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The Titan Trilogy #2
Titan Shattered: Wrestling with Confidence and Paranoia
The highly anticipated sequel to best-selling Titan Sinking .
After enduring a turbulent year in 1995, Vince McMahon was looking to rebuild his sinking empire in 1996. He had high hopes for a new World Wrestling Federation flag bearer, Shawn Michaels - the man he was looking to as the leader of the WWF's 'New Generation'. With Michaels supported by a strong cast of established characters, some old faces, and an influx of new blood, McMahon fully expected the WWF to dominate rivals WCW in the burgeoning Monday Night War. It did not work out that way.
Titan Shattered tells the behind-the-scenes story of the WWF's tribulations in 1996. It was a year where paranoia threatened to destroy the WWF, where decades-old industry traditions were broken, and where Vince McMahon fully abandoned his wrestling principles in pursuit of the almighty dollar.
After enduring a turbulent year in 1995, Vince McMahon was looking to rebuild his sinking empire in 1996. He had high hopes for a new World Wrestling Federation flag bearer, Shawn Michaels - the man he was looking to as the leader of the WWF's 'New Generation'. With Michaels supported by a strong cast of established characters, some old faces, and an influx of new blood, McMahon fully expected the WWF to dominate rivals WCW in the burgeoning Monday Night War. It did not work out that way.
Titan Shattered tells the behind-the-scenes story of the WWF's tribulations in 1996. It was a year where paranoia threatened to destroy the WWF, where decades-old industry traditions were broken, and where Vince McMahon fully abandoned his wrestling principles in pursuit of the almighty dollar.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 14, 2015
71 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
About the author
James Dixon
47 books7 followersJames Dixon is Chief Editor and writer at historyofwrestling.co.uk, and is a frequent contributor to WhatCulture Wrestling content.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
August 28, 2015
Titan Shattered, the sequel to last year’s Titan Sinking: The Decline of the WWF in 1995, picks up in 1996 during a tumultuous time in Vince McMahon’s wrestling empire. Feeling the increased pressure from rival organization World Championship Wrestling and their attractive guaranteed contracts, McMahon would struggle throughout 1996 to keep the talent he already had, hoping that loyalty would mean more than money.
Unfortunately for Vince, not only would WCW throw out obscenely high salaries but also a reduced work schedule, something McMahon could not offer. This would lead to the departure of many of the WWF’s most well known wrestlers leaving Vince with little to no choice but to try anything he could to stay competitive. This included:
With Titan Shattered, Dixon continues with his practice of meticulous research with digestible prose that makes the book an easy read. Footnotes are again scattered throughout offering additional information that expands upon already thorough work. I’d like to consider myself an information sponge when it comes to anything wrestling-related during this period and despite having listened to hundreds of episodes of wrestling podcasts, reading dozens of books and watching several documentaries, I still managed to learn a lot. That’s how comprehensive a work Titan Shattered is.
For those looking to dig as deep as possible into the American wrestling scene of the 1990s, Dixon’s two books (a rumoured third is on its way next year) are essential reads.
Unfortunately for Vince, not only would WCW throw out obscenely high salaries but also a reduced work schedule, something McMahon could not offer. This would lead to the departure of many of the WWF’s most well known wrestlers leaving Vince with little to no choice but to try anything he could to stay competitive. This included:
Attempting to give long time roster member and gifted performer Shawn Michaels a shot at carrying the company as WWF Champion despite Michael’s childish behavior and rampant drug problems;
Bringing in veteran Mick Foley and repackaging him as the sadistic “Mankind” and immediately injecting him into a high profile program with The Undertaker;
Re-signing Jim “Ultimate Warrior” Hellwig in a desperate attempt to bring star power back to his dwindling roster;
Storylines that blended fact and fiction, one of which involved two of the hottest stars in the business.. and a handgun;
A series of vignettes parodying World Championship Wrestling showcasing characters such as “Billionaire Ted”, “Scheme Gene”, “The Huckster”, and “The Nacho Man” in an attempt to convince their audience that WCW was where past WWF stars went to take it easy.
