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We Promised You a Great Main Event: An Unauthorized WWE History
Unauthorized. Unrestricted. No holds barred. In We Promised You a Great Main Event , longtime sports journalist Bill Hanstock pulls back the curtain to give a smart fan’s account of WWE and Vince McMahon’s journey to the top. Untangling the truth behind the official WWE storyline, Hanstock does a deep dive into key moments of the company’s history, from the behind-the-scenes drama at the Montreal Screwjob, to the company’s handling of the Jimmy Snuka scandal, to the real story of the Monday Night Wars. WWE is an extraordinary business success and an underappreciated pop cultural phenomenon. While WWE soared to prominence during the Hulk Hogan years, as the stakes grew more and more extreme, wrestlers faced steroid scandals and assault allegations. The whole story is here, good, bad, and ugly, from the heights of iconic cultural moments like Wrestlemania III to the arrival of global superstars like The Rock and John Cena. We Promised You a Great Main Event is an exhaustive, fun account of the McMahon family and WWE’s unprecedented rise. Drawing on a decade of covering wrestling, Bill Hanstock synthesizes insights from historians, journalists, and industry insiders with his own deep research to produce the most up-to-date, entertaining history of WWE available. Full of amazing characters and astonishing stories from the ring to corporate boardrooms, it is a story as audacious as any WWE spectacle.
464 pages, Hardcover
Published October 13, 2020
83 people are currently reading
326 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
September 6, 2025
I find professional wrestling endlessly fascinating. It's bold. It's (usually) raucous. It manages to convey stories and good and evil in an extremely high intensity, athletic format that nothing else touches as such a mixture. It makes no logical sense to me that someone would WANT to slam people--and be slammed--on a regular basis and risk injury or death for a hybridized athletic competition and scripted entertainment.
But I absolutely love it. As do many, many people, some of whom admit it, others... not so much.
Regardless, it's been with us for about 175 years, even though its current iterations are much more recent and the last third of the 20th century.
Full disclosure, I'm an AEW guy. But you cannot deny that WWE, nee WWF, after gobbling up a bunch of smaller companies has transformed it.
This commentary book is part history, part speculation, part discussion, part tribute to those workers who actually make it happen within the framework of a family that has controlled it for a long time now. It delivers the narrative with snark, but also a LOT of respect and love of the industry. A lot of this I had heard from other sources, TV shows, documentaries, books, and just watching WWF/WWE/WCW and now AEW. But I still got a lot out of it, especially the older stuff about the business/sport and the more recent happenings. It was well worth the listen.
But I absolutely love it. As do many, many people, some of whom admit it, others... not so much.
Regardless, it's been with us for about 175 years, even though its current iterations are much more recent and the last third of the 20th century.
Full disclosure, I'm an AEW guy. But you cannot deny that WWE, nee WWF, after gobbling up a bunch of smaller companies has transformed it.
This commentary book is part history, part speculation, part discussion, part tribute to those workers who actually make it happen within the framework of a family that has controlled it for a long time now. It delivers the narrative with snark, but also a LOT of respect and love of the industry. A lot of this I had heard from other sources, TV shows, documentaries, books, and just watching WWF/WWE/WCW and now AEW. But I still got a lot out of it, especially the older stuff about the business/sport and the more recent happenings. It was well worth the listen.
November 9, 2020
Bill Hanstock is no stranger to the wrestling industry, let alone WWE. A lifelong sports and wrestling fan, Bill has been writing about the industry for the past twenty years. He’s even written for BOOM studios’ line of WWE comics. So, it’s only natural that he tackle the long and controversial history of WWE in his new book, “We Promised You a Great Main Event”.
In his introduction, Bill writes about how there have been countless documentaries, books and exposes about Vince McMahon and his wrestling empire, so he decided to approach this project with “an informative history of the largest professional wrestling company in history that doesn’t insult the intelligence of hardcore fans, doesn’t alienate the uninitiated, and remains entertaining throughout.” This was an immediate relief as I was hoping I wouldn’t have to deal with someone dryly explaining the ins and outs of how the industry operates and the understanding of kayfabe.
