Brute Power: The Autobiography of Buggsy McGraw

by Buggsy McGraw, Ian Douglass, Rocky Johnson (Contributor)

Brute Power was named a 2019 Finalist for "Best Pro Wrestling Book" by the Wrestling Observer. Oliver Bateman of 'The Ringer' describes Brute Power as "A no-holds-barred autobiography of one of the towering titans of the territorial age. Brute Power takes readers behind the curtain. McGraw pulled his punches in the ring, but doesn’t in this excellent book. He’ll tell you who he liked, who he hated, and about the time he hunted for kangaroos with midget wrestlers.” Don Davies of 'SLAM! Wrestling’ reviewed Brute Power and said "Brute Power does a great job of following Davis' career from a young inexperienced wrestler to a main eventer at Madison Square Garden in New York. Unlike some other autobiographies that do not pull the curtain far back during their time in the '60s to '80s, McGraw's autobiography pulls the curtain back on the wrestling business during his time where kayfabe was enforced.” Brute Power is the official autobiography of a little Indiana boy with a speech impediment who turned himself into one of the strongest men on the planet, before transitioning into a worldwide wrestling star. This book covers Buggsy's journey around the world to territories both big and small, along with his shocking decision to walk away from the ring while still in his prime in favor of a career as a registered nurse. Buggsy McGraw provides you all of the stories and details about working with Bruno Sammartino, Lou Albano, Andre The Giant, Giant Baba, Jerry Lawler, Antonio Inoki, Bobo Brazil, Randy Savage, Jumbo Tsuruta, The Von Erich's, Dory Funk Jr., Ray Stevens, Pat Patterson, Peter Maivia, Rocky Johnson, The Sheik, Abdullah the Butcher, Stan Hansen, Dick the Bruiser, Paul Orndorff, Roddy Piper, Jack Brisco, Lonnie Mayne, Nikolai Volkoff, Bill Irwin, Jimmy Valiant, Vince Russo, Bruiser Brody and more! This book also contains a foreword by WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson, with an afterword by B. Brian Blair, the president of the Cauliflower Alley Club!

319 pages, Perfect Paperback

Published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this a couple months ago after contributing to the Kickstarter but it wasn't in the Goodreads database at the time. I've consequently forgotten most of it so here's what I posted on my Amazon review after the fact.

I didn't know much about Buggsy McGraw when I bought this but now I want to track down some of his matches. Buggy's career took him all over the world and into the orbit of lots of wrestling's greatest characters. Buggsy shares his opinions of Andre, the Von Erichs, Bruiser Brody, Dusty Rhodes, and many more. He's also not afraid to admit it when he made some mistakes. It's not in my top 10 wrestling books but it's definitely in the top 20.

[John Galluzzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only caught Buggsy's act briefly, in the early 1980s. Back in the territory days, pre-cable television, the only wrestling you could see on TV was the local product. Being in the northeast, I watched the WWF. But then, Von Erich-mania struck and the World Class Championship Wrestling product was beamed up here from Texas. I happened to catch a brief glimpse of Buggsy and immediately became a fan.

What a long and strange road he took to get to that point.

McGraw, real name Mike Davis, lived, as most wrestlers in those days did, many lives under many names. He crossed paths with all the other greats of his era, for better or worse. His storytelling focuses heartily on some of the true issues of the sport in those days: the ups and downs of payoffs, the political control of roster spots and spots on the card, jealousies, brawls, ribs and more. He pulls no punches, levying opinions on some wrestlers, bookers and promoters that won't be found anywhere else, at least not in the several dozen autobiographies I've read to this point. I was surprised to hear his thoughts on Bruiser Brody, the Von Erichs and more.

For wrestling fans who ever wondered what life was like after the big paychecks stopped rolling in, the afterlife of Buggsy McGraw will come as a surprise. His post-career careers are inspiring. He would never let himself just whither away with the spotlight gone. He made something else of himself, contributing greatly to his communities.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written. I loved the stories about wrestling. It was a fun trip down memory lane

[Lee Bratcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read for those who want more information about wrestling in the 70s & 80s territory days.

[Oliver Bateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

an exceedingly good autobiography of a famous and influential but long-retired (early 80s) wrestler. the mcgraw story was among the best wrestling autobios of the past five years, and i've quoted from it in various articles and also interviewed mcgraw, who is still a sharp guy (the first thing the man said to me was that he'd looked me up, and saw that my powerlifting form was excellent). highly recommended