Death Clutch: My Story of Determination, Domination, and Survival [Hardcover]

Brock Lesnar (Author), Paul Heyman (Collaborator)

Book Description

Release date: May 24, 2011

Brock Lesnar has been, and is one of the most popular - and polarizing - figures in sports and sports entertainment. Whether fans love him or hate him, they never miss an opportunity to watch Brock when he squares off with an opponent. He is a celebrity of the first order, but disdains fame, avoids the media, and remains intensely private. Now, for the first time, Brock tells his incredible story in his own words. Brock relives his long journey to become the best college wrestler in the country, his meteoric rise in World Wrestling Entertainment, and what lead him to walk away from fame and fortune when he was at the top. He talks openly about the accident that derailed his plans to play in the NFL, his professional wrestling comeback in Japan, and his transformation and rebirth as a Mixed Martial Arts fighter. Fans will get an insider's look at Brock's career in the UFC - the training, the competition and what it takes to be, and to remain a champion. Brock will also talk about the illness that nearly killed him, his will to survive, and what he really values and aspires to be. Powerful and real, this remarkable memoir is the story of Brock's determination and domination, and the making of a true champion.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

He is the biggest pay-per-view attraction in the world.
He is "the Baddest Dude on the Planet."
He is Brock Lesnar.

For countless fans of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts, Brock Lesnar has long been known for his freakish athleticism, mind-blowing speed, and meteoric rise to the top. Yet despite the fame and fortune that have come with his enormous success, Brock has shunned the media, choosing instead to remain intensely private about his life and his accomplishments. Now, for the first time, he tells his remarkable story in his own words, describing the journey from his South Dakota farm boy roots to the most popular pay-per-view attraction in the world.

In Death Clutch, Brock opens up about what it takes not only to succeed in the world's fastest-growing sport but to become the undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World. He also speaks candidly about the illness that nearly killed him, how it changed him as a fighter and a man, and how it shaped his will to survive. In the end, Brock holds nothing back in this revealing, raw, and ultimately redemptive tale of determination and domination.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Brock Lesnar is the only athlete in history to win the NCAA Division I Heavyweight Wrestling Championship, and the WWE and UFC World Heavyweight Championship titles. He is married and lives with his wife and children in rural Minnesota.

Paul Heyman is best known for his career in professional wrestling as a promoter and on-air personality. He blogs on HeymanHustle.com and is the founder of the "Looking 4 Larry" ad agency in New York City.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (May 24, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062023128
• ISBN-13: 978-0062023124
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.9 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #463,316 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brock Lesnar is an American mixed martial arts fighter, and a former amateur and professional wrestler. He is currently the UFC Heavyweight Champion of the World. He is married, and lives with his wife and children in rural Minnesota.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Death Clutch or ... Last Gasp??? June 15, 2011

By Kevin Quinley VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Brock Lesnar tends to be a polarizing figure in MMA. Some people love him; others hate him. Very few are neutral. Some think he is a superb MMA practitioner. Haters dismiss him as a gorilla who simply takes people down, lacks submission skills and who tries to "lay and pray" his way to a win. (His arm triangle submission of Shane Carwin undermines that argument.) Some could care less that his earlier career was in pro rasslin'; others think it cheapens and demeans the sport of MMA.

Like him or hate him, it is indisputable that he is the UFC's cash cow. Nobody packs the gate or gooses up PPV buys like a fight featuring Brock. For all of his publicity, though, it has not been easy getting behind the façade of Brock Lesnar the Fighter. He shuns the limelight and seems content in the sticks of Alexandria, MN. You will not find him soaking up the nightlife in Las Vegas or dancing at the after-party. It was considered a coup for Dana White and Zuffa when they recently succeeded in getting Lesnar to agree to appear as one of the coaches on the latest season of the Spike TV reality show, "The Ultimate Fighter." If the show's producers thought there might be fireworks between Lesnar and Dos Santos, what they got instead was "the bland leading the bland."

Joining the growing shelves of first-person MMA memoirs is the putative autobiography of Brock Lesnar, DEATH CLUTCH.
What does DEATH CLUTCH tell us about Brock that we didn't already know?

He is a simple farm boy, raised on a farm with solid Midwest values of hard work. His parents made great sacrifices to allow him to participate and excel in wrestling. He wasn't coddled when he lost, but was urged to work harder and to "get back on the horse."

Lesnar is not enamored with glitz and glitter. He shuns the limelight in some ways, resenting the intrusion of the media into what he considers to be his private life. He is dedicated to his wife and kids, though he tells us little about them. He mentions his wife Rena, never using her persona name "Sable," but offers no back-story on how they originally met.

Impulsiveness has at times plagued Lesnar. When exiting the WWE, he was so eager to leave pro wrestling that he signed an agreement before his lawyers could review and revise it. In signing, he agreed to a non-compete clause that constrained him from earning a living. After defeating Frank Mir at UFC 100, he was so amped by his victory, he flipped off booing fans, taunted Mir to his pulverized/hamburger-ized face and dissed the corporate beer sponsors who helped make Lesnar's financial winnings possible.