Right off the bat, Bill strikes a tone here that is loaded with snark. This alone helped lift the book above what I had originally expected. Bill doesn’t hold anything back when criticising various gimmicks, booking decisions and the actions of Vince McMahon in the business world. Especially when looking at the 80s and 90s, Bill addresses some of the more ridiculous characters that leaked out of the brain of McMahon and into the squared circle.
“Ax and Smash appeared to have been concocted by a game of telephone played between someone who had seen the Road Warriors and someone who had seen The Road Warrior, and then relayed it to McMahon fourth-hand. They wore face paint, like the actual Road Warriors, but that’s pretty much where the similarities ended. Ax and Smash came to the ring wearing studded bondage gear and gimp masks and wrestled in S&M harnesses. Thankfully, since most fans weren’t well versed in the intricacies of kink in the late 1980s, they became beloved successes within the WWF.”
However, it’s worth noting that this isn’t a hit piece. Bill isn’t here to try and take the company to task for every questionable decision it’s ever made. He spotlights the company’s early successes in booking ethnic heroes to appeal to the masses in the Northeast United States, a decision that led to an unbelievable string of sellouts when Bruno Sammartino was carrying the world heavyweight championship. He positions Vince as the last line of defence when it comes to ideas making it onto the screen, for better or for worse. It’s a business structure that’s kept WWE from going completely off the rails like some of its competitors who had given too much power to too many different people.
There’s also the challenge of condensing decades of history into about five hundred pages. I’ve read books that approach the length of this one that cover only one year in the WWE’s storied history (James Dixon’s excellent “Titan” series). Bill doesn’t allow himself to get bogged down in any one topic. Don’t get me wrong – he explores a multitude of subjects while devoting time to events that really do require a closer look like the steroid trial of the early 90s, Mel Phillips and the ring boy scandal of the 1980s and the Chris Benoit murder/suicide in 2007. By approaching those subjects alone, I think it’s safe to say that there’s very little bias within this book.
In an interview with Cageside Seats, Hanstock had said the last truly comprehensive book looking at the history of WWE was Shaun Assael and Mike Mooneyham’s “Sex, Lies and Headlocks” in 2004, so after sixteen years, it is a great time for an update. Hanstock’s book is as up-to-date as possible with analysis on the company’s lengthy deal with Saudi Arabia as well as WWE’s push to be labeled as an “essential business” within Florida during the COVID 19 pandemic. Both are detailed looks at the most newsworthy items that have plagued the company in the last number of years.
I will say that I’ve been a wrestling fan for over thirty years now, having read dozens of books and watched countless documentaries, there wasn’t really anything here that was new or shocking to me, given how I normally keep my fingers on the pulse of the wrestling industry daily. And that’s OK because most importantly, it didn’t feel like it was wasting my time. By keeping certain subjects light and injecting a good portion of this book with some laugh-out-loud humor, I found myself flying through this one in only a few sittings.
In his introduction, Bill writes about how there have been countless documentaries, books and exposes about Vince McMahon and his wrestling empire, so he decided to approach this project with “an informative history of the largest professional wrestling company in history that doesn’t insult the intelligence of hardcore fans, doesn’t alienate the uninitiated, and remains entertaining throughout.” This was an immediate relief as I was hoping I wouldn’t have to deal with someone dryly explaining the ins and outs of how the industry operates and the understanding of kayfabe.
Right off the bat, Bill strikes a tone here that is loaded with snark. This alone helped lift the book above what I had originally expected. Bill doesn’t hold anything back when criticising various gimmicks, booking decisions and the actions of Vince McMahon in the business world. Especially when looking at the 80s and 90s, Bill addresses some of the more ridiculous characters that leaked out of the brain of McMahon and into the squared circle.
