Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Heels »

Greg Oliver has been covering professional wrestling for two decades for the SLAM! wrestling website, the Canadian Wrestling Report, and other magazines and newspapers. He is the author of The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Canadians and coauthor of The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams. He lives in Toronto, Ontario. Steven Johnson is the author of articles on business, politics, and sports in dozens of newspapers and magazines, and the coauthor of The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams. He lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.

As the first comprehensive look at the ruffians, rascals, and rule breakers in the wrestling business, this history explains the rise of the wrestling villain, the reasons for his (or her) success, and the impact these sordid characters have had on the sport. Based on first-hand interviews with hundreds of wrestlers, managers, promoters, and historians, these entertaining profiles document wrestling’s top rotten apples from the 1920s to today, providing plenty of support for the book's claim that fans love to hate the bad guys as much as they love to love the heroes. With remarkable candor, wrestling’s troublemakers explain why they became villains and how they perceived and honed their roles; the sport is richer for the presence of the nefarious ones—and they know it. With more than 150 never-before-seen photos, this book will satisfy devoted fans and inspire everyone else to take a look at the exciting and often bizarre world of professional wrestling.

Online World of Wrestling

A fascinating journey . . . Rating: 9.5/10.