simonelli
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In Wildlife Wars, Terry Grosz serves up fascinating stories - alternately hair-raising, hilarious, and heart-wrenching - from his 30-year struggle to protect wildlife in America. A natural storyteller, Grosz writes about the remarkable characters he met - on both sides of the law - as he matched wits with elk poachers, salmon snaggers, commercial-market duck hunters, and a host of other law-breakers. Best of all, though, these stories are so remarkably entertaining you won't want to put them down.
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Title should be: "reckless egomaniac tells lies"
- By ross on 03-01-17
By: Terry Grosz
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The Spartan Way
- Eat Better. Train Better. Think Better. Be Better.
- By: Joe De Sena, Jeff Csatari
- Narrated by: Christian Rummel
- Length: 4 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Joe De Sena has one ultimate goal: to help improve everyone’s physical and emotional health by teaching them the tenets of Spartan living from ancient Greece: simple eating, smart training, mastering resilience, and an all-out commitment to achieving a goal.
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Don’t know what to think...
- By bakaDOH! on 07-20-19
By: Joe De Sena, and others
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Where's the Next Shelter?
- By: Gary Sizer
- Narrated by: Gary Sizer
- Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Where's the Next Shelter? is the true story of three travelers on the Appalachian Trail, a 2,000-mile hike that stretches from Georgia to Maine, told from the perspective of Gary Sizer, a seasoned backpacker and former marine who quickly finds himself humbled by the endeavor. If you long for the horizon or to sleep under the stars, then come along for the hike of a lifetime. All you have to do is take the first step.
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If You Liked AWOL, You'll Like This
- By Rebecca on 06-02-16
By: Gary Sizer
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Stay Sane in an Insane World
- How to Control the Controllables and Thrive
- By: Greg Harden
- Narrated by: Greg Harden
- Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Champions aren’t born. They’re built. Greg Harden spent over 30 years building them at the University of Michigan, including 400 future professional athletes, 50 NFL first-round draft picks, and 120 Olympians from over 20 countries. He gained national recognition when 60 Minutes Sports profiled him as “Michigan’s Secret Weapon.” Now, in his first book, Greg Harden is reaching out to help anyone who wants to live their best life by offering powerful and practical advice.
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Good book, However, prejudice shows through a bit
- By Don Dotson on 08-22-23
By: Greg Harden
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The Other Talent
- The Curiously Complex Role of Mental Health in Athletic Greatness and Why It's Never Too Late to Harness Your Potential
- By: Matt Fitzgerald
- Narrated by: Gregory Abbey
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
On the playing field, natural talent isn’t enough—there’s a mental component that determines whether athletes win the race or wipe out before the finish line. But what separates standout sports stars from the rest? In a paradigm-shifting new theory, acclaimed sportswriter Matt Fitzgerald identifies two key traits behind athletic success: strict self-regulation over thoughts and emotions and an unquenchable psychological need to pursue victory—even when it means enduring extreme mental and physical suffering.
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Excellent
- By CC Coach Mike on 12-18-24
By: Matt Fitzgerald
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Ball Four
- The Final Pitch
- By: Jim Bouton
- Narrated by: Jim Bouton
- Length: 18 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When Ball Four was published in 1970, it created a firestorm. Bouton was called a Judas, a Benedict Arnold and a “social leper” for having violated the “sanctity of the clubhouse.” Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn tried to force Bouton to sign a statement saying the book wasn’t true. Ballplayers, most of whom hadn’t read it, denounced the book. It was even banned by a few libraries. Almost everyone else, however, loved Ball Four.
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Three Ten Year Updates Give Bouton a 5th Star
- By Byron on 08-09-12
By: Jim Bouton
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Horses Never Lie, 2nd Edition
- The Heart of Passive Leadership
- By: Mark Rashid
- Narrated by: Dan Lawson
- Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
A revolutionary approach to the techniques of working with horses, by a renowned instructor. In Horses Never Lie, renowned horse trainer Mark Rashid challenges the conventional wisdom of "alpha leadership" and teaches the listener to become a "passive leader" - a counterpart to the kind of horse other members of a herd choose to associate with and to follow. Applying Rashid’s principles and techniques helps cultivate horse personalities that are responsive and dependable regardless of the rider.