“Ax and Smash appeared to have been concocted by a game of telephone played between someone who had seen the Road Warriors and someone who had seen The Road Warrior, and then relayed it to McMahon fourth-hand. They wore face paint, like the actual Road Warriors, but that’s pretty much where the similarities ended. Ax and Smash came to the ring wearing studded bondage gear and gimp masks and wrestled in S&M harnesses. Thankfully, since most fans weren’t well versed in the intricacies of kink in the late 1980s, they became beloved successes within the WWF.”
However, it’s worth noting that this isn’t a hit piece. Bill isn’t here to try and take the company to task for every questionable decision it’s ever made. He spotlights the company’s early successes in booking ethnic heroes to appeal to the masses in the Northeast United States, a decision that led to an unbelievable string of sellouts when Bruno Sammartino was carrying the world heavyweight championship. He positions Vince as the last line of defence when it comes to ideas making it onto the screen, for better or for worse. It’s a business structure that’s kept WWE from going completely off the rails like some of its competitors who had given too much power to too many different people.
There’s also the challenge of condensing decades of history into about five hundred pages. I’ve read books that approach the length of this one that cover only one year in the WWE’s storied history (James Dixon’s excellent “Titan” series). Bill doesn’t allow himself to get bogged down in any one topic. Don’t get me wrong – he explores a multitude of subjects while devoting time to events that really do require a closer look like the steroid trial of the early 90s, Mel Phillips and the ring boy scandal of the 1980s and the Chris Benoit murder/suicide in 2007. By approaching those subjects alone, I think it’s safe to say that there’s very little bias within this book.
In an interview with Cageside Seats, Hanstock had said the last truly comprehensive book looking at the history of WWE was Shaun Assael and Mike Mooneyham’s “Sex, Lies and Headlocks” in 2004, so after sixteen years, it is a great time for an update. Hanstock’s book is as up-to-date as possible with analysis on the company’s lengthy deal with Saudi Arabia as well as WWE’s push to be labeled as an “essential business” within Florida during the COVID 19 pandemic. Both are detailed looks at the most newsworthy items that have plagued the company in the last number of years.
I will say that I’ve been a wrestling fan for over thirty years now, having read dozens of books and watched countless documentaries, there wasn’t really anything here that was new or shocking to me, given how I normally keep my fingers on the pulse of the wrestling industry daily. And that’s OK because most importantly, it didn’t feel like it was wasting my time. By keeping certain subjects light and injecting a good portion of this book with some laugh-out-loud humor, I found myself flying through this one in only a few sittings.
April 17, 2023
Written by a fan who was not afraid to show their Fandom and be brutally honest at the same time.
February 1, 2021
Meh. Google journalism.
But then, writing a true history with interviews from those involved would likely be an errand in madness.... McMahon and his insular circle would never do such a thing if they couldn't control the narrative.... And those not in his circle wander in and out of axes to grind and self-aggrandizement.
For what it was, it was enjoyable and smart-assed enough. And it actually made me laugh a couple times... Especially the line about giving Kenny Omega more stars in rated matches than there are stars to give....
But then, writing a true history with interviews from those involved would likely be an errand in madness.... McMahon and his insular circle would never do such a thing if they couldn't control the narrative.... And those not in his circle wander in and out of axes to grind and self-aggrandizement.
For what it was, it was enjoyable and smart-assed enough. And it actually made me laugh a couple times... Especially the line about giving Kenny Omega more stars in rated matches than there are stars to give....
July 26, 2024
As the book moves along the name become harder and harder to track as the timeline scrubs forward and back over a few years. If you don't already know much about the Attitude era and forward it can be hard to follow. The flip side is that there is a lot of good history here, well presented and fun to learn.
May 13, 2024
This is a great overview for people wanting to learn about WWE’s past and journey to the present. It’s both very funny and scathing at times. But I do feel that Hanstock is fair in his opinions and views. Either way you can tell there is so much love for wrestling in this book.
March 1, 2023
Wrestling is a garbage business, but a fascinating one.
March 10, 2025
Lost interest after I got out of the era of my childhood… which I expected.
