Courtesy of Alan J. Wojcik and http://alanwojcik.com
Chances are if you a dedicated wrestling fan you have visited or read an article/interview from the folks at Slam! Wrestling (slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/home.html) who have been covering the sport for decades. Two of their better known editors; Greg Oliver & Jon Waldman, have compiled their best work over the past years and through ECW Press published SLAM! WRESTLING: SHOCKING STORIES FROM THE SQUARED CIRCLE (352pp, $17.95 US, $20.95 CDN)
The authors of the articles in this compendium are well known in Canada but their interview subjects are known worldwide. They have interviewed everyone including Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, the Rock, Jeff & Jerry Jarrett, Steve Austin, Johnny Devine, Bret Hart, TJ Wilson, Nattie Neidhart, Scott D’amore (who writes the forward) Jimmy Hart, Trish Stratus, “Superstar” Billy Graham, Bruno Sammartino, Bob Backlund and Shawn Michaels just to name a few. I am not going to review each and every article. Some can be skipped over but others on the dearly departed and the legends are worth reading several times. All of the writers (too many to list here) are to be commended for their skills, despite some losing their jobs when Slam! ran into issues. Definitely pick this up for your book collection.
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This review is later than everyone else in wrestling and I apologize for that. Every generation has a horrible crime or murder committed that people will remember where they were when told about it. Many of them have been covered in book form. Truman Capote had his classic In Cold Blood. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein created the classic All the President’s Men. Now Irvin Muchnick can join the lecacy of media behind him with his book CHRIS & NANCY: THE TRUE STORY OF THE BENOIT MURDER-SUICIDE & PRO WRESTLING’S COCKTAIL OF DEATH (ECW Press, 264pp, $19.95 US, $22.95 CDN)
Muchnick’s book is forwarded by fellow media personality Phil Mushnick (no relation) who sets the table for the web of lies, deceit, confusion and heartache that lie ahead in the book. Mr. Muchnick battles through tons of red tape from WWE, Fayette County Sheriff and red herrings thrown at the media to keep them at bay. No need to tell you about the crime because you already know what Chris Benoit did. What you probably do not know Muchnick will tell you in an unbiased manner. Thanks to the first ammendment nearly everything is out in the open and left for you to decide like how much WWE and Vince McMahon knew on June 25th before hosting their ill fated Raw tribute show. I am sure WWE lawyer Jerry McDevitt read this cover to cover and so should you. Do not pass up the chance to read what really happened. Mr. Muchnick has a website you can buy the book from, www.muchnick.net/babylon or through www.wrestlingbabylon.wordpress.com