Category: Book Reviews

Posted on by

Arezzi’s Memoir is an Inspirational Tale of Baseball, Wrestling, and Music

There are no accidents in this world. Or at least very few. Last week I reviewed Coach Miller’s phenomenal book, one of two I bought at the Dan Gable Museum this summer. Today at lunch, I was reminded I have another review to write. I opted for my locally-owned pizza place over the local food truck that’s out every Tuesday. Deal or No Deal was on television, and I suddenly looked up and said what many wrestling fans said when the episode first aired.

“Hey, that’s John Arezzi!”

Mat Memories (co-written by the always busy Greg Oliver) tells the story of a man with many talents, careers, and names. Growing up in a family that had connections to the mob, Arezzi forged his own path in life thanks to his greatest love: the New York Mets. The thankless sales job he took just to be part of their organization prepared him for two future careers that touched on his other great passions: pro wrestling and music.

To wrestling fans he is John Arezzi, a pioneer journalist and promoter. Arezzi strived to take fans behind the curtain with his New York based radio show, unafraid to ask the hard questions even during the infamous steroid trials of the early 90s. Arezzi famously invented the pro wrestling fan fest and more infamously launched the career of one of wrestling’s most polarizing figures, Vince Russo.

To country music folks he is John Alexander, a man known for discovering sensational talent and using every resource at his disposal to help them break out. Working in radio, management, and broadcasting, Alexander championed stars like Patty Loveless and Sarah Darling while navigating the often rough waters of the country music industry.

John Arezzi’s story is a fascinating read as he takes you on a roller coaster ride through his life and careers, but there’s a sub-text to the story that really stuck with me. Having just read Coach Miller’s book, I couldn’t help but draw inspiration from Arezzi, a man who seized every opportunity he was given. Who gets to work their dream job, much less three dream jobs, in a lifetime? Arezzi forged his own path in baseball, wrestling, and music, and in that music realm he did everything in his power to make dreams come true for others.

Arezzi proves that a person with the drive and desire can make their dreams come true, but the tales he shares of those who “might have been” remind us why some never make it. Despite all of the efforts John Alexander put into the careers of some would-be music stars, their careers never took off. A few fell victim to the machinations of the business, but most of the discoveries that came up short did so through their own choices. People can open doors for you and offer you those golden opportunities, but at the end of the day, we must choose to walk through those doors and seize the moment.

Arezzi’s book is a must read for wrestling and country music fans as well as dreamers from all walks of life. You be entertained as he regales you with tales about everyone from Jake “The Snake” Roberts to Phil Donahue to The New Kids on the Block to Taylor Swift. And if you’re a dreamer like me, you’ll also come away inspired.

Click here to order Mat Memories by John “Arezzi” Alexander on Amazon.

Posted on by

Experience the Birth of Wrestling in Japan!

In the world of professional wrestling, no one packs a book with as much information as Scott Teal. His record books, chronicling the histories of buildings, cities, and territories throughout time, are dense with results, photographs, and stories from cover to cover. He’s co-written and produced so many volumes through his own label Crowbar Press, one could argue he is building the Encyclopedia Britannica of pro wrestling.

As daunting as these books appear at first glance, I can assure you, these books do not read like an encyclopedia. They are engaging and entertaining with a narrative that grabs you from page one and leads you on a non-stop roller coaster ride from wherever it is Scott and his collaborators pick up the story to wherever they choose to end it.

I was thrilled to receive a copy of Crowbar’s latest release Japan and the Rikidozan Years, co-written with Haruo Yamagushi and one of my favorite wrestling historians, Koji Miyamoto. Koji is a walking encyclopedia of wrestling knowledge himself, a delightful storyteller who (in the words of Lou Thesz’s widow Charlie) can tell you what Lou had for breakfast on any given day when he was in Japan. Koji and Haruo’s wealth of knowledge, combined with Scott’s flair for presenting the past, is a great combination.

Japan and the Rikidozan Years begins with the introduction of American style pro wrestling to Japan and ends, appropriately, with the death of Rikidozan. The story is told through results, through news clippings, through anecdotal stories collected by all three men from Lou Thesz, Larry Hennig, and many of the men who lived through that unforgettable era. Highlights for me included the discovery of Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki, the successors of Rikidozan; photos of The Black Panther Jim Mitchell’s protégé Ricky Waldo, who became a tag team champion in Japan; the story of Harold Sakata, an American wrestler who not only helped introduce pro wrestling to the island nation but pater portrayed the unforgettable henchman Odd Job in the James Bond film Goldfinger; and some remarkable photos featuring Thesz, Hennig, Freddie Blassie, the Zebra Kid George Bollas, and many more.

Scott tells me he’s after Koji to create additional volumes of Japanese wrestling history, and I hope Koji is game. This is a wonderful introduction to the rich history of pro wrestling in Japan, and it certainly whet my appetite for more.

You can purchase Japan and the Rikidozan Years and more outstanding wrestling books direct from Crowbar Press.

Posted on by

Scott Casey’s Memoir Is a Ride Worth Taking!

I once heard someone pose the question, if you walked into a bar and saw Jeff Bridges seated at one end and Beau Bridges at the other, which one would you sit by? Most people would be drawn to Jeff Bridges, the big name star, the Academy Award winner with the winning smile. He’d graciously smile and take photos and sign autographs and bid you a polite adieu. But Beau? Beau doesn’t get the recognition and accolades of his brother, and he doesn’t get the mob scene either. If you want to encounter a star, you go to Jeff. If you want to sit and have a drink and hear some good stories, you sit by Beau.

There are many wrestling fans who only read the books by the big names like Jim Ross, Chris Jericho, Mick Foley, and Bret Hart, but the die hards know that as good as their books can be, it’s the guys from the undercard who will really tell it like it is. The journeymen with the shorter lines at the autograph shows are also the guys who will take their time to spin some truly great, untold tales. This is the case with Scott Casey and his new autobiography.

I confess Scott Casey was not a name I recognized when I first heard he was writing a book, but Scott is one of those men who worked very territory with every big name you ever heard. He cuts right to the chase, telling you just enough of his early life to let you know where he came from before settling in to tell you where he’s been. Casey has a story about every town he’s visited and every man he shared a locker room with, and his memoir is densely packed with one memory after another.

Casey has great stories about all the big names, like how the Funks helped him get his start, how a pre-Bruiser Brody Frank Goodish insisted on dropping the Western States title to Casey, partying with Ric Flair, and the time he invited Andre the Giant for Thanksgiving dinner, Casey also gives some great insights into folks like “The Grappler” Len Denton, Tiger Conway, Jr., “Killer” Tim Brooks, and Eddy Mansfield.

Casey’s autobiography reads less like a typical well-researched autobiography and more like a transcript from a night out at the bar with the author himself. At times I felt like I was sitting at a table in the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino and Vegas, home of the Cauliflower Alley Club Reunion, while Cowboy spun one tale after another from his long career. The occasional side stories from friends add even more color to the dusty trail he drove, especially the asides from the great Les Thatcher. This is co-author Nick Masci’s first crack as a wrestling author, and I have to say all in all, he did a great job capturing the voice of the Cowboy.

The book is only about 200 pages in large type, which makes it an all-too-quick read. It’s a book you’ll finish quickly because you won’t want to put it down. Fans who love a good rasslin’ story will enjoy this last ride with Cowboy Scott Casey.

You can order the book, signed or unsigned, exclusively at Scott Casey’s website www.cowboyscottcasey.com