June 7, 2025
Great book maybe intended audience is a little less familiar with the wwe
January 1, 2021
Really fun read about the greatest art in the world.
September 3, 2022
Loved this book! It was funny and respectful at the same time and talked about moments in WWE history that the McMahons have attempted to wipe out (yes I’m talking about Chris Benoit here). I learnt so much and as a new fan to WWE it is a great introduction (second only to watching over 20 years of Royal Rumbles back to back 😂).
October 4, 2023
“We Promised You a Great Main Event" by Bill Hanstock is the definitive tome of WWE history for the internet age. I know that praise seems unrealistic, but trust me, it's earned.
Subtitled "An Unauthorized WWE History" Hanstock attempts to give an abridged version of the rise of Vince McMahon’s empire, starting with his father Vince Sr and the territory days, and ending with the beginnings of the COVID-19 pandemic. It's a huge offer, one that Hanstock mostly nails. It's almost impossible to put the entirety of WWE's history together into one 400 page book, but Hanstock hits the points that matter, all the while sharing a well informed fan's perspective.
Wrestling fans have an aggressive love/hate relationship with WWE that borders on insanity. One of the strength's this book offers is that it isn't written by a person with company ties, but an unapologetic fan who shines the brightest lights on both WWE's (and ostensibly Vince McMahon's by default) greatest triumphs as well as their greatest failures without the rose-colored glasses of corporate whitewashing. Hanstock spotlights McMahon's takeover of the territory system, the 1994 steroid trial, and the Chris Benoit murders without trying to make anyone look better or worse with commentary; he lays out the facts and adds his own context through the lense of a fan, but never at the expense of reality.
Another strength the book has that shouldn't go overlooked is Hanstock's ability to know his audience. Most people that will pick up this book are likely already wise to the wrestling slang, knowing what carny words such as "marks" or "getting over" already mean. Hanstock knows this, so while he doesn't assume his readers are completely in the know, he doesn't shy away from using the vernacular in his writing in lieu of dumbing it down for casuals. This is a wrestling book for wrestling fans dammit, and Hanstock doesn't disappoint with bringing the wrestling content.
As far as compendiums of WWE's storied history go, you really can't ask for more than what "We Promised You a Great Main Event" offers. It covers all the major beats while providing fun commentary from a perspective that often gets overlooked in the mainstream; the fans. If you love WWE or even have a passing interest in the house McMahon built, this book is definitely one you don't want to miss.
Subtitled "An Unauthorized WWE History" Hanstock attempts to give an abridged version of the rise of Vince McMahon’s empire, starting with his father Vince Sr and the territory days, and ending with the beginnings of the COVID-19 pandemic. It's a huge offer, one that Hanstock mostly nails. It's almost impossible to put the entirety of WWE's history together into one 400 page book, but Hanstock hits the points that matter, all the while sharing a well informed fan's perspective.
Wrestling fans have an aggressive love/hate relationship with WWE that borders on insanity. One of the strength's this book offers is that it isn't written by a person with company ties, but an unapologetic fan who shines the brightest lights on both WWE's (and ostensibly Vince McMahon's by default) greatest triumphs as well as their greatest failures without the rose-colored glasses of corporate whitewashing. Hanstock spotlights McMahon's takeover of the territory system, the 1994 steroid trial, and the Chris Benoit murders without trying to make anyone look better or worse with commentary; he lays out the facts and adds his own context through the lense of a fan, but never at the expense of reality.
Another strength the book has that shouldn't go overlooked is Hanstock's ability to know his audience. Most people that will pick up this book are likely already wise to the wrestling slang, knowing what carny words such as "marks" or "getting over" already mean. Hanstock knows this, so while he doesn't assume his readers are completely in the know, he doesn't shy away from using the vernacular in his writing in lieu of dumbing it down for casuals. This is a wrestling book for wrestling fans dammit, and Hanstock doesn't disappoint with bringing the wrestling content.
