Kesar is better known as WWE’s Karrion Kross, but this is not a pure autobiography. It’s somewhere between a life story and a self-help book, but it may be too much of a blend of formats to find wide appeal. Perhaps the most similar previous wrestling title is Bobby Heenan’s second book, but that was more explicit about tying life lessons to moments in Heenan’s career. This explores Kesar’s wider life story, includin...

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Think more the Channel 4 version of Fighting With My Family than the Hollywood remake and you’ll be closer to the feel of this no holds barred book. Explaining the movie to some non-wrestling fan viewers, I noted that while much of the story may have been fictionalised, everything that happened before Saraya/Paige’s move to to the US certainly felt like something that was believable, if not true. This book, which shows no signs of ton...

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A mixed bag by its very nature, this part-history, part-travelogue covers a wide range of aspects of the WWF’s national expansion. The book has its origins in the early 2000s when Balukjian began work ghostwriting the Iron Sheik’s autobiography before their professional relationship broke down. Two decades later he decided to adapt the project as a follow-up to The Wax Pack, in which he attempted to track down every player in a pack o...

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Many pro wrestlers have been told their life would make for a captivating novel – and many have written autobiographies with a healthy dose of fiction – but this is quite the twist on the concept of “inspired by a true story”. Long time British wrestling fans who skip the blurb will quickly recognise that both the character of Jonny Arnold and the details of his career and personal life and incredibly reminiscent of Adrian Street. That ma...

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This is certainly a diversion from the usual wrestling novel and its darkness and power may be a matter of personal taste. While most wrestling novels tap into the territorial era, this is set in the modern independent circuit. It’s a tale of weekend warriors for whom local titles are their world championship. How “big” the promotions actually are is not always clear and in some sense it doesn’t really matter. From a wrestling perspective...

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An unusual tweak on the wrestling novel genre, this is a fun look at life after wrestling. The two Indians in question are characters of the Chief Jay Strongbow and Jinder Mahal variety respectively. Across the early chapters this appears to be the familiar format of a territory era wrestling novel which usually turns into either a fictional career bio or a crime drama. Instead we quickly jump forward to the modern day where Mohawk Jones and Cobr...

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Appropriately enough this is a no holds barred view of pro wrestling from an outsider. The first half of this book (Rousey’s second volume of autobiography) covers her final two MMA bouts (both defeats) and the beginnings of her relationship with Travis Browne. It’s largely soul searching and won’t necessarily appear to wrestling fans, though her claims about the long-term effects of her repeated concussions raise some serious q...

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Not just an biography, this is a remarkable insight into the psychology and mental element of working as a professional wrestler at every level of the business. Lynch’s career path is an unusual one, grinding on the independent circuit for several years then getting completely out of the business before returning via a WWE tryout and going straight into the new-look developmental system. This comes across in the book as a different perspect...

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Short but sweet, this may be too brief for some buyers. Lying somewhere between an extremely extended blog post and a very concise book, Amazon estimates a print version of this e-Book only title would be around 30 pages, something that’s important to remember if you’re considering a purchase. Unlike some less reputable titles such AI-generated “biographies”, this is an appropriate length for the subject matter: a detailed...

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A third volume of autobiography is always a challenge, but the gimmick here doesn’t really hit. As the likes of Mick Foley and Chris Jericho have shown, later chronological volumes usually prove diminishing returns with too short a period to cover. The alternative is a fresh format, something that works well in some cases (Bobby Heenan) and not so well in others (Jericho again). Here the gimmick is 50 short chapters, each based around an in...

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Life Is Fighting by Kevin Robert Kesar
Review / April 30, 2025

Kesar is better known as WWE’s Karrion Kross, but this is not a pure autobiography. It’s somewhere between a life story and a self-help book, but it may be too much of a blend of formats to find wide appeal. Perhaps the most similar previous wrestling title is Bobby Heenan’s second book, but that was more explicit about tying life lessons to moments in Heenan’s career. This explores Kesar’s wider life story...

