Pro-Wrestling: Tricks of the Trade

Director: Rick Bassman

Distributor: Travel Channel

Released: 2002
Featured Talent

Afa Anoa’i, Lynn Anoa’i (Afa’s wife),Tovale Anoa’i (Afa’s daughter),Ariel,Rick Bassman, Jonathan “Raging Dog” Cedillo (School of Hard Knocks Trainee), Christopher Daniels, Dylan Dean, Rob Feinstein, Jungle Grrrl (Erica Porter), Terri Gold (Heather Lee Millard), Havoc (Heriberto Irizarry Jr.), Jesse Hernandez, Tom Howard, Frankie Kazarian, Joanie Lauer, Low-Ki, Shelly Martinez, Steve Masters (School of Hard Knocks Trainer), Big Dog Molson (Chris Fisher), Roddy Piper, Gabe Sapolsky, Smooth Tommy Suede, Sugaa (WXW wrestler), Robert Taylor (School of Hard Knocks Trainee), Wild Child (Ron Rivera),

The Good

A very generic one-hour show that looks at most aspects of pro-wrestling offered up by the Travel Channel.  It explores independent wrestling throughout the US, namely Ring of Honor in their first year, the forgettable WOW (Women of Wrestling) as well as Jesse Hernandez and Afa’s respective schools and small companies.  It is about what would envision - tons of highlights with an emphasis on stunts, discussing the basics of pro-wrestling and an endless stream of tongue-in-cheek narration.  Looking back at this footage that is more than a decade old reveals some interesting gems - Ring of Honor getting started, Shelly Martinez training and some UPW trainees hoping to get a break with Zero-One.  This was being produced in the wake of “Beyond the Mat” and the height of the WWF’s popularity, but this was during its descent.  This seems to have more value within that context than as an actual informative and educational production.  It all comes back to the director of this - Rick Bassman.  On of the most successful hangers-on in pro-wrestling history, Bassman has been able to tie himself to a number of low-level operations in the LA area and at this time he was running UPW and working to hook them up with Zero-One in Japan.  Perhaps in an attempt to mirror what "Beyond the Mat" and MTV's "True Life" did for APW and the HWA respectively, Bassman promotes the indies, the small schools and in the end makes UPW look like the necessary bridge to big success.

The Bad

One of the drawbacks of these short documentaries is that they often give a simple overview and lack depth.  In essentially 45 minutes, how much can a feature focus on anything substantively?  It tries to get at the blend of art and sport, trying to pull apart what is real and what is worked with mixed results.  This, like several other similar productions of that time period, focuses on the Los Angeles area, which was not a hotbed until PWG really caught on years later.  They have a hodge-podge of stereotypes - the legends who give back, the veterans still hanging on, those who are on the cusp of “making it” and those just starting the journey.  This was an uplifting approach that did not dwell on all the problems like “Beyond the Mat” did.  They talk about Afa’s training of local at-risk youth, people doing it for the love and get the desire and drive as opposed to the struggle and sacrifice.  This is a fairly shallow documentary that is not worth going out of your way to watch, unless you have nothing better to watch.  As stated, this seems like a carefully crafted tool by UPW's Rick Bassman, which ultimately did not work.

The Rating: **

CM Punk - Best in the World

Distributor: WWE Home Video

Released: 10/12

Featured Talent

Daniel Bryan, Colt Cabana, Cassie (“sister”), John Cena, Chez (best friend), Chez’s Mom,

Chaleen (“sister”), Lars Frederiksen (friend / Rancid), Curt Hawkins, Michael Hayes, Chris Hero, Paul Heyman, Kofi Kingston, Lita, The Miz, Joey (Matthews) Mercury, CM Punk, Justin Roberts, Jim Ross, Zack Ryder, Natalie Slater (former girlfriend), Ace Steel, Triple H

The Good

This documentary came out with great anticipation as rumors of it being very different had people talking.  For all intents and purposes, it delivered.  CM Punk, a completely unique sort of underdog, had a great story to tell and, like with much of his material, he wanted to dictate how it was told.  While this doc did have some WWE formula to it, the inclusion of many people not associated with the company, the amount of footage from IWA Mid-South and Ring of Honor and some of the harsh criticisms of the WWE really shocked some people.  Those elements really set this apart and made it excellent.  Perhaps when they tell the Daniel Bryan story, they will take that to another level, but this is true breakthrough.  The discussion of the Punk-Hero matches on a WWE DVD were kind of mind-blowing as I remember watching them through tape trades.  Hearing Dave Prazak on a WWE production seemed so bizarre.  Realistically, the story of CM Punk is so different and the WWE has reached a point where people are no reflecting on their time in WCW, their runs with ECW or any of that, they are coming from the independents.  This, like most WWE documentaries, featured chapters about dimensions of his personality - punk and hardcore music, the straight edge subculture, comic books and tattoos.  This seems like an above average WWE doc and one that I would recommend anyone to see.  CM Punk’s story is one of perseverance and self-reliance that could inspire many.

The Bad

What bad can you say about a documentary that basically delivers what you expect?  I think this was better than most WWE docs, but it still had that formulaic feel to it.  It was different in that it included music by Rancid and interviews with Colt Cabana and Ace Steel, but it was distinctly a WWE production.  Obviously, contractual obligations and bad blood would prevent this, but I think the absence of Samoa Joe, Raven and Gabe Sapolsky jumped out in the context of things.  I was also kind of hopefully for some really shocking inclusion like Ian Rotten or Chuck E Smooth.  The other issue was the constant reference to CM Punk’s detractors, but they were never given a voice.  Michael Hayes played the role of explaining those views while saying that he never agreed with them.  Vince McMahon was definitely a notable absence, but it seems like some of those who took issue with Punk never really shared their thoughts here.

The Rating: ****1/2

Tom Brandi [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
Tom Brandi was a long-time independent wrestler in the Northeast who had shots in both the WCW and WWF that were not particularly memorable. In this shoot interview he goes over his roller-coaster career from a hard-working athletic type working the Indies to generic babyface Johnny Gunn in WCW then from his run as WWF gimmicked jobber Sal Sincere and back to the independents. Usually I think interviews with indy guys (or primarily indy guys) are dull and uninformative. Brandi though loves to bury people, in fact, he revels in it. So, if you like burials, you'll like this. He says things that are anti-Semitic, things that anti-gay and things that are just plain mean. I know some people love that negativity and you'll get it in droves here. Brandi has a really different viewpoint that is rarely shared in popular shoot interviews, so that much of this was fresh in several ways.

