For more than 40 years, James J. Dillon has been involved in the world of professional wrestling. Now he speaks candidly on all aspects of both his career and his personal life.
 This book has something for wrestling fans of all generations and ages: -- Being a wrestling fan in the '50s -- Breaking into the wrestling business as a referee during the '60s -- Wrestling in the territorial system of the '70's -- Taking leadership of the legendary Four Horsemen during the '80s -- Working with Vince McMahon in the WWF during the '90s -- Watching the monumental collapse of WCW in the 2000s
 J.J. Dillon offers a first-hand account and detailed history of one of the most influential wrestling promotions in wrestling history the World Wrestling Federation. For 7-1/2 years, JJ served in the WWF as Vince McMahon's top lieutenant, right-hand man, and vice president. Never before has someone from McMahon's inner circle written a book with an insider's perspective of the company.
 JJ also gives a insider's perspective on the ludicrous business decisions made by executives who took World Championship Wrestling down a path that led to the company's destruction and eventual demise.
 From the highs of making big money, winning championship titles, rubbing elbows with top celebrities, and appearing on television every week to the lows of filing for bankruptcy, extramarital affairs, divorces, and drug use -- no stone is left unturned when J.J. Dillon tells his story.
 In this book, there are truly "no holds barred."
 JAMES J. DILLON The Leader of the Four Horsemen (from the pages of "Wrestlers Are Like Seagulls") The Four Horsemen were formed spontaneously. It was not an idea that was planned in any great detail. At the time, Ric Flair was the world heavyweight champion. Tully Blanchard was the U.S. champion. Ole and Arn were the National tag team champions. We all walked out onto the studio set and did an interview, en masse. At the time, I only managed Tully, so I went out with him. There we were, all of the heels with all of the titles, and with all the bragging rights. As I said, the Horsemen concept was something that happened, but if anyone should be given credit for the idea, it should be Arn Anderson. As we did the interview, Arn grabbed the microphone and told the audience that they were witnessing history. "Only once has so much damage been caused by so few," Arn shouted, "and to find that source, you need to go all the way back to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse." When Arn held up his four fingers, the fans picked up on it. From that day on, the fans gave us the four finger sign the symbol of ... THE FOUR HORSEMEN

Wrestlers Are Like Seagulls-From McMahon To McMahon

Philip Varriale

James J. Dillon

Scott, Teal

Crowbar Press

Excerpt from "Assassin: The Man Behind the Mask" Copyright © Joe Hamilton and Scott Teal When Barnett told (Ric) Flair that (Rick) Rude was really angry, Flair didn t want to go. He tried to talk his way out of it until Barnett just about pushed him into the dressing room. We were in the room next door and heard everything that was said. When the door shut behind him, we could hear Rick Rude cussing and calling Flair everything but a human being. "Don t just sit there with your head down, you gutless mother fu--er! Get up out of that chair and do something about it, you yellow son-of-a-bitch!" The abuse went on for several minutes, with Rude relentlessly screaming at Flair, telling him to stand up. Flair just sat on the chair with his head down. Of course, if Flair had done as Rude asked, Rude would have killed him. Get behind the mask and into the head of one of professional wrestling's most famous masked men. This autobiography of Joe "Jody" Hamilton takes the reader behind the scenes for a personal glimpse behind the mask of one of pro wrestling s hottest attractions: THE ASSASSIN When Joe Hamilton was just 19 years old, he and his brother, Larry, headlined a show at Madison Square Garden, drawing a record 20,335 people to see them wrestle Antonino Rocca and Miguel Perez. To this day, Joe remains the youngest wrestler to ever headline a main event in the Garden. In 1961, Joe hooked up with veteran wrestler Tom Renesto to form a team called the Assassins, and for the next eleven years, they were considered to be one of wrestling s hottest attractions, drawing sellout crowds to arenas in California, Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, in addition to foreign countries like Japan and Australia. Joe takes readers on a journey as he tells about life both in and out of the wrestling ring being attacked, stabbed, and shot at by angry wrestling fans; wrestling under a mask and trying to keep his identity a secret; legitimate fights and confrontations behind the scenes in the dressing rooms; a war between two wrestling promotions in Atlanta, Georgia; and never-before-told stories about legends like Ric Flair, Andre the Giant, Giant Baba, Toyonobori, Pedro Morales, Bill Goldberg, Ray Gunkel, and their biggest rivals, the Kentuckians. An extra bonus is the inclusion over 278 photographs, most of which are from Chuck Thornton's massive wrestling memorabilia collection.

