Customer Reviews

Walking a Golden Mile

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Let me start by saying that this book "Walking a Golden Mile" by William Regal is a remarkable book. William Regal has overcome so much, alot due to his own mistakes and personal tragedies and problems, but you cannot held but admire this man when you read this book and see how he turned his life around and became the man that he is today, sure he might not be at the spot on the card he most deserves to be at, which is certainly at the top! But he still delivers in that ring and on the microphone. William Regal never stops entertaining me, me being a fan of British humour, growing up with a great deal of it in my family, due to my mother being from Scotland, I appreciated reading a book like this. I loved how he held nothing back and was honest as they come, whether it be about drugs, life, or whatever, he was blunt as hell. William Regal, I was already a fan of yours, but after reading this book, you have made me a much bigger fan, for life! Much respect to you sir!

-JPM

William Regal is not my faviorte wrestler by far. I never liked him in about 10 years of watching wrestling. So why do I like this book? By a chance, I met him at a book signing. He is a nice guy, and he chats with the fans and doesnt rush you. I was nervous to met the guy, but happy after I talked to him for a few minutes. The book is a good read and very well written. Some people dont agree, but I think its very well written and informatvie. Good read all in all, but a great man.

This book was very helpful to me as it is a mixture of two of my favorite recreational activities, wrestling and drug abuse. I am a recovering drug abuser, and am trying to get into pro wrestling. I was very impressed by what William wrote in his book.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It's about the life of Darrin Matthews, who plays William Regal on the WWE. It talks about how he got involved in wrestling. He went through some ups and downs in his life. He use to be a drug addict and it nearly ruined his life and those around him. He tells on why you should never do drugs in the first place. I also like him as a wrestler on the WWE. I liked it when he would team up with Eugene to win the tag teams titles. He also did that with another wrestler named Tajiri. Anyone who reads this book will have a better appreciation for this guy.

Darren Matthews became better known in his wrestling career as Lord Steven William Regal. This is his story. One more in the long line of wrestler 'autobiographies' that are perpetually filling the market based on the success of Mick Foley's own story. Some of them a very good, others are very bad. This one leans more to the good side.

Regal comes from a small town in England and is introduced to wrestling by his grandfather William. Regal begins his wrestling career at age 16 and spends his early years travelling the United Kingdom for the few promoters there. He fills in some quaint stories of his past and his comrades that he gets on with. He expands into the European market and does some local shows for then WWF and WCW when they went to England.

He spends a good portion of the book covering his addiction to painkillers, alcohol, and enhancers but only briefly mentions use of cocaine. You must applaud his wife for sticking with him with the hell he puts forth in the way he treated people during this time. He briefly covers the forced landing of an airplane due in part to his drunkness. He mentions he was not the only problem on the plane but is also very careful throughout the book to not degrade any other personalities or throw out dirt stories on his colleagues.

The book then moves on to his arrival into American wrestling with WCW and later the WWF/E. Surprisingly, he spends very little time rehashing matches and storylines once he hits the "bigtime". He throws in some anecdotes regarding Ric Flair, Paul "Triple H" Levesque, Fit Finlay, Goldberg, and others. It's almost missing something because he mentions his favorite match he ever had (vs Edge) but doesn't go into why it's his favorite.

All in all, the book is solid but not outstanding. He does get personal in his drug use and rehab. Regal throws in his English verbage/syntax to help add flavor and personalize the story (he includes a glossary for the terms also). He also tries to establish that there is a serious difference between him as Darren Matthews and his character persona of the snooty blue-blooded Steven William Regal (much the same as Missy Hyatt/Melissa Hiat did in her book). The biggest annoyance of the book is the quote blurbs that fill multiple pages or parts of pages (they are backgrounded by a Union Jack). I've always taken quote blurbs to be a spot where an important point is being made, but these just seem to be random picks to be offset for no apparent reason.

It's certainly not the best 'autobiography' by a wrestler, but there are certainly worse ones. Either way, it's a fast read and much less costly than some of the other wrestler's books (I think I bought mine new for $16 at Barnes & Noble)

If you are a fan of wrestling this book is a must have!!! The book is the telling the story of William Regal,one of, if not the best technical wrestler in the world! Story is funny and very insightful all the while taking readers through a journey through England. This book is very hard to find in book stores and I was lucky enough to find it here. I couldn't be happier, the book was in perfect near mint condition and shipped very fast!!!!!

William Regal has quite literally been around the world during his career as a professional wrestler, and this book covers the highs and lows of the entire process.

From his start as a skinny kid wrestling in Blackpool to his current status as a WWE Superstar, Regal's story is highlighted by stories about the behind the scenes world of wrestling: some of it hilarious, some interesting, and some heart-breaking.

Regal also deals candidly with his alcohol and drug problems and all the pain it caused him. This is perhaps the most engaging part of the story: Regal pulls no punches in discussing the pain he put his family through and how he nearly lost his life because of his addictions.

Highly recommended if you're a wrestling fan or looking for books on the real-life impact of alcohol and drug dependency.

I could not believe the life the man has led. The book touches the soul of the wrestling fan by getting you behind the scenes, but the drug addiction is the true story. This guy should be on Howard Stern. He takes you through the inebriated days of drugs and booze where many times he had no idea of what he had done, but when you find out, you'll be appalled, shocked, and actually feel bad for the guy. I've read many wrestling books, this one is pretty good. He's very honest and not like the Lord Steve Regal at all. More like your every day junky....who survived and thrived.

I first became a fan of William Regal when he worked Bill Goldberg and showed him how a real wrestler works during a WCW Saturday Nights Main Event... It was during Bill Goldberg's "undefeated" streak... Regal worked Goldberg so hard that I immediately became a fan...

The book provides outstanding, if not painful, insight into the life and career of William Regal. Anytime Regal walks to the ring, get ready for an outstanding match...

I liked this book in that it gave the perspective of a pro wrestler who learned his trade in small cities in England. How William Regal made it to the WWE and the big time is almost by chance and luck. Regal is a talent, but his real ability is his ability to just hang in there.
I was somewhat puzzled and troubled by his drug addictions and problems with steroid use. As with any addict, you can never be sure when they are being 100% honest or when they are just setting the table for another relapse. But at any rate, this book is well worth reading. Lots of insights and behind the scenes secrets.