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WrestleCrap: The Very Worst of Professional Wrestling
The Very Worst of Professional Wrestling examines some of the ridiculously horrible characters and storylines that pro wrestling promoters have subjected their fans to over the past twenty years. Why would any sane person think that having two grown men fight over a turkey was actually a reasonable idea? Was George Ringo, the Wrestling Beatle, really the best gimmick that a major promotional organization could come up with? And who would charge fans to watch a wrestler named the Gobbeldy Gooker emerge from an egg?In an attempt to answer such questions and figure out just what the promoters were thinking, authors Randy Baer and R.D. Reynolds go beyond what wrestling fans saw on the screen and delve into the mindset of those in the production booth. In some instances, the motivations driving the spectacle prove even more laughable than what was actually seen in the ring. Covering such entertainment catastrophes as an evil one-eyed midget and a wrestler from the mystical land of Oz, not to mention the utterly comprehensible Turkey-on-a-Pole match (a gimmick which AWA fans might recall), WrestleCrap is hysterically merciless in its evaluation of such organizations as the WCW and the WWF. This retrospective look at the wrestling world’s misguided attempts to attract viewers will leave wrestling fans and critics alike in stitches.
269 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
October 4, 2017
The history of professional wrestling has seen its fair share of colorful characters and soap opera storylines. Wrestlecrap documents the silliest of those gimmicks from the cartoonish WWF days in the 1980’s all the way to 2003 when the book was published. Whether it’s a voodoo priest named Papa Shango who put curses on his opponents, a magician who was one monocle away from looking like Mr. Peanut, or a baseball player named MVP (Most Violent Player) to name just a few, the idea was for various wrestling promoters to throw something out there and to see what stuck. In many cases, they’re simply throwing wrestle-crap.
The first quality I’d like to praise this book for is the historical significance and research that went into writing it. The authors traced the first real gimmick back to the 1950’s, when Gorgeous George, an effeminate and arrogant athlete, would spray his opponents with perfume so that they didn’t stink up the joint. In the 1980’s, Vince McMahon, CEO of WWF, would take this inspiration and create the colorful characters that era was known for, whether it was the muscle-bound superhero Hulk Hogan or the corrupt millionaire Ted DiBiase. The late 90’s saw a period of more realistic shades of gray characters with TV-14 rated bloodbaths and sex angles. But just like the end of this biography says: the less things change, the more they stay the same. New company, same old wrestle-crap. While some gimmicks stood the test of time, most of them were too unbelievable to be taken seriously. Even in the year 2017, nothing has changed.
As long as we’re having a laugh at these bizarre characters (not the wrestlers portraying them, mind you), feel free to enjoy the lighthearted and comedic writing style employed in this book. The style comes off as extremely sarcastic and razor-tongued, but there are also some good zingers in there to leave you chuckling as well. I mentioned the Mr. Peanut analogy in the opening paragraph. There’s also a line about how Mantaur, a guy dressed in a bull suit, looks like his costume was made by a deranged taxidermist at Disney World. My favorite zinger in this whole book would have to be the author’s answer to, “What could be better than [the plot of the Ready to Rumble movie]?” A trip to the dentist. Getting beaten with a lead pipe. A Pauley Shore movie marathon. I got a few chuckles just transcribing those lines. If wrestling gimmicks and storylines are going to be silly, then expect nothing less than a hearty laugh.
While it’s nice to have a few laughs at the expense of the characters, never forget that RD Reynolds and Randy Baer are wrestling fans to the core, which means they know when it’s time to get serious. Remember, they’re poking fun at the characters, not the people playing them. They have all the respect in the world for anybody who dares get in a wrestling ring to ply their craft. It’s a tough job that taxes the human body like nothing else. That’s why when I read about Renegade’s suicide, it legitimately broke my heart. Say what you want about the guy’s wrestling ability, but he didn’t deserve to have a gimmick completely ruin his life and send him spiraling into the path he took. The way that segment was written was done tastefully and respectfully, which is more than anybody could say about the promoters who saddled the wrestlers with these awful gimmicks.
