622 pages ***includes Wrestlemania 2023 and Impact Rebellion***
From the earliest days of professional wrestling, the aim of competitors has been to be the best in the world. While it was once enough to be the best in the ring, the modern era demands the best in the world to also be the best on the microphone, developing their character, and presenting a story which captures fans.
Best in the World: An Anthology of Wrestling's World Champions profiles over 230 wrestlers who have held a World Title from 1881 to 2023. Featuring the champions of World Wrestling Entertainment, All Elite Wrestling, Ring of Honor, Impact and the National Wrestling Alliance, as well as defunct companies WCW, ECW, AWA and more.
Presented in chronological order, Best in the World shows how the industry has changed over 140 years; yet the goal of wrestlers remains the same: to be World Champion.
This first volume of The Encyclopedia of Professional Wrestlers profiles the pioneers of the sport, from its earliest days as a carnival attraction through to the Gold Dust Trio which began to blur the lines between sport and entertainment, all the way to the establishment of the National Wrestling Alliance. Includes Lou Thesz, Whipper Billy Watson, Frank Gotch, George Hackenschmidt, Mildred Burke, Farmer Burns, Jim Londos and many more. This first volume is a must for fans of wrestling history. 133 pages
This second edition of The Encyclopedia Of Professional Wrestlers profiles hundreds of men and women from the glory days of the National Wrestling Alliance era.
From the early years of television through to the formation of the World Wide Wrestling Federation and the American Wrestling Association, this volume profiles stars such as Gorgeous George, Ox Baker, Bruno Sammartino, Terry and Dory Funk, Jack Brisco, Killer Kowalski and Andre The Giant.
A must for old school wrestling fans everywhere.
When Vince McMahon bought the World Wrestling Federation from his father in 1982 it ushered in the beginning of wrestling's Golden Era. The rise of cable television saw wrestling reach unheard of popularity, as its appeal crossed over into mainstream pop culture.
This third volume of The Encyclopedia of Professional Wrestlers profiles the stars of the Golden Era, including Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, Ric Flair, Iron Sheik, Sting, Lex Luger, Bret Hart, Randy Savage, Junkyard Dog, George 'The Animal' Steele, Ricky Steamboat, and many more. Covering the WWF, WCW, the NWA as well as international stars, this volume is a must for fans of the rock 'n' wrestling era.
In the mid-1990s, World Championship Wrestling began to challenge the World Wrestling Federation during the Monday Night Wars. A new promotion, Extreme Championship Wrestling laid down the blueprint for the era that became known as Attitude. It was also the time of the rise of the lucha libre style and the return of the spotlight on women's wrestling.
This fourth edition of The Encyclopedia Of Professional Wrestlers profiles the stars of the era, including Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, Mick Foley, The Rock, Chris Jericho and many others.
A must for wrestling fans who want to know everything about the stars that made up the era.
386 pages
The demise of World Championship Wrestling left World Wrestling Entertainment with a near monopoly on the industry. New promotions, such as Ring of Honor and Total Non-Stop Action quickly filled the gap left by WCW, allowing wrestlers who didn’t fit the WWE type to flourish.
This fifth volume of The Encyclopedia Of Professional Wrestlers profiles the stars of the era, including John Cena, Randy Orton, Batista, Brock Lesnar, AJ Styles, Jeff Jarrett, Bryan Danielson, Samoa Joe and many more.
A must for all wrestling fans.
428 PAGES. ***includes 2024 Royal Rumble update***
With TNA Impact and Ring Of Honor having a steady audience, and the NWA having a resurgence under the leadership of Billy Corgan, independent wrestling gained new fans in the 2010s. A new revolution led by Cody Rhodes saw the creation of All Elite Wrestling, which has given wrestling fans more options than ever.
This sixth edition of The Encyclopedia Of Professional Wrestlers profiles stars of the new era including Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, Roman Reigns, Jon Moxley, Shinsuke Nakamura, Deonna Purrazzo, Liv Morgan and the incomparable Bray Wyatt among many others.
A must for wrestling fans everywhere.
378 pages
***Includes Wrestlemania 39 and Impact’s Rebellion from 2023***
Professional wrestling’s world championship has been disputed between different federations for generations. Today, WWE, All Elite, Impact, Ring of Honor and the NWA all have their own versions of the World Title.
‘Disputed’ takes a long at how the world title began, and how we got to where we are today. Read about Roman Reigns, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Hulk Hogan, Sting, The Undertaker, Chris Jericho, Andre the Giant, Ric Flair, Terry Funk, Lou Thesz, Bruno Sammartino and hundreds of others that have called themselves champion.
Featuring detailed lists of world title lineages, this book is a must for fans of professional wrestling of all ages.