The Bad
Regardless of your views on homosexuality, Tom Brandi's flippant remarks about how Pat Patterson sexually harassed all the boys, how Tom Zenk had relationships with Rick Martel, Brian Pillman and Marcus Alexander Bagwell and so on, simply irritated me. While those accusations are not unheard of, Brandi just seemed so nasty about it. Like his buddy, the Honky Tonk Man, he loves to rip on people, their work, their personality or their dirty laundry. HTM is extremely entertaining doing this and to his credit, he was a draw and meant something to the WWF when they were in one of their hot periods…Tom Brandi was a glorified jobber in the WWF at its lowest period. Although he had some interesting stories and thoughts on a number of topics, he just struck me as being bitter despite claiming not to be.

The Rating: ***1/2

Art of Wrestling [Weekly Podcast]

The Good
A few years ago, Colt Cabana began concentrating his efforts on developing his brand following his WWE release. For those of us who remember watching him in IWA Mid-South a decade ago, he seems like a completely different character. Cabana took his goofball personality and made it a commodity that people not only enjoy, but will check out and hopefully pay for. Part of his branding process included starting this podcast, which in its first 100 episodes developed a reputation as being one of the most enjoyable and distinct. Cabana not only gets himself over, but provides a forum for a wide variety of pro-wrestling personalities to share their stories, experiences and wisdom. Although he predominantly features his peers on the indy circuit, Colt has managed to interview people that I have never heard interviews with before. As his buddy CM Punk revealed on the 100th episode, the show is very formulaic and after a while that becomes part of the charm. Colt's cadence is distinct and he has a number of phrases that might irritate some, but gives the show a feeling of familiarity that creates a loyal audience. Colt usually shares some funny anecdotes or thoughtful reflections about his current situation and some plugs to open the show and ends the show with some closing thoughts and some more plugs. His song-of-the-week is a nice feature and it provides some more frivolity that is the show's trademark. The meat of the show though is Colt Cabana sitting down and interviewing someone else from the world of pro-wrestling. The variety is a positive, but the best interviews are those with people he has a good rapport with because they're friends. It is cool to hear him chat with Johnny Saint, Kentaro and Alejandro, but it is the interviews with guys like Cliff Compton, Bull Pain and Chris Masters that really stand out as the best. Those that are the most comfortable with him, tend to let their hair down the most and it lets him dig a little deeper. In comparison to interviews with more highly regarded people, Cabana is able to get more out of certain people like Dolph Ziggler, Jimmy Jacobs and Pac. The Art of Wrestling is one of the best pro-wrestling podcasts out there and one that everyone should at least sample a few times.

The Bad
If I was recommending this podcast to other pro-wrestling fans, I would probably suggest that they listen to the interviews with wrestlers they know first. The show's structure is a strength of the show, but it takes some time to internalize that aspect. Colt's personality is another dimension and he may simply be a turn off for a great many people. He admittedly loves fun and that comes across. If you prefer the RF Video's red-eyed marathon shoots, Kayfabe Commentaries' in-depth and well-researched shoots, then you might feel this series is lacking. Colt interjects a lot of humor (or tries to) and typically that enhances the interview, but it is largely a matter of taste. While he provides a great deal of personality and often personal connections to the interviewee, he is not a hard-hitting journalist, well-studied newsletter writer or an enthusiastic super-fan. He does have a sound knowledge base and grew up as a fan and follows the business pretty closely. Colt tries to keep his interviews friendly and sometimes lightly steps into some heavy topics, but generally does not to. That levity is nice, but it can lead to disappointing interviews. Colt's goal is not to present breaking news, but he sometimes stumbles across some without trying.

The Rating: ****1/4

CM Punk [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
This is not CM Punk, WWE super-heel. This is not CM Punk, emerging top babyface. This isn't even CM Punk, ECW, OVW or even ROH top dog. This is CM Punk shortly after his program with Raven in Ring of Honor. What this shoot interview lacks in 2004-to-now commentary, it almost makes up for in depth leading up to that time period. They explore how he broke in, how he worked his way up the ladder on the independents, how he tried to break into that next level and how the feud with Raven made him something special. If you've never heard much Punker before or especially if you never read his Livejournal (http://cmpunk.livejournal.com/), you have no idea how hilarious and entertaining this guy can be. While he only had been working a handful of years and only at meaningful level for a couple years, CM Punk is able to squeeze so many stories out into a really enjoyable shoot. The anecdotes of being on the road with Colt Cabana, his dead-on Raven impression, his wacky Zero-One experiences and his traumatic skull fracture all stand out in a real excellent shoot with an indy talent. I personally have been following him since his early IWA Mid-South days and as a "former" Straight Edger myself, I instantly found him to be a standout personality, talent and someone whose rise to the top of the WWE was amazing to watch. This was a really delightful shoot.

The Bad
The obvious criticism here is "why interview an indy guy before he's really 'made it?'" CM Punk was actually riding high following his series with Raven in ROH that was something that promotion had never quite done before. It seems funny that within 5 years, he would have reached the peak of his success in ROH and become a champion of the WWE's ECW and Raw brands! Obviously, a CM Punk shoot five years later would be decidedly more interesting and controversial, but this is good for what it is. If you enjoy the man and his humor, I can guarantee you will dig this. If you think he's an overrated blowhard with a huge ego, then you'll probably see all that shining through here.

The Rating: ****

Straight Shootin' with Ron Killings

The Good
I tend not to like shoot interviews with active wrestlers because they can be a little too politically cautious, too angry about a recent release, too positive about their current situation and simply not have not been able to step back and reflect on a full career. They can be very interesting, especially to listen to subsequent interviews. Al Snow's first RF Video was angry and perhaps bitter, his second RF Video shoot was amazingly thoughtful considering the short span of time between them. As of 2010, Ron Killings is working in the WWE near the top as R-Truth, during this interview he was a few years into his TNA run after a failing WWF run. Some of the things he mentions (his name changes, for example) were very interesting because of how his career changed after this shoot. He seems honest, without burying WWF personnel. I think this should stand out as an example why going nuts and blasting Triple H, the McMahons and John Laurenitis is not necessary to come across as being honest and straight. In the same breath, letting some steam off about how you were wronged (because few people are let go for justifiable reasons) is fine. I found this interesting, but more in a historical relic sense, rather than a genuine shoot interview sense.

