There are countless Pro Wrestling courses, tutorials, articles available online, but for some, having a book is still a necessity to learn. This is an up-to-date list of recommended books.
- Jim Cornette Presents: Behind the Curtain – Real Pro Wrestling Stories (2019)
- Death of the Territories: Expansion, Betrayal and the War that Changed Pro Wrestling Forever (2018)
- The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Storytellers (From the Terrible Turk to Twitter) (2019)
- Legends of Pro Wrestling: 150 Years of Headlocks, Body Slams, and Piledrivers (2017)
- Final Bell (2019)
- Kayfabe: Stories You’re Not Supposed to Hear from a Pro Wrestling Production Company Owner (2017)
- Bruno Sammartino: The Autobiography of Wrestling’s Living Legend – Black & White Edition (2019)
- Brute Power: The Autobiography of Buggsy McGraw (2019)
- WRESTLING: AN ADULT COLORING BOOK: A Wrestling Coloring Book For Adults (2018)
- Lion’s Pride: The Turbulent History of New Japan Pro Wrestling (2015)
- The Mid-Atlantic Championship (2019)
- The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: Heroes and Icons (2012)
Jim Cornette Presents: Behind the Curtain – Real Pro Wrestling Stories (2019)
An anthology of true stories, these insider tales will show the lengths that wrestlers went to uphold kayfabe–the old carny term for keeping secret the illusions of a rigged game, fight, or situation–as well as the noteworthy cultural, racial, and economic effects these events and characters have had on society.
Death of the Territories: Expansion, Betrayal and the War that Changed Pro Wrestling Forever (2018)
For decades, distinct professional wrestling territories thrived across North America. Each regionally based promotion operated individually and offered a brand of localized wrestling that greatly appealed to area fans.
The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Storytellers (From the Terrible Turk to Twitter) (2019)
You can’t escape pro wrestling today, even if you want to. Its stars are ubiquitous in movies, TV shows, product endorsements, swag, and social media to the point that they are as much celebrities as they are athletes. Pro wrestling has morphed from the fringes of acceptability to a global $1 billion industry that plays an everyday role in 21st-century pop culture.
Legends of Pro Wrestling: 150 Years of Headlocks, Body Slams, and Piledrivers (2017)
Legends of Pro Wrestling offers the first comprehensive look at the entire world of wrestling. With detailed biographies and never-before-seen statistics of some of the greatest athletes in the sport, you will be able to read about hundreds of wrestlers, dating back to the mid-1800s.
Final Bell (2019)
Mike Mooneyham began covering pro wrestling in the mid-1960s for a number of national wrestling publications.
Kayfabe: Stories You’re Not Supposed to Hear from a Pro Wrestling Production Company Owner (2017)
“Sean’s story, beginning as a renegade, outlaw company and evolving to redefining the shoot video genre, is extremely fascinating.
Bruno Sammartino: The Autobiography of Wrestling’s Living Legend – Black & White Edition (2019)
BRUNO! BRUNO! BRUNO!The iconic chant that resonated everywhere Bruno appeared, whether he was the Champion at the time or not. It was a combined 11 years, during two title reigns, that Bruno Sammartino was the World Wide Wrestling Federation Champion: 1963-1971 and 1973-1977 (4,040 days).
Brute Power: The Autobiography of Buggsy McGraw (2019)
Oliver Bateman of ‘The Ringer’ describes Brute Power as “A no-holds-barred autobiography of one of the towering titans of the territorial age. Brute Power takes readers behind the curtain. McGraw pulled his punches in the ring, but doesn’t in this excellent book. He’ll tell you who he liked, who he hated, and about the time he hunted for kangaroos with midget wrestlers.” Don Davies of ‘SLAM!
WRESTLING: AN ADULT COLORING BOOK: A Wrestling Coloring Book For Adults (2018)
*An awesome collection of wrestling coloring patterns*Perfect for relaxation and stress relief*2 copies of each image, for two chances to color!*Rad original designs, from Scribble Press
Lion’s Pride: The Turbulent History of New Japan Pro Wrestling (2015)
Japan has long been the most respected territory in the field of professional wrestling, and the most appreciated by hardcore fans worldwide. New Japan Pro Wrestling is the country’s most recognisable brand. It attracts scores of fans to annual Tokyo Dome shows, has made household names of its most prominent talent, and is increasingly in demand by a rabid international audience.
The Mid-Atlantic Championship (2019)
In 1970, Jim Crockett Promotions introduced the Eastern Heavyweight title to pro wrestling fans in the Carolinas and Virginia. Four years later they changed the name of the title to the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight championship.Within these pages you will find a complete history of that title, including a detailed account of every title change from the establishment of the championship until it was retired.
The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: Heroes and Icons (2012)
At its core, professional wrestling has always been about the forces of evil trying to undermine everything good ― and a red-hot heel needs a valiant hero to battle against, someone fans can root for, identify with, and look up to. Wrestling heroes like Hulk Hogan, Dusty Rhodes, The Rock, and André the Giant are celebrated worldwide.
Best Pro Wrestling Books Everyone Should Read
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Library Genesis and download some pro wrestling books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
MCMAHON’S MESSES AND MISSES: SCANDALS, SHOCKERS, AND SHENANIGANS IN PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING
Author(s): Rickard II, Michael
ID: 3355819, Publisher: , Year: 2022, Size: 483 Kb, Format: mobi
Mat Memories: My Wild Life in Pro Wrestling, Country Music and with the Mets
Author(s): John “Alexander” Arezzi; Greg Oliver
ID: 2974716, Publisher: ECW Press, Year: 2021, Size: 19 Mb, Format: epub
Wrestling's Most Memorable Promos
Author(s): Richardson, Dante; McIntosh, Kenny; Cassidy, Gary
ID: 3333685, Publisher: , Year: 2021, Size: 604 Kb, Format: epub
Please note that this booklist is not definite. Some books are truly record-breakers according to Washington Post, others are written by unknown authors. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant books you could recommend? Drop a comment if you have any feedback on the list.