The Wrestlers' Wrestlers: The Masters of the Craft of Professional Wrestling

by Dan Murphy, Brian Young, James Mitchell (Foreword by)

Overview

A walk-through wrestling history, starting with the founding fathers such as Ed “Strangler” Lewis and the incomparable Lou Thesz, to modern-day masters such as Daniel Bryan and Kurt Angle.
The Wrestlers’ Wrestlers spotlights elite performers and analyzes exactly what made them your favorite wrestler’s favorite wrestlers. Authors Dan Murphy and Brian Young interviewed more than 40 in-ring veterans, historians, referees, and promoters to get a unique insider’s look at the people who have made a lasting impact on the world of professional wrestling. It offers a special peek “behind the curtain” and a rare look into the top stars’ thoughts on their peers, their influences, and their personal favorites.
The Wrestlers’ Wrestlers is a history of professional wrestling but also a tribute to the frequently misunderstood art itself. Featuring stars of the 1920s to today, this essential read deserves a prominent spot on the bookcase of every fan and historian.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781770415539
Publisher:	ECW Press
Publication date:	04/27/2021
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	115,635
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Dan Murphy has more than 20 years’ experience as a senior writer with Pro Wrestling Illustrated. He co-wrote the 2017 book Sisterhood of the Squared Circle: The History and Rise of Women’s Wrestling with Pat Laprade and is a longtime member of The Cauliflower Alley Club.
Brian Young is a writer, researcher, historian, cigar connoisseur, and podcast host from Buffalo, NY, specializing in boxing and boxing history. He co-hosts the Transatlantic History Ramblings podcast. Both authors live in Kenmore, NY.

Read an Excerpt

A “Wrestlers’ Wrestler” is a competitor who has earned the respect of his peers in the locker room for his dedication, professionalism, work ethic, and mastery of the craft of professional wrestling.
To compile this book, we turned to the wrestlers themselves. We interviewed more than 50 wrestlers, representing more than a half-century of experience in the business. After all, who can better identify a “wrestlers’ wrestler” than the wrestlers themselves? These are the men who have dedicated their lives to the art of professional wrestling. Writers, historians, fans, and others may have their own opinions, but as much as possible, we went straight to the experts and asked a series of wrestlers who they most admired and considered to be true “wrestlers’ wrestlers.” Some writers and historians were willing to add their expert perspective as well.
We also relied heavily on the written words and primary sources left from wrestlers who have passed, such as Lou Thesz’ seminal book, Hooker. Thesz may have pulled his punches in the ring, but he certainly held nothing back in his autobiography.
This book is an opportunity for the wrestlers themselves to define the term, to tell their stories and to discuss who they feel are the wrestlers who deserve recognition. This book is not intended to be solely for the fans and historians, but it is also for the boys. It is our attempt to preserve an oral history straight from the sources; a unique insight to this business, told by those who lived and continue to live it. It is an attempt to recognize the masters of the craft of wrestling from a wrestler’s perspective, while maintaining the objectivity of an outsider.
Naturally, if you ask multiple wrestlers their opinion on a given wrestler, you’re going to get a wide range of responses. Old grudges die hard, after all. And, as it is with actors, musicians, and artists, taste is subjective.
The responses received were varied. Some wrestlers identified a true “Wrestlers’ Wrestler” as the one who was able to draw the biggest crowds and make the most money. They were the ones who brought the fans into the buildings, night after night. If that was the sole criteria, Hulk Hogan, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, and Bruno Sammartino might be our Mount Rushmore.
Others talked about the “carpenters,” the undercard craftsmen whose job was to make their opponents look like a million bucks. And others named wrestlers who had the skill, the athleticism, the technical ability, but simply never got the proper “push” because they weren’t in the right place at the right time. After all, you can’t built a good house without good carpenters.
“That phrase ‘A Wrestlers’ Wrestler,’ I think, stems from the term ‘a comic’s comic,’” said Colt Cabana, a former NWA heavyweight champion who has dabbled in stand-up comedy. “The comic’s comic may not be the best comic as far as a money-making tour, but all the other comics will be in the back of the room watching him because they have to watch him. He’s that good. A Wrestlers’ Wrestler, the wrestlers in the back will always want to watch that person’s matches because they really appreciate the nuances of their wrestling.”
“A Wrestlers’ Wrestler is someone who is able to engage the crowd and can blend with any other wrestler and their style,” offered Sinn Bodhi, who wrestled as Kizarney in WWE. “A Wrestlers’ Wrestler can be put in the ring with just about anyone and make a good match. It’s someone who is able to direction-change.