The Bad
Shoots with younger guys can be really good if they're funny and/or have good stories, but usually they're nothing special. Ron Killings, at this point, was fresh off his second NWA title run in TNA, who had just started up on FOX Sports Net. Obviously, things have changed dramatically since that time. The basic story was him breaking in, working the indies, catching a break with the WWF, having stints in developmental and at the big show, then hooking up with NWA-TNA and reinventing himself and being very successful. He was very positive and seemed quite honest, which makes for a dull interview in this case. Not that he should have been burying everybody, but for someone who is a great promo, he was mediocre shoot interview candidate. Gabe Sapolsky is a solid interviewer and even he could not bring this into the interesting category for me.

The Rating: ***

BBC Video Diaries: Pro-Wrestling

Director: n/a

Distributor: BBC

Released: 1993

Talent Featured
Robbie Brookside, Ian "Doc" Dean, Brian Dixon, Bill Dundee (Sir William), Giant Haystacks,

 Ulf Hermann, Maxx Payne, Steve Regal, Johnny Saint, Dave Taylor, Steve "Skull Murphy" Young

The Good
An amazing little documentary from the early 1990s that features Robbie Brookside as he struggles to "make it" in pro-wrestling. Brookside was a hot young star in the final days of televised British wrestling as Brian Dixon's All-Star promotions utilized him well. A teenage star from Liverpool, Brookside fell into that era of excellent workers who were able to rub shoulders with many great British stars, but were too young, too small, too British or whatever to reach that next level. In 1988, British wrestling was taken off TV and the native version of the sport practically died over night. It had been ailing for several years, languishing under the influence of the Crabtrees, unable to compete with the flash of the WWF and suffering several other hardships. Many found scarce work across the country at independent shows, some traveled to Japan, some to the Continent and a select few tried to make it to the US. Other than Japan, this documentary focuses on that post-TV era. Brookside and partner Doc Dean travel from small show to small show working for Brian Dixon, but the conditions, payoffs and even some of the talent is pathetic. The two travel to Germany for a tour and you get a feeling for how vital that is for keeping many of these guys afloat. Otto Wanz and the CWA was able to give many European wrestlers a place to go and make good money for about a decade after British wrestling died. A portion of this focuses on his former partner Steve Regal (more recently known as William Regal) who managed to catch a break with WCW, reinvented himself as Lord Steven Regal and became one of the best workers in the US and one of the most underrated entertainers as well. While Regal had good size, Brookside never filled out, he looks like and kind of works like Edge (if you've never seen him). Brookside believes in the British style, but understands the need to adapt to the American approach. Unfortunately for him, Britain never had a domestic product that was able to do this and the last of the "World of Sports" generation are now retired and the independent scene over there is remarkably disjointed from the traditional British style. This is almost a tragic story and while the end is hopefully, you know fifteen years later how it would end.

The Bad
This documentary has a understandably narrow scope as it focuses on Robbie Brookside's career up to this point. He had not yet traveled to Japan, although he had opportunities with New Japan and Michinoku Pro that never panned out for him. There were a handful of great workers (Tony St. Clair, Fit Finlay, Dave Taylor and a others) who successfully bounced around and did not have a paycheck-to-paycheck career like Brookside. Many did though and it is interesting to focus on that story. People like Doc Dean, James Mason and others struggled to find their place and while some had chances abroad or even in the US, few found actual success. The sad story here, unfortunately is the real one for most British wrestlers and it has only gotten more dim as time has passed.

The Rating: ****1/2

Mike Modest [Wrestle Warehouse Shoot Interview]



The Good
Mike Modest had a very unusual career and it is amazing that it has all accumulated into the possibility of doing an interview like this. He broke in working indies and doing jobs, so there are some good anecdotes there. He became very involved with Roland Alexander's APW and since this is conducted by someone who knows that product they spend a fair amount of time going over the roster there. He has interesting thoughts on the company, Roland and its fall of sorts in the early 2000s. Modest had a key role in the Barry Blaustein documentary "Beyond the Mat" and while I've heard Mick Foley, Terry Funk and Jake Roberts talk about it with varying opinions, Mike Modest perspective is even more interesting and he has some stories to share about how that film was crafted. He also had a part in the infamous NBC Kayfabe-breaking exposé - "Exposed: Pro-Wrestling's Greatest Secrets." He reveals how he was tricked into going, blackmailed into staying and finally felt fine with doing it. Again, he gets into the nitty-gritty about how this was put together and shares a different viewpoint. He talks some about road trips and some crazy experiences he's had, but the highlight of this is his rant about NOAH. I had heard him on WOL while he was under contract, but he never shot on the company and culture. Modest explains how he was treated poorly as a gaijin, how Japanese business culture is impossible to deal with unless the Japanese half is reasonable, how NOAH's inability to get over gaijin has killed their business and other thoughts that I've never heard. They all seem logical to me, having traveled to Japan and worked with Japanese businessmen. Since there are few shoots that talk about Japanese pro-wrestling extensively and even fewer that have much critical to say, I think the inclusion of those details here sets this shoot interview apart from many I've heard with "independent wrestlers."

The Bad
I've said this many times, but a big turn-off for some with a shoot interview is if they don't really know the individual being interviewed. Mike Modest's roles in "Beyond the Mat" and "Exposed" might not be enough to entice the average fan. Certainly his years as a jobber, time in APW and run in NOAH would probably not interest that many people. Although he is a funny guy and has had some unique experiences in the business, his limited success hinders this shoot in terms of its scope. He does not seem as bitter as some, but clearly his best years are past him and he never "made it," which anyone of his ability would be upset about. I found this to be very good, but I think many people would see this as just a lengthy interview with a nobody.


The Rating: ****











http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9u8x0Xrj4A

King Kong Bundy [Pro-Wrestling Diaries Shoot Interview]



The Good
I have largely enjoyed Pro-Wrestling Diaries shoots and you could definitely make a case that this one was their best. King Kong Bundy, who worked on top in the WWF in their glory days of the 1980s, crossed paths with many legendary and not-so-legendary personalities. He is an extremely honest person, has a great sense of humor and excellent delivery (he has done some stand-up after all). While some might think he comes across as bitter, I think he comes across as pretty down-to-earth and straightforward. He has his pet peeves (poor tippers, stooges, bullies and selfish types) and he is willing to fling mud at anyone and everyone. However, he does not out and out bury many people. He admits if he had a personality clash with someone like Randy Savage or Andre the Giant, but typically he can give people credit if they were talented. While a lot of this is negative, it almost seems like a comedy act as he plays a nasty old Don Rickles. Bret Hart became very conceited, Honky Tonk Man ran out on bills, Ernie Ladd manipulated youngsters for his own benefit, Andre the Giant was petty and selfish, Bam Bam Bigelow had delusions of grandeur and so on. Many opinions are widely held - Nikolai Volkoff and Tony Garea were cheap to a fault; the Dynamite Kid, Bill Watts and Adrian Adnois were bullies; and Hulk Hogan's boys (Honky, Brutus, etc.) grew big egos and never sold the fact that Hogan brought them to the dance. This seemed to provide some unique perspectives as well as much of the same old stuff.

