Book ReviewHere we go, another wrestling book review. To paraphrase Paris Hilton, wrestling radio is hot right now but there has been one show which has lasted longer than most. While many people are firing up their parent's laptop and recording a podcast, there are people that have been doing it for a long time.Between the Ropes is a weekly radio show that can be listened to on 740AM "The Team" if you live near the Orlando area, or accessed online at the BTR website. Hosted by longtime BTR mainstays Brian Fritz and Brian Dickerman along with recent addition Vito DeNucci, this is one wrestling radio show that can boast a literal who's who of guests. Eric Bischoff. Mick Foley. Sting. Dusty Rhodes. Randy Savage. Bret Hart. AJ Styles. Christopher Daniels. Chris Jericho. These are just a sample of the big names that drop by the BTR studios each and every week. How many other shows can you name that regularly feature both WWE and TNA talent?
Authored by BTR's founders Fritz and Christopher Murray, Wrestling's Greatest Triumphs and Failures is one of the latest wrestling books to hit the market and takes a look at all the many events that have happened during the wrestling industry since BTR's first show on August 25th, 1998. If something big happened in the American wrestling scene during the last seven plus years, you can pretty much guarantee it is covered in the book, usually with comments from people who have a unique perspective as they were smack dab in the middle of what was going down.
The rise and fall of WCW and ECW. The XFL. The World Wildlife Fund lawsuit. All the big angles and matches in WWE. The start-up and continued operation of Total Nonstop Action. Just about anything and everything of note that happened in pretty much the last decade of pro wrestling is given its due. Intertwined with all the wrestling stories are five sections dedicated to the Between The Ropes show itself, with interesting and humorous stories of the hoops the hosts had to jump through in order to get the show on the air along with some of the more memorable moments, both inside the studio and out, that have occurred over the years. To top it all off the book is loaded with pics from Brian Fritz's personal
collection. You'll get to see Fritz and the boys with anyone who's anyone in the wrestling business including Vince McMahon, Owen Hart, Jim Cornette, and my personal favorite, Dancin' Stevie Richards with cut-off Cinderella t-shirt. There is also the bonus of seeing possibly the scariest picture of Stephanie McMahon, and imagine the ground that covers.
"Nobody liked working for (Kevin) Sullivan. Let's face it because his ideas were all from the '70s. He hates a lot of guys and uses his political power to bury them. He hates most of the young guys. He hates the small guys. He's a miserable little man." - Billy Kidman
Having comments like the above give BTR a chance to frame each topic in way not many wrestling books can. By having so many wrestling personalities weigh in on each discussion, Fritz and Murray have written a book that looks at each topic in a unique way. Not a transcribed collection of interviews. Not a straight up wrestling history book. BTR is an amalgam of both that allows the reader to go through key points in wrestling history with people that lived the experience. It's one thing to read, for example, about the situation of Mike Awesome leaving ECW as champion to go to WCW, and another to also get running commentary by figures such as Joey Styles and Tazz. What did Steve Corino think of his interaction with the band Limp Bizkit during their 15 minutes of fame? Eric Bischoff's thoughts on WCW's rapid rise and even faster fall? Jeff Jarrett on the start-up and early troubles of TNA? It's all here, and then some with the authors commentary on the business, a presentation of facts, and quotes from the biggest stars. BTR works as a interesting look back into the last seven years of this glorious business.
Being in Orlando gives the BTR team exclusive access to the TNA people and this book has an in-depth look at the company that I don't think you'll find anywhere else, and that includes Jerry Jarrett's own book. From Dixie Carter's rise in the company (starting as an employee working with TNA in a public relations capacity), through the Jay Hassman debacle with bogus InDemand PPV numbers, up to TNA's current life on Spike TV are covered. The negotiations with WGN. The failed signing of Hulk Hogan. The stare down between HealthSouth and Panda Energy. The behind the scenes battles between Jerry Jarrett and Vince Russo. If you want information overload on America's number two promotion, this book is for you as Fritz and company have been around to see the entire evolution of the company first hand.
Clearly the BTR boys have made some solid friendships within the business. I enjoyed reading about their fast friendship with Jim Mitchell, and that how the BTR gang introduced Mitchell to ECW. I've always been a big fan of Mitchell's shoot interviews, and his comments in print are just as fascinating to read, such as his thoughts on being able to blatantly cheat on his soon-to-be-ex-wife thanks to hanging around such a do-gooder as Brian Fritz. Jerry Lynn and Steve Corino are two other wrestlers who have become long time mainstays in the BTR universe and they both explain what attracted them to the show and why they continue to be entertained. In a business filled with a cutthroat mentality and egos up the wazoo, Fritz and the rest of BTR have made a lasting impression on many wrestling superstars.
While it doesn't have much to do with wrestling per se, one highly entertaining chapter for me was the one which detailed what it took to get BTR on the radio in the first place. Trying to convince mainstream America to do anything wrestling related, even during a boom, can be a Herculean task. The run around given by station managers is not unlike the looks I get when talking about my writing experience in job interviews. Yes, I've produced original online content for the last five years. Then I get asked what sites I wrote for and want to
hide under the closest rock. It doesn't matter how successful or respected a wrestling website is, to the majority of America, it's still a fake wrestling website. Thankfully the BTR boys continued on, got their show up and running (on a horrible time slot) and continued their hard work to the point where they are the most respected wrestling radio show today. That type of dedication is something I can respect.
You want "Welcome to wrestling" stories? This book gives them to you in a major way in a matter-of-fact manner that is a breeze to read. Tom Arnold's absurd play by play and even worse match on TNA's Best Damn Wrestling Event Period. Kane's reaction to being asked about the Katie Vick storyline. Frankie Kazarian quitting TNA in disgust after being booked to lose to NASCAR driver Jeff Hammond. Jake "The Snake" Roberts admitting on-air that he was molested by his father, to the shock of the radio hosts. BTR's book is loaded with all the whacky stories we've all come love reading about over the years.
Overall Thoughts: For fans of the Between the Ropes radio show, this is a book that will bring you even closer into the lives of the great guys who run the show. My favorite parts of the book were the personal stories Fritz and Murray told of their interactions with wrestlers both inside the studio and out. Whether it is Fritz's fear of taking a cradle piledriver from Jerry Lynn on a live remote, or the guys going over the painful details of George "The Animal" Steele's interview-from-hell, BTR does a great job of connecting with the audience. The guys obviously love wrestling and their passion comes through on
the page. I would say the book would have more appeal for someone who isn't subscribing to various wrestling sheets as, while they are able to cover a wide array of topics, the depth of each discussion is limited. For example, the book adequately covers the back and forth ratings battle between WCW and WWE during the Monday Night War, but while you'll read about the night Mick Foley's won the WWE world title and the specific ratings it brought with it, you don't get the infamous "Yeah, that'll put asses in the seats" comment by Tony Schiavone. What can you do though, as 300 pages goes by surprisingly fast. ECW Press has done a lot for the wrestling book industry with a lot of great releases over the past couple years including Bill Watts' the Cowboy and the Cross, Bryan Alvarez & RD Reynolds' the Death of WCW, and James Guttman's World Wrestling Insanity. BTR is a worth addition to the ECW Press library. If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Between the Ropes, Click HERE and be sure to check out Fritz and the boys at BetweenTheRopes.com
There is also a special deal if you order the book on BTR's own website. Here's the sales pitch: The 302-page paperback book is available for only $19.95. As a special gift to our BTR listeners and website visitors, each book ordered through BetweenTheRopes.com comes with a Best of BTR CD featuring over one-hour of classic interviews from the Between The Ropes radio program. Included on the CD are classic discussions with Chris Jericho (1999), Vince McMahon (2000), Mick Foley (2005), and more. Listen to them in your CD player, on your computer, or transfer them to your MP3 player to listen on the go. The Best of BTR is available exclusively by purchasing Between The Ropes: Wrestling’s Greatest Triumphs and Failures on BetweenTheRopes.com and cannot be found anywhere else. And remember, if you buy more than one copy of the book, you will receive more than one copy of the CD. CLICK HERE for more details. While you're at it, be sure to check out BTR's MySpace page.
Don't forget to check out Derek's Weekly Enjoyment Index, Gimmick Table columns, Opinion Pieces, MySpace page~! and goofy stuff on The Wrestling Fan.
Special Thanks to the Dr. Keith Show's own Keith Lipinski for his help with this review.
Upcoming Reviews:
Vince Russo's Ring of Glory DVD
Jeff Gorman's This Side of the Mic book
James Hold's Out of Texas book
Recent Reviews:
ROH: Milestone Series
On The Road with Honky Tonk Man DVD
Straight Shootin' with Christian Cage DVD
Best of Japan 2005 DVD (with English commentary!)
Ring of Honor: Chi-Town Struggle
Derek Burgan has been writing for the Wrestling Observer/Figure 4 Weekly~! family since October, 2005. He previously worked as a right wing as a Punjabi prison guard. If you have any questions, corrections, feedback, comments and ideas, he can be reached at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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