One thing I will criticize the book for is its occasional grammatical errors. I say occasional because they don’t happen often enough for me to downplay the fun I had reading this book. But noticeable they are, such as when there are dashes in between words that are already whole. It’s as if the book formatting placed the hyphenated words at the end of a sentence in the middle of the paragraph. It looks awkward and doesn’t paint a good picture of anybody who takes up writing as a profession. However, I still give this book a passing grade for knowing when to be funny, knowing when to be serious, and caring enough about the sport to delve into its history. Wrestlecrap is nothing to sneeze at (the book, not the actual crap).
The first quality I’d like to praise this book for is the historical significance and research that went into writing it. The authors traced the first real gimmick back to the 1950’s, when Gorgeous George, an effeminate and arrogant athlete, would spray his opponents with perfume so that they didn’t stink up the joint. In the 1980’s, Vince McMahon, CEO of WWF, would take this inspiration and create the colorful characters that era was known for, whether it was the muscle-bound superhero Hulk Hogan or the corrupt millionaire Ted DiBiase. The late 90’s saw a period of more realistic shades of gray characters with TV-14 rated bloodbaths and sex angles. But just like the end of this biography says: the less things change, the more they stay the same. New company, same old wrestle-crap. While some gimmicks stood the test of time, most of them were too unbelievable to be taken seriously. Even in the year 2017, nothing has changed.
As long as we’re having a laugh at these bizarre characters (not the wrestlers portraying them, mind you), feel free to enjoy the lighthearted and comedic writing style employed in this book. The style comes off as extremely sarcastic and razor-tongued, but there are also some good zingers in there to leave you chuckling as well. I mentioned the Mr. Peanut analogy in the opening paragraph. There’s also a line about how Mantaur, a guy dressed in a bull suit, looks like his costume was made by a deranged taxidermist at Disney World. My favorite zinger in this whole book would have to be the author’s answer to, “What could be better than [the plot of the Ready to Rumble movie]?” A trip to the dentist. Getting beaten with a lead pipe. A Pauley Shore movie marathon. I got a few chuckles just transcribing those lines. If wrestling gimmicks and storylines are going to be silly, then expect nothing less than a hearty laugh.
While it’s nice to have a few laughs at the expense of the characters, never forget that RD Reynolds and Randy Baer are wrestling fans to the core, which means they know when it’s time to get serious. Remember, they’re poking fun at the characters, not the people playing them. They have all the respect in the world for anybody who dares get in a wrestling ring to ply their craft. It’s a tough job that taxes the human body like nothing else. That’s why when I read about Renegade’s suicide, it legitimately broke my heart. Say what you want about the guy’s wrestling ability, but he didn’t deserve to have a gimmick completely ruin his life and send him spiraling into the path he took. The way that segment was written was done tastefully and respectfully, which is more than anybody could say about the promoters who saddled the wrestlers with these awful gimmicks.
One thing I will criticize the book for is its occasional grammatical errors. I say occasional because they don’t happen often enough for me to downplay the fun I had reading this book. But noticeable they are, such as when there are dashes in between words that are already whole. It’s as if the book formatting placed the hyphenated words at the end of a sentence in the middle of the paragraph. It looks awkward and doesn’t paint a good picture of anybody who takes up writing as a profession. However, I still give this book a passing grade for knowing when to be funny, knowing when to be serious, and caring enough about the sport to delve into its history. Wrestlecrap is nothing to sneeze at (the book, not the actual crap).
August 11, 2023
I've been a fan of the WrestleCrap website for a while now, and this book is a faithful summarization of the induction articles you'd find on the site, covering the worst of pro wrestling up to its 2003 publication. The book takes an unexpected nosedive in recapping the events of the Monday Night Wars in its second half, essentially becoming a less detailed version of a future WrestleCrap contribution, The Death of WCW. This came a year before that book, and I'd like to think they figured they'd make additional bank with a standalone Monday Night Wars book. Author RD Reynolds covers the worst of pro wrestling in a humorous and quippy light, and does a great job in summarizing a ton of bad wrestling gimmicks, botches, and moments with as much context as possible. WrestleCrap delivers on what it promises - the worst of pro wrestling and many laughs along the way.