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Robotic reading
- By Julie Lynn on 05-08-15
By: Mark Rashid
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Exploitative Play in Live Poker
- How to Manipulate Your Opponents into Making Mistakes
- By: Alexander Fitzgerald
- Narrated by: Alexander Fitzgerald
- Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Many poker players can make good decisions at the table with a reasonable frequency. Nevertheless, there are numerous situations where even very experienced players behave in predictable ways. These deeply-ingrained habits lead them to make mistakes. The problem is that these situations won't often arise at the table by chance - you have to make them happen. Exploitative Play in Live Poker is a ground-breaking work that teaches you how to create the circumstances where your opponents will be likely to blunder and how to exploit them when they do.
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Thank you! Alex
- By Rebekah Hernandez on 05-26-19
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For wrestling fans, Jim Ross’ voice is the soundtrack of an era. This book is your ringside ticket to wrestling’s most unforgettable moments—from the announcer who made them iconic. In the last 50 years, professional wrestling has risen up from a collection of regional territories to become a global phenomenon—and Jim Ross has been there for it all. From the grit and glory days of the 1970s with NWA, to the rise of WCW and the heyday of WWF and WWE, to signing on as on-air talent and senior advisor for wrestling’s newest chapter at AEW, Jim Ross has long had the best seat in the house.
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loved hearing JR's versions of matches
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In 2005, Brad Balukjian left his position as a magazine fact-checker to pursue a dream job: partner with his childhood hero, The Iron Sheik (whose real name was Khosrow Vaziri), to write his biography. Things quickly went south, culminating in the Sheik threatening Balukjian’s life. Now seventeen years later, Balukjian returns to the road in search of not only a reunion with the Sheik, but something much bigger: truth in a world built on illusion.
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Governor Jesse "The Body" Ventura affectionately called him "Chico Santana" in the golden age of wrestling and in turn helped propel this WWE Hall of Famer into stardom. Tito Santana's autobiography brings you a comprehensive and historical look at one of wrestling's most legendary Latinos.
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Great story of the WWF legend!! Narrator doesn’t quite cut it.
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In Tod is God—so named for a chant the ECW fans created to honor the founder—Gordon chronicles each step of the company's meteoric rise to prominence, as well as the elements that led to his removing himself from the company before its demise. Gordon's former partnership with ECW booker Paul Heyman made for magical TV and in-ring moments. The friendship between Gordon and Heyman, both a blessing and curse, was the once-in-a-lifetime bond responsible for so many of history's greatest teams, bands, and partners.
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Some new stories but..
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Kayfabe: Stories You're Not Supposed to Hear from a Pro Wrestling Production Company Owner
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If you thought the world of pro wrestling was wild, imagine what you haven’t seen on TV and in the ring. Add to that the backdrop of building a renegade production company, negotiating with impossible wrestling talent, and hosting groundbreaking, shoot-style programming, and you have the story of Sean Oliver. Sean has seen industry-wide accolades for the company he co-founded and for which he serves as front man. Watch the unpredictable and unconventional story through Sean’s eyes.
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BEHIND THE SCENES GALOUR
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By: Sean Oliver
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The Woman Who Would Be King
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Through four decades of entertaining, in the wrestling ring and on the monster truck circuit, Debrah "Madusa" Miceli never could sit still. But her desire to learn, grow, and inspire legions of followers masked deep secrets . . . Her upbringing was a lie from the start, and the dark truths of her childhood, revealed here for the first time, are the earliest examples of Debrah's determination to persevere.
By: Debrah Miceli, and others
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The Wrestlers' Wrestlers
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Overall
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The Wrestlers' Wrestlers spotlights elite performers and analyzes exactly what made them your favorite wrestler's favorite wrestlers. Authors Dan Murphy and Brian Young interviewed more than 40 in-ring veterans, historians, referees, and promoters to get a unique insider's look at the people who have made a lasting impact on the world of professional wrestling. It offers a special peek "behind the curtain" and a rare look into the top stars' thoughts on their peers, their influences, and their personal favorites.
