A – Excellent
B – Good
C – Mediocre
D – Avoid
Release Date: Out Now
Available From:
Waterstones (Order in Store or Online)
Price:
£33.99
(Online)
£39.99
(High Street)
$64.99
(USA)
What It’s About:
Collecting
together all twenty one professional wrestling pay-per view events between
1985-1989 with brand new illustrations in the form of pay-per view posters,
this book takes an in-depth look at the matches, the rivalries, the fallouts
and the unknown stories of each event. Complete with a chapter on the war
fought between Vince McMahon and Jim Crockett as well as a heartening look at
those who passed during this period.
Because
this is an unusual Review Corner and we don’t usually look at books and the
only reason I’m doing so this time around is because the author was very
persistent in his pursuit of this blog and is a loyal reader, things will be a
little different. Thanks to the length of the digest, there would be no way I
could scrutinize everything because it would take me months to do so. Usually,
I review every chapter of a release but here you’ll find the very best and the
very worst of everything instead of literally everything.
Strengths:
Though
nothing to do with the subject of the book, the first chapter we’re treated to
is of course the introduction. Because we don’t know the author and it indeed
is his first book, Matt Tennant relays to us a tale of his inception into the
industry via his late grandfather. The nostalgic value here is great. Going all
the way back to the old VHS tapes and their faults as well as referencing some
unforgettable pop culture is a nice touch, but I will warn you now that those
who cry easily may want to have a tissue or handkerchief on standby. Whilst
Tennant goes through wrestling not being cool to the industry eventually
winning out in the end, the excellent first chapter draws to a close with one
final piece about the man he credits for inspiring this volume. It’s touching
and will bring a lump to your throat. In many ways, it sets the tone for the
entire book which is both funny and touching whilst wholly intriguing.
After
the introduction, we’re given a chapter entitled ‘Vince McMahon vs Jim
Crockett: The Forgotten War’. This chapter also heralds the beginning of the
excellent illustrations as chapter points which run throughout the entire book.
Considering the size of the book, it would have been easy for Matt Tennant to
skip through this only tying together the later facts such as Vince McMahon
attempting to sabotage Crockett’s pay-per view endeavours. However, that isn’t
the case. Taking the time to delve back into history, Tennant takes us into the
1960’s and back the very beginning of what was the World Wide Wrestling
Federation before laying the foundations with some gripping history which will
bring back wonderful memories for those around during this time. Charting Bruno
Sammartino’s rise to stardom and everything up to the sons of the fathers
taking over the reigns of their separate companies, this chapter thrives on its
history before it takes a look at the blatant sabotage attempts by Vincent
Kennedy McMahon. No stone is left unturned here. A lot of writers wouldn’t have
included this, but it’s to its credit he has as it gives background to the
reason wrestling took the step onto the medium in the first place.
Delving
into the main body of the book, you won’t be able to help yourself digesting
everything with abandon. Each pay-per view event featured here is cut into
three segments ‘Setting the Stage’ which looks at the events leading up to the
event, ‘On the Night’ which of course is self explanatory and ‘The Fallout’
which as you can guess spotlights the many happenings which stemmed from said
event. It’s a clever and easily accessible way for the readers to get through
the meat and bones of these pages. Helpfully, there is no confusion as to what
happened when as those details which had nothing to do with the event in
question but lead into the next event or sets the stage for one later in the
book is included separately at the end of each of the three segments depending
on when it occurred. I must also add, that many of the mid-card matches were
terrible pieces of work however when Tennant chooses these to spotlight as the
ones to describe in detail, he has the knack and ability to make them sound ten
times as thrilling as they actually were.
‘The
Wrestling Classic’ begins the main segment of the book. It’s meaty, thrilling
and whilst you may believe that it’s impossible for Matt Tennant to effectively
convey detail on all the participants involved in what was the forgettable
Wrestling Classic tournament, you’d be wrong. Where possible, Tennant has
included their debut dates and the beginning of this segment even stretches
back to the beginning of 1985 in order to add meat to the bones of the Hulk
Hogan vs Roddy Piper feud. From beginning to end, it’s meaty and thrilling with
the massive detail which makes up the ‘On the Night’ segment regaling the
pay-per event to us as if we’re there. This is a common theme for every event
which really adds a nice touch where other tomes may have skipped through the
detail, seeing the event results as enough information. It’s nice to see that
the author hasn’t made the common mistake of adding WrestleMania I as the first
event as it was never classed a legitimate pay-per view.