May 20, 2017
I don't know how anyone could give this book less than 5-stars! Sure, the wiring isn't Pulitzer Prize quality BUT, Reynolds provides the history of "wrestling" from it's inception to 2003, when the book was published. He does so in COMPLETE hilarity! If you need a memory-jog, and have anything more than a 5-minute history with "professional wrestling" (again, my guy was Jake "the Snake" Roberts, so my short commitment happened a LONG time ago), it's worth picking up. I promise, you will NOT be disappointed (and you won't stop laughing either)!
If you're still not sure? Google "YouTube, Shockmaster entrance"….
If you're still not sure? Google "YouTube, Shockmaster entrance"….
February 28, 2023
Entertaining and funny read.
This chronicles the crap history of wrestling.Didn't learn anything i didn't know before aside from one or two things.
Still,sometimes you just need something short,simple,fun and easy to read.
This chronicles the crap history of wrestling.Didn't learn anything i didn't know before aside from one or two things.
Still,sometimes you just need something short,simple,fun and easy to read.
May 10, 2023
I loved wrestling in the 80s and early 90s, so a lot of this brought back fond memories. I can't believe I enjoyed some of these gimmicks back in the day!
Hulk Hogan, Vince McMahon, Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo are all the absolute WORST. Vince Jr "wins", because at least the others didn't cover up a murder (that we know of).
A lot of the wrestlecrap, I'm very glad I missed. Good lord, I knew Triple H and Stephanie were absolute trash, but I didn't know they were THAT BAD.
This would have been a 5-star book, except for a few minor quibbles:
1. The Mike "Rotunda"/"Rotundo" thing didn't suddenly pop up in WCW in the late 80s. That was an ongoing thing in CWF and WWF in the early 80s. I was a huge Rotunda fan, and remember being confused when the graphics on the shows would change the spelling constantly.
2. El Matador was NOT a hack as this book states. El Matador was Tito Santana, who was a terrific wrestler. It's not his fault Vince is a racist scumbag!
3. The ABHORRANT passages on Chynna. The author literally says people bought her issue of Playboy TO SEE IF SHE HAD A PENIS. Just utter disrespect & disdain from the author towards a woman who was used & abused by every man she came in contact with (especially aforementioned trash Triple H).
4. Barry Windham was more that the "fat" Fake Sting. Put some respect on his name! He also got saddled with 2 Wrestlecrap-worthy gimmicks in the WWF in the late 80s/early 90s: the Widowmaker & (especially) the Stalker.
Hulk Hogan, Vince McMahon, Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo are all the absolute WORST. Vince Jr "wins", because at least the others didn't cover up a murder (that we know of).
A lot of the wrestlecrap, I'm very glad I missed. Good lord, I knew Triple H and Stephanie were absolute trash, but I didn't know they were THAT BAD.
This would have been a 5-star book, except for a few minor quibbles:
1. The Mike "Rotunda"/"Rotundo" thing didn't suddenly pop up in WCW in the late 80s. That was an ongoing thing in CWF and WWF in the early 80s. I was a huge Rotunda fan, and remember being confused when the graphics on the shows would change the spelling constantly.
2. El Matador was NOT a hack as this book states. El Matador was Tito Santana, who was a terrific wrestler. It's not his fault Vince is a racist scumbag!
3. The ABHORRANT passages on Chynna. The author literally says people bought her issue of Playboy TO SEE IF SHE HAD A PENIS. Just utter disrespect & disdain from the author towards a woman who was used & abused by every man she came in contact with (especially aforementioned trash Triple H).
4. Barry Windham was more that the "fat" Fake Sting. Put some respect on his name! He also got saddled with 2 Wrestlecrap-worthy gimmicks in the WWF in the late 80s/early 90s: the Widowmaker & (especially) the Stalker.
June 17, 2024
Great fun if you are fan of professional wrestling, a lapsed fan, or a never fan who enjoys the ridiculous in pop culture.