With Titan Shattered, Dixon continues with his practice of meticulous research with digestible prose that makes the book an easy read. Footnotes are again scattered throughout offering additional information that expands upon already thorough work. I’d like to consider myself an information sponge when it comes to anything wrestling-related during this period and despite having listened to hundreds of episodes of wrestling podcasts, reading dozens of books and watching several documentaries, I still managed to learn a lot. That’s how comprehensive a work Titan Shattered is.
For those looking to dig as deep as possible into the American wrestling scene of the 1990s, Dixon’s two books (a rumoured third is on its way next year) are essential reads.
August 7, 2015
Please keep this series going!
This and Titan Sinking are excellent books about WWE in their most tumultuous era (the mid 90s). I cannot wait for 1997 to be covered!
This and Titan Sinking are excellent books about WWE in their most tumultuous era (the mid 90s). I cannot wait for 1997 to be covered!
January 19, 2017
This covers the WWF's tumultuous year of 1996. It touches on the rise of Austin 3:16; Vince renegotiating Bret Hart's contract; Shawn Michaels' lackluster run as WWF champion; WCW's rise with the birth of Monday Nitro; Hall and Nash leaving for WCW and Vince responding by creating new versions of Razor and Diesel; etc.
It was a good read, but I've seen so many WWE documentaries about the Attitude Era and the Monday Night wars that there wasn't a whole lot of new information here. Based on all the works cited, it's just a greatest hits of wrestler's biographies (many of which I've already read) and the aforementioned documentaries.
It was a good read, but I've seen so many WWE documentaries about the Attitude Era and the Monday Night wars that there wasn't a whole lot of new information here. Based on all the works cited, it's just a greatest hits of wrestler's biographies (many of which I've already read) and the aforementioned documentaries.
March 1, 2022
1996 changed pro wrestling forever. In WCW, Hulk Hogan's Bash at the Beach heel turn and subsequent formation of the NWO with Hall and Nash was game changing. Stone Cold Steve Austin winning the 96' King of the Ring and launching into stardom. The Rock had his first professional match at the Survivor Series and went on to become an icon. All this and so much more made it an exciting time to be a fan.
If, like me, you happened to be watching all this play out on weekly TV, you'll love this book. It's a very interesting look behind the curtain of the WWF in 1996, from the Royal Rumble up to the Survivor Series. I found it fascinating to discover some of the politics and reasoning behind many of the angles and matches featured. Though there were certainly some horrific decisions (fake Diesel and Razor, I'm looking at you) overall this was a great time to be a wrestling fan. Casual fans today probably won't appreciate this slice of history quite so much, but if you remember anything about pro wrestling in the 90's, you'll get a kick out of this
If, like me, you happened to be watching all this play out on weekly TV, you'll love this book. It's a very interesting look behind the curtain of the WWF in 1996, from the Royal Rumble up to the Survivor Series. I found it fascinating to discover some of the politics and reasoning behind many of the angles and matches featured. Though there were certainly some horrific decisions (fake Diesel and Razor, I'm looking at you) overall this was a great time to be a wrestling fan. Casual fans today probably won't appreciate this slice of history quite so much, but if you remember anything about pro wrestling in the 90's, you'll get a kick out of this
July 6, 2021
Well, the editing was handled much better for this one. The 2nd in the Titan Trilogy. Which, in my opinion, lands this Book with a 5 star rating. Something that I don't give out all that often. James Dixon has made the year of 1996 in WWF a billion times more interesting than it played out on TV. Absolutely stellar journalism. I knew a lot of the stories contained within going into the Novel, but it's all bits and pieces from various shoot interviews and newspaper articles and such. He had to have absorbed far more than even I have absorbed over the years in order to pen this with such continuity. He knew exactly where all the different stories fit in. I'm going straight into the 3rd Entry now because 1997 was one Hell of a year for WWE.
