Superfly: The Jimmy Snuka Story

by Jimmy Snuka, Jon Chattman, Rowdy Roddy Piper (Foreword)

Focusing on the superstar who single-handedly influenced the development of sports entertainment, this autobiography highlights the legacy of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) icon Jimmy Snuka. The wrestler’s legendary top-rope maneuvers, innovative high-flying style, and unprecedented aerial ability made him the most popular competitor in WWE. This fascinating account relates how a native of the Fiji Islands was at the center of two of wrestling’s most talked-about the night Snuka leapt from the top of the 15-foot cage—only to miss his opponent and consequently lose the match—and the night Rowdy Roddy Piper smashed a coconut over Snuka’s head during a segment of Piper’s Pit in 1984. Exposing the amazing life of this WWE Hall of Fame member in detail, this record presents the ups and downs of a wrestler who grew to be a key figure in the expansion of the company and all professional wrestling.

Genres: Autobiography

256 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2012

Reviews

[Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Saturday, January 15th, marks the 5th anniversary of the death of one of the biggest, and most controversial, stars to ever enter the squared circle. In memory of “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka, the Literary Squared Circle reviews at his 2012 memoir Superfly: The Jimmy Snuka Story by Jimmy Snuka with Jon Chattman (Triumph Books, 2012).

I am not the type of person who skips ahead in books. I read books from beginning to end, and do not jump ahead just because I can’t wait to see what happens. However, I must admit I did break this rule when I received my copy of Superfly: The Jimmy Snuka Story when it was released 10 years ago. Once the book was in my hands, I immediately began looking for where Snuka discusses the death of Nancy Argentino in 1983. (For those wondering, it’s on page 91, “About Nancy Argentino”)

Snuka (through obvious ghostwriter Jon Chattman) describes Argentino as a “friend” with whom he “hangs out” and “sleeps with” when he was on the East Coast. He then tells the story of how the two were driving from Connecticut to Pennsylvania for a television taping. They were drinking beer and Snuka pulled the car over so Argentino could pee. When she was returning to the car, Snuka claims she fell and hit her head. She said she was fine, went to sleep that night, and didn’t wake up the next morning having suffered a fractured skull when she fell.

Snuka discusses being questioned by police, but denies any wrongdoing. He then made himself out to be the victim because so many people have vilified him over the years and none of those accusations are true. The only problem with this version of the events surrounding the death of Nancy Argentino are that they contradict the story Snuka had been telling everyone for nearly three decades.

The established story had been that Snuka and Argentino had been doing drugs and started playfully roughhousing in their motel room. He pushed her and she accidently fell and hit her head on the wall. This is what reportedly caused the injury which led to her demise. Even more interesting, were the results of Argentino’s autopsy results which stated that her injuries were “suggestive of ‘mate’ abuse” and “should be investigated as a homicide”.

After the release of Superfly in 2012, the investigation into Argentino’s death was re-opened. In early 2014, the case was turned over to a grand jury. In September 2015, Jimmy Snuka was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. He plead not guilty. By the time the trial was set to begin, Snuka’s health had deteriorated and he was deemed not mentally competent to stand trial. On January 3, 2017, charges were dismissed. Less than two weeks later, on January 15, 2017, Jimmy Snuka died from stomach cancer at the age of 73.

Of course, all of this happened after Superfly: The Jimmy Snuka Story had been released. Superfly is your average, run-of-the-mill, ghostwritten wrestler autobiography. Despite having the word “brudda” tacked on to the end of seemingly every other sentence, the book comes across as being a secondhand retelling of Snuka’s story.

Snuka’s life and career are covered, though not in great detail. The actual narrative is just over 150 pages. That is followed by a career timeline, a Snuka family tree, a dictionary covering Fijian and Hawaiian terms used by Snuka in the book, and more. The additional materials seem to be there just to get the book over 200 pages.

Despite the rather pedestrian telling of Snuka’s story, there are some great photos sprinkled throughout the book. Superfly: The Jimmy Snuka Story is not a great book, nor is it a particularly bad book. With the exception of the intrigue regarding Nancy Argentino’s death, the book is very forgettable. Snuka was a huge star, and one of the most controversial figures ever in professional wrestling. So many other wrestler memoirs have crazy stories about Snuka that Superfly came off as a watered down telling of the Snuka’s own story.

Unlike Jimmy Snuka’s Superfly Splash off the top of the cage onto Don Muraco in Madison Square Garden, his book Superfly: The Jimmy Snuka Story missed it’s mark. Fans of Snuka will want to check this book out. All others might want to pass on this one, brudda.

3 Stars out of 5

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a time when I was keeping a tally of all the things I learned about Jimmy Snuka reading this book, but I honestly lost count. I grew up in New England, so the first time I saw Jimmy was when he signed with the McMahon's in the early eighties. I was a big fan, and part of my curiosity in reading this was to see how he sort of disappeared, or so it seemed to me. That question gets answered here-- it's a combination of professional tensions and what I think is the inexorable rise of Hulk Hogan-- but there's a lot else, about Jimmy Snuka and his drinking and infidelity on the road (at one point he says, "I was never faithful to my wife," which, in terms of expression, is kind of mind-boggling). Jimmy remains, I guess, functionally illiterate. He was forty when I first saw him! He believes _The Wrestler_ was originally meant to be about him! People thought Jimmy killed one of his girlfriends! Really, this book is laced with odd and touching moments-- the later chapters, about his struggles with drug abuse and his divorce, are a pretty sober period of reading, but this is a really good read. It makes RA Dickey's book seem like no fun at all.

[Bertrand Hebert · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a wrestling book is too short it is usually good. We want more is the only thing bad I can say about this book. I went through it like butter, bruddah ! The Superfly gave us his life the good, the bad and the ugly ! Big thumbs up !

[Frank DiPrimo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Very honest autobiography with great stories and information of a misunderstood and taken advantage individual. Very well written.
Sad, but inspiring life of fighting many personal demons. An over good guy who touched and afeected many lives.
Of the many wrestling autobiographies I have read, this is in the top 4.

[Brandon Mclaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can see why this book does not have a good rating, but the forward and introduction made me give it 4 stars. I feel like he lied about Nacy, straight up. Almost gave it 3 stars. I know he did it. He lived a hard life fighting his whole life. Must respect to that, brudda!

[Danny Proffitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok my thinking of him. Changed while reading this book.

[Lorraine Salome · Rating 1 out of 5]

Biography??? More like total fiction.
Are these authors really thinking the public will buy into this as a true story?
If you have ever read anything about Snuka you can see the total contradictions
in the content. The chapter about his girlfriends death in 1983 is fiction to the extreme. Just look into some old articles on this tragic death and see the truth
about this matter.
Snuka seems to be the king of denial.
The book did not read smoothly very chopped up with every chapter having
quotes from his family and friends.
If you have this book throw it away everyone takes a chance when they buy a
new book . This one is like reading a bunch of wrestling self promo.

[Jess Sousa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read, you get to truly understand the wrestling world and what the wrestlers go through in the real world

[Jake · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was pretty rough...

[Penny Aurand · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the book was pretty good. I met Jimmy Snuka a couple years ago and he was very nice. In the book he mentioned several times how people were intimidated by his looks, and he was right. When I saw him across the room he did look scary but we went up to him and he took pictures with us and signed autographs. Some of the things he said in the book about not disliking or being upset with people is hard to believe though. I enjoyed the book, especially since I actually got to meet the man.

[Juxhin Deliu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy reading, it transpires all the traits of " Noble Salvage" related to Snuka. He tends to be quite ripetitive (" bruddas" everywhere, telling how much he loves everyone and everything) and overlooking (Nancy Argentino's chapter is quite elusive) at times, nevertheless he's really detailed about his origins, growing up, family and inception into the wrestling business.