John Tenta, 'Earthquake' himself, writes the introduction, and authors R. D. Reynolds and Randy Baer are clearly fans of the sport. This is not a take-down of wrestling, but rather an exploration of those moments all wrestling fans recall, when something 'incredibly awful' hits the screen.
Awful here meaning the gimmick, the character the wrestler is playing.
A pro-wrestling turkey? An evil tax accountant? Doppelgangers and wrestling clowns?
That stuff is, at least, harmless, whereas the several 'African headhunters' and gay villains cross the line from bad taste to just plain wrong.
Occasionally, the prose mirrors some of these problems, but for the most part, Reynolds and Baer try to, ahem, wrestle with the worst of the stereotyping prevalent in pro-wrestling - and pop-culture in general- during the second half of the 20th century.
Reynolds continues to maintain the eponymous blog that inspired this book, and it's worth checking out to see if this is up your alley, or for content post 2003 when this was published.
But honestly, I can't imagine a pro-wrestling fan with a sense of humour NOT digging this. Fun easy-reading, the sort of book that makes a great birthday present or gift-exchange gag.
John Tenta, 'Earthquake' himself, writes the introduction, and authors R. D. Reynolds and Randy Baer are clearly fans of the sport. This is not a take-down of wrestling, but rather an exploration of those moments all wrestling fans recall, when something 'incredibly awful' hits the screen.
Awful here meaning the gimmick, the character the wrestler is playing.
A pro-wrestling turkey? An evil tax accountant? Doppelgangers and wrestling clowns?
That stuff is, at least, harmless, whereas the several 'African headhunters' and gay villains cross the line from bad taste to just plain wrong.
Occasionally, the prose mirrors some of these problems, but for the most part, Reynolds and Baer try to, ahem, wrestle with the worst of the stereotyping prevalent in pro-wrestling - and pop-culture in general- during the second half of the 20th century.
Reynolds continues to maintain the eponymous blog that inspired this book, and it's worth checking out to see if this is up your alley, or for content post 2003 when this was published.
But honestly, I can't imagine a pro-wrestling fan with a sense of humour NOT digging this. Fun easy-reading, the sort of book that makes a great birthday present or gift-exchange gag.
July 11, 2022
It has been a while since I read this book. I will have to read it again, but remember that it mostly covered the embarrassing moments of professional wrestling, from the worst characters, bad matches, horrible entrances, gimmicks, and overall productions from television specials, to huge pay-per-view events.
If you want a good laugh, read this book. The author is a pro wrestling fan, and takes you through the most embarrassing moments from WCW, WWF, to other independent organizations.
If you want a good laugh, read this book. The author is a pro wrestling fan, and takes you through the most embarrassing moments from WCW, WWF, to other independent organizations.
June 29, 2024
Wrestling is insane, it’s meant to be insane. It should however follow basic common sense rules and not say to fans “here’s whatever garbage we thought up on the hoof and you’ll just accept it.” This book details some of the most ridiculous episodes in wrestling history and how the fans saw through them and turned on them. Wrestling fans know that wrestling is scripted a bit like a soap opera, and a bit like soap opera fans they don’t like it when their intelligence is insulted.
January 22, 2021
Great Read for Wrestling Fans
A very enjoyable read - well written (except for poor proof reading) and an excellent sense of humour! Gives you an understanding of the logic (or lack of logic) behind the storylines of the major promotions, along with a comprehensive history of the wrestlers who worked for them.
A very enjoyable read - well written (except for poor proof reading) and an excellent sense of humour! Gives you an understanding of the logic (or lack of logic) behind the storylines of the major promotions, along with a comprehensive history of the wrestlers who worked for them.
June 28, 2024
Not a bad book. It goes kver a little of weird gimmicks and storylines in pri wrestling - basically WWF(E) and NWA/WCW. The 3rd chapter about Hulk Hogan and his movies is skippable. However I thought Reynolds's commentary on the nWo era of WCW was excellent. I'm not sure I've ever seen it described so succinctly. Not a long read - especially if you skip Chapter 3.