The Bad
I feel like overly negative shoot interviews are not necessarily everyone's preference, but many people who invest in them want some real meat to their shoots. King Kong Bundy provides that here. Of course, he has a number of guys who were "good guys" and even some them he points out their personality flaws. Many were "pricks" or "assholes" who abused their peers, fans or just everyday folks. Bundy seems to be a man of some moral fiber and he was bothered by some of the negative things he saw in the business whether it was drug abuse, attitude problems or some of things that rubbed him the wrong way that I previously mentioned. This was enjoyable, but realize that it is not all pats on the back and putting people over.

The Rating: ****1/2

Hardy Boyz: Exist 2 Inspire

Author, Ghost Writer, Editor: Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Michael Krugman
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Released: 3/03

The Good
It's a unique book that gets into aspects of wrestling that we all thought we'd have to wait a while to hear about. The story of being a young guy coming up through the indies, jobbing on TV and working up the card is one will hear in the future and though Foley kind of lived that life, his story is far from typical. As for the dual authors...Jeff is Jeff and that's all that can really be said about that. Matt thankfully has most of the say here and he has many worthwhile comments about learning the craft, the fan-to-worker phenomenon, understanding psychology and some surprising comments about the decline of WWF/WWE. Most comments I've read online have been very positive and I think most people enjoy this book for what it is. I guess some might find it inspirational and others will find it just interesting, but I think this was a decent little book.

The Bad
I started reading this surprisingly shortly after it came out. I got about 1/5 of the way through and was just bored with it. I had other things to do and this book just didn't keep my interest, which is rare. Most people knocked this as WWE trying to cash in on the teeny boppers love of the Hardy Boyz, which it probably was. The format bothers a lot of people and it kind of breaks up the train of thought as there is a looseness to this that you don't really want in a biography because it convinced me this was easy to put down. Their insight is generally good, especially Matt's. The one glaring exception is, "It's a different time now. Jeff and I were part of the last generation to truly pay dues." (pg. 189). This might have been a lash out against Tough Enough, but it seems like a big slap in the face of all the indy talent that work really hard and have probably less chances than the Hardy Boyz did in the 90s.

The Rating: **3/4

Ring of Honor - Top 25 in 2002 - Pt. 5 (of 5)

The TOP FIVE, in my humble opinion, ROH matches of their first year!

5. Jay Briscoe vs. Mark Briscoe (Ring of Honor - 8/24/02 "Honor Invades Boston")
Ah, the Briscoe brothers, they work sooo much better with each other than they do with anyone else, but I guess that isn't surprising. Mark, still 17 here, could never wrestle in Pennsylvania and Jay has been struggling in ROH since it's conception. They start with some nice even matwork and you know it's just beginning, but it's damn good off the bat. When did Mark become a great heel? His mannerisms are better than nearly everyone on the show and at his age that's pretty mind-boggling. Jay is bloodied and his little brother doesn't let up a bit, in fact he goes after it! These two knowing one another's movesets makes this thing great as all the greenness seems to disappear and everything is hit really well and they sell things as well as they are able. Jay returns fire, attacking the right hand, which is cool and then the knee, which Mark puts over very well. Then at the end they go to the big moves, which they go all out on. Jay looked really good here, but Mark looked even better. They stole the show at CZW's first Best of the Best show about a year before this and man this smokes that match. Amazing match considering many factors and one that will be tough to duplicate, but if they keep improving...who knows? These two seemed to be working beyond their abilities and it was quite a thing to watch, but if you haven't seen much or little of either you might not think as highly of this as I do.
Rating: ****1/4

4. Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles (Ring of Honor - 6/22/02 "Road to the Title")
Great beginning with an intense feeling-out where any bails look like counters, so it's all good. It flows right into the body of the match which is surprisingly mat-based. Their KOI `01 match (**3/4) was pretty spotty, so seeing something totally different is nice. The cameraman checking out Simply Luscious is kinda disturbing, but he does provide the better shots of the action after all. Styles looks really crafty here, but Daniels looks even better. Story was basically, Daniels grounds AJ very well, but he busts loose eventually and gets his highspot offense in and Daniels must weather that storm. He uses a few tricks to do that and a blooded AJ Styles is game, but not game enough. Great see-saw battle that makes you really wonder (especially after Dragon's elimination) because Daniels is the top heel, but AJ is seen as a major star. Daniels was great here and provided the best story of the night, hell, he even botched a spot and it worked (ala Liger-Sasuke). The ending and finish were tremendous and made this the MOTN.
Rating: ****1/4

3. American Dragon vs. Doug Williams (Ring of Honor - 11/16/02 "Scramble Madness")
These two had a really great Euro-style match in June and here's the rematch, a thirty-minute ironman match. I would have prefer a 2/3 Falls match, but you take what you can get. The early stuff is tons of fun as they work wrestling holds, not "real" holds. They keep off the striking pretty well, so when they finally get to it, it's real meaningful. They go between holds and strikes the first fifteen minutes and then go to the big power moves, which has to be a killer. A pair of Dragon Suplexes gets the first win for Dragon leaving Williams with a scant 12 minutes to even match him in falls. He quickly turns it around and goes on the offense and his is top notch, but it's taking everything out of him and he just can't put Dragon away. It goes down to the final five minutes with some hot nearfalls that sees Dragon kick out of everything. You really expect Williams to get the fall to even it up and it provides for great drama right up to the end. Doug gets a hot cradle nearfall and runs to the end with Dragon's injured neck in the clutches of a Crossface Hold, but he hangs on. Tremendous old style match with a lot of great matwork early on and suplexes later on. A real gem of a match that leaves a third match in the wings.
Rating: ****1/2

2. Low-Ki vs. American Dragon (Ring of Honor - 3/30/02 "Round Robin Challenge")
These two are so great against one another, but here they wrestle a totally different kind of match...matwork galore! Dragon's neck is hurting and his eye's bloodied and he suffered a loss, while Ki is pretty fresh and 1-0 for the night. Sort of a worked shoot (Ken Shamrock as the ref works really well too) where they toss in some Euro-type stuff to keep this a pro-wrestling match. They hold off the strikes for a bit, but when they open em up it's everything you expect. Ki goes right after the eye, Dragon takes offense to that and it's on. Dragon is really banged up and seems to be at a major disadvantage in the middle, but ends up turning it around and dominating the last 1/3. Big high-impact moves see the momentum swing back-and-fourth and heat the crowd up big time. Nice clean win for Dragon, who would kind of be put on the backburner in the following months, while Ki became the man in the company. The post-match really set a tone for how ROH should always be, but ya wonder if that style could last.
Rating: ****1/2