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surprised by some mentioned
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By: Dan Murphy, and others
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Nitro
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Nitro is a story about much more than WCW and the Monday Night Wars. It is a story of an era, a time in which the media and cultural landscape precipitated - and later supported - pro wrestling's mainstream popularity. It is a story of how a company made in the image of an intuitively brilliant risk-taker betrayed its original promise. It is a story of how a handful of men, each struggling with their own limitations, facilitated a public obsession that changed television forever.
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way better than the death of wcw
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The Bushwhackers
- Blood, Sweat & Cheers
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Overall
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In The Bushwhackers: Blood, Sweat & Cheers, professional wrestling's Bushwhacker Luke Williams and Bushwhacker Butch Miller, along with writer John Crowther, lead you around the globe, through over 50 years of fun-filled and sometimes brutal adventures, both in and out of the "squared circle." Listen to never-before-told stories of escapades they experienced and battles they fought in the world of professional wrestling, both individually and in all of their renowned personas—The New Zealand Kiwis, The Sheepherders, and The Bushwhackers.
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Great Book
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By: John Crowther, and others
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Death of the Territories
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By creating WrestleMania, jumping into the pay-per-view field, and expanding across North America, Vince McMahon changed professional wrestling forever.
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An Enjoyable Listen
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By: Tim Hornbaker
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Earl Hebner: The Official Story
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- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
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Overall
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Performance
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Earl Hebner used hard work and determination to become the most recognizable officiating name in professional wrestling, if not "the greatest of all time." Starting in Virginia as ring crew, he gained the respect of Dusty Rhodes and Ric Flair, going on to referee NWA's biggest events. Then, in front of 33 million fans, Earl debuted on WWF's most-watched event ever as the evil twin ref who stole Hulk Hogan's title. As WWE senior official, he played an integral part in "The Montreal Screwjob", calling an unplanned controversial finish that screwed Bret Hart out of his championship for real. ...
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The best ref writes the best book
- By Jimmy on 04-10-24
By: Earl Hebner, and others
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Ringmaster
- Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America
- By: Abraham Josephine Riesman
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Overall
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The definitive biography of Vince McMahon, former WWE chairman and CEO, charts his rise from rural poverty to the throne of one of the world’s most influential media empires—and features exclusive interviews with more than 150 people who witnessed, aided, and suffered from his ascent.
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Good book, but you’ll know a lot of this stuff
- By Tim Reads Things on 04-21-23
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The Squared Circle
- Life, Death, and Professional Wrestling
- By: David Shoemaker
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Story
A breakthroughexamination of professional wrestling - its history, its fans, and its widercultural impact - that does for the sport what Chuck Klosterman did for heavymetal
The Squared Circle grows out of David Shoemaker'swriting for both Deadspin, where hestarted the column "Dead Wrestler of the Week" - a feature on the many wrestlingsuperstars who died too young because of the abuse they subjected their bodiesto - and Grantland,where he covers the pro-wrestling world and its place in the pop culturemainstream. Shoemaker's sports writing has since struck a nerve withgenerations of wrestling fans who, like him, grew up worshiping a sport oftenderided as "fake" in the wider culture. To them, these professional wrestlingsuperstars are not just heroes but an emotional outlet and the lens throughwhich they learned to see the world.
Starting in the early 1900s and exploring the path of prowrestling in America through the present day, The Squared Circle is thefirst book to acknowledge both the sport's broader significance and wrestlingfans' keen intellect and sense of irony. Divided into eras, each section offersa snapshot of the wrestling world, profiles some of the period's preeminentwrestlers, and examines the sport's influence on our broader culture. Throughthe brawling, bombast, and bloodletting, Shoemaker argues that pro wrestlingcan teach us about the nature of performance, audience, and, yes, art.
Full of unknown history, humor, and self-deprecatingreminiscence - but also offering a compelling look at the sport's rightful placein pop culture - The Squared Circle is the book that legions of wrestlingfans have been waiting for. In it, Shoemaker teaches us to look past thespandex and body slams to see an art form that can explain the world.
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Good stories, bad editing
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Grappler
- Memoirs of a Masked Madman
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"A fun read about an underrated talent and 35 years of both good and bad luck in life... and the struggles to keep a career alive as the old territorial system was falling apart."- Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer "One of the best-written wrestling books I have ever read... honest and endlessly entertaining."- Jim Valley, Pro Wrestling Torch contributor "It's been a long time since I've been so pleasantly surprised by a book... a very well-written and lively read."- Dwight Jaynes, Comcast Sports Net He defeated Andre the Giant, tutored the Ultimate Warrior and helped Jake "The Snake" ...