February 21, 2021
Wikipedia-depth overview of wrestling gimmicks in the national televised era held back by snarky internet circa 2005 writing style. Probably want to edit the part where the author lovingly calls Eric Bischoff "Count [f-slur]ula" in next revision.
March 7, 2022
Funny merciless send up book of some of the worse gimmicks ever and some terrible Hogan movies, (embarrassingly we actually own No Holds Barred but have yet to have done something bad enough to be punished by watching it), Even if you've never read the wrestlecrap website you'll still be able to enjoy this humourous look at the industry. There's also a good nostalgia factor with some of the names and ideas you had completely forgotten about (and that pro wrestling wishes it could forget about).
November 12, 2018
So funny! I love pro wrestling and I loved all of this "crap"!
August 24, 2020
Wonderful book. Interesting read for any die hard wrestling fan. Fun, witty and entertaining
October 31, 2021
i LOVED the Wrestlecrap site back in the day, this felt really thrown together though, I wish there was more to it.
June 20, 2022
This book is informational, but I read it more for fun than for information! A must-read for old-time wrestling fans!
February 7, 2023
Just got worse as I kept reading. 80% of the book came off as a very long dirtsheet article.
September 4, 2023
Love this book, so funny. Always would love a sequel update to the book.
November 3, 2023
A fun read.
January 8, 2024
The Best of the Worst in Professional Wrestling, A Printed Sideshow of the insane ideas over many years in the squared circle . You'll ask yourself "Why?!" but always with a smile.
July 15, 2025
I love this book
its just fun learning about terrible gimmicks and storylines in wrestling.
its just fun learning about terrible gimmicks and storylines in wrestling.
October 18, 2023
a nice fun book that talked through some of the worst moments and angles in wrestling. i used to read the website loads as a kid and always wanted to get the book so it was nice to finally read it
January 2, 2013
With a foreword by wrestler John Tenta (who has himself admittedly played some crap gimmicks over the years), Wrestlecrap looks at the world's maddest Pro-Wrestling gimmicks in a funny but also very factually correct way.
R.D. Reynolds not only pokes fun at the crazy gimmicks in a way that will make you laugh out loud, but he explores the insane bookers (writers) behind the ideas and why they ever thought these lame gimmicks would make any money. The answer is, interestingly, often nothing to do with making money (why would it in a business, right?) and more to do with ego, spite and downright stupidity.
As such, the book is an interesting look at the history of Pro-Wrestling, and covers the rise and death of WCW, Vince McMahon's many mistakes running WWF/WWE, and pays particular attention to the crap forced on us poor Wrestling fans by Hulk Hogan and Vince Russo over the years.
The timeline of the stories is not always linear, and so can feel as though it's jumping from one time period to another quite a bit as the book progresses, but despite this, it's a great read for any Pro-Wrestling fan who thinks they've seen all the crap our beloved form of entertainment can throw at us.
R.D. Reynolds not only pokes fun at the crazy gimmicks in a way that will make you laugh out loud, but he explores the insane bookers (writers) behind the ideas and why they ever thought these lame gimmicks would make any money. The answer is, interestingly, often nothing to do with making money (why would it in a business, right?) and more to do with ego, spite and downright stupidity.
As such, the book is an interesting look at the history of Pro-Wrestling, and covers the rise and death of WCW, Vince McMahon's many mistakes running WWF/WWE, and pays particular attention to the crap forced on us poor Wrestling fans by Hulk Hogan and Vince Russo over the years.
The timeline of the stories is not always linear, and so can feel as though it's jumping from one time period to another quite a bit as the book progresses, but despite this, it's a great read for any Pro-Wrestling fan who thinks they've seen all the crap our beloved form of entertainment can throw at us.