‘The
Big Event’ is an unusual but brilliantly funny segment in some parts. Taken
seriously as every event here should have been, the author seems genuinely
annoyed with Vince McMahon who classed this event as a legitimate pay-per view
only after the WWE Network launched. Telling us of how he’d completed the WWF
sections of the book before the WWE Network launch and how he had to go back
and add this, Tennant is a ball with his digs at the owner of the company
though to his eternal credit you’ never know this is a late addition. Focusing
on Hulk Hogan’s feud with Paul Orndorff and the heel turn which came from ‘Mr.
Wonderful’ after Hulk Hogan had saved him from a beating at the hands of The Heenan
Family, it slots seamlessly into the running order. In fact had I never
mentioned it, then no one would have ever known.
‘Starrcade
1987’ is a wonderful segment of this book as it doesn’t jump straight into the
event itself and its hype but theorizes on why Jim Crockett left it so late to
bring his product to pay-per view. I will add here, I have skipped several
events in the quest to get this review done but that is only because there is
so much goodness to divulge, as mentioned, it would take us months to get
through it all. Here, Matt Tennant raises some legitimate questions as he puts
Universal Wrestling Federation and their affiliation with Crockett under
scrutiny. It’s a clever, thought provoking and wholly gripping opening to a
segment. Add onto that charting Ric Flair’s rise to stardom whilst adding ample
information to almost every feud on the card, this is an excellent way to being
what would become WCW’s inclusion in the book.
On
the subject of Ric Flair’s rise to stardom, this is a point in history which
has been covered over and over again, which means you think you may have heard
it all before. Refreshingly, this isn’t the case. Occurring before any detail
on other feuds, its clear Matt Tennant’s research has gone beyond just the
plain facts as he tends to skip over what we already know and focuses on the
little things which make this special. He’s a more than able storyteller who
seems to have a grasp on what we want to read as wrestling fans and what we
never want to hear about again. From Ric Flair’s near career ending plane crash
to his ascension from the NWA United States Championship to the NWA World
Heavyweight Championship, this segment included in the Starrcade 1987 segment
looks at ever known and unrecognized reign of Flair’s up until the story of the
book kicks in as it approaches Starrcade 1987.
Keeping
on the subject of Starrcade 1987 and the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
Match, this segment as well as almost every segment on every feud before we get
into the event itself doesn’t just take a look at the facts about what lead up
to the bouts on weekly television, it also offers insight into why it really
happened behind the scenes as well as castigating promotions for their terrible
choices. People are named and shamed in these segments which are a ball to
read. Sticking to the subject here, as Matt Tennant fills us in on Ron Garvin’s
challenge for the gold and eventual reign he also subsidises this tale with
theories on why Ron Garvin was a flop as champion as well as unbreakable
booking alternatives which make sense and could have made Garvin a star. In
many ways, he’s a man after my own heart if you know what I mean.
Though
they may be two completely different events, both Starrcade 1987 and Survivor
Series 1987 went out on the same night thanks to Vince McMahon’s attempts to
sabotage Crockett’s first ever pay-per view event. As any great writer would,
Matt Tennant has a ball with this and uses the playground to once again bring
up some excellent points whilst pointing out where Jim Crockett went wrong and
could have actually trumped McMahon in the knowledge they were both going out
on the same night. Though the information is spread over two separate events,
Tennant makes an excellent point with the line, “Those who don’t adapt or
evolve perish at the expense of those who have the foresight and ingenuity to
do what is necessary to survive.” It’s something Vince McMahon should take
notice of as I assume that at some point or another, this tome will fall onto
his desk.
‘Bunkhouse
Stampede’ carries on the story from Starrcade 1987 and though it’s a short
piece when compared to the rest of the book it’s still deeply involved in Lex
Luger’s rise to the top which is a gripping tale to read. Though the detail
setting the stage dictates mostly House Show happenings, there is a lovely
piece detailing two matches which have never been widely released in the
present day on DVD. The Bunkhouse Stampede bout itself and Ric Flair vs Hawk
will be foreign to most people as they’re only available on the WWE Network, so
the level of detail on show here makes both sound more exciting than they
actually were. It’s not going to thrill you this segment, but is necessary to
carry on JCP’s side of the story. It doesn’t focus heavily on Ric Flair which
is a nice change, though the events which do are more in depth than the rest,
and had Tennant omitted this then it would have been an incomplete tome.