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A wrestling star from the territorial days
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By: Lynn Denton, and others
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Becky Lynch: The Man
- Not Your Average Average Girl
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Raised in Dublin, Ireland, in a devoutly Catholic family, Rebecca Quin constantly invented new ways to make her mother worry—roughhousing with the neighborhood kids, hosting secret parties while her parents were away, enrolling in a warehouse wrestling school, nearly breaking her neck and almost kneecapping a WWE star before her own wrestling career even began—and she was always in search of a thrilling escape from the ordinary.
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Becky Can Tell Stories
- By Juan Gabriel on 05-27-24
By: Rebecca Quin
What listeners say about Ballyhoo!
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- Steven Gerweck
- 05-23-24
The evolution of professional wrestling
Jon Langmead puts the jigsaw puzzle pieces of pro wrestling history together in "Ballyhoo!" This is a highly recommended work for those that appreciate the lineage of the industry we call professional wrestling, or at times, sports entertainment. The author explains how a sport that once featured long drawn-out matches, transitioned to offering exciting, entertaining bouts.
"Ballyhoo!" documents the mark wrestling and boxing promoter Jack Curley made on the business of professional wrestling. Curley was able to establish and offer an entertaining style of wrestling for the growing audience during a boom period. Curley promoted the high-profile Frank Gotch vs. strongman Georg Hackenschmidt for the World Heavyweight title match to the delight of wrestling fans.
The book presents wrestling to today's fans as it was perceived by the media in the early days. The author also notes how promoters would shmooze with mobsters, professional athletes, and politicians to protect and grow their business interests. Curley promoted matches at the famed Madison Square Garden, before butting heads with another promoter, Tex Rickard.
The fans pay to see the stars, and "Ballyhoo!" covers the early draws of the sport, such as Ben Roller, Joe Stecher, Ed "Strangler" Lewis, former NFL star Gus Sonnenberg, Wayne Munn, polish strongman Stanislaus Zbyszko, and Jim Londos. These pioneers paved the way for the likes of Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and The Rock.
Langmead discusses the shenanigans in and out of the ring during this golden era of wrestling. The book leads up to the next wrestling boom period, when the sport became a fixture on American television. The author does a fantastic job explaining the evolution of professional wrestling, five stars! Kirk Winkler also provides sensational narration.
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- Michael
- 07-16-24
The real history of pro wrestling.
If you love pro wrestling this is a must listen. It’s still real to me damn it. ✌️❤️
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1 person found this helpful
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- James D. Dunn
- 05-27-24
Informative
It’s an Early history lesson not often covered in the books from the last 20-30 years. Which makes it a good jumping off place to research several subjects covered in the book.
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- indifference84
- 06-13-24
Great source of information; inconsistent audio production.
If you're interested in the history of wrestling, from the founding pioneer days, till it begins to take the shape of what we know now, this is the book for you.
My only complaint, and it's really minor compared to the abundance of information and research provided, is the inconsistency of the audio production. It is very obvious when the audio was recorded during different sessions. It can be extremely jarring when it happens mid sentence.
Otherwise, I can't recommend this book enough.
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- Kathryn Usher
- 08-27-24
Very informative
Loved the book and the narrator. Well paced. It kept moving along even though so many decades were covered.
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- Norm
- 10-03-24
The Logic of truth to storytelling.
This well-researched book helps understand the early wrestling ages of competition that evolved into a more enjoyable and profitable entertainment. Promoters created the path to the golden age many of us enjoyed through the 60s-90s. The death of the territories was the beginning of the end for many of us old timers.
And we watched the game thrive through the WWF and WWE. But old timers may no longer buy the schtick. Today is cookie cutter body building athletes instead of real characters like Dick the Bruiser, The Sheik, Abdullah and more.
But the true roots were tough guys that worked carnivals, traveled circuits and found angles to keep wrestling from being a 3 hr snooze that the genuine wrestling contests produced.
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