January 13, 2015
Critics of professional wrestling might categorize all pro-wrestling Wrestlecrap. In some cases wrestling fans agree! This hilarious book highlights, or lowlights, the most absurd characters (gimmicks) and storylines (angles) in professional wrestling. The examples come solely from the WWE (nee WWF) and WCW in the late 1980s and 1990s. Non-wrestling fans will have their point of view about the ridiculousness of wrestling confirmed, while wrestling fans will chuckle as they remember these gimmicks and angles. Although the authors make fun of wrestling, they are clearly fans. The book, however, seems like a printed podcast or blog, which makes sense because author RD Reynolds the website of the same name. This means the book has a very conversational and informal tone. This makes the book even funnier. The book never gets serious but it does not shy away from the unpleasant gimmicks that play on racism, sexism and homophobia. Unfortunately, the book does have some editing and proofreading errors that distract the reader. Verdict: A very funny book. The energy and passion for professional wrestling, even bad professional wrestling is infectious. One of the most entertaining and informative books about pro-wrestling in league with Mick Foley’s books.
April 25, 2014
As someone who has gotten back into wrestling in the last couple years as well as read a few books (and blogs, for that matter) on the topic, it's weird to go back to something like <>Wrestlecrap and see it as the sort of snarky independent thing it is.
I enjoyed their Fall of WCW book from back whenever, and this book is less about "the worst of pro wrestling" and more about "everything we really didn't like about wrestling since the inception of the WWF," which could very well be a negative look at professional wrestling on a whole. It doesn't allow for much in the way of nuance, and, much like any other offering of this nature, offers a lot to disagree with. Plus, looking back at it from a decade-plus later, the nostalgia glasses help a bit.
Not really essential reading in 2014. Maybe in 2002.
I enjoyed their Fall of WCW book from back whenever, and this book is less about "the worst of pro wrestling" and more about "everything we really didn't like about wrestling since the inception of the WWF," which could very well be a negative look at professional wrestling on a whole. It doesn't allow for much in the way of nuance, and, much like any other offering of this nature, offers a lot to disagree with. Plus, looking back at it from a decade-plus later, the nostalgia glasses help a bit.
Not really essential reading in 2014. Maybe in 2002.
May 24, 2009
I thought this would be a book about the worst gimmicks in the world of wrestling, and it has that, but what disappointed me about the book is that it focused more on WCW (World Championship Wrestling) than on the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) as far as naming those of the worst gimmicks. It is a funny read but only for those that have been witness to some of those gimmicks that either never made sense or should've never been attempted.
The one 'gimmick' in the book that seemingly shouldn't be in there except as a passing mention is the Undertaker, who believe it or not is still around. The author mentions that he was the one gimmick that 'worked' but doesn't go into a LOT of detail as to how it developed.
The one 'gimmick' in the book that seemingly shouldn't be in there except as a passing mention is the Undertaker, who believe it or not is still around. The author mentions that he was the one gimmick that 'worked' but doesn't go into a LOT of detail as to how it developed.
May 24, 2014
This book covers the time I wasn't watching wrestling, esp. the late 1980s and the 1990s, so it was interesting to hear some of that history. I have nothing really negative to say here: the book did what it set out to do and described some things I didn't know anything about. But I don't have anything overwhelmingly positive to say either: it wasn't particularly well-written and it seemed to rush some things while dragging some things out. It was just, you know, an okay book.
If you're a wrestling fan, you'll probably enjoy this book pretty well.
If you're a wrestling fan, you'll probably enjoy this book pretty well.
February 8, 2008
A quick read, this book covers the period from the era of Hulk Hogan to just past the fall of WCW and ECW. Fun and nostalgic if you've ever been a fan of the spectacle that is pro wrestling. Lots of moments recalled made me laugh out loud, and a few made me wince.
December 2, 2008
This is seriously the absolute funniest thing I have ever read in my entire life. Seriously. I couldn't make it through some of its paragraphs due to the tears welling up in my eyes and convulsions emanating from my gut. I laughed that hard. I'm not joking. This book is hysterical.
December 24, 2012
Okay book but as a fan of the site I was disappointed. Not much new information or fresh takes are provided here. Not only does it jump around a lot and suffer from a general lack of cohesion, R.D. Reynolds could have benefited from more editing and proofreading.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews