Awesome Truth: A Wrestling Book Club

For a while now, The Players' Tribune has been helping athletes speak directly to fans via first-person articles that highlight the ups and downs on the road to fame and glory. This includes professional wrestlers; stars like Sting, Eddie Kingston, Jade Cargill, and even the wife of Brodie Lee/Jon Huber have shared their powerful stories. This week, we are revisiting many of The Players' Tribune's...

Booker T's story is tailor-made for A&E's Biography series: A Black man from Houston who went from empty pockets to the heights of professional wrestling. He's also someone who hasn't been covered to death on the WWE Network or the podcast circuit, which meant when it was time for Awesome Truth to pick an episode from A&E's big batch of wrestling content, the choice was easy. Join us as we discuss...

Last month, Awesome Truth read and reviewed one of our favorite new wrestling biographies: Dynamite and Davey: The Explosive Lives of the British Bulldogs . Joining us for this episode is the book's author, Steven Bell! We talk about what compelled Steven to chronicle these two larger-than-life British wrestling legends and write about Dynamite and Davey from such a unique perspective, both as wre...

Here are six words we thought we'd never get to say: Vince McMahon has retired from WWE. As we await details on the various crimes that finally drove the chairman from pro wrestling, we couldn't help but wonder what legacy McMahon leaves behind. Is his company in good shape? What will creative be like with Paul "Triple H" Levesque now in charge? Is World Wrestling Entertainment about to evolve and...

Most wrestling fans think they know the story of Tom "Dynamite Kid" Billington and Davey Boy Smith: Two young guns from the United Kingdom who saved Stampede Wrestling and became the British Bulldogs, a tag team that surged in the early WrestleMania era and then crumbled, leaving Dynamite in a wheelchair and Davey with a up-and-down singles run until his untimely death at age 39. But in Dynamite a...

On July 5, 1993, Monday Night Raw began with a truly memorable segment: Yokozuna challenging the United States of America to a bodyslam competition. Yoko stood on the USS Intrepid, parked in New York Harbor, and dared all comers to slam him. Numerous NBA, NFL, and WWF stars failed, including the "Macho Man" Randy Savage; only a stars-and-stripes-clad Lex Luger succeeded. To celebrate Independence...

In the aftermath of Cody Rhodes' legendary peformance at Hell in a Cell, your pals at Awesome Truth got to thinking: How have injuries altered the wrestling landscape? What would pro wrestling be like without broken legs, busted necks, and eardrum-rupturing returns? Join us as we discuss the American Nightmare's torn pec, CM Punk's shattered foot, and the other injuries -- past and present -- that...

In recent weeks, Sasha Banks has been at the center of controversy. A recent episode of Peacock's WWE Evil explores her history as a person, performer and character, but does art imitate life with Sasha's suspension for walking out on Raw? Through the lens of this new docuseries — produced & narrated by John Cena — Awesome Truth dissects The Boss's decorated past and debates whether her recent act...

From his days as Lord Steven Regal in WCW to his tenure as the beloved commissioner of NXT, William Regal has been a constant in modern pro wrestling. But what makes this beloved Englishman tick? If you aren't aware of his death-defying struggles with drug addiction, 2005's Walking a Golden Mile is the book for you. Join us as we examine Regal's endless appeal and debate whether a healthy Real Man...

When the CM Punk/MJF feud ended at AEW Revolution with a vicious and bloody dog collar match, you knew there was an outside chance it would be recapped on Outside Interefence . The YouTube channel known for its brilliant recap of the Kenny Omega/Hangman Adam Page feud is back to dissect every nook and cranny of Phil Brooks versus Maxwell Jacob Friedman, and we're here to break down the breakdown!...

Mick Foley's first autobiography, Have a Nice Day , was a trailblazer in the world we now know as wrestling literature. Foley's fourth autobiography, Countdown to Lockdown , is not. In this book, Mick details the events leading up to his TNA Championship win at 2009's Lockdown PPV against Sting. He also patches together stories from his life, including his final months at WWE working as a color co...

Following in the rich tradition of Total Divas , Total Bellas and Miz & Mrs , the WWE has given Corey Graves and Carmella their own reality show. But is this short YouTube series a free-wheeling experiment or the dumping ground for a failed pilot? Beyond that, are the daily lives of Corey and Carmella worth a minute of your time, let alone five episodes? Join us as we try to answer all of these qu...

We are mere days away from WrestleMania 38, a two-night spectacle that will draw hundreds of thousands of people to Texas for the biggest WWE event of the year. But how did Mania get to be so massive? Is it luck, timing, or Vince McMahon mythmaking? Join us as we put on our amateur wrestling historian hats and revisit old WrestleMania cards while previewing this year's extravaganza.

Scott Hall, also known to many wrestling fans as Razor Ramon, died on March 14, 2022. We've dedicated this episode of Awesome Truth to his memory, revisiting his contributions to the growth of WWF and WCW, the birth of the nWo, and the evolution of professional wrestling in the 1990s.

Just when you thought WWE was finally finished glorifying its Ruthless Aggression Era, now there's a season 2! We previously covered all things Ruthless Aggression when the first season of the docuseries debuted more than 2 years ago, and with big topics like John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and Evolution already addressed, us viewers are left with scraps. Are "Hollywood Rock," the return of Shawn Michael...

Tony Schiavone's comic book has arrived! Butts in Seats is the story of the voice of WCW and AEW as he travels from pro wrestling fame to obscurity and back again. Does Tony's story work in the graphic novel format? Can he recapture the magic after telling many of these same tales on What Happened When with Conrad Thompson? Join us as we crack open the life and times of Tony Schiavone.

For years, the feud between "Hangman" Adam Page and Kenny Omega (featuring The Young Bucks) has captivated wrestling fans and helped AEW become a legit first-tier wrestling company. To commemorate the feud's finale at Full Gear 2021, a YouTube channel called Outside Interference documented every major twist and turn in a series called "The Good, the Bad, and the Elite." And surprisingly, it's pret...

What's it like to try out for AEW? Indie wrestler Leroy Patterson knows all about it; the Freakshow Wrestling alum had a match on AEW Dark in December 2021 and recently came by the Awesome Truth studios to chat about this unique opportunity. What was it like to take on the Dark Order? How does it feel to pop Tony Khan during your debut? Join us for some unparalleled insights into the All Elite Wre...

We're kicking off 2022 by revisiting one of the greatest matches in WrestleMania history: Kurt Angle versus Shawn Michaels. The terrific WWE Untold series covered this beloved showdown a few years ago, so we watched both the doc and the match to see if it's worthy of such legendary status. Spoiler: it really is. Join us as we break down the backstory behind this classic Mania battle.

Well, it's the holidays! And to celebrate, we are revisiting the final episode of Paul Wight's The Big Show Show on Netflix, entitled "The Big Christmas." Did Big Show's sitcom end up on the naughty or the nice list? Is Show a true TV leading man? We've invited friend of the show (and Big Show expert) Matt Reis back on to determine if this Christmas special belongs in the pantheon of holiday class...

The most anticipated wrestling book of 2021 is here! Our apologies to Drew McIntyre and the Young Bucks, but the tale of Jon Moxley is the one fans have been waiting to hear. From the Cincinnati indies to wrestling as Dean Ambrose in the Shield and finally finding peace in his career at AEW, this autobiography provides a truly unique look into what makes the deathmatch-loving wildman tick. And of...

A few months ago, Awesome Truth asked the eternal question, "Should you watch Heels on Starz?" Well, we did, and now we're back to talk all about season 1. What did we ultimately think about Stephen Amell as Jack Spade, Alexander Ludwig as Ace Spade, and the Duffy Wrestling League? Did we enjoy Chris Bauer's turn as the Ric Flair/Randy Savage mashup Wild Bill Hancock? And how does the final episod...

If there's ever been a WWE wrestler who deserves a graphic novel, it's the Undertaker. His complicated, undead backstory feels tailor-made for the comic book treatment. Unfortunately, Undertaker: Rise of the Deadman does not quite capture what made Mark Calaway so special. Why exactly does the Undertaker graphic novel stink so badly? Join us and find out!

It's our first watch-along! Join us as we hit play on Netflix and traverse through the Dead Man's mansion in an effort to Escape the Undertaker . Will Big E, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods survive their attempt to swipe Taker's urn? Is this new WWE interactive adventure worth your 30 minutes? Get ready for Halloween the Awesome Truth way: by following us through this "New Day versus Mark Calaway"...

Another WWE superstar has visited the Awesome Truth studios! We sat down with former Cruiserweight Champion and 24/7 Champion Drew Gulak to discuss his Philly roots, how he found his way into professional wrestling, and the wrestling literature that inspired him along the way.