Hell in Boots: Clawing My Way Through Nine Lives by Saraya-Jade Bevis
Review / April 28, 2025

Think more the Channel 4 version of Fighting With My Family than the Hollywood remake and you’ll be closer to the feel of this no holds barred book. Explaining the movie to some non-wrestling fan viewers, I noted that while much of the story may have been fictionalised, everything that happened before Saraya/Paige’s move to to the US certainly felt like something that was believable, if not true. This book, which shows no si...

The Six Pack by Brad Balukjian
Review / April 25, 2025

A mixed bag by its very nature, this part-history, part-travelogue covers a wide range of aspects of the WWF’s national expansion. The book has its origins in the early 2000s when Balukjian began work ghostwriting the Iron Sheik’s autobiography before their professional relationship broke down. Two decades later he decided to adapt the project as a follow-up to The Wax Pack, in which he attempted to track down every player i...

The World Belongs to Jane & Me: Part #1: 1963 by AD Stranik
Review / February 18, 2025

Many pro wrestlers have been told their life would make for a captivating novel – and many have written autobiographies with a healthy dose of fiction – but this is quite the twist on the concept of “inspired by a true story”. Long time British wrestling fans who skip the blurb will quickly recognise that both the character of Jonny Arnold and the details of his career and personal life and incredibly reminiscent of Adrian Stree...

British Wrestler Releases Autobiography
News / December 20, 2024

British wrestler Jonny Storm has released an autobiography, “The Unofficial Legend?” with the following blurb: Celebrating 30 years in the British professional wrestling industry, wrestler Jonny “The Wonderkid” Storm has seen and done it all. With a wealth of experience working for some of the biggest companies in the world and being at the forefront of the start of the thriving independent scene this book will take you ...

Before It Kills Me by Daniel Alexander
Review / December 2, 2024

This is certainly a diversion from the usual wrestling novel and its darkness and power may be a matter of personal taste. While most wrestling novels tap into the territorial era, this is set in the modern independent circuit. It’s a tale of weekend warriors for whom local titles are their world championship. How “big” the promotions actually are is not always clear and in some sense it doesn’t really matter. From a wrestling p...

Independent Wrestler To Release Novel
News / November 19, 2024

Former independent wrestler Daniel Alexander Harrington has written a novel based on his experiences in and out of the ring. Before It Kills Me, to be released on December 10, is: “a raw and deeply personal exploration of the relentless world of indie professional wrestling. Drawing from his own experiences, Harrington weaves a powerful story of dreams, addiction, and sacrifice. Set in the Southern wrestling circuit, the novel fol...

Two Old Indians by Jagjiwan Sohal
Review / September 24, 2024

An unusual tweak on the wrestling novel genre, this is a fun look at life after wrestling. The two Indians in question are characters of the Chief Jay Strongbow and Jinder Mahal variety respectively. Across the early chapters this appears to be the familiar format of a territory era wrestling novel which usually turns into either a fictional career bio or a crime drama. Instead we quickly jump forward to the modern day where Mohawk Jone...

New Titus O’Neil Book Coming
News / June 28, 2024

Titus O’Neil has a second book scheduled for September release (blurb below.) It’s a sequel to There’s No Such Thing As a Bad Kid: How I Went from Stereotype to Prototype which we previously reviewed. As with that title, it appears to be largely non-wrestling content. Wrestling with Fatherhood: My Championship Journey to My Greatest Title: Dad After a decorated career in college football and WWE, Titus O’Neil considers b...

Our Fight: A Memoir by Ronda Rousey
Review / May 14, 2024

Appropriately enough this is a no holds barred view of pro wrestling from an outsider. The first half of this book (Rousey’s second volume of autobiography) covers her final two MMA bouts (both defeats) and the beginnings of her relationship with Travis Browne. It’s largely soul searching and won’t necessarily appear to wrestling fans, though her claims about the long-term effects of her repeated concussions raise some...