Assassin: The Man Behind The Mask

Joe Hamilton

Sports & Outdoors

Excerpt from 'Is That Wrestling Fake?' The Bear Facts Copyright Ivan Koloff and Scott TealI got mad one night when Dusty told us, 'Nikita needs to get pinned tonight.'I thought that was the worst thing they could do. 'Just a minute,' I said. 'If we need to lose tonight, then pin me. Don't beat Nikita, because down the road, it will mean more if he's unbeaten.' I was smart enough to know that after spending twenty years in the business, I could get the job done both in the ring and on interviews, so it wouldn't hurt me to lose. If they beat Nikita when he was still relatively inexperienced, it would kill him. His mystique was that of a monster Russian who couldn't be beaten. We would get a lot more mileage out of the Koloff team if we waited to beat him when he was over more.For decades, professional wrestling fans have asked the question 'Is that wrestling fake?' However, they wouldn't have dared ask that question directly to Ivan Koloff, whose work in the ring made believers out of the most cynical viewers.Growing up on a farm in Ontario, Ivan learned the meaning of hard work and discipline. Unfortunately, he made wrong choices and wound up in prison for cattle rustling. Upon his release, he enrolled in a wrestling school and began a career in pro wrestling as Red McNulty, the Irish Rogue.Five years later, on January 18, 1971, he appeared in Madison Square Garden under the name Ivan Koloff and did what had never been done before. He pinned Bruno Sammartino's shoulders to the mat and won the WWWF heavyweight title. When the referee called for the bell, you could have heard a pin drop as the more than 21,000 screaming fans were instantly moved to a stunned, disbelieving silence.That accomplishment made Ivan Koloff one of wrestling's biggest superstars until his retirement from the ring in the mid-1990s. Competing in virtually every major promotion throughout the world, he feuded with every top name in the wrestling business, including Andre the Giant, Ric Flair, Dick the Bruiser, Bob Backlund, Billy Robinson, Dusty Rhodes, and Ivan Putski.Here for the first time, Ivan tells the story of his life: the highs and the lows; his admission of alcohol and drug abuse; reflections of a life spent on the road, and the toll it took on his body and soul; the event in Kannapolis, North Carolina, that changed his life forever.Ivan tells stories about many of the personalities he worked with, including Bill Miller, Stu Hart, Mad Dog Vachon, Ernie Ladd, Andre the Giant, Johnny Rougeau, Jacques Rougeau, Bepo Mongol (the future Nicolai Volkoff), Bruno Sammartino, Pedro Morales, Gorilla Monsoon, Freddie Blassie, Bobby Heenan, Red Bastien, Bull Bullinski, Kevin von Erich, Kerry von Erich, Mr. Fuji, Johnny Valentine, Dick the Bruiser, Roddy Piper, Mr. Saito, Ray Stevens, Stan Hansen, and Abdullah the Butcher.This is a revealing memoir that will take you into the mind of the Russian Bear, both in and out of the ring.One extra bonus is the inclusion of over 205 photographs, most of which are from Ivan's personal collection.

Is That Wrestling Fake?-The Bear Facts

Ivan Koloff

Excerpt from 'The Solie Chronicles' Copyright © Robert Allyn One evening, he sat in the comfort of his family room vodka in one hand and a cigarette in the other, and spoke to his son-in-law, Bob Allyn. Gordon said McMahon s company offered him a fair wage to continue on, and there was even a mention of him co-hosting with Gene Okerlund. He didn t have a problem with the money offer or with Gene Okerlund, but Gordon said they wanted him to wear a tuxedo, and 'he wasn t going to wear any go amn tuxedo.'
 Since the late 1800s, professional wrestling has turned out many high-profile stars: names such as Frank Gotch, Ed 'Strangler' Lewis, Lou Thesz, Dusty Rhodes and Hulk Hogan. Perhaps one of the most well-known pro-wrestling personalities, however, wasn't even a wrestler. He was a commentator and announcer named Gordon Solie.
 Famous dead-pan style interviews and colorful play-by-play broadcasts of wrestling led to Gordon s induction into the WCW Hall of Fame (Class of 1995), the NWA Hall of Fame (Class of 2006), and the WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2008).
 Wrestling fans of the 60s, 70s and 80s remember Gordon s legendary broadcasts on Championship Wrestling from Florida, Championship Wrestling from Georgia, and World Championship Wrestling.
 Born Jonard Frank Labiak on January 26, 1929, Gordon began working as a page and errand boy for a Louisiana radio station while he was in the U.S. Air Force. Known to his fellow servicemen as Gordy, he would later legally change his name to Gordon Solie, a name chosen to honor his family history. In 1950, he took a job as an announcer for WEBK in Ybor City, Florida. By starting his own radio sports interview program, Gordon made key contacts in professional wrestling and stock car racing. Subsequently, Gordon Solie set a course and made a major impact on the development of professional wrestling, national auto thrill show tours, stock car racing on Florida s Suncoast, and ultimately, as the host for the highest-rated show on the largest cable network in America.
 The background material for this biography was found in Gordon's personal files and taken from interviews with the people who knew Gordon. It is written as a testament to a man who made his mark in many endeavors.
 INTERVIEWS with 65 people who knew Gordon the best! 
 Family and Friends: Dotty Curtis [wife of wrestling legend Don Curtis], Gaye Swenson [Gordon's sister], Greg Solie [Gordon's son], Jeff Bukantz [member of the U.S. National fencing team], Jim Oxley [head mechanic at the Pit Stop], Keith Mitchell [WCW staff member], Pamela S Allyn [Gordon's daughter], Robert Allyn [Gordon's son-in-law], Tom McEwen [sports editor and Gordon's friend]
 Stock car drivers: Buzzie Reutimann, Cush Revette, Jim Gallagher [stock car race announcer], 'Little Jack' Arnold, Pancho Alvarez, Randy Alvarez [Pancho Alvarez' son], Wayne Reutimann, Will Cagle
 Wrestling Journalists: Alex Marvez [Senior NFL Writer for FOXSports.com], Bill Apter [former editor of Pro Wrestling Illustrated], J Michael Kenyon [wrestling historian], Mike Mooneyham [wrestling journalist], Scott Teal [wrestling historian]
 Commentators: Joe Pedicino, Jim Ross, Lance Russell, Mike Tenay
 Photographers: Danny Goddard, Scooter Leslie
 Wrestlers, Managers, Referees, Promoters: Abdullah the Butcher, Adrian Street, Bill Newman, Bob Armstrong, Bob Roop, Bobby Simmons, Buddy Colt, C.J. West, Danny Hodge, Danny Miller, David Marquez, Dick Steinborn, Dory Funk, 'Downtown Bruno' Lauer, Dr. Ken Ramey, Frankie Cain, Gene Kiniski, Harley Race, Howard Brody, Ivan Koloff, Jack Brisco, Jack Welch, Jerry Prater [director-producer of Championship Wrestling from Florida], Jim Cornette, Jimmy Hart, Jimmy Snuka, JJ Dillon, Joe Turner, Larry Zbyszko, Les Thatcher, Mike Graham, Rocky Johnson, Ron Garvin, Roy Lee Welch, Skip Gossett, Stan Hansen,

The Solie Chronicles

Robert Allyn

Pamela S. Allyn

Readers will feel like they are living Tony's life through his eyes as he tells about his free-spirited and self-destructive journey through life. His out-of-the-ring stories are as compelling as those that took place inside the ring. Tony tells about growing up in poverty, and recounts stories from his childhood: his dad encouraging him to fight for money as a child, being sent to a juvenile detention center, and being introduced to sex at the age of 16 by a 38-year-old woman. He describes his introduction to wrestling, his rapid rise to the top echelon of talent, the rampant and easily-available sex, money, and drugs, his fascination with "shoes," and the terrible toll his lifestyle took on his personal life.For the first time, Tony reveals the name of his worst enemy, and explains why he hopes that person is dead. Most revealing of all are his recollections of experiencing "racism" in wrestling ... from the most unexpected source of all.Tony tells about decisions he made which resulted in his downfall, and is brutally honest about his short-comings and the pain he suffered when he lost his job and everything he had worked for. In the telling of that story, he doesn't criticize others, but blames himself for the downward spiral of his career. He recalls the events which led up to him being homeless and living outdoors in 22-below-zero weather, and he acknowledges the person who saved him from near-death and helped him back on the road to self-sufficiency.Finally, Tony writes about getting another chance at fame when he returned to the spotlight in World Wrestling Entertainment as the manager of Mark Henry.This is the story of a man who had success handed to him-only to throw it all away-and the long, painful struggle he had to endure as he clawed his way back to the top.

