The Hard Way
by Don Fargo, with by Scott Teal
Don Fargo is one of the overlooked stars of the classic era of pro wrestling. He was a headliner in almost every territory in which he appeared — New York, Amarillo, Dallas, Tennessee, Buffalo, Detroit, Indianapolis, and Louisiana, just to name a few.
As famous as he was for his ability to draw crowds to the arenas, he probably was more famous for his hijinks behind the scenes. Stories about the wild lifestyle of professional wrestlers abound. Many are true, but there also are many that are either downright false or exaggerated to epic proportions over the passage of time. Rest assured, the stories in this book about Don Fargo are all true, regardless of how outlandish or implausible they may sound. The stories about his pranks and wild lifestyle are talked about to this day by those who were witness to the events.
For the first time, Don tells, in detail, the story about what happened when he and his tag-team partner ran afoul of a group of motorcycle outlaws, and how he inadvertently wound up on the wrong side of the law on more than a few occasions. He also tells stories about pulling ribs on his fellow wrestlers, including well-known celebrities like boxing champ Joe Louis, and classic, hilarious stories about many of the well-known wrestlers of the golden era of pro wrestling. Don tells the story about how he met Jackie Fargo, how they formed the tag team that became known as the Fabulous Fargos, and the story behind how they became the first team to be billed as “world tag team champions” in Madison Square Garden.
He shares stories about winning the 1952 Mr. Pittsburgh bodybuilding contest, being punished by veteran wrestlers when he tried to get into professional wrestling, dangling from the roof of the King Edward Hotel in New York, riding naked on the roofs of cars traveling at high speeds, nailing a certain body part to a table, and getting his hand stuck in … well, let’s just say, somewhere you wouldn’t normally put your whole hand.
Fargo talks about how he created the more than 13 different characters he portrayed in the ring, his discovery of the “hard way,” for which he became famous in wrestling circles, his problems with drugs and alcohol, and the friendships he developed along the way.
Included are more than 300 photos taken during Don’s career, many of which have never been published.
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This is the most detailed book ever written that ties together important events in wrestling history with the hilarious shenanigans that went on behind the scenes. You’ve never read a more entertaining life story than this one.