Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} National Wrestling Alliance The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Pro Wrestling by Tim Hor National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Pro Wrestling by Tim Hornbaker. In this modern era of "sports entertainment," World Wrestling Entertainment has been a must-see event. Legends like Hulk Hogan, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and The Rock have headlined on that stage and delivered some of the most memorable moments of the past 30 years. But, in 1948, years before the aforementioned names were even born, a young man named Buddy (Nature Boy) Rogers got into the ring in Hollywood Legion Stadium and transformed pro wrestling forever. His flamboyant personality and under-handed tactics made him an immediate box-office sensation. He was center stage in every territory in the U.S., not only in fast-paced matches, but in backstage power plays. By the late 1950s, he was an unparalleled superstar, but there was one honor he coveted � the National Wrestling Alliance world heavyweight championship. To that point, the hostile environment of wrestling politics had stalled his push to the throne, but Rogers overcame the obstacles in his path until, finally, with the right friends in high places, he was given a title match against champion Pat O'Connor in Chicago's Comiskey Park before a record crowd of 38,000 spectators. By the end of the night, Rogers was the new heavyweight champion of the world! After the match, he strapped on the title belt, stood in the center of the ring, and in his typically arrogant fashion, announced: "To a nicer guy, it couldn't happen!" Backstage assaults and injuries almost derailed his title reign, and in the midst of his historic run, Rogers suffered serious health problems, and a cloud fell over his future on the mat. In May 1963, he defended the title against Bruno Sammartino, the popular "Italian Superman," at Madison Square Garden. Since then, wrestling fans have asked countless questions about what really happened on that fabled evening. Author Hornbaker dissects the incident, as well as Buddy's entire life, to answer those questions and clear up some of the misconceptions and lies told about Buddy. You will learn the entire "Buddy Rogers Saga" from beginning to end as Hornbaker focuses on the backstage politics, secret strategies, and different perspectives, including never-before-heard inside sources from that time-frame, including Rogers' former manager, Bobby Davis. Active in wrestling for more than 60 years, Buddy's legacy is as strong today as it ever was. In 2015, WWE executive and former champion Triple H was asked who he would choose if he had the ability to wrestle any one competitor from the past. Without hesitation, he said, "Buddy Rogers," acknowledging the masterful legend and bigger-than-life personality of the original "Nature Boy." In this book, a detailed look at one of the most important figures in wrestling history, the truth of Buddy Rogers is told — in all of his stunning (and colorful) glory. It's a story with boundless action, mayhem, and excitement. $22.95 ABOUT THE AUTHOR. Tim Hornbaker is the author of eight nonfiction books to include "Fall from Grace: The Truth and Tragedy of 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson" and "National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly that Strangled Pro Wrestling". His biographies of Charles A. Comiskey, Ty Cobb, and Joe Jackson were each nominated for awards by the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), including being a finalist for the prestigious Ritter Award. His most recent work, "Death of the Territories: Expansion, Betrayal and the War that Changed Pro Wrestling Forever", tells the fascinating story of the 1980s professional wrestling scene, highlighting the demise of the coveted regionally-based grappling system. As the WWF and Vincent Kennedy McMahon expanded, one-by-one, the territories collapsed, leaving only a handful of organizations in existence by the end of the decade. DVD with case/custom artwork $5.00. Lou Thesz — vs. — Buddy Rogers (January 26, 1951) Lou Thesz — vs. — Buddy Rogers Cyclone Anaya — vs. — Buddy Rogers (January 5, 1951) Run time: 1 hour, 55 minutes. —PRO WRESTLING SUPERSTARS — Buddy Rogers, volume 1 — Lou Thesz — vs. — Buddy Rogers (January 26, 1951) Lou Thesz — vs. — Buddy Rogers Cyclone Anaya — vs. — Buddy Rogers (January 5, 1951) National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Pro Wrestling by Tim Hornbaker. The highly anticipated book, National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Pro Wrestling , which chronicles the turbulent history of the National Wrestling Alliance, has finally hit the book shelves. There seems to be dozens of books out there focusing on more modern topics like WWE and various wrestlers going as far back as the early 1970s. The pre-70s era, which was heavily featured in this book, is truly uncharted waters to the active wrestling book market -- until now. Author Tim Hornbaker took the time to thoroughly research his subject and managed to present the story from several different perspectives. Each chapter seemed to add a new flavor to the enormous melting pot that would eventually end up becoming the tale of the one true governing faction of pro-wrestling known as the NWA. Other chapters were dedicated to some of the more important figures involved in the creation and maintenence of the NWA; Lou Thesz, Sam Muchnick, Ed "Strangler" Lewis, Fred Kohler, and Joe "Toots" Mondt are all prominently featured in properly organized mini-biographies. This book is by no means a biased glorification of the NWA. Hornbaker expounds upon many factors within the Alliance, as well as outside factors, that contributed to the rise, and the eventual fall, of the National Wrestling Alliance. Great detail is provided about several bitter court battles fought internally as well as externally over the years including an aggressive investigations by the U.S. Government in the 50's that almost shut down the entire operation for good. One of the NWA's most respectable traits was its insistence that their champions be held in the highest esteem. The NWA World Heavyweight wrestling title was guaranteed to sell out any building in whatever city the champion happen to be in on any given night. The legendary Lou Thesz was the key figure for many years, entrusted by the NWA office with the duty of carrying the torch for the Alliance. Whomever the champion, be it Thesz, Dick Hutton, Gene Kiniski, Dory Funk Jr., Jack Brisco or somebody else, NWA members were well aware that the champion was ready, willing, and able to shoot on any challenger who decided to go into business for themselves by drifting from the pre-approved script. It seemed as though everything that happened in the ring was based on honor, but the office was a different story. Another intriguing chapter covers the expansion of Capitol Wrestling in the Northeast, headed by the combined forces of Vincent J. McMahon and Toots Mondt. Additional chapters focus on the lineage of the NWA World Heavyweight championship and all of its title holders over the many decades. The book also deals with the more recent history of the NWA and goes all the way up to 2005, acknowledging TNA (Total Nonstop Action) during the final chapter. I was astounded by the amount of research put into this project by author Tim Hornbaker. It has to be the most thoroughly organized book about wrestling that I have yet to come across. I can only imagine the years of tireless exploration and study was involved with piecing together the history of such a tangled subject that covers nearly of a century of material scattered all over the globe. So Hornbaker's tireless dedication alone has earned a thumbs-up from me. This book comes highly recommended by me. Thank you. National Wrestling Alliance – The Untold Story of the Monopoly that Strangled Pro Wrestling. The highly anticipated book, National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Pro Wrestling, which chronicles the turbulent history of the National Wrestling Alliance, has finally hit the book shelves. There seems to be dozens of books out there focusing on more modern topics like WWE and various wrestlers going as far back as the early 1970s. The pre-70s era, which was heavily featured in this book, is truly uncharted waters to the active wrestling book market – until now. The world of professional wrestling was a much different place in the early 1900s, with an entirely different set of rules and the entire sport as a whole was viewed differently by spectators as well as the grapplers themselves. The promoters, ironically, pretty much stayed the same! This fascinating story is an extremely in-depth well-researched printed documentary shining a frothy spotlight on a generally misunderstood era of professional wrestling. For a young person like myself (aged 29), whose parents were in diapers for the time period featured in this book, it was one wrestling lesson after another as I journeyed though the pages of this 372 page historical novel. Author Tim Hornbaker took the time to thoroughly research his subject and managed to present the story from several different perspectives. Each chapter seemed to add a new flavor to the enormous melting pot that would eventually end up becoming the tale of the one true governing faction of pro-wrestling known as the NWA. Other chapters were dedicated to some of the more important figures involved in the creation and maintenence of the NWA; Lou Thesz, Sam Muchnick, Ed “Strangler” Lewis, Fred Kohler, and Joe “Toots” Mondt are all prominently featured in properly organized mini-biographies.