1. Low-Ki vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Spanky vs. Doug Williams (Ring of Honor - 7/27/02 "Crowning a Champion")
An interesting collection of talent in a real interesting gimmick match. Ki-Daniels have the long-running storyline feud and Spanky has kind of been plugged in as being like Daniels (sorta ignores the Code of Honor), while Williams is just a damn good wrestler they want to establish further. Rules are 2 points for a win, -1 for a loss and this is an 1-hour ironman match. Williams works everyone and establishes the slow technical base very well. I like the others, but they aren't on his level in that aspect. That is what the first 15+ minutes are though, no big spots, just wearing down the body. The announcing is pretty excellent too as they get over each guy in their own way, while presenting a key weakness as well that will likely play out here. Ki has great strikes, but can't survive without them. Daniels is a psychologist, but is overconfident. Spanky has great heart, but is quick-tempered. Williams is the most powerful, but also carries the most weight. Ki-Daniels is held off until about 20 minutes in (Daniels would only tag in and beat on a downed Low-Ki), which is pivotal as Ki seems like he's behind with his bad knee and they also use this time as the accelaration point. The plot thickens as Ki is kept out, Daniels and Spanky create an alliance of sorts and Williams continus to look strong, but he still ain't winning. A great spot heats things up with just over 15 left and Daniels remains in control and in the lead. The story becomes great as Daniels is in control, Ki still hangs on, Spanky is hungry and Williams is fading fast. It picks up going into the homestretch with Daniels yet to lose a fall and growing desperate to score another to pull ahead. The nearfalls are hot and everyone is busting out good-looking stuff despite apparent exaustion, it goes to heated final few minutes with Ki and Daniels finishing it. Everyone but Daniels congradulates the champ and Ki breaks down in the back in a show of emotion that wrestling never has. While everyone impressed me and I'm not disappointed with the finish, I think Williams and Spanky really stepped it up here and were largely the backbone of this match, in the first and second halves respectively. Daniels was kept strong, as he should be and Ki was made the champion, which is as good as anyone. As good of a story as you'll ever se told in the ring and thankfully the announcers were there to explain it for anyone who might not know what was up. Yes, this had a few flaws...every match does, even the best, but this had a great story and something at "this level" being this good is truly a great thing. MOTYC for sure and perhaps the best indy match ever...it wouldn't be hard to make a sound case.
Rating: ****1/2

Ring of Honor - Top 25 in 2002 - Pt. 4 (of 5)

9. Low-Ki vs. Christopher Daniels vs. American Dragon (Ring of Honor - 2/23/02 "Era of Honor Begins")
Three guys with three styles and we know how three ways often are, don't expect the same here. Daniels establishes himself as a heel well with key mannerisms, moves and so on. While everyone gets a chance at controlling the other two, Daniels seems to get more in because he makes more of it. Dragon and Ki have more respect for one another and that shows to an extent, but they attack each other as hard as anyone. There is no shortage of unique 3-man spots, but they aren't overdone either. A great deal of this is big moves or strikes followed by sound selling, unfortunately the action seldom stops so quality selling does not mat much. The crowd remains strong throughout and are amongst the best at this first show and that makes this whole thing really exceptional. The finish really estabilshes the future angle with Ki and Daniels deciding the fall, while Dragon gets caught off guard and is kind of brushed to the side. Low-Ki is clearly going to be the company's golden boy, but the other two will be right there with him for sure. The match was more of a sprint and non-spot action as opposed to storytelling, which is fine since it was the company's first show. I think this was a great match to display who will be the top talent in ROH and why. Like the final part of a first episode of a new TV series, this has to set a high standard and stand up well regarding the future. It does.
Rating: ****

WON Rating: ****1/2

8. American Dragon vs. Doug Williams (Ring of Honor - 6/22/02 "Road to the Title") 

Both had what I would call unimpressive first round matches, but saved themselves for this it appears. They work a Euro/Puro match with fun, pro-wrestling grappling and things done a little stiffer than normal. Williams is strange, some really don't eat up his work, but I'd rate him amongst the best in the world, he's really slick and has those lil' tricks that I though died out in the mid-90s. Dragon might be the best Euro-style worker (Chris Hero's right up there) and he clicks well with Doug. Getting Williams over is the goal here, so he gets a lot of offense and it's sold very well. I think people believed Dragon was going to win because it just made sense, but "The Anarchist" got over as being too tricky for him. Williams escapes the Cattle Mutilation and sneaks in a pinfall for a big win that makes him in ROH and leaves a rematch in the wings. Williams gets the win back from KOI `01. This totally worked for me.
Rating: ****

7. Low-Ki vs. AJ Styles (Ring of Honor - 8/24/02 "Honor Invades Boston")
These guys had a really good match four months earlier and in Boston they have an even better one. The start out with exceptional matwork, which I'd expect out of Ki, but not Styles for some reason. It's damn good though and amongst the best I've seen in ROH. However they wanna go with stiffness instead and they really pound each other. Styles steps up on the striking and has amongst the stiffest match with Low-Ki that I've ever seen. He gets his nose is busted up from the Kawada-style face kicks and that's just part of it. This thing is saturated with counter-wrestling, which is done fluidly and provides for a lot of fun nearfalls. This had a great blend of that countering and stiff, intense striking that really livened this up. The finish was good, the heat was excellent and all and all I hafta say this is amongst ROH's better matches. Seems kind of straightforward to talk about much, so just go out and watch it instead.
Rating: ****1/4
WON Rating: ****1/2

6. Michael Shane vs. Paul London (Ring of Honor - 9/21/02 "Unscripted")
Two of ROH's best-introduced stars, these two TWA graduates were at each other's necks for the months leading up to this and things were to be settled in this "street fight." Shane was emerging as an excellent heel and London as a great babyface so these two just clicked. Great fast opening with London's athleticism getting the advantage and Shane sneaks in a few prick tactics. They get the crowd into quickly with a nice combination of big bumps and spots matching up with a sound story. Shane blades huge, which makes up for him not bumping as big. This is basically an unofficial TLC match and the gimmicks are used very well with innovative "holy shit" spots and the heat goes up accordingly. London is on with everything he does and pretty much does ridiculous bumping, but his stuff is near perfect. Hot nearfalls with Shane unable to put London, who is an absolutely awesome selling underdog here, away. London rebounds with a sick Shooting Star off a ladder and gets the win. A strong big bump-type match with a nice story and considering the experience level of these two it really showed a lot.
Rating: ****1/4

