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BIGGER! BETTER! BADDER!: WRESTLEMANIA III and the Year It All Changed
“A provocative and masterfully told account of an event that made pro wrestling an entertainment mushroom cloud.” — Tim Graham, The Athletic
“A must-read book — an irresistible force of modern wrestling history.” — Tom Fordy, The Telegraph
Greenberg lays bare how WrestleMania III legitimized wrestling as entertainment and reshaped the industry, offering insight and perspective from those closest to the event
On an overcast day in 1987, the pro wrestling landscape was altered forever when a reported 93,173 fans converged on the Pontiac Silverdome outside Detroit to see Hulk Hogan defend his championship against André the Giant.
BIGGER! BETTER! BADDER! is the story behind Wrestlemania III, told from the perspective of company executives, wrestlers who appeared on the card, fans who attended the show, and other wrestling personalities. But Keith Elliot Greenberg also examines the entire industry at the time, including insights from representatives from the rival promotions Vince McMahon was putting out of business as pro wrestling transitioned from a regional phenomenon into the international juggernaut it is today.
“A must-read book — an irresistible force of modern wrestling history.” — Tom Fordy, The Telegraph
Greenberg lays bare how WrestleMania III legitimized wrestling as entertainment and reshaped the industry, offering insight and perspective from those closest to the event
On an overcast day in 1987, the pro wrestling landscape was altered forever when a reported 93,173 fans converged on the Pontiac Silverdome outside Detroit to see Hulk Hogan defend his championship against André the Giant.
BIGGER! BETTER! BADDER! is the story behind Wrestlemania III, told from the perspective of company executives, wrestlers who appeared on the card, fans who attended the show, and other wrestling personalities. But Keith Elliot Greenberg also examines the entire industry at the time, including insights from representatives from the rival promotions Vince McMahon was putting out of business as pro wrestling transitioned from a regional phenomenon into the international juggernaut it is today.
- GenresNonfictionHistorySports
293 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 25, 2025
27 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Keith Elliot Greenberg
83 books21 followersKeith Elliot Greenberg is a New York Times bestselling author and producer for America's Most Wanted. In addition to producing programs for VH1, 48 Hours, MSNBC Investigates, the History Channel, and Court TV, among others, Greenberg has authored more than thirty nonfiction books and written for such outlets as Maxim, The Village Voice, The New York Observer, USA Today, Playboy.com, and US Weekly."
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 20, 2025
Keith Elliott Greenberg, a renowned wrestling historian, is one of the best in the industry today. Whenever I hear about a new book from him, I make sure to buy it. His genuine passion for wrestling is evident in his writing style. His latest book delves into the significance of WrestleMania III and the events leading up to and following it. He provides a comprehensive account of the intricacies of this event, including the struggles of wrestling territories to maintain their relevance and their eventual decline while trying to keep up with the WWF. Despite having read numerous books and watched numerous documentaries on the demise of the territories, Keith Elliott Greenberg offers a fresh perspective on the subject.
The book features interviews with wrestlers, behind-the-scenes personnel, fans, and other influential figures, which adds depth and authenticity to the narrative. It serves as a nostalgic journey while also presenting new insights into the topic. As an avid wrestling fan, I appreciate the efforts of historians like Tim Hornbaker, Brian Solomon, Scott Teal, and, of course, Keith Elliott Greenberg. They approach wrestling with seriousness and passion, writing with intelligence and a profound understanding of its profound impact.
My sole complaint about the book is its occasional disjointed narrative. While it ultimately leads to the desired conclusion, the detours occasionally distract me from the main storyline. Nevertheless, the book left me with a smile and reminded me of the reasons why I’m unapologetically a fan of professional wrestling.
The book features interviews with wrestlers, behind-the-scenes personnel, fans, and other influential figures, which adds depth and authenticity to the narrative. It serves as a nostalgic journey while also presenting new insights into the topic. As an avid wrestling fan, I appreciate the efforts of historians like Tim Hornbaker, Brian Solomon, Scott Teal, and, of course, Keith Elliott Greenberg. They approach wrestling with seriousness and passion, writing with intelligence and a profound understanding of its profound impact.
