The Encyclopedia of Professional Wrestling: 100 Years of History, Headlines & Hitmakers [Paperback]

Kristian Pope (Author), Ray, Jr. Whebbe (Author)

Book Description

Series: Encyclopedia of Professional Wrestling | Publication Date: November 2003

This second edition offers an updated no-holds-barred approach to professional wrestling dating back to the beginning of the sport. An expanded and revised biography section features information including ring names, aliases, career highlights and best matches. Readers will discover the first professional wrestler, Frank Gotch; how the Rock came to be; how comedian Andy Kaufman became the inter-gender champion and how Muhammed Ali took Japanese wrestling by storm.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kristian Pope, a life-long wrestling fan, began writing about the sport as a teen-ager and has published numerous wrestling fanzines since the 1980s. A sportswriter, he has worked for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Dallas Morning News, Asbury Park Press, and Philadelphia Inquirer. Ray Whebbe Jr., a fan of wrestling since the 1960s, has been a promoter of more than 1,000 wrestling matches. He is also a sportswriter in the Twin Cities, having written thousands of articles in the early 1980s.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Krause Publications; 2 Sub edition (November 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873496256
• ISBN-13: 978-0873496254
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #171,391 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Sports Memorabilia
  • #24 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Sports
  • #57 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Wrestling

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good book but it misses a lot, October 24, 2003

By 

wrbtu (Long Island Motor Parkway) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Professional Wrestling: 100 Years of the Good, the Bad and the Unforgettable (Paperback)

I was looking for a book that would be a complete history of wrestling, but there doesn't seem to be one out there. This book has lots of good photos, including memorabilia such as ads & publicity photos, but there's a lot missing here. Only the briefest of bios are provided (I wish it included at least year of birth, height, weight), some major wrestlers are omitted entirely, & there's no index. Unlike a "real" encyclopedia, most of the book is not arranged alphabetically (only the "Slamographies" section is alphabetized), so an index would be useful. I'm mostly a fan of 1950s - 1960s wrestlers, so I wanted to find information on the old stars, but this book misses some of the biggest attractions of that era (like Haystacks Calhoun). A worthy addition to your wrestling reference library, but will somebody please write a definitive encyclopedia on this subject?

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you are a wrestling fan this book is for you!!!, August 27, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Professional Wrestling: 100 Years of the Good, the Bad and the Unforgettable (Paperback)

The authors of "Professional Wrestling", Kristian Pope and Ray Whebbe have outdone themselves with this one. If you are a wrestling fan, young or old, long time or new, there is something in this book (actually a whole lot of things), to keep you interested for a long time to come. My favorite chapters were the "Ring Beauties" and "Slamographies", the former because there is not a lot of press about the ladies around and over the years they have had a profound influence on the "sport" both in the ring and behind the scenes. The last chapter "Slamographies" tells you every thing you ever wanted to know about every wrestler that has made some sort of impact on the sport. I am going to test my wrestling fan friends with the info presented here and maybe pick up a few bucks in the process. Great Stuff - Thank you Kris & Ray

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great!, January 13, 2008

By 

George E. Duffy Jr. - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Professional Wrestling: 100 Years of History, Headlines & Hitmakers (Paperback)

For all the wrestling fans out there, this book is awesome! great facts and details.