Table of Contents

Foreword ii

Introduction 15

A Wrestlers' Wrestler: The Criteria 17

Part 1 The Founding Fathers 25

Ed "Strangler" Lewis 28

"Whipper" Billy Watson 33

Gene Kiniski 36

George Gordienko 38

Rick Hutton 41

Pat O'Connor 44

Johnny Valentine 47

Sputnik Monroe 50

Karl Gotch 54

Danny Hodge 58

Bill Miller 61

Breaking In: Where Do Wrestlers Come From? 65

Part 2 Bumpers, Shooters, and Psychologists 69

Ray Stevens 71

Johnny Saint 75

Billy Robinson 78

Yoshiaki Fujiwara 82

Dick Murdoch 85

Buddy Roberts 87

Adrian Street 90

Rip Rogers 94

Dave Finlay 97

Bob Orton Jr. 101

Terry Taylor 105

Luna Vachon 110

Bob Roop 113

Road Warriors and Death Tours: Making Towns 116

Part 3 The Kings of the Territories 125

Verne Gagne 127

Bruno Sammartino 133

Dory Funk Jr. 139

Terry Funk 143

Jerry Lawler 147

Harley Race 151

Dusty Rhodes 156

Bob Backlund 160

Wrestling Takes Hollywood: The Wrestler as Crossover Celebrity 163

Part 4 The Supercard Era 173

Ricky Steamboat 175

Ricky Morton 179

Brad Armstrong 183

Barry Windham 187

Curt Hennig 191

Ted DiBiase 196

The Rise of Japan, "Strong Style," and Hybrid Fighting 200

The Tag Team Masters 206

Part 5 The "Attitude Era" and the Rise of Extreme Wrestling 217

William Regal 219

Mitsuharu Misawa 225

Eddie Guerrero 230

Dean Malenko 234

Toshiaki Kawada 238

Owen Hart 241

Lance Storm 245

Manami Toyota 248

Jerry Lynn 251

Doing The Job: The Thankless - and Vital - Role of Enhancement Talent 254

Part 6 Roh and Rise of the Indies 259

Nigel McGuinness 261

Mercedes Martinez 265

A.J. Styles 269

Christopher Daniels 273

Samoa Joe 276

Mike Quackenbush 279

Dave Taylor 283

The Masters of Today 286

Part 7 The All-Time Masters of the Craft 295

Kurt Angle 296

Chris Benoit 301

Nick Bockwinkel 306

Jack Brisco 311

Daniel Bryan 316

The Dynamite Kid 322

Ric Flair 328

Bret Hart 335

Shawn Michaels 342

Keiji Muto 347

Lou Thesz 352

Sources 359

Authors' Notes 361

Acknowledgments 365

Editorial Reviews

For more than 20 years, Dan Murphy was my go-to guy when the editors came up with the outline of a good topic but needed someone with the depth of thought to flesh it out. With this amazing book, Dan once again proves to me that he is a writer’s writer.” — Stu Saks, publisher of Pro Wrestling Illustrated

“An interesting look at some wrestlers who may at times be overlooked, but within the wrestling industry everyone talks about them with great respect.” — Dave Meltzer, Publisher and Editor of The Wrestling Observer

“What a great book! It's a veritable who's who of professional wrestlers accompanied by painstakingly detailed context. As someone who personally knew many of the people profiled within, I can't recommend it enough.” — Jake Shannon, Author, Scientific Wrestling founder, and Catch Wrestling Coach

“The Wrestlers’ Wrestlers: The Masters of the Craft of Professional Wrestling is a great curated list of the workhorses and stars of the business … It can be a great guide for new fans to get into pro wrestling even more, and for hardcore fans, it can be a reminder of why these wrestlers are great.” — Voices of Wrestling

“I'm glad the authors decided to tackle this topic, as they produced a solid read that made me think, question, and debate their choices. I can't ask for much more than that from a book. With this in mind, I wholeheartedly recommend buying The Wrestlers' Wrestlers: The Masters of the Craft of Professional Wrestling by Dan Murphy and Brian Young. It's unique, smart, and well written.” — Michael Cavacini blog

From the Publisher