As far as compendiums of WWE's storied history go, you really can't ask for more than what "We Promised You a Great Main Event" offers. It covers all the major beats while providing fun commentary from a perspective that often gets overlooked in the mainstream; the fans. If you love WWE or even have a passing interest in the house McMahon built, this book is definitely one you don't want to miss.
September 28, 2020
In We Promised You a Great Main Event, journalist and long-time wrestling fan Bill Hanstock takes the reader behind the scenes (into Gorilla position, if you will) of the long history of WWE. From the early, carnival-style events that Vince McMahon Sr. debuted in the northeast, to the current, global climate of WWE in 2020, Hanstock covers the full gamut of successes and failures at the hands of the McMahons. Hanstock does a good job of balancing the events and personalities that have been at the forefront of WWE storylines with the trials and issues happening when the cameras stopped rolling.
This book definitely feels like it has a niche audience. Yes, any WWE fan would find parts of this book to enjoy, but Hanstock seems to be writing for a smark - a smart mark/fan - rather than the casual fan, or the fan who chooses to believe the storylines are reality and the characters they see on TV are real. If you find yourself always cheering for the babyfaces and booing the heels because that's how WWE wrote it, then this book might ruin too many of your childhood dreams. However, if you've found yourself more than once on wrestling dirtsheets, then you'd probably enjoy reliving some of WWE's best and worst moments, on screen and off. Hanstock employs plenty of humor, and takes a true smark perspective on all the major events and players in WWE's history. The book was enjoyable, well-written, at times funny, and contains plenty of information the McMahons would probably rather you didn't know.
This book definitely feels like it has a niche audience. Yes, any WWE fan would find parts of this book to enjoy, but Hanstock seems to be writing for a smark - a smart mark/fan - rather than the casual fan, or the fan who chooses to believe the storylines are reality and the characters they see on TV are real. If you find yourself always cheering for the babyfaces and booing the heels because that's how WWE wrote it, then this book might ruin too many of your childhood dreams. However, if you've found yourself more than once on wrestling dirtsheets, then you'd probably enjoy reliving some of WWE's best and worst moments, on screen and off. Hanstock employs plenty of humor, and takes a true smark perspective on all the major events and players in WWE's history. The book was enjoyable, well-written, at times funny, and contains plenty of information the McMahons would probably rather you didn't know.
December 17, 2020
Subtitle: An Unauthorized WWE History
We Promised You a Great Main Event traces the history of the WWWF/WWF/WWE from its beginnings in the New York City area. The McMahon family became involved in the promotion about a century ago, with Vince McMahon Jr. buying out his father and other partners in the early 1980s.
A lot of the book is understandably devoted to Vince McMahon’s takeover of the wrestling industry shortly after purchasing the company, driving most of the territorial promotions competing with him out of business. Hulk Hogan was the individual wrestler most responsible for this success but Hogan eventually wore out his welcome with McMahon and WWE fans, forcing McMahon to move on to a series of other wrestlers to lead the company forward.
The book traces the company’s history all the way into 2020, covering such topics as the Monday Night Wars, Owen Hart’s tragic death, the Chris Benoit murder/suicide and many other events and issues.
I gave We Promised You a Great Main Event five stars on Goodreads. I haven’t watched much WWE programming over the last decade; this book provided a good overview of what happened during that time period as well as providing background information on the time period of 1980-2010 that I hadn’t heard before.
We Promised You a Great Main Event traces the history of the WWWF/WWF/WWE from its beginnings in the New York City area. The McMahon family became involved in the promotion about a century ago, with Vince McMahon Jr. buying out his father and other partners in the early 1980s.
A lot of the book is understandably devoted to Vince McMahon’s takeover of the wrestling industry shortly after purchasing the company, driving most of the territorial promotions competing with him out of business. Hulk Hogan was the individual wrestler most responsible for this success but Hogan eventually wore out his welcome with McMahon and WWE fans, forcing McMahon to move on to a series of other wrestlers to lead the company forward.