January 17, 2022
I finished Titan Shattered my first book of the year by James Dixon. Titan shattered cover WWF transition period from the 1980's version that domanated the wrestling landscape when Vince signed the biggest most popular wrestling stars of the decade. His team of writers captured the wrestling fan base with vivid storylines on a weekly basis, effective marketing that succeeded by bringing wrestling into the mainstream culture. By the 1990s, McMahon's fortunes had changed. He survived a steroid trial that nearly set him to prison. This gave his cheif rival opportunity to gain traction in the promotional wars. By 1994, WWF was cantering on the verge of bankruptcy. Eric Bischoff used Vince's blueprint against hm by poaching 2 rising stars within his promotion. Others would soon follow suit. Eric captured the wrestling world's attention with Hulk Hogan's heel turn by pairing Hogan with Kevin Nash aka Diesel and Scott Hall formally known as Razor Roman. It appeared on countless tv screens that the guys up north were attempting a hostile takeover. The NWO was a brilliant market success that rivaled anything in wrestling history. In contrast, WWF looked dull and cartoonish. Vince needed to move his promotion in a completely new direction. This book shows how the pieces began to fall in place. We're not at the attitude era yet. It's just a matter of time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2022
An improvement on the previous volume, this has a more consistent narrative voice, less smarky posturing (although the unneccessary insistance on using real names almost constantly is still an irritant), and less speculative fiction about what went through the minds of people who haven't commented on the record.
It ends weakly with excessively detailed breakdowns of a few matches which feels like they were included as a reach at trying to make the story end with some excitement as there wasn't anything really exciting about the end of 1996 that would otherwise serve as a climax.
Worth the read if you care about the history but it isn't stand-out in any way.
It ends weakly with excessively detailed breakdowns of a few matches which feels like they were included as a reach at trying to make the story end with some excitement as there wasn't anything really exciting about the end of 1996 that would otherwise serve as a climax.
Worth the read if you care about the history but it isn't stand-out in any way.
November 1, 2022
The title reign of Shawn Michaels. This book covers WCW and ECW, and Smoky Mountain Wrestling. He brings back some stars that didn’t last some thankfully, Freddy Joe Floyd, TL Hopper.
I was an avid wrestling fan at the time, read magazines, watched the shows, had friends who watched, traded tapes. I had an allegiance to WWF since I was a kid, but it annoyed me how Vince didn’t appreciate some of the wrestlers he had. Sure Bret Hart won multiple titles and had some big shows, but Vince treated him like a belt warmer between mediocre champs at the time. The author agrees.
Well researched and a quick read.
May 28, 2019
I thought this was a decent read but not as good as the previous book. There are some interesting stories and anecdotes here but a good deal of them are widely known to even the casual fan. It's also unfocused at times, talking in depth about topics such as Japanese wrestling in the 80's and other rival wrestling organisations whilst skipping some WWF PPV events entirely. Overall a solid read but nothing spectacular.
April 17, 2018
Like the first book this was a very interesting and enjoyable read. I had just started to be a fan at the time this books covers so for me reading it is a trip down memory lane. A quick read as well, it flowed quite nicely, so much that I finished it in 2 days.
I'm looking forward to reading final part of the series next.
I'm looking forward to reading final part of the series next.
December 27, 2019
A good insight in on of the more fascinating years of pro wrestling.
Even after reading and watching so much about this era, i still learned new bits and pieces.
More of a 3.5 out of 5
Even after reading and watching so much about this era, i still learned new bits and pieces.
More of a 3.5 out of 5
March 15, 2020
Fantastic
Fantastic, for my knowledge a very well researched and well written book.
Enjoyed very much would highly recommend, great read
Fantastic, for my knowledge a very well researched and well written book.
Enjoyed very much would highly recommend, great read
June 17, 2020
A decent sequel
A good follow up to the previous book and bridges the gap towards the final entry (which I assume features Montreal in a big way).
Still no pandas though.
A good follow up to the previous book and bridges the gap towards the final entry (which I assume features Montreal in a big way).
Still no pandas though.
December 31, 2020
Enjoyed this book! Found it to be thorough and well researched just like book 1. I am looking forward to reading the third book in the trilogy!
July 23, 2021
A really enjoyable book. A great look into the WWF in 1996. Looking forward to completing the final book in the series.
January 11, 2023
To think, Vince almost completely blew it on some of the greatest stars and biggest box office draws of the 90s. All because he couldn't let go of the 80s. Chilly McFreeze? C'mon Son!!!
August 4, 2023
1996 and that's the bottom line cause Stone Cold said so
April 16, 2018
Despite my comments on this book’s predecessor, my distaste for this narrative (and its intermittent misogynist and homophobic sideswipes) grows with my conviction that all of us, the authors included, got worked. Big time.
April 18, 2016
I know, I know, it isn't the most highbrow of reading but I needed something to help get me through the slow parts of Pride and Prejudice, which is all of Pride and Prejudice apparently. Anyway, this is a great overview of the pro wrestling landscape in 1996 and it says something when I am much more interested in reading about wrestling from twenty years ago than watching the product today. Very well written and researched and any book that has wrestling stories that I had not heard before is doing a very good job.
September 2, 2015
Another Great Look Back
I am such a fan of this series. This book seems a tad less-focused than the '95 version, but 1996 as a year for pro wrestling was all over the place anyway. I am particularly interested in the time period, as May '96 was when I got back into wrestling. If you've made it this far you know what you're getting. A great read awaits.
I am such a fan of this series. This book seems a tad less-focused than the '95 version, but 1996 as a year for pro wrestling was all over the place anyway. I am particularly interested in the time period, as May '96 was when I got back into wrestling. If you've made it this far you know what you're getting. A great read awaits.
June 2, 2016
A worthy follow up
Not as immediately interesting as Dixon's previous book. Largely due to the fact that from a WWF perspective 1996 was something of a dull year. But Dixon remains exceptionally talented in conveying the politics of wrestling whilst never being particularly dry or fannish.
Not as immediately interesting as Dixon's previous book. Largely due to the fact that from a WWF perspective 1996 was something of a dull year. But Dixon remains exceptionally talented in conveying the politics of wrestling whilst never being particularly dry or fannish.
December 3, 2016
The second installment of the Titan series, Dixon looks at WWR 1996. Once again, this is in my wrestling prehistory, but it was certainly a good read. 1996 is not as dramatic as '95 in the backstage aspect due to the Clique separating, but Michaels' fall is interesting in itself. Worth a read. I look forward to Titan Screwed as 1997 is when I started watching.
June 23, 2024
2.5 stars
This book is not a shoot as titan sinking, it's clearly a hate piece towards the wwf, Vince McMahon, and Shawn Michael's. It does not give these three much credit for anything they did in 1996. The book heavily relies on interviews done on WWE documentaries and the words of a jaded Jim Cornette along with other disgruntled employees.
This book is not a shoot as titan sinking, it's clearly a hate piece towards the wwf, Vince McMahon, and Shawn Michael's. It does not give these three much credit for anything they did in 1996. The book heavily relies on interviews done on WWE documentaries and the words of a jaded Jim Cornette along with other disgruntled employees.
June 6, 2016
A wonderful read
James Dixon takes you on a journey through Vince McMahon's most important years in business. It was sink or swim time for the WWF, and Dixon captured it brilliantly.
James Dixon takes you on a journey through Vince McMahon's most important years in business. It was sink or swim time for the WWF, and Dixon captured it brilliantly.
July 25, 2016
I love this series of books looking at the big years of the wrestling boom period. This edition was 1996, which saw so many big stories like the NWO formation, Bret's huge contract with WWE, and Shawn Michaels ascent to champion. Cannot wait to read 1997 next.
February 19, 2016
A quick, fun read, but I got most of the info from the network.
August 9, 2015
History of WWE
I've read both of these books, Titan Sinking being the other one, and enjoyed them. It was a fun walk down memory lane.
I've read both of these books, Titan Sinking being the other one, and enjoyed them. It was a fun walk down memory lane.
August 7, 2015
Informative read and great insight into what was a fascinating year in the WWF and the world of professional wrestling in general.
May 21, 2016
The information within is presented well, but there isn't much new here for those familiar with the events. Still, it's well written, and painstakingly researched. Good read.
July 12, 2016
Another fantastic weaving of WWE stories
James Dixon delivers once again. The detail, inside knowledge and Booker reactions are spot on. Looking forward to his next installment.
James Dixon delivers once again. The detail, inside knowledge and Booker reactions are spot on. Looking forward to his next installment.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews