I have read several books that deal with the subject of wrestling, from Mick Foley to Chyna. However, in all those instances, not one book was from a wrestler who really could voice exactly what he thought about the promotion he worked for. Mick Foley, Chyna, and the Rock all collect their paychecks from the World Wrestling Federation, so they can diss any other promotion they want, but they can't bite the hand that feeds them. The authors of the latest wrestling books can and do.
Tom Billington wrestled in the WWF as The Dynamite Kid, one half of the popular tag-team The British Bulldogs. As a child growing up, I used to love this tag-team and would constantly root for them as they attempted to take the tag-team straps from Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and Brutus Beefcake. Every week I watched as they failed in their attempts, and the story just kept getting more interesting as time went on. Imagine how happy I was when they finally won those titles and Wrestlemania II. What a great team, but to me, Davey Boy Smith was the star of the squad and the Dynamite Kid was just a supporting player. I didn't know about wrestling like I do now. Who would have thought that the Dynamite Kid was such a fascinating star? Who would have known that while the British Bulldogs were winning matches and endearing us to them, they were actually falling apart behind the scenes? Who exactly knew that Dynamite Kid would never be able to walk again due to the sport he loved?
Pure Dynamite is just a great read. I enjoy reading the book in the way the Englishman would actually talk. It was cool to read words that I would never ever think of using in every day conversation. However, the style of writing was not what captured my attention. I was enthralled with the way Dynamite Kid got into wrestling, how he continued to shine in his career and how he came crashing down to Earth without a safety net to stop his fall. From a young kid starting out in the British rings, to a main draw in Stampede Wrestling, the promotion owned by Stu Hart, Billington was a special wrestler who had a gift for taking bumps and wowing the crowd, much in the way Mick Foley has been doing for years.
This book is chock full of interesting tidbits that really capture the reader's attention. It was cool to read about his rocky relationship with the Hart family, and his eventual friendship with Bret "The Hitman" Hart. In fact, these guys had some of the very first ladder matches ever in Stampede Wrestling. It was their awesome style of competitiveness that got them to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Billington has some interesting stories about the Hart family that even showcase a dysfunctional side to the group that would shed light to what is going on in that family, today. Billington has nothing to hold back.
In addition to this, there are exciting stories about Dynamite Kid's matches with Tiger Mask that wowed crowds in Japan and Madison Square Garden. There are stories about how the Bulldogs went through Canada, Europe, Japan and America, dominating competition and winning titles along the way. It was interesting to read about Dynamite's relationship with Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage and how he came to blows with the Rougeau Brothers, leading to an altercation that almost left him dead. There were just many intriguing tales about wrestling in general, and many funny stories about pranks Billington has played throughout the years. However, all that happiness goes downhill as steroid use and other drugs eventually lead to the end of Billington's career and the use of his legs. This book is funny and sad, but in the end it leaves you feeling good about the man who entertained us as hard as he could, no matter what. He always gave it his all. Pure Dynamite!
TGary Michael Cappetta has entertained us for years, but he does not drop bows on them nor is his story one of drug use and heartbreak. Cappetta was the first announcer to really make a personality for himself in the world of wrestling. Even before The Fink made a name for himself on WWF television, Cappetta was entertaining fans and letting people know announcers have a role in the company other than announcing a match. He is the first damn announcer I have heard of with his own fan club.
Cappetta's Bodyslams, which describes the world of wrestling from the days of Bruno Sammartino to the days of Buff Bagwell and Booker T. Cappetta has announced for the independents, the AWA, the NWA/WCW and of course, the WWF. In the amount of time he did his job, he was privy to a whole lot of information none of us were aware of until today. Bodyslams allows us to see what people were really like and how the business was actually run.
Some of the things we discover is how much of a real asshole Vince McMahon has always been, and how Eric Bischoff was just as bad, if not worse. He lets us in on how bad Bob Backlund was insulted by fans and how he took exception to the nickname, "Howdy Doody." We are even given the lowdown on what really went down when Arn Anderson and Sid Vicious went at it in the hotel room brawl that saw Arn go to the hospital and Sid Vicious fired from WCW. We even get a look at The Undertaker that is far different from the way we see him today. In addition to this, we find out that Buff Bagwell was always a whiner and not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Guess the WWF should have read this book before signing him to a contract? There is even a story about a crazed stalker who almost made life miserable for the young announcer who entertained us all with his over exaggerations and comedy skits with Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka and George "The Animal" Steele.
You will enjoy this book because it is an intriguing look at the business of wrestling. Cappetta was a master of negotiation and was one of the highest paid announcers before he stuck to his guns, quit the game and decided to write this book. Read humorous stories about road trips, crooked promoters and a wrestling bear. It's not just about sports entertainment, it's about life.
Send your comments and or questions about this article to JMinners@ybfree.com.