Ring of Honor - Top 25 in 2002 - Pt. 3 (of 5)

14. Christopher Daniels & Donovan Morgan vs. Dick Togo & Ikuto Hidaka (Ring of Honor - 9/21/02 "Unscripted")
The FEC come to America as part of a tour and they offered up some damn good matches. The fans always love the Japanese, so the Prophecy can be heels here and it really works. I really dig Daniels and Morgan pair, Morgan as the bully and Daniels as the prick. They make me think of Rip Hawk & Swede Hansen, though I imagine there's a better example. The last leg of this is great with hot nearfalls, see-saw offense and a nice heel win for The Prophecy, hopefully to set up a rematch. This would have been a better tag tournie finale, but that's only in hindsight. Everyone filled their roles excellently and the pacing and heat were right there. Best ROH tag team match I think.
Rating: ***3/4

13. Low-Ki vs. AJ Styles (Ring of Honor - 4/27/02 "Night of Appreciation")
The first high-caliber battle between these two exceptional indy stars, it's Styles' ROH debut and Ki's first match not against Daniels or Dragon, so you gotta be nervous. Styles is prone to being spotty and Ki can be dragged in as well, so it's a test to stay away from that. They warm things up with some matwork and Styles sorta surprisingly looks better and Ki makes him pay with vicious kicks. And that's how a lot of this goes - AJ starts to dominate and Low-Ki tries to kill him. Styles busts out some pretty intense offense. Donnie B makes this great analogy as Loki is the Angel of Death in Christian mythology and Styles is a born again Christian, so this is a battle of Biblical proportions...it sure is. Ki gives Styles most of the advantage and the kid is on tonight, so it's damn good stuff. They do really good back-and-fourth nearfalls towards the end with the Philly fans starting to realize Styles might just beat their boy, especially after this sick head-drop DDT. The finish was a flash pin, which was good and bad. This match definitely made Styles in Ring of Honor and these two did far from the really weak match they had a few months later in NWA-TNA. A strong effort, but only the tip of the iceberg.
Rating: ***3/4

12. Amazing Red vs. Low-Ki (Ring of Honor - 6/22/02 "Road to the Title")
These two are familiar with each other, so I expect something strong. Ki KO'd Nana, so he's good to go and Red scored a win over Xavier in a "typical" match, so I want more outta these two. They start off great with the super-fun kung fu intro before Ki goes into "real" martial arts combat. They bounce between the two, which gets the crowd really into it. Sorta bad ass striker vs. great flyer, which is a really common theme in joshi. That comparision is flawed though because while this was more fun, Maekawa-Momoe this ain't do to experience, style and time constrants. This just has too much of a fun factor: goofy selling, very obvious spots and a the strikes were more "ouch!" than "ooow, son of bitch!" Red bumped big time though and the last leg of this really makes it more than a really fun match and one of the better matches.
Rating: ***3/4

11. Low-Ki vs. Samoa Joe ("Fight without Honor")(Ring of Honor - 10/5/02 "Honor by Glory")
These two had my favorite match at the KOI `01 tournie doing an MMA style that was really fun. They go right to the ground with aggressive action. Joe is a great bad ass monster here, giving Ki enough to stay competitive, but he's the man in charge here. So when Low-Ki goes on the offense he has to make it stiff and meaningful. Joe's offense is good, but I've seen it better, they most just pound the hell outta one another. Now that's psychology, actually it does make sense and it's an exciting contest. Joe's Otaniisms on top of his big man dominance get him more heat then the ROH smarts usually offer up. The tale end of this is excellent with some unique counter-wrestling shades of the UWFI. They add in some head-dropping as a little icing on top before sending it home with strikes. The finish lacked the "mmph" I wanted, but they really killed each other late and that's messed up. They shake hands and that's that.
Rating: ****

10. American Dragon vs. AJ Styles (Ring of Honor - 11/9/02 "All-Star Extravaganza")
Dragon's coming off a good match with Paul London by way of gauntlet series and Styles always is pushed pretty hard and treated like a star by the fans. They open up with some strong matwork, which the crowd respects as well as one can expect. Then spill out to the floor and things pick up for a bit physically and you know that's how this is goin'. Dragon hits the Malenko Bottlecap on the arm and goes to town on it. Styles busts open Dragon with something and we have a weird heel bleeding and face with bad arm story going now. Dragon looks dynamite here as a slightly-off Styles is kept right in there and he heels it up very well. The finish is excellent as Dragon fits for his life to avoid the Styles Clash, but he falls to it in the end. Dragon gives him the "#1 Contenders Trophy" and plays the babyface again, dammit man commit to being a heel. Dragon looked really strong here working a very basic match, letting AJ do his things and keeping them decent, but AJ was really a step off here.
Rating: ****

Ring of Honor - Top 25 in 2002 - Pt. 2 (of 5)

19. Christopher Daniels vs. American Dragon (Ring of Honor - 3/30/02 "Round Robin Challenge")
The opening match of the night starts quickly and fairly intensely. Dragon grounds Daniels with his plain matwork, but they don't stay there for too long. The pacing is great here as it's fast and slow with just the right amount of both, which keeps the crowd into it, but neither burns them out nor bores them. Daniels breaks down the neck and Dragon sells it very well and you can almost see it happening. The final few minutes are back-and-fourth, but Dragon's offense is hindered by his hurting neck. Strong clean win by Daniels and Dragon will only have a short while to prepare for Ki. The length here was fine, but trying to sell an injury in such a short match is kind of lame. I think stretching this and Daniels going after Dragon's neck.
Rating: ***1/2


18. American Dragon vs. Paul London (Ring of Honor - 12/7/02 "Night of the Butcher")
The finals of a really poor #1 contenders tournament with these two knocking of new comers Chad Collyer and EZ Money respectively in the first round. London emerged as a major in a few months earlier in a "street fight" against Michael Shane. These two are the top workers (IMO) out of the two waves of Shawn Micheals' Wrestling Academy. This is a great match here with them working a nice combination of stiffer than average strikes, limited matwork and some campy face-heel stuff to make this different. Dragon, who was starting his "call me Bryan Danielson" phase, heels it up here beating on the young up-and-comer. The fans don't really get into that stuff like I'd prefer, but you can't depend on the smart marks for making good marks. I think he figures that out and decides to lay in the strikes rather than play a prick. It works really well because I think a lot of indy heels mail it in on the working side and just do the cheap heat. He studied under Regal though so he knows where it's at. London is a superb underdog type and hits plenty hard here, so we actually get one of the stiffer ROH matches. The finish is excellent with Dragon getting pounded down again and again, but refuses to die before London hits the Shooting Star and scores the upset win. Dragon could be a great touring junior working an Otani style where he punks out people and lets them win every once and a while. It's a role that everyone gets into, yet few do it. A nice step in the right direction for him and London looked as good as I've ever seen him look in his typical role.
Rating: ***1/2


