![]() Thesz, who had no trouble going off-script to win a match and keep his title, is considered the first true wrestling superstar, an innovator of the business, and the original pro wrestler. In the past, it was Lou Thesz who was the most-feared wrestler around. At first, professional wrestling was more about the actual competition rather than the script. Just vote for your favorites.Ĭombining Greco-Roman wrestling with boxing, freestyle wrestling and theater, professional wrestling dates back nearly a century. This list of all pro wrestlers can be ordered according to their popularity. ![]() The entertainment of professional wrestling may be staged but all of these professional wrestlers are easily some of the toughest professional fighters inside of the ring or out. ![]() This, combined with the overall lack of guides about pro wrestling, makes this title a potentially valuable addition to high school and public library collections.The greatest pro wrestlers of all-time include WrestleMania winners, WWF and WWE champions, and TNA favorites. The focus on major personalities is a compelling hook for new fans and younger readers, and the suggested further readings are easily accessible online or through a library. Even this information is presented in the form of a broad overview, with brief descriptions of character traits and storyline highlights, rather than examined in significant detail.Īs a result of these limitations, this guide may be more appropriate for a general audience seeking an introduction to the world of pro wrestling. Additionally, the biographical entries focus less on personal lives and more on each wrestler’s career and in-ring exploits. There is little discussion of the terminology and tropes of wrestling storytelling beyond an article on kayfabe- the essential genre convention that all things depicted in a wrestling performance are real. Each entry helpfully includes see also references and a further reading list predominantly composed of news articles, websites, and popular nonfiction titles for readers to explore.įor popular culture scholars or knowledgeable fans of pro wrestling, this work does have some limitations. A few other important topics are also covered, including wrestling promoters and governing bodies. The guide is comprised of 100 entries arranged alphabetically and primarily focused on the careers and lives of individual wrestlers. This is followed by an introduction that traces the growth of pro wrestling to its current status as a multimillion-dollar industry and a chronology that identifies some key dates in this development. The volume begins with a preface that establishes its goal of “highlighting the famous and important names who elevated pro wrestling in public esteem” (ix). ![]() In Pro Wrestling: A Comprehensive Reference Guide, author Lew Freedman provides a much-needed guide for newcomers to this unique hybrid of sport and performing art. ![]() Despite the massive success of pro wrestling, a literature search reveals a dearth of reference guides and scholarly analysis on the subject. As pro wrestlers have grown in stature from local heroes to worldwide superstars, so too has the wrestling industry grown from traveling road shows to globally televised productions. Professional wrestling is one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world, delivering spectacles that are equal parts athletic competition and theatrical performance. Pro Wrestling: A Comprehensive Reference Guide. ![]()
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