A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex (Hardcover)

~ Chris Jericho (Author), Peter Thomas Fornatale (Collaborator) "The first time I ever watched pro wrestling was with my grandma in her basement in Winnipeg when I was seven..." (more)
Key Phrases: Corazón de León, lovely lads, wrestling business, New Japan, Chris Jericho, Sudden Impact (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This funny, insightful and compulsively readable autobiography by professional wrestling superstar Lion Heart Jericho matches fellow wrestler Mick Foley's bestselling Have a Nice Day! Jericho reached international stardom after joining the media juggernaut World Wrestling Entertainment (formerly WWF) in 1999, but this book neglects his many accomplishments since then, such as his legendary same-night defeat of wrestling powerhouses the Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin to become the WWE's first undisputed heavyweight champion. Instead, Jericho recounts the fascinating story of his early years—in effect, a short history of world wrestling trends since 1960—from his brutal early training in his native Canada through finally being invited to join the WWE. Jericho ignores or glosses over controversial topics like steroid use, preferring to keep things light and cheery. His hilarious and detailed descriptions of his many bouts, especially his 1995 calling card match in Japan before 10,000 fans, will leave readers hoping for a sequel. (Oct. 25)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description

Chris Jericho is the first undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the WWE and WCW, and has been called one of the fifty greatest wrestlers of all time. Now retired, he is writing his memoir, telling the story of his journey from wrestling school in Canada to his time in leagues in Mexico and Japan to his big break in the WCW. He'll dish the dirt on how he worked his way through the ranks alongside major wrestling stars like Chris Benoit and Lance Storm to become a major superstar.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (October 25, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446580066
• ISBN-13: 978-0446580069
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.3 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #222,757 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jericho's life story is truly A Lion's Tale!, October 24, 2007

By	Jeffrey W. Smaltz "J.Smaltz" (Chicago) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I became a fan of Jericho when he started showing flashes of turning into a heel with his post-match tantrum following a loss. I could see he had the charisma and talent to make it into a big time superstar. Then he came out with the Monday Night Jericho t-shirt (which I was unable to afford back in the day) and the Ralphus angle, I totally started to love the guy.

For the life of me, I could never figure out why WCW never gave him the chance to be the guy.

Jericho's "A Lion's Tale" explains the backstage politics of WCW and how WCW almost killed his passion for wrestling. Jericho should have known that WCW was bad news when Bischoff called him to fly to Atlanta to sign a contract, while only a few hours later, booker Kevin Sullivan called Jericho to tell him he needs to come in for a try-out, not knowing he was already on his way to sign a contract!

But this book is not all about WCW, in fact, WCW doesn't even come until page 320ish, and there is 410 pages in the book. The last 20 pages or so of the book is about him joining the WWF (he calls it the WWF, not WWE, so I will be referring it as WWF too).

The book starts brilliantly with the countdown to the new millennium.... actually, sort of. The book ends the same way, but on a higher note.

The whole idea of Jericho's book is how he developed a dream to be one of the best wrestlers ever in Vince McMahon's WWF.

The book starts us with how Jericho developed a passion for wrestling at his grandmother's house on Sundays, how his father took him to the matches in Winnipeg on Sundays, how he was angry when none of the famed Hart Brothers were actually training wrestlers at the Hart Brothers Wrestling Camp (upon arrival, he was about to quit when he saw all the other wrestlers who were not wrestling-material until he met Lance Storm), his stints in Mexico, Knoxville, Japan, ECW and WCW.

Jericho had a dream, he paid his dues, and he accomplished his dream.

That's why I loved this book, it was truly A Lion's Tale.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funnier than Foley and a good story over all, October 15, 2007

By	S. Albert (Lowell, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

OK, there's now a new book wrestling fans can honestly recommend to non-wrestling fans about wrestling. That makes 2, you know what the other one is.
I'm not generally a laugh-out-loud kind of guy (my hero, Lance Storm, is in this a lot since he was in the same variation of the dungeon class with CJ. There's a few good stories there alone). I was laughing constantly.
This is very much Jericho. There's another guy who gets credit for something, but it seems strictly organizational. This is also a good example of a religous person being able to acknowledge their faith without being preachy (and while swearing like a mo-fo about living the rockstar lifestyle).
The book also has some great flow, it doesn't come across as just a series of anecdotes (this was probably that other guys job).
Al Snow fans will be glad to know that somebody finally gets a couple of good shots in at Foley in a book people will actually read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read From Start To Finish, November 20, 2007

By	C. Sawin (TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    (VINE VOICE)

There's no denying that I've almost always been a fan of Chris Jericho. When I first saw him in WCW, I thought he was an annoying crybaby, but then reality set in. Jericho was a heel who was actually funny and a talented wrestler. It takes skill to make a wrestling audience hate you and Jericho was doing that each and every week. Once I realized that, I enjoyed the comedy that was buried within every promo and I've been a fan ever since.

A Lion's Tale is Chris Irvine's autobiography that focuses around how he became Chris Jericho and how he got into the wrestling business. It begins with an eight-year-old's dream of becoming a professional wrestler and ends right when Jericho is about to walk through the curtain and make his first promo in the WWF. It chronicles everything from Jericho training at the Hart Brothers Training Camp, his time in Mexico, Germany, and Japan, his entire run in WCW, him meeting Vince McMahon, and everything else in between. If you've ever wanted to know more about Chris Jericho, then look no further.

The book isn't just filled with Jericho's past though. He is extremely funny and that fact shines throughout every page in this book. It's the way he tells these stories that'll keep you entertained and make you not want to put it down until you read the last word on the last page. I'd even go out on a limb and say that the humor in this book could even appeal to people outside of wrestling fans. It's definitely a great read for wrestling fans and Jerichoholics, don't get me wrong, but it's also a story about how dreams can come true and is often laugh out loud funny.

The one flaw this book has is the amount of typos scattered throughout the book. I may be nitpicking, but that irritated me a bit. I realize that every book has a few typos, but this was the worst I've ever come across. If my story was professionally published, I'd make sure this wouldn't happen. Where are the proofreaders when you need them?

All in all, A Lion's Tale: Around the World In Spandex is without a doubt the best wrestling book I've ever read. Keep in mind, I haven't read all of them, but none of the others had me laughing or hanging on every word. It is a book that'll be enjoyed to its full extent if you're a wrestling fan or are at least familiar with the names and maneuvers mentioned throughout the book, but anyone can pick it up and find something to enjoy.