Bad moves.

One irony is that, on the Amazon site to this book, Lesnar has a two-minute video portraying this book as a "tell all." Let me tell you, it does NOT "tell all." For example, one rumor that has followed Lesnar for years has been the suspicion of PED's or "juice."
This book would have been the perfect forum for dispelling with or addressing such rumors. He ignores it.

Lesnar comes across as headstrong and, if you don't like him, he could really give a #$%$. Otherwise, Lesnar here plays things very close to the vest and does NOT "tell all." Which is perfectly fine, EXCEPT when you start to shill the book as a "tell all."

No one will mistake Brock Lesnar for William Shakespeare. He joins the ranks of such literary luminaries as Matt Hughes, Randy Couture, BJ Penn, Jens Pulver and Brian Stann. In surveying the books by MMA fighters, we need not set the literary bar too high.

Whether you like or loath Brock Lesnar, if you are an MMA fan, you will likely find this book interesting. One plus: it is a quick read.

Another contradiction is this. On the book cover, Lesnar says "This one time ... you are invited to join me in my private world for a few hours. Just don't expect another invitation." Yet, on his Amazon.com promo video, he hints at a sequel.

Odd.

As DEATH CLUTCH comes to print, the Brock Lesnar story is clouded. His planned UFC 131 fight against Junior Dos Santos was off due to a recurrence of diverticulitis. Another round of colon surgery followed. Will Lesnar fight again? If so, can he regain his old form? Can he recover to challenge Dos Santos? Can he ever win his heavyweight belt back from Cain Velasquez? Certainly Dana White and the UFC prays he will return. He is their cash cow. No one fills seats or pulls in PPV buys like Lesnar.

Popeye was famous for saying, I am what I am."

That's a good way to describe Brock Lesnar too.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Not a bad read at all! August 13, 2011

By little BIG Man

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

To begin w/, let me preface this that I am a Brock fan. Still, I came in w/ an open mind about the whole book.

It was an easy read. I liked that chapters were short. It allowed me to read a chapter or so during porcelain god sessions w/o having to leave in between chapters. So the book went by pretty fast.

That same reason is why I gave the book a 4 instead of 5. I felt that the chapters were actually kind of too short and lacked a lot of details. I felt I wanted more in some of the chapters and left out some details.

Overall, I thought it was a good book. I really didn't really learn too much more of Brock from it.

I didn't know he tried to come back from WWE and they didn't want him. Aside from that, nothing really deep down and secret that I'd want in an autobiography came out.

He does blast a few people in the book. But I look at it as his words and feelings. So I take it. Why not?

If you're a Brock fan, I think it's a good buy. If you're a Brock hater, it's a good buy too. You might hate him more or less. It depends.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Tough, But No Class July 7, 2011

By Eric Wilson TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

I discovered the no-holds-barred thrills of watching UFC a few years back, and one of the things I loved about the sport was the lack of corruption, drug-testing issues, and disrespect between athletes that so epitomize WWE and many boxing federations. Like many others, I worried that Brock Lesnar's entry into the UFC camp would undermine the very things I love about the sport.

Lesnar quickly proved himself a hard-working, tough, talented athlete. He proved he deserved a shot in this sport, and I tip my hat to him for that. In the book, he describes his journey from childhood to WWE, and his desire to then get into a sport where the challenges would be legitimate and the competition real. He got that in the UFC. But the same night I convinced some of my relatives to watch UFC for the first time ever, bragging about the respect of the sport, Lesnar beat Mir's butt and then made a complete fool of himself by ranting in the middle of the Octagon and flipping off the crowd--a rant I haven't seen ever again played in its entirety. That's a good thing, but many of us who saw haven't forgotten how he pulled down the entire sport a notch that night. Lesnar then beat Mir again, and makes a point in his book that Mir will "never be half the man I am." While I'm not a Mir fan by any means, I have to say it took a real man to be willing to go back into the Octagon and take a chance at getting another severe beating--which is exactly what happened to Mir.

Lesnar goes into more detail about his later physical difficulties, his fight and respect for Randy Couture, and his hard-fought win over Carwin, in which Lesnar proved he had a lot of heart and will, and his desire to dominate his division for years to come. Nevertheless, he proves that his own version of being a man has more to do with physical domination and name-calling than in actual classy behavior toward his opponents. I had hoped he learned a little humility by getting his own face beat up by Cain Valesquez, but the book reveals his true colors and shows that any cleaned-up behavior was only Lesnar's kissing up to the media to save his own reputation and future in the UFC. In addition, Lesnar gives lots of pages for his victories, but turns the Cain fight into a virtual footnote at the end of the book.

I came to this well-written and honest book hoping to bolster my respect for this maligned athlete, and instead it convinced me that he truly is the classless fool he first showed himself to be when winning his title over Mir. That night, my relatives walked away and said they'd never watch UFC again. I will. But I will never cheer for Lesnar again, knowing now how hollow his respect and humility are.