The book traces the company’s history all the way into 2020, covering such topics as the Monday Night Wars, Owen Hart’s tragic death, the Chris Benoit murder/suicide and many other events and issues.
I gave We Promised You a Great Main Event five stars on Goodreads. I haven’t watched much WWE programming over the last decade; this book provided a good overview of what happened during that time period as well as providing background information on the time period of 1980-2010 that I hadn’t heard before.
July 3, 2020
To start, growing up I was a huge WWE fan so I remembered much of what is detailed in the book. I loved being able to relieve some of the biggest moments in wrestling history. The writer does not hold punches when describing the company's issues with steroids and race. The deaths of amazing wrestlers such as Andre the Giant and Eddie Guerrero are discussed as they were fan favorites. He also discusses the biggest stain on WWE history - the murders by wrestler Chris Benoit. All mentions of him were deleted from WWE history and the company did all they could to never be associated with his name again.
It is obvious that the author used to be a magazine writer as he feels free to write in a familiar manner. You can tell that this is a topic familiar to the writer and that he feels comfortable describing the different eras the organization has gone through. The only flaw I found in the book was the length, 25 chapters normally aren't abnormal but I felt this was dragged out too long.
It is obvious that the author used to be a magazine writer as he feels free to write in a familiar manner. You can tell that this is a topic familiar to the writer and that he feels comfortable describing the different eras the organization has gone through. The only flaw I found in the book was the length, 25 chapters normally aren't abnormal but I felt this was dragged out too long.
March 25, 2023
One of the best books on professional wrestling that I've read, and I've read a lot.
Hanstock is a historian and a fan, but also a very capable and engaging writer.
He knows his stuff, and gives a fan's perspective, but also backs up the stories with reporting and facts.
A comprehensive history of the current WWE, in all its different iterations. So much has happened since the book was published in 2020, that I would be interested in another book from Hanstock down the road to investigate and tell the stories such as CM Punk's AEW return to wrestling, Cody Rhodes' return to WWE, the Thunderdome, Roman Reigns' triumphant return and 'Head of the Table' and 'Tribal Chief' role as undisputed WWE Universal champion.
Those interested in reading some of my own takes on professional wrestling are invited to check out my Substack - thebrianlennonshow.substack.com
Hanstock is a historian and a fan, but also a very capable and engaging writer.
He knows his stuff, and gives a fan's perspective, but also backs up the stories with reporting and facts.
A comprehensive history of the current WWE, in all its different iterations. So much has happened since the book was published in 2020, that I would be interested in another book from Hanstock down the road to investigate and tell the stories such as CM Punk's AEW return to wrestling, Cody Rhodes' return to WWE, the Thunderdome, Roman Reigns' triumphant return and 'Head of the Table' and 'Tribal Chief' role as undisputed WWE Universal champion.
Those interested in reading some of my own takes on professional wrestling are invited to check out my Substack - thebrianlennonshow.substack.com
October 19, 2020
“Everything is pro wrestling and pro wrestling is everything”
A very well researched account of pro wrestling in North America with particular focus on the worst and best moments of WWF/E from the 80s to the present day.
Hanstock handles the sometimes horrifying scenarios occurring both on an off screen with goofy humour - but knows exactly when to present the facts unadorned.
Amusing, moving and devastating when matters such as CEO Vince McMahon’s history of sexual assault accusations are raised; or the exclusion of the entire women’s roster and Sami Zayn from the unforgivable Saudi super cards in recent years; it’s insightful, detailed and essential for lovers of The Greatest Art as well as those with an interest in, say, exposés on corporate evil...
Long live AEW 😉
A very well researched account of pro wrestling in North America with particular focus on the worst and best moments of WWF/E from the 80s to the present day.
Hanstock handles the sometimes horrifying scenarios occurring both on an off screen with goofy humour - but knows exactly when to present the facts unadorned.
Amusing, moving and devastating when matters such as CEO Vince McMahon’s history of sexual assault accusations are raised; or the exclusion of the entire women’s roster and Sami Zayn from the unforgivable Saudi super cards in recent years; it’s insightful, detailed and essential for lovers of The Greatest Art as well as those with an interest in, say, exposés on corporate evil...
Long live AEW 😉
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2021
I've been a wrestling fan for as long as I can remember, but I have some pretty big gaps in my fan-age, having watched when I was a kid, pretty much stopped after 2003, and then recently picking up again in 2018. I loved the tone of this book. A lot of this sounded familiar and the parts that didn't were done with just the right amount of detail, and I never felt like I was being talked down to. It covered a huge span of time, but didn't overstay it's welcome. Best of all, I could feel Bill's enthusiasm and love for professional wrestling through the text. It is so fun to get information from someone who loves the topic so much! I appreciated his light-hearted tone and his ability to call out nonsense when he saw it. His excitement made me excited, so much so that I've sought out other books on professional wrestling as a whole (not just WWE) to fill in some of my other knowledge gaps.
August 6, 2022
I kept seeing this book at libraries and book stores but was hesitant to give it a go, as I thought that given the author’s background, it might end up being just a fluff piece for the WWE. I am very pleased that I got over that hesitation. Hanstock is definitely a fan, and he’s also got a keen eye for what it takes to keep a history of a company entertaining and informative. It couldn’t have been an easy editing task, choosing what to keep and what to cut, and while some of those choices are suspect, such as dedicating a short section to Undertaker, it meant he had more room to talk about things like Kofi Kingston’s championship. Hanstock is also just funny as hell, and I laughed out loud at several sections. A must read for fans who already know and love the art of kayfabe.
March 17, 2024
A soup to nuts history of the WWE (up to 2020 when this was written) by a long time wrestling columnist.
The Good: This is WWE 101 if you ever want to get a simple explanation about where sports entertainment is today and how it got there. He stays pretty neutral, even while describing the controversial people and events and is able to go into full analysis of one Vincent Kennedy McMahon from both sides while being transparent about everything that VKM had been accused of/convicted of up to that point in time, stating facts and letting the reader formulate opinions.
The Bad: This just wasn't very exciting. Not bad, not good, just meh.
"I always thought Vince McMahon was a kook. Now I know that he is completely a kook, but with millions of dollars." - Howard Cosell
The Good: This is WWE 101 if you ever want to get a simple explanation about where sports entertainment is today and how it got there. He stays pretty neutral, even while describing the controversial people and events and is able to go into full analysis of one Vincent Kennedy McMahon from both sides while being transparent about everything that VKM had been accused of/convicted of up to that point in time, stating facts and letting the reader formulate opinions.
The Bad: This just wasn't very exciting. Not bad, not good, just meh.
"I always thought Vince McMahon was a kook. Now I know that he is completely a kook, but with millions of dollars." - Howard Cosell
May 25, 2024
An entertaining read. The preponderance of the history is from the mid-90s through the early 2020's but there was sufficient information about the earlier years of wrestling and specifically the WWWF to interest me - I am a wrestling fan from the 1970's and 80's so I'm always more interested in wrestling history from this era. Overall, a very readable book with my only complaint being once again a liberal author, whose choice of words seem to indicate that he views himself as inherently smarter than his audience, includes his overt liberal political viewpoint INTO A BOOK ABOUT PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING!!!! The ultimate oxymoron!! I doubt very seriously if the readers of this book share his liberal mantra.
September 18, 2024
Pretty great, entertaining, and engaging job of bringing together something as unique as unwieldy as 40ish years of WWE history. Bill does a great job keeping the focus generally on the overall business/organization and how it changed and grew and ebbed and flowed. Didn’t get into ALL the storylines, bc how could you without being 4000 pages long, but hit on those that were important to forming what WWE was at a given time. And lots of insight into the wrestling fan community, how it has evolved and more. Really really great stuff! Perfect timing for me bc it came out during the pandemic which is when I started getting back into wrestling, so helped fill in a lot of blank spots from when I stopped watching towards the end of the Attitude era and now. He’s got me back into it!!