17. Samoa Joe vs. Homicide (Ring of Honor -11/16/02 "Scramble Madness")
A logical battle after Joe choked out Homicide at the last show in a six-man tag. Homicide played a big part in the popularization of puro-influenced wrestling on the East Coast and Joe has been doing that style on the West Coast for a few years now, so it's a fun battle in that sense. Homicide's shoulder is taped up and you know he's gonna taken an ass-whoopin here. Joe interestingly works on his eye early on, making Homicide's offense seem more desperate because he's smaller and all hurting. Nice seesaw action with both guys hitting hard and doing some head-dropping too. The end is strong with Joe pounding the dog outta Homicide, but he manages to sneak in a flash pin. A nice simple story where it was all visuals with no real intricacies. One of the lesser talked about ROH matches worth checking out.
Rating: ***1/2


16. Low-Ki vs. Christopher Daniels (Ring of Honor - 3/30/02 "Round Robin Challenge")
The feud that would become the main program for ROH in their first year is the second in the Round Robin Challenge, where Daniels made Dragon tap. Daniels turns down the handshake early and Low-Ki explodes on him, controlling the opening segment of the match with all the stiff strikes you expect and a few submissions here and there, it all being well done and Daniels selling puts it over the top. Daniels turns it around with a slower, more methodical pace as is appropriate for heels. Ki gets strong hope spots in the last part before leading into a slick reversal into a clean submission victory that sets up the last match big. A great 12-minute match, but producing a classic in that span of time is nary impossible.
Rating: ***1/2


15. Christopher Daniels vs. Donovan Morgan (Ring of Honor - 4/27/02 "Night of Appreciation")
Morgan's ROH debut as both West Coast wrestlers meet on the East Coast...weird. Too bad Daniels never mentions how he beat Morgan in the first King of the Indies tournie, but I guess that'd mean Morgan would have to get one back here and you don't wanna spoil anything. They do straight wrestling with Morgan doing headlock work, which is fine. This is simple stuff with not many highspots, but the work is solid and it's busting with nice, lil' intricies. They limit the big bumps, so that when they actual deliver them the fans like it, which is how you work boys. This was very much a APW type match minus about 5-10 minutes of matwork because they just don't have the time. Morgan was made to look like a great counter wrestler and that's how he got it done. This made Morgan to a degree, but the chorus of boo's after doesn't tell if he's over or the fans just hate him. Too short to really make the impact that a 25-minute match with more meaningful matwork would have had, but they got the crowd going with their aborted NoCal style, which is cool. Nothing looked sloppy, but they were tired with the closing sprint, but they kept it together.
Rating: ***3/4

Ring of Honor - Top 25 in 2002 - Pt. 1 (of 5)

In the past couple years, Ring of Honor (ROH) has made strides to become a bigger and more significant pro-wrestling company. It's unique brand of pro-wrestling has made an internet darling for years, but the company has certainly had its growing pains since its inception in 2002. The product is undeniably excellent in terms of in-ring match quality, but in recent times it has tried to develop in the realm of storylines and angles.

In that first year, ROH took their approach, secured top independent talent, notable free agents and made an impressive go at it. While that product differs from the current product in many regards, it is still significant in looking at how far the company has come in the past near-decade.

I will be presenting a series of reviews I did from 2002-2004 featuring the top 25 matches from ROH in those formative years.  From the time of Ring of Honor being designed largely to fill the coffers of RF Video until the sexual solicitation scandal that led to Rob Feinstein selling his shares of the company and ROH taking a new turn under the ownership of Cory Silkin.

**Please excuse some of my ratings if they seem low, basically they are to be taken with a grain of salt.**


25. Christopher Daniels vs. Doug Williams (Ring of Honor - 10/5/02 "Honor by Glory")
These two competed in the big ironman match and are the first of any of the pair to wrestle each other since that match, as weird as that seems. The big Briton shows great agility and that Euro-goodness we all love. Daniels re-establishes that he's the heel here by "breaking the code of honor" in an effort to stay even early on. Williams' offense is so excellent and Daniels gives him a lot of room and sells like a champ. The finish is strong with Daniels escaping again and again, before using the ropes to get the pin. Decent, though it lacked something. Williams is yet to have a "off" match in the US from what I've seen.
Rating: ***1/4


24. AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels (Ring of Honor -11/16/02 "Scramble Madness")
These guys had an tremendous match in June, so I'd expect something of that level at least. Styles is pretty on here, which means as long as Daniels can keep everything in order this'll be good. This is kind of more of the same, a lot of counter-wrestling, big moves and a fair amount of hard strikes. It was the indy-style countering though that was the best here as these guy's appeared to be in one another's mind. Not a slick and story-driven as the June match, which is amongst ROH's best matches for sure...it was the best match on their best show after all. I expect more out of high-caliber rematches and this didn't deliver on the level it should have I didn't think. I guess the heat between thew two was kind of lacking and they were more "having a good match" than telling a story. AJ gets his win back, which is fine, the post-match brawling with ROH guys and the Prophecy is fine as well. This just seemed to lack most of the qualities that made first so excellent.
Rating: ***1/2

23. American Dragon vs. Paul London (Ring of Honor - 11/9/02 "All-Star Extravaganza")
This is the final match in a gauntlet series that was very well booked in my humble opinion. We saw London defeat his rival Michael Shane (who had a previous match with CM Punk) that saw him take a pounding. Then after a strange Tommy Dreamer promo and a cheapshot by Shane, a fast-paced match with Red, he met American Dragon. The strategy is simple, break London down with submission holds and stiff strikes. London is banged up, but still has fight in him, but is it going to be enough. The finish makes sense, Dragon going over a weakened London and it strongly sets up a rematch, however the actual moves made it fall flat. London got a nearfall, but Dragon came back with a Dragon Suplex and Cattle Mutiliation for a quick tap. I prefer pinfalls in this situation and at least a fight until the very end. Contextual this is hit-and-miss, stand alone this is hit-and-miss. I would have preferred they worked more for the context, however Dragon still had a match with AJ Styles after this. The rematch is far more interesting methinks.
Rating: ***1/2


22. Steve Corino & Low-Ki vs. Shinjiro Otani & Masato Tanaka (Ring of Honor - 11/9/02 "All-Star Extravaganza")
A so-called "Zero-One Challenge match." Ki's place would be filled by CW Anderson the next night at Corino's PWF show, which was a fun *** match. What's funny is Anderson and Ki are juniors in Japan, even though they're top guys in PWF and ROH respectively. So basically this is the top tag team in Japan against two gaijins who aren't really on their level as far as status, but who cares? The fans love Otani and his tactics, so there are no real heels here, which makes it funny. Tanaka is the big worker here because that's just how is, while Ki hangs best he can and Otani & Corino just do their schticks. This is decidedly better than the PWF match as its a little more innovative and more fun in my opinion, however gauging Emblem's efforts in America is kind of ridiculous because it's a different world to them and they work differently.
Rating: ***1/2


21. American Dragon vs. Spanky (Ring of Honor - 4/27/02 "Night of Appreciation")
This was the final match in the Heartbreak Gauntlet Series that featured some pretty uneventful short matches, but it started the Shane-London feud I guess. London over Hope in a clipped match, Shane over London in like 4 minutes, before a nifty little Shane-Spanky match. After Shane played a bleeding babyface who takes Spanky the distance before going down. Big pop for Dragon and you knew you'd see these two in there somewhere, so why not make it the final match. Dragon busts out his garb from the TWA days for this match and I'm diggin' it. Dragon controls most of this as you'd expect and you just dunno which way this'll go. Spanky, after being the heel in the previous bout, is slowly getting over as the lovable goofball (how can't you love a guy with Hawaii print pants with a torn out crotch?) This picks up really well with Dragon killing the kid, who's getting over great because he can take a beating and is spunky and stuff. A fantastic final few minutes and finish that made this just awesome. These two needed a rematch, but we'd never get it. For something so short this was really all one can ask for. Despite some of the shortcomings due to Spanky working around 30 minutes at an elevated rate, but he sold really well and got over well with Dragon really carrying him when he needed to. Really enjoyable match.
Rating: ***1/2


20. Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, Donovan Morgan vs. Low-Ki, Doug Williams, Homicide (Ring of Honor - 11/9/02 "All-Star Extravaganza")
The first tag title defense and it's a six-man. Fine by me as long as it has some order to it unlike the "scramble tags." Ki and Morgan open things up nicely with fast-paced counterwrestling. The big men check in (Williams and Joe) and pace things a bit. Then Daniels and Homicide (the respective capitains) do there thing. Ki-Daniels is given no fanfare as Daniels is merely playing the weak link of his team, which makes sense because he's the smallest, but he is the leader after all. Williams ends up playing his team's for much of the match, which again is fine, but he is the big man so it looks kind of funny. They did the dive-after-dive deal, the finisher teases and hits towards the end. The finish is kind of anticlimatic, but served its purpose. This has qualities of those great early 90s AJ tags, but it's obviously not on quite that level.
Rating: ***1/2

Rob Van Dam (2000 Shoot Interview)

The Good
This was a very comprehensive shoot interview that covered Rob Van Dam's career (and life practically!) from growing up in Battle Creek to being the top star in ECW.  RVD is a good storyteller and is able to both put himself over as a great talent and come across as a likable dude, which takes talent in and of itself.  His martial arts background is covered, his acting "career" is mentioned and his various experiences on the indies, in Japan, WCW and elsewhere is well explored.  While this seems to predate his top years (in terms of mainstream fame), Rob Van Dam does not seem burnt out or bitter, which is ideal.  He is blunt (no pun intended) about his issues with various people in the business, but does not seem negative.  Interesting to catch his thoughts before ECW's demise and his up-and-down run with the WWF.

The Bad
I could really see someone loathing this.  If you don't like Rob Van Dam, if you think he's overrated, if you think ECW is overrated, if you find him arrogant or any have any number of little pro-wrestling pet peeves, this might seem like garbage to you.  While the scope is good, it could be deemed to much time for someone on the cusp of his prime.  While the answers are thorough, they could be seen as long-winded.  I liked this for what it was, but can appreciate the fact many people would not.

The Rating: ****
             

A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex

Author: Chris Jericho, Peter Thomas Fornatale
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Released: 10/07 


The Good
When it was revealed that Chris Jericho was releasing an autobiography at the age of 36, it seemed strange. Although he had so far had an impressive career, Jericho had never reached that top echelon that everyone thought he would when he jumped to the WWF in 1999. This book attempted to be not a memoir of a storied career, but rather a “dreams come true” story. In that sense, it fulfilled its goal. Jericho had many obstacles to overcome throughout his career and when made his highly touted debut in the WWF, his dream came true and that’s where this book ends. So, if you’re a WWF/WWE fan, you’re going to have to wait. This book talks about his world travels and does so in the most humorous and entertaining manner that a pro-wrestling autobiography has ever done. Jericho did not intend this to be solely for pro-wrestling fans and certainly not WWF/WWE fans, but it certainly helps the enjoyment if you are the former. He breaks it up into several parts: his childhood and years on the Canadian indies, Mexico, Germany, Smoky Mountain, Japan, ECW and WCW. This comprehensive career being captured makes this a great resource. And if you know people like Dr. Luther, Drew McDonald, El Dandy and Bruiser Bedlam, this book has a different level of enjoyment. Personally, this was very enjoyable. I grew up listening to the same music, loving hockey and, of course, marking out for all things pro-wrestling, so Jericho’s references to these in jokes made this a classic for me. This was a fast and addictive read that was well composed, well edited and well organized. This is inarguably a new must-have for pro-wrestling fans.


The Bad
Jericho’s decisions to omit his WWF/WWE run, leave in kind words and photos with Chris Benoit and seek out a non-WWE publisher could all be strikes against this. Ending at August 1999, leaves this open for a follow-up that could be published by the WWE, but the issue of his partnership/rivalry with Chris Benoit is a huge stumbling block to overcome if he decides to write that book. The jokes and references may not harm this, but it certainly caters to a small crowd. Although he has stated this is not just for pro-wrestling fans, it does not seem like a book that non-fans would necessarily enjoy. Perhaps, but this is definitely not as non-fan-friendly as other books. As with any autobiography, Chris Jericho could be knocked for having a big ego or being bitter about some things, but in comparison to some of his peers, he seems like Mr. Positive. Other than those few relatively mild knocks, this book is hard to fault.


The Rating: *****