Tony Atlas - Too Much Too Soon book by Tony Atlas (2010-08-02)

Tony Atlas

"Stan Hansen was as important as anyone could possibly be. He knew what it took to draw money and he knew being physical was necessary. He could have been a star anywhere, but I thank God he came to All Japan for us." Terry Funk
 In addition to the stories about his time in the U.S., Stan Hansen's account of his wrestling career is a veritable guidebook of professional wrestling in Japan. In "The Last Outlaw," he tackles every subject imaginable as he educates and entertains readers with his stories about the promoters and their promotions, how the Japanese promoters operate their business behind the scenes, touring the country on the wrestling bus, the nightlife in the big cities, and how the sport in Japan differs from that in the U.S.
 Stan also shares stories of his time in Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and tells countless road tales about fellow wrestlers, like Andre the Giant, Terry Funk, Giant Baba, Jumbo Tsuruta, Bill Watts, Dick Murdoch, Ole Anderson, Harley Race, and Antonio Inoki.
 He goes into detail about his time in the AWA, how he came to win the AWA title, his confrontation with Verne Gagne prior to walking out, and what he really did with the title belt when he left the territory. Stan tells about wrestling in the WWWF, giving a detailed description of the match in which he broke Bruno Sammartino's neck, the matches that followed, and the subsequent problems he had with Vince McMahon Sr.
 Stan relates hundreds of great stories about his runs with both New Japan Pro Wrestling and All Japan Pro Wrestling, including details of his meeting with Giant Baba that led to him leaving one for the other.
 And what would a "Stan Hansen book" be without personal stories about the time he spent with Bruiser Brody: how they first met, the story behind their becoming a team, spending time in the evenings on the streets and in the clubs of Japan, and his own, personal insight into the "real" Bruiser Brody.
 Stan usually did what he was asked him to do, but he didn't want promoters to direct his life, so he became independent and took care of his own bookings. He refused to conform to what everyone expected. Most of all, he didn't follow a script. He was innovative and ad lib, two character-istics that took him to the top of the wrestling business. As the wrestling business changed and became "sports entertainment," he persevered and continued to wrestle his style, which was act and react. 
 Just as Stan reached the pinnacle of success in his chosen profession, his story is also destined to become one of the most informative books ever written about professional wrestling.
 Travel down the road with Stan Hansen The Last Outlaw.
 Excerpt from Chapter 20 Copyright © Stan Hansen and Scott Teal When Verne told me he wanted to put the belt on Nick, I looked him right in the eye and said, "I don t think so." His mouth dropped open and he said, "What?" "I m not doing it." Verne s face turned beet red. He stepped up and got right in my face. I didn t back down. I just stared at him, face to face, and with my peripheral vision, I kept an eye on Nick. I wasn t really worried about Nick. He had too much class to do something like attack me, but situations like that were uncharted territories. I liked Nick, but I also knew he had worked almost exclusively for Verne for 16 years. Needless to say, his loyalty was with Verne, period, which was as it should be. Verne glared at me and said something like, "It s my belt and you ll do what I tell you ..." I interrupted him and said, "I didn t ask for the belt, but I haven t made any money and it s too soon to switch it!" Verne edged closer and growled, "You re dropping it!"

The Last Outlaw

Stan Hansen

The Sculptor In The Sky

"You can not have a life, you can not lose a life... You are life. It is you who hold the power to decide yourself back onto the path you intended...the path of welcoming and becoming your own bliss." The Sculptor In The Sky, the new book by spiritual catalyst, Teal Scott takes you on a journey of rediscovery of the universe of god and of yourself. This extraordinary book challenges us to reconnect with the eternal essence of our being and to expand our ideas about the reality we live in It is a must have for the curious, the wanting and the ready. A provocative guide to answering the questions that every person asks at some point in their life.

The Sculptor in the Sky

Religion & Spirituality

SWAN, TEAL

New Age & Spirituality

AuthorHouse

The Annotated Fall Guys

Marcus Griffin

Steve Yohe

The Great Pro Wrestling Venues

Tim Dills

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Books by Scott, Teal