November 1, 2025
I’m majorly conflicted after reading this book. Does it do a great job of summing up decades of pro wrestling? Absolutely. But it also falls victim to the same negative tone that the rest of the internet constantly blasts about the WWE. Which kinda makes it hard to read at some points because there’s some stuff the author obviously didn’t enjoy as much. But I have to give credit where credit is due. He did an amazing job capturing wrestling on the page. I watched a lot of the matches he talked about on YouTube and I think I’m even more in love with wrestling than I was before reading this book. Well done.
February 28, 2021
Wrestling books usually go in one direction or another: they're either insulting to a knowledgeable fan's intelligence, or they provide worthwhile stories and background information to that same fan. Hanstock's book falls into the latter category, with the occasional anecdote that I wasn't familiar with. Minus one glaring error that I found, the rest of the book is informative and an entertaining read, probably for newer wrestling fans as well. I can't see non fans being interested because most people look down on pro wrestling. Good read though.
September 29, 2023
C+
The first half of We Promised You a Great Main Event is informative and funny. Bill Hanstock's voice shines through, providing several laugh-out-loud moments.
Unfortunately, Hanstock's unique voice fades into the background as the book progresses. Hanstock falls into the same trap that many wrestling journalists do -- focusing on wrestling storylines and characters instead of backstage politics.
A peak behind the curtain is always more interesting than what's happening in the ring.
The first half of We Promised You a Great Main Event is informative and funny. Bill Hanstock's voice shines through, providing several laugh-out-loud moments.
Unfortunately, Hanstock's unique voice fades into the background as the book progresses. Hanstock falls into the same trap that many wrestling journalists do -- focusing on wrestling storylines and characters instead of backstage politics.
A peak behind the curtain is always more interesting than what's happening in the ring.
July 27, 2020
I am a lifelong fan of wrestling (and of an age that I used to fight over the "reality" of it all). This is a great look at the McMahons, especially Vince and how he shaped this entertainment industry. I'm still a little salty about some of the stuff he did, so it feels a bit "raw" when I think about how much I loved NWA and then WCW. WWF/E was the "other one" that I'd watch when my real wrestling wasn't on. I loved that the author wrote this in a way that felt like a conversation between fans. Fans who realize how messed up it all is/was and still tune in. Good stuff, this!
October 15, 2020
I grew up watching WWF and Saturday Night's Main Event was a main event in our house, as we were allowed to stay up late to watch it. I lost interest in wrestling as I grew older, but this book still caught my interest. The author captures the rise of the McMahon family and WWE, which many WWF wrestlers went to. The behind the scenes antics of wrestling are more interesting than some novels. So much was going on behind the scenes to put on a show for their viewers. This is a great read!
May 15, 2021
This was an easy to read book that I didn’t expect much from, but I did get a few back stories I didn’t know. The author liked Bret Hart and Bryan Daniels. They get plenty of space in the book. The steroid years were longer than I knew and the years of pain killers and the tolls it took really destroyed lives. So many of these guys were seen as heroes but they paid a price. The author was good about keeping the good and the bad even and the story moving. The book gets very current too.
April 27, 2024
This is a book for the diehard fans of WWE pro wrestling (sorry, "entertainment") as well as those with limited to no knowledge. It effortlessly blurs the line between being an attempted edutaining informative piece about the biggest wrestling brand in the world and sheer indulgence on the sport for fans. It is an essential read for any fan and a recommendation for any person with any interest in the historical narrative of WWE and pro wrestling.
May 12, 2024
Basically a book written by every internet wresling fan. They criticize WWE for every thing they do, but won’t stop watching every week. Loves wrestling choreography rather than what wrestling is truly about, characters and stories. I stopped watching around 2019, and before that I’d fast forward through most of the show. I have no interest in watching Wrestler A dance with Wrestler B in a heavily choreographed match they planned out earlier in the day with no story.
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