My sole complaint about the book is its occasional disjointed narrative. While it ultimately leads to the desired conclusion, the detours occasionally distract me from the main storyline. Nevertheless, the book left me with a smile and reminded me of the reasons why I’m unapologetically a fan of professional wrestling.
August 27, 2025
Listen, if you know me at all, it should come as no surprise that I would read this book. Was it well written with reference to as many sources as possible? Yes, and considering that pro wrestling is not always known for truth telling, that was a remarkable feat. Did I learn anything really new? No, but if you want a book that covers how pro wrestling transformed from regional entertainment into a multi billion dollar company, this book is for you. It feels targeted for non-fans or new fans as everything is spelled out. It was interesting and an easy read but nothing revelatory.
November 3, 2025
A decent history of the WWF and wrestling in general, transitioning from the territory days to the national company. However, the title is a little misleading and the focus on Wrestlemania III does not come until past the halfway point. For wrestling fans who have a sense of the history of the business there are plenty of items in this book that are rehashed and a few stories that were at least new to me. It seemed like a bit of a stretch that many of the changes that happened in the wrestling industry were a result of Wrestlemania III and not part of the wider landscape. Overall, it was enjoyable but not as focused as I would have liked and definitely not earth shattering.
March 3, 2025
Thanks to ECW Press, who sent me an advance reading copy of Keith Elliot Greenberg's Bigger! Better! Badder!: WrestleMania III and the Year It All Changed. My review initially appeared at www.equinoxx.info on Saturday March 1st 2025. Here it is:
With it currently being WrestleMania season, it seems like an opportune time for Keith Elliot Greenberg's latest pro wrestling title - Bigger! Better! Badder!: WrestleMania III and the Year It All Changed - to hit the shelves.
As the title states, Greenberg focuses his latest work on what is arguably one of the most important professional wrestling events in history - WrestleMania III - which took place from the Detroit Silverdome in front of, well - in front of a lot of people, on March 29th 1987.
The author does a lot more than take a historical look at that one event, though.
To convey how important WrestleMania III is, Greenberg spends half of the book with as thorough a job on the history of American professional wrestling leading into the '87 showcase. To do this, Greenberg evidently obtains a lot of sources to help with this narrative. And it is perfectly sewn together by the writer.
Anyone who has followed WWE for a fairly decent length of time are sure to have came across the legends of the two major bouts on the '87 card. First, the show-stealing contest between 'Macho Man' Randy Savage and Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat as well as the main event which saw Hulk Hogan bodyslam Andre the Giant to retain the WWF Championship.
Greenberg details everything about those two contests and their legacy in WrestleMania history.
I was curious to see if the announced attendance of the event would also get a spotlight in this book. I can report it is a topic in one of the chapters about the event.
World Wrestling Entertainment still boasts Mania III had an attendance of 93,173. However, there has been conjecture - even to this very day - which has strongly argued that the number was heavily inflated. Greenberg covers all angles on this controversial note.
Bigger! Better! Badder! does not end with the conclusion of WrestleMania III. The final few chapters cover how the WWF (now WWE) operated in the years beyond Mania III. One of the things which stood out to this European wrestling fan, was seeing how WWF kind of became a 'World' product following March 29th 1987's extravaganza.
Leading into his coverage of WrestleMania III, Keith Elliot Greenberg details Vince McMahon Jr. and the WWF's expansion across the USA. There's also the moves into Canada. However, once the Mania III portion ends, we witness how the WWF/E machine then begins its assault on more foreign soil with its first show in France. That was followed by the company's move across to other countries like the UK and Ireland.
WrestleMania III sure was a springboard to what had become the norm for pro wrestling: events held in huge stadiums fairly regularly. To punctuate the point, consider this: tonight's WWE Elimination Chamber event is expected to hold thousands inside a domed stadium in the form of Toronto's Rogers Centre.
