Customer Reviews

Biographical Dictionary of Professional Wrestling, Second Edition

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The old saying goes, "Don't judge a book by its cover". This book looks good, but beyond the cover is filled with page after page of incorrect information regarding many of the wrestlers. Mr. Lentz certainly didn't take the time to research his information. I have been a collector and researcher of wrestling related items for nearly 40 years, and never have I picked up a book with so many errors in it. My advice is, if you want a book that looks good on your bookself, then this book is for you. But, if you are looking for a book that will provide factual information on wrestlings greatest performers of the past, then pass on this book! Sorry, this is not a reliable source of wrestling information to the serious collector or fan.

I was looking for a book that would be a complete in-depth history of wrestling, but there doesn't seem to be one out there. This book has no photos (except for Lou Thesz on the cover), but it contains short bios of more pro wrestlers than any other book. Unfortunately, only the briefest of bios are provided (it basically lists championships won, with very little personal info provided). Height, weight, & birth dates are provided for some, but not most, wrestlers. Lentz has written some great books on film history for McFarland, but this one is a disappointment due to lack of more info in the entries (which is perhaps not possible given the subject matter). At first I thought this book lacked completeness, but after seeing other so-called wrestling "encyclopedias," this one is certainly the most complete. For example, a major star of the early 1960s, Argentina Apollo, gets no mention in any of the other wrestling books, but is included here. It's very dry reading for a wrestling book, & if you buy this one you should get at least a couple of other books with photos to accompany it. I'd like to see more info included in the entries (at least for the major stars) that would distinguish the wrestlers a bit more than the author has done here (for example, how they were innovative, what their style was, gimmicks used, special techniques, etc.). A worthy addition to your wrestling reference library, but will somebody please write a definitive encyclopedia on this subject? A second edition of this book is due in November 2003, but with only 20 or so additional pages, I doubt if it will expand the entries into what I was hoping for.

Without a doubt, this is THE book to purchase if you are a pro wrestling fan. Filled to the brim with career highlights for over 500 wrestlers from the early 20th century right down to the days just before the formation of the NWO, Lentz has covered it all. I have found it to be an invaluable reference too, and worth every bit of it's price. TC Kirkham, Webmaster SyxxNet

My compliments to Mr. Lentz for the wealth of information he was able to unearth on the sometimes mysterious world of professional wrestling. I've been a fan of wrestling since the 1960s and it was great to finally see a reference book that gives information on the "sport entertainers" that have thrilled me and countless others over the years. I flip through it often to find tidbits about current and past mat stars. A truly great job on a difficult subject.