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FORTHCOMING PRO WRESTLING BOOK RELEASES

By Mike Johnson on 2020-08-26 08:30:00

FORTHCOMING BOOK RELEASES:

9/1 - Too Sweet: Inside the Indie Wrestling Revolution by Keith Elliot Greenberg - "The first and only in-depth look at the indie wrestling revolution.  In 2017, after being told that no independent wrestling group could draw a crowd of more than 10,000, a group of wrestlers took up the challenge. For several years, these gladiators had been performing in front of rabid crowds and understood the hunger for wrestling that was different from the TV-slick product. In September 2018, they had the numbers to prove it: 11,263 fans filled the Sears Center Arena for the All In pay-per-view event, ushering in a new era. A year later, WWE had its first major head-to-head competitor in nearly two decades when All Elite Wrestling debuted on TNT.  Acclaimed wrestling historian Keith Elliot Greenberg’s Too Sweet takes readers back to the beginning, when a half century ago outlaw promotions challenged the established leagues, and guides us into the current era. He paints a vivid picture of promotions as diverse as New Japan, Ring of Honor, Revolution Pro, Progress, and Chikara, and the colorful figures who starred in each. This is both a dynamic snapshot and the ultimate history of a transformational time in professional wrestling."

9/8 - The Rock: Through the Lens: His Life, His Movies, His World by HIram Garcia - "Dynamic, funny, and inspiring photos of global entertainment icon, entrepreneur, and trailblazer, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, featuring twenty years' worth of candids, family moments, and snapshots from set, many never-before-seen.  Hiram Garcia has known his subject for decades—he’s a college friend, former brother-in-law, and producing partner of Dwayne Johnson, known from his wrestling days on as “The Rock.” Garcia is also a talented amateur photographer, who has taken scores of images on the sets of many of the Seven Bucks Productions’ movies, including Jumanji 2, Jungle Cruise, and more. He knows Dwayne Johnson inside and out, and that intimacy brings his photography to life. Whether it’s an action photo of DJ in character or a charming shot of Johnson with one of his daughters, Garcia focuses his lens on the qualities he admires in his friend: his extraordinary work ethic, his infectious smile, his sense of humor, and the joy and determination he brings to everything he does.  With intimate photos from Johnson’s life, work, and world—many of them never seen before—The Rock: Through the Lens is enhanced by rich captions telling stories only an insider could share."

9/29 - WWE Encylopedia New Edition - "A comprehensive volume featuring every single superstar in WWE history, plus iconic moments and matches, with glorious photography and authoritative text.  Delve into the world of WWE with the most expansive all-encompassing guide ever produced on sports entertainment!  Get all the history, facts, and stats on the Superstars you love in the updated WWE Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment. This new edition packs more than 1,100 Superstars into 400+ exciting pages, making it the perfect reference guide for the WWE universe. This expansive guide features the most controversial, charismatic, and revered Superstars from all eras and sports entertainment brands, including the most popular Superstars such as Bret "Hit Man" Hart, John Cena, Becky Lynch, Ronda Rousey, and The Rock.  This encyclopedia covers it all, from unbelievable championship wins and thrilling bouts on SmackDown, RAW, and NXT to the Royal Rumble and the grand spectacle of WrestleMania. With stunning visuals and in-depth commentary, the WWE Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment, 4th Edition, brings together the entire WWE roster in one tremendous volume! Relive the history and excitement with this massive book dedicated to the thrilling world of WWE."

10/13 - We Promised You a Great Main Event: An Unauthorized WWE History by Bill Hanstock - "The astounding and entertaining story of the biggest company in pro wrestling - WWE - World Wrestling Entertainment, told in full for the first time.  Spectacle and scandal, heartbreak and triumph - professional wrestling has it all: glamorous, world-famous stars. Riveting drama. Breathtaking physicality. Feuds and betrayals. Heroes and heels. Scripted battles and amazing surprises. Pro wrestling is the sport that everyone knows - and no one cares - is pure, manufactured entertainment.  What Vince McMahon has built with World Wrestling Entertainment is extraordinary. Today, WWE is a multi-billion-dollar business that broadcasts over 10 hours of original programming to over six million fans globally every week. Over the course of more than eight decades in the professional wrestling business, the McMahon family has created a near-monopoly in the industry.  Yet despite this success, no one has told the fascinating and enthralling story of WWE in all its complexity. No one before has taken a complete look at its entire history - the good, the bad, the ugly, and the unexpected. For all its achievements, WWE is a company that has seen its share of crime and tragedy, including rampant early wrestler deaths, suicides and murders, sexual harassment, union busting, assault, steroid abuse, and human trafficking.  We Promised You a Great Main Event is the story of the McMahon family and WWE’s unprecedented rise. Drawing on a decade of covering wrestling, Bill Hanstock synthesizes insights from historians, journalists, and industry insiders with his own knowledge and deep research to produce the most accurate and entertaining history of the WWE available. Full of amazing characters and astonishing stories from the ring to corporate boardrooms, it is a story as audacious, shocking, hilarious, and sensational as any WWE spectacle."  

11/15 - Professional Wrestling: Politics and Populism (Enactments), Edited by Sharon Mazer - "A wildly popular form of mass media and live entertainment, professional wrestling makes a spectacle of violent acts. With its long history of working contemporary events into storylines and commenting upon cultural and military conflicts, professional wrestling is also intrinsically political. Its performance—theatricalities, machinations and conditions of production, figurations, and audiences—arises from and engages with the world around. Whether flowing with the mainstream of popular culture or fighting at the fringes, professional wrestling shows us how we are fighting, what we are fighting about, and what we are fighting for.  This edited volume asks how professional wrestling is implicated in the current resurgence of populist politics, whether right-wing and Trump–inflected, or leftist and socialist. How might it do more than reflect and, in so doing, reaffirm the status quo? While provoked by the disruptive performances of Trump as candidate and president, and mindful of his longstanding ties to the WWE, this timely volume looks more broadly and internationally at the infusion of professional wrestling’s worldview into the twinned discourses of politics and populism. The contributors are scholars from a wide range of disciplines: theater and performance studies; cultural, media, and communication studies; anthropology and sociology; and gender and sexuality studies. Together they argue that the game’s popularity and its populist tendencies open it to the left as well as to the right, to contestation as well as to conformity, making it an ideal site for working on feminist and activist projects and ideas."

11/17 -  Killing the Business - The Young Bucks by Matt and Nick Jackson - "Famous for their high-flying moves, superkicks and viral videos, Matt and Nick Jackson are two of the hottest and most talented competitors in professional wrestling today. Known as the Young Bucks, this pair of ambitious brothers are an inspiration to both fans and aspiring wrestlers worldwide due to their message of resilience and determination. That they are also faithful family men devoted to their loved ones gives them additional appeal.   A warm, heartfelt story of hope, perseverance, and undying ambition told with the brothers’ wit and charm, The Young Bucks begins in Southern California, where two young boys grew up dreaming of success and fame.   Matt and Nick look back on the sacrifices they made to achieve their ambitions, from taking odd jobs to pay for their own wrestling ring to hosting backyard events with friends. They share their joy at being recruited into the amateur California circuit and the work it took to finally make it professionally, and speak frankly about what it means to have the support of millions of fans cheering their talents in arenas nationwide.   The Young Bucks talk endearingly about their sport, their faith, and their families, sharing personal reflections and behind-the-scenes anecdotes while paying tribute to the wrestling acts and inspirations that came before them. They also elaborate on this historical time in the evolution of wrestling, as the sport and its culture dramatically change day by day.  Alternating between each brother’s perspective from chapter to chapter, this entertaining memoir is a complete portrait of what it means to grow into - and give back to - wrestling, the sport and profession they embody and love."

12/1 - WWE Tough Love Valentine's Day Book - "Is your love tough enough? Celebrate Valentine's Day with WWE! These 12 exciting press-out cards are the perfect way to share your love of wrestling with your friends and family. Give flowers to your ghoul-friend from Undertaker, or be like Becky Lynch and let Seth Rollins give you a ring!  Also included are instructions for kids to make their own envelopes, and two sheets of stickers that allow kids to decorate the cards and envelopes in fun ways!"

12/8 - WWE: The New Day: Power of Positivity (Graphic Novel) - "Everyone knows The New Day (Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods and Big E ) are six-time Tag Team Champions - including the longest reign in WWE history - but now, for the first time, discover the true origins of this unforgettable trio.  IT’S THE NEW DAY GRAPHIC NOVEL, YES IT IS!"

12/22 - WWE Studios' Rumble animated movie tie-ins:

Monster Matchup! - In a world where monsters are real and monster wrestling is a popular sport, these heavy hitters will do whatever it takes to be champions. Learn more about your favorite wrestlers in this 8x8 storybook!  All your favorite characters are here! There’s underdog Rayburn Jr., larger-than-life Tentacular, gargantuan King Gorge, the pile-driving powerhouse Axehammer, and many more amazing monsters to meet!

Movie novelization - Imagine a world where monsters are real and monster wrestling is a popular sport! Can sixteen-year-old Winne Coyle coach an inexperienced, out-of-shape monster, and turn him into a champion? Rumble fans everywhere will love spending more time with their favorite monsters in this hilarious and feel-good novel which includes eight pages of full-color stills from the movie.

Back in the RIng - After growing up in his father’s shadow, Rayburn Jr. has tried to live his life out of the spotlight. But sometimes, the world needs a champion, and with his trainer, Winnie, by his side, the time has come for Rayburn Jr. to shine.

The World of Monster Wrestling - This book chronicles some of Rayburn Jr.’s most memorable fights from the film. Kids can use the paper monsters to reenact their favorite wrestling scenes. Punch-out interlocking cardstock pieces form a wrestling ring to add to the interactive fun!  The paper monsters come with cardstock stands so they can stand upright and be displayed when kids aren’t playing with them!

2021

January 2021 Nikki and Brie Bella's memoir Incomparable  - Paperback edition.

2/23/21Mayor Kane: My Life in Wrestling and Politics -  Paperback edition

3/2/21 - WWE Superstar Handbook: The Essential Facts and Stats on More than 300 WWE Superstars! in March 2021 - "Meet the biggest Superstars of all time!  This fact-packed book brings together hundreds of the biggest, baddest, and most impressive Superstars from across sports entertainment history.  Includes detailed information, facts and stats on your favorite Legends and the brand-new breakout stars of the current roster. Who is strongest, André the Giant or Big Show? Whose signature move includes the most spins? Who has won the most WWE Championships? Find out with fun facts about each Superstar, including their key statistics like height, weight, and greatest victories.  Easy to read and packed with detail, the fun and colorful WWE Superstar Handbook is the must-have guide to WWE's larger-than-life competitors."

May 2021 Jim Ross' Under The Black Hat: My Life in the WWE and Beyond -  Paperback edition.

FORTHCOMING, NO OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE SET

Fall 2020 - Chris Jericho book on all of his matches.- 

2021 - Brian Solomon's biography on The Original Sheik.

Spring 2021- John Arezzi autobiography.

Spring 2022 - Lufisto autobiography.

TBA - Justin Credible autobiography.

TBA - Renee Young Cookbook.

TBA - Bobby Fulton Autobiography.

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