Bigger! Better! Badder! is a strong book for anyone with an interest in professional wrestling. I've thought hard about who would enjoy it the most, and I believe the perfect audience would be those keen to learn about the WWF's expansion years especially those who may be starting out as wrestling fans thanks to WWE's expansion into Netflix and other streaming platforms across the world.
With it currently being WrestleMania season, it seems like an opportune time for Keith Elliot Greenberg's latest pro wrestling title - Bigger! Better! Badder!: WrestleMania III and the Year It All Changed - to hit the shelves.
As the title states, Greenberg focuses his latest work on what is arguably one of the most important professional wrestling events in history - WrestleMania III - which took place from the Detroit Silverdome in front of, well - in front of a lot of people, on March 29th 1987.
The author does a lot more than take a historical look at that one event, though.
To convey how important WrestleMania III is, Greenberg spends half of the book with as thorough a job on the history of American professional wrestling leading into the '87 showcase. To do this, Greenberg evidently obtains a lot of sources to help with this narrative. And it is perfectly sewn together by the writer.
Anyone who has followed WWE for a fairly decent length of time are sure to have came across the legends of the two major bouts on the '87 card. First, the show-stealing contest between 'Macho Man' Randy Savage and Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat as well as the main event which saw Hulk Hogan bodyslam Andre the Giant to retain the WWF Championship.
Greenberg details everything about those two contests and their legacy in WrestleMania history.
I was curious to see if the announced attendance of the event would also get a spotlight in this book. I can report it is a topic in one of the chapters about the event.
World Wrestling Entertainment still boasts Mania III had an attendance of 93,173. However, there has been conjecture - even to this very day - which has strongly argued that the number was heavily inflated. Greenberg covers all angles on this controversial note.
Bigger! Better! Badder! does not end with the conclusion of WrestleMania III. The final few chapters cover how the WWF (now WWE) operated in the years beyond Mania III. One of the things which stood out to this European wrestling fan, was seeing how WWF kind of became a 'World' product following March 29th 1987's extravaganza.
Leading into his coverage of WrestleMania III, Keith Elliot Greenberg details Vince McMahon Jr. and the WWF's expansion across the USA. There's also the moves into Canada. However, once the Mania III portion ends, we witness how the WWF/E machine then begins its assault on more foreign soil with its first show in France. That was followed by the company's move across to other countries like the UK and Ireland.
WrestleMania III sure was a springboard to what had become the norm for pro wrestling: events held in huge stadiums fairly regularly. To punctuate the point, consider this: tonight's WWE Elimination Chamber event is expected to hold thousands inside a domed stadium in the form of Toronto's Rogers Centre.
Bigger! Better! Badder! is a strong book for anyone with an interest in professional wrestling. I've thought hard about who would enjoy it the most, and I believe the perfect audience would be those keen to learn about the WWF's expansion years especially those who may be starting out as wrestling fans thanks to WWE's expansion into Netflix and other streaming platforms across the world.
July 1, 2025
Grew on me. At first the episodic, somewhat aleatory design of the storytelling and large quantity of unanalyzed quotations made me think this might be more scrapbook than argument, but eventually things coalesce fairly well. It's not a deeply sophisticated point, but wow, does he evoke the texture of life in this world. Books on wrestling mix genres by definition: I guess they're kind of sports books, though that seems like in some ways the smallest part, unless the book spends a lot of time focusing on training (only a brief mention here), but they're also very much business books (unavoidable any time you're exploring the WWE's trajectory from one of many regional promotions to dominating hegemon), and subcultural studies (the company seems to have a degree retained its carny origins even as its market cap stretched into the billions), and art criticism (complex and unresolved question here of how much rehearsing a match is bad, as opposed to the wrestlers' working it out between themselves ad hoc in the ring, as was tradition, since he notes that the legendary Steamboat/Savage match was painstakingly worked out, beat by beat, over numerous house shows, and exhaustively rehearsed--he guesses that Randy Savage had OCD, so uncontrolled and consuming was his need to plan everything), and moral biographies (the more we learn about Vince McMahon's combination of horrific peccadilloes and brutal determination to impose them on the women in his orbit, the more perverse the company's rise seems, especially its disturbing psychological aspects in 90s storytelling--the 80s stuff has the benefit of hewing to simpler and more traditional lines), and of course histories of American culture more broadly, though by the now the WWE-to-Trump proposition has hardened into cliche.
As someone who was actually AT Wrestlemania III (Pontiac wasn't all that far from Ann Arbor, though I retain no memory of how we got there, since nobody I knew owned a car junior year of college), I appreciated all the behind-the-scenes lore, and Greenberg conveys how wide-ranging the results of this one event were, both regionally (it didn't kill off every local promotion, since the Monday Night Wars were still to come, but it definitely kept winnowing the field) and internationally (British wrestlers passed around VHS tapes, even if they felt that the WWE's aesthetic was primitive). Not to mention how much the managers matter--a lot here about how great heel managers Bobby Heenan and Jimmy Hart were at generating heat, how central they were to the narrative, and how willingly they took bumps to sell the stories. So honestly a solid and enjoyable mixture of art/business/culture/personal/sports/moral/American history, all told.
Most wrestling moments:
#2: It's generally accepted that the "official" attendance figure for Wrestlemania III of 93,173 is fanciful and probably invented, maybe even scribbled on a napkin like the legendary Laffer Curve. While working through where the number may have come from and why it was set where it was, Greenberg gets into the fact that the Pope was coming to the Silverdome later that spring, and the WWF wanted to do better numbers ahead of time. As it turns out, the Pope beat the invented number by about 500. Jimmy Hart argues that this was kayfabe as well, that the Pope's people inflated the numbers. Awesome move, whether work or shoot.
#1: Discussing the British Bulldogs' mascot, an actual bulldog named Martha, Hart marvels, "She was incredibly over with the fans." That is taking the aesthetic seriously.
As someone who was actually AT Wrestlemania III (Pontiac wasn't all that far from Ann Arbor, though I retain no memory of how we got there, since nobody I knew owned a car junior year of college), I appreciated all the behind-the-scenes lore, and Greenberg conveys how wide-ranging the results of this one event were, both regionally (it didn't kill off every local promotion, since the Monday Night Wars were still to come, but it definitely kept winnowing the field) and internationally (British wrestlers passed around VHS tapes, even if they felt that the WWE's aesthetic was primitive). Not to mention how much the managers matter--a lot here about how great heel managers Bobby Heenan and Jimmy Hart were at generating heat, how central they were to the narrative, and how willingly they took bumps to sell the stories. So honestly a solid and enjoyable mixture of art/business/culture/personal/sports/moral/American history, all told.
Most wrestling moments:
#2: It's generally accepted that the "official" attendance figure for Wrestlemania III of 93,173 is fanciful and probably invented, maybe even scribbled on a napkin like the legendary Laffer Curve. While working through where the number may have come from and why it was set where it was, Greenberg gets into the fact that the Pope was coming to the Silverdome later that spring, and the WWF wanted to do better numbers ahead of time. As it turns out, the Pope beat the invented number by about 500. Jimmy Hart argues that this was kayfabe as well, that the Pope's people inflated the numbers. Awesome move, whether work or shoot.
#1: Discussing the British Bulldogs' mascot, an actual bulldog named Martha, Hart marvels, "She was incredibly over with the fans." That is taking the aesthetic seriously.
Read
May 31, 2025As a fan of wrestling from way back, any book about the subject is one that gets my interest. Although I grew up in the sixties and enjoyed wrestling from that era and the early seventies, BIGGER! BETTER! BADDER! manages to look not only at mainly wrestling in the eighties, but also talks about the era leading up to the time it all changed. That is necessary for us to understand precisely what Vince McMahon achieved when he brought wrestling to a new level of interest and dare I say sophistication. He definitely had a vision, and he decided to transform a sport that was important and entertaining at the same time.
I am not going to get into the debate of the word sport, and yes we all know the matches are orchestrated and outcomes known beforehand, but that does not take away from the soap opera that occurs within the squared circle. McMahon not only brought a new level of wrestlers to the squared circle, but he also turned the sport into something noteworthy, and miles from where it was decades earlier. When he launched the concept of Wrestlemania, which was almost like the super bowl of the sport, it had the glitz and glamour and pageantry of a Hollywood production.
But it was Wrestlemania III held at the Pontiac Silverdome around Detroit, that really gave wrestling legitimacy, where it never looked back, growing in leaps and bounds annually after that. The crowd was said to be 93,173 inside the stadium for the event, but there has been controversy about the actual numbers. They varied according to certain counts and opinions, but no matter what the number, the event still outpaced anything that had been viewed before it, and possibly would transpire in the future.
The matches were strategically created, featuring some of the biggest names and feuds in the WWF. One of the matches with Ricky (the Dragon) Steamboat versus Randy (Macho Man) Savage was said to be among the greatest matches in wrestling history. There was also Hulk Hogan defending his title against Andre The Giant, once a best friend, now a mortal enemy. Other stars of that era on the card included: Rowdy Roddy Piper, Jake (the Snake) Roberts, Brutus Beefcake, Greg (The Hammer) Valentine, Honky Tonk Man, Iron Sheik, Bret Hart, Harley Race, and so many more.
The book brings it all to life once more, told through the eyes of one of the most esteemed and respected wrestling historians in the world. The book also brings into perspective what this event meant during, and long after it ended. Wrestling fans will find so much to appreciate inside the pages of the book.
I am not going to get into the debate of the word sport, and yes we all know the matches are orchestrated and outcomes known beforehand, but that does not take away from the soap opera that occurs within the squared circle. McMahon not only brought a new level of wrestlers to the squared circle, but he also turned the sport into something noteworthy, and miles from where it was decades earlier. When he launched the concept of Wrestlemania, which was almost like the super bowl of the sport, it had the glitz and glamour and pageantry of a Hollywood production.
But it was Wrestlemania III held at the Pontiac Silverdome around Detroit, that really gave wrestling legitimacy, where it never looked back, growing in leaps and bounds annually after that. The crowd was said to be 93,173 inside the stadium for the event, but there has been controversy about the actual numbers. They varied according to certain counts and opinions, but no matter what the number, the event still outpaced anything that had been viewed before it, and possibly would transpire in the future.
The matches were strategically created, featuring some of the biggest names and feuds in the WWF. One of the matches with Ricky (the Dragon) Steamboat versus Randy (Macho Man) Savage was said to be among the greatest matches in wrestling history. There was also Hulk Hogan defending his title against Andre The Giant, once a best friend, now a mortal enemy. Other stars of that era on the card included: Rowdy Roddy Piper, Jake (the Snake) Roberts, Brutus Beefcake, Greg (The Hammer) Valentine, Honky Tonk Man, Iron Sheik, Bret Hart, Harley Race, and so many more.
The book brings it all to life once more, told through the eyes of one of the most esteemed and respected wrestling historians in the world. The book also brings into perspective what this event meant during, and long after it ended. Wrestling fans will find so much to appreciate inside the pages of the book.
May 12, 2025
While much of this story we've all heard before, Keith Elliot Greenberg found ways - as he always does - to reach a little deeper into his reporting and provide us with details we never knew.
While covering the ever-important pre-story of the end of the territories era, he discusses the jump of Hulk Hogan from the AWA to the WWF. As I was reading, I realized that I already knew the outcome, but I had no idea how it actually happened. How did Vince McMahon get word to Hulk Hogan in the first place? This was a world before email, text, etc., and Verne Gagne would not have let any WWF employee in any of his buildings. There had to have been a phone call between Vince and Hulk. Who initiated it? Who called who? Greenberg's reporting on the topic was excellent, going down a rabbit hole I hadn't even thought about.
He dives into stories that have become legendary - the Steamboat vs. Savage match, for instance - and talks about each match and its place on the card, as well as its role in past and future WWF glory. I truly appreciated his approach to figuring out whether the 93,000 spectators number was true, and loved how it was played off the Pope's visit to the same stadium and the level of one-upsmanship necessary by the Catholic Church to keep the Pope above Hulk and Andre the Giant on the scale of who attracted more eyes. He also delves into the Andre-Hulk history, the fallacies the WWF put forward to build the story (Andre has never been slammed! He's never been pinned!) and reasons for simple things like why Andre started wearing his one-shoulder singlet.
Greenberg's theory is that while Wrestlemania was big and Wrestlemania II struck a chord, it was Wrestlemania III that truly put the nail in the coffin of the territories era of professional wrestling. It's hard to argue against it. After Wrestlemania III, things were never the same again.
While covering the ever-important pre-story of the end of the territories era, he discusses the jump of Hulk Hogan from the AWA to the WWF. As I was reading, I realized that I already knew the outcome, but I had no idea how it actually happened. How did Vince McMahon get word to Hulk Hogan in the first place? This was a world before email, text, etc., and Verne Gagne would not have let any WWF employee in any of his buildings. There had to have been a phone call between Vince and Hulk. Who initiated it? Who called who? Greenberg's reporting on the topic was excellent, going down a rabbit hole I hadn't even thought about.
He dives into stories that have become legendary - the Steamboat vs. Savage match, for instance - and talks about each match and its place on the card, as well as its role in past and future WWF glory. I truly appreciated his approach to figuring out whether the 93,000 spectators number was true, and loved how it was played off the Pope's visit to the same stadium and the level of one-upsmanship necessary by the Catholic Church to keep the Pope above Hulk and Andre the Giant on the scale of who attracted more eyes. He also delves into the Andre-Hulk history, the fallacies the WWF put forward to build the story (Andre has never been slammed! He's never been pinned!) and reasons for simple things like why Andre started wearing his one-shoulder singlet.
Greenberg's theory is that while Wrestlemania was big and Wrestlemania II struck a chord, it was Wrestlemania III that truly put the nail in the coffin of the territories era of professional wrestling. It's hard to argue against it. After Wrestlemania III, things were never the same again.
September 29, 2025
(3.5 stars) This work offers the back story on how Wrestlemania III became one of, if not the biggest, single wrestling spectacle ever seen. It follows the back story of the evolution of wrestling from the territory days to how Vince MacMahon took his father’s business and grew it into the national company that make such a mark in pop culture history in the 1980s. There are the stories about Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant, the two main eventers that drove some 93,000 people to that event (even now, no one knows for sure just how many jammed into the Pontiac Silverdome that night. Yet, much is also made of the behind-the-scenes players, the other promoters and support personnel that all played a part in the set up to that pivotal night. Likely the wrestling fan most interested in reading this book will have the back story down from other sources, but for a curious non-wrestling fan, this one is worth the time to read, if for nothing else to understand just how big someone like Hulk Hogan became as a wrestler and pop culture icon, and the night he perhaps achieved his greatest peak.
December 23, 2025
This is a really fun read taking a look back at one of the biggest events in pro wrestling history. You get a lot of procedural history and tons of ground-level insight from a lot of people who were actually there at the Silverdome back in '87, although there's obviously not a lot of new input from the top-level executive guys at the WWF (who are now dead or considered persona non grata for *alleged* sex crimes too disturbing to summarize here.) The author does a pretty good job of describing the paradigm shift going on the U.S. wrestling biz in the late '80s, although there's not a whole lot of new revelations here. Interestingly enough, the background on the first two 'Manias might be more fascinating than the actual subject of the tome, especially as the author digs into all of the pop cultural and sociological changes going on in Reagan's America. It doesn't break much new ground as a historical analysis, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit ... bruther.
May 19, 2025
This book not only looks at Wrestlemania 3 and the how it came to be developed , but the territory history of leagues as well.
The writing describes how Vince McMahon took over his father's WWF and started to make the expansion but taking other territory's talents, running them out of business. It also shows the impact Mania III had on the industry after the mistakes and successes of the first two Manias, to how we watch wrestling today.
Mania 3 is my all time favorite one, so this was a great read with fan accounts, the history of the wrestling magazines and photographers who worked with the WWF giving their insights, and how the other leagues were forced to try and work together to stay in business.
For an in-depth review, visit my page at : https://lancewrites.wordpress.com/202...
The writing describes how Vince McMahon took over his father's WWF and started to make the expansion but taking other territory's talents, running them out of business. It also shows the impact Mania III had on the industry after the mistakes and successes of the first two Manias, to how we watch wrestling today.
Mania 3 is my all time favorite one, so this was a great read with fan accounts, the history of the wrestling magazines and photographers who worked with the WWF giving their insights, and how the other leagues were forced to try and work together to stay in business.
For an in-depth review, visit my page at : https://lancewrites.wordpress.com/202...
May 5, 2025
4.25 stars.
Book 25 of 2025!
If there is a wrestling bio/auto bio/or related book I will probably read it, make it about anything in the 80s, I AM IN!!!!
Very cool book not only dealing with WM 3, but all of wrestling during that time.
WM 3 is one of the most talked about Manias…
Like Steamboat said, Hulk and Andre sold the show and Macho and Ricky stole the show!
If you are a WWF/WWE fan, and if you were a kid/pre teen/or teen when WM3 happened it’s a MUST read!
Book 25 of 2025!
If there is a wrestling bio/auto bio/or related book I will probably read it, make it about anything in the 80s, I AM IN!!!!
Very cool book not only dealing with WM 3, but all of wrestling during that time.
WM 3 is one of the most talked about Manias…
Like Steamboat said, Hulk and Andre sold the show and Macho and Ricky stole the show!
If you are a WWF/WWE fan, and if you were a kid/pre teen/or teen when WM3 happened it’s a MUST read!
July 5, 2025
Really enjoyed this book. At first, I was thinking how much will I really like this, or how much will I really learn, as I feel the story of wrestlemania III has been told to death. But this was a great look at not just wrestlemania 3, but all of the before and after from a historical standpoint. The history of wrestling / sports entertainment, the history of the WWF/WWE. It was fantastic. I really enjoyed it!
January 11, 2026
Very good book about the history of Wrestlemania. Greenberg covers everything from the history of the WWF and its AWA and Jim Crockett Promotions to the behind the scenes creation of the event to some of the fans who attended the event. Greenberg goes through every match on the card in depth culminating with the Savage Steamboat match that stole the show and the main event Andre the Giant vs. Hulk Hogan. it was a very easy and entertaining read.
May 7, 2025
WrestleMania 3 was alittle before my time as I was 6. Didn’t really get into wrestling till 89ish. But have watched it before and knew about it. Also knew all the characters in the WWF at the time the book takes place.
Overall a great read if you are a wrestling fan. Or grew up on the WWF of the 80’s and/or 90’s.
Overall a great read if you are a wrestling fan. Or grew up on the WWF of the 80’s and/or 90’s.
September 10, 2025
What a read! What a history! Keith is a great author who takes you truly inside to see how the business has changed and advanced over the years. Book could have been 1000 pages and still would not have been enough for this time period. Anyone who knows wrestling or wants to know why the WWE is the way it is, should read this book!
May 3, 2025
Great read about what lead to WM3, with lots of insight I hadn’t heard about at the time. The history of other wrestling territories at the time adjacent to WM3 could’ve maybe been more abridged, but a compelling book nonetheless.
April 22, 2025
Such a fun and nostalgia-filled ride. Great writing; informative and engrossing.
May 2, 2025
Goes beyond just your typical book about wrestling and breaks downs the business and decisions surrounding one of the most influential events in professional wrestling history.
November 27, 2025
Wrestlemania III
Perfect nonfiction book about the biggest wrestling event of all time
Great perfect accounts about the event and the wrestlers involved
Perfect nonfiction book about the biggest wrestling event of all time
Great perfect accounts about the event and the wrestlers involved
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews