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WRESTLING BOOKS
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Mysteries of Wrestling.. SOLVED
by Adam Kleinberg & Adam Nudelman
Description: Authors Kleinman & Nudelman have hosted wrestling radio show Get in the Ring Radio for years. Now they have found the time to write a book about popular "mysteries" of wrestling, with solutions based on interviews with various wrestlers. The mysterious are of the kind that wrestling fans have heard about, they might have been referred to here and there, but they've never really been investigated properly. Luckily, "Sir" Adam and "Phantom" are on the case. Didn't we all use to wonder how the heck Brutus Beefcake could land a job as a wrestler? The answer lies within the chapter titled "Is Hulk Hogan the Best Friend a Wrestler Can Have?" I'll say no more on that subject.
Mysteries of Wrestling: SOLVED is a light and amusing read. Some of the mysteries explored are very funny, such as "Is Paul Orndorff dead?", which addresses wrestlers' proneness to be announced dead time and again; and some are more intriguing than funny, like "Did the Kliq control Wrestling?", exploring the backstage power that Shawn Michaels & friends enjoyed in WWF during the mid-nineties. The questions aren't always answered to complete satisfaction, but the authors, aided by a menagerie of current and former wrestlers, referees and wrestling journalists, approach them with courage, an open mind and boyish charm.
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Then there are parts that offer something that wrestling fans don't get to read or hear too much about. The chapter on referees and the importance of their job in order to make wrestling matches work, is particularly interesting. Not much spotlight has been put on these men (which usually means they are doing their job properly), but they work hard and their job requires more understanding and instinct than most fans appreciate. My guess is you'll pay more attention to the referees after reading this chapter.
And are you also tired of people mocking wrestling and calling it 'fake'? Hand them a copy of Mysteries of Wrestling: SOLVED and ask them to read the chapter "Is Wrestling Fake?" and they will never laugh scornfully at wrestlers or wrestling fans again. Even experienced wrestling fans won't remain unaffected by reading detailed accounts of some of the injuries suffered by wrestlers.
Rating: Kleinberg & Nudelman both have a long-lasting passion for wrestling, and apparently had fun writing this book. Reading it is a lot of fun too, and also enlightening. 7/10.
Reviewed by Andreas Roenquist on May 20, 2006.
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