Both
‘WrestleMania IV’ and ‘SummerSlam 1988’ are the real beginning points for Randy
Savage’s heel turn on Hulk Hogan. Together with the rest of the events, they
paint a wonderful picture of a jealous man not just in the storylines. Though
both events here are exceptional in their own unique way with the latter having
a great illustration to kick it off, both are excellent for their focus on the
real subject in hand and that is the rise and fall of The Mega Powers. Just
when you think this all about kayfabe storyline, Tennant turns the wheel yet
again and surprises by getting very personal about Randy Savage’s feelings and
overprotection towards Elizabeth. Thankfully, he has the skill not to focus the
segments on this fact but there’s more than enough here to engage those who
wanted to know more about what went on behind the scenes at this time. And
those who purchased the recent Randy Savage release will be able to corroborate
everything the wordsmith says.
‘The
Great American Bash 1988’ is, for those who don’t know, Jim Crockett’s final
event before his company went out of business. His finale few months are
covered in much depth whilst Matt Tennant begins this event by pointing out
where Jim Crockett went wrong and how he could have at least extended his stay
which in turn may have been long enough to find a solution to save his
business. Tennant is spot on when he points out that Vince McMahon didn’t have
to oppose this show because the damage had already been done. There are many
more valid points here than you’d originally think and if you can’t find them
on first glance then it may be worth giving this part a second read.
Keeping
on the subject of The Great American Bash 1988, Lex Luger’s story continues in
the same fashion as before. His rise comes off as something special which it
was seeing as Dusty Rhodes tried to sabotage it for his own selfish gain and
there is a real sense of disappointment by Tennant when he recounts the
terrible ending to the main event which turned fans off of Luger and the
promotion. It’s warranted. This could have been Lex Luger’s moment even though
the promotion didn’t want him as champion and they naused it up. The mood and
moments of the era are captured perfectly here and are brought to life by
Tennant’s effective method of storytelling.
Before
we move on and I know this isn’t strictly in order with how the book flows, but
I was pleasantly surprised to find that the book’s creator had taken ample time
to touch upon the subject of Dusty Rhodes’ terrible booking throughout the era
covered. Most haven’t been brave enough to point out what a complete failure
Rhodes was in his role but Tennant doesn’t pull the punches when pointing out
his many flaws. Opining that Crockett could have found another way to turn Lex
Luger face without having him lose to Rhodes at the inaugural Starrcade and
that a Champion vs Champion Match with Ric Flair at The Great American Bash
would have been much more effective, Tennant is a man on form and is correct
when he says that Rhodes booked his victories at the expense of younger talent
out of nothing but pure selfishness. Placed deep within The Great American Bash
1988 segment, the opinion that Dusty Rhodes should have been removed from his
position before booking the hideous and damaging ending to Lex Luger’s main
event brawl is of course justified. His tirade against Dusty Rhodes is
entertaining and just. Even better, it doesn’t get samey or boring.
Credit
has to go where its due and staying on the subject of the 1988 Great American
Bash, Matt Tennant has gone to the trouble of looking at The Varsity Club vs
The Garvin’s which was a banal feud at the time, and I can attest to that as
someone who sat through it, but in his own words the author makes it sound
exciting and interesting. It just goes to show that some things are better in
print. It’s a sequel to the Bunkhouse Stampede fallout which has a great
bearing on how you view the rest of the event. Very well done.
Switching
company’s we arrive at AWA SuperClash III which was a terrible event but has
overtones of grandeur here thanks once again to the way it’s worded. Now, I
know from personal experience that there isn’t a lot on this event to be known
and indeed this doesn’t follow suit of every other event included by putting in
television results because as I’ve been told by the author there were none he
could dig up. I myself have attempted to look for these results when writing
‘The Unforgettable Rick Martel’ and could find none either. Instead, Matt
Tennant concentrates on the importance of what should have been the main event
in Jerry Lawler vs Kerry Von Erich. Their respective careers are delved into,
whilst it’s engaging and fascinating to find out just how many titles Jerry
Lawler has held in his career. This includes a little sadness when touching
upon the Von Erich history but excels further when it moves away from the
previous subject and looks at the little known title reigns within the AWA and
WCCW which made up the card for this event.
Though
the fallout of the event is short, thanks to very little detail being
available, its still notable for the detail on the merger and then the split of
the AWA, WCCW which had become the WCWA and CWA. It’s an interesting little
moment to find out how and why the business relationship went sour and makes up
for anything that may be missing.
Skipping
past a lot of good, which once again I cannot include because of time,
‘Survivor Series 1989’ makes some more excellent points with one being, “To be seen and treated as a headline act by those who
pay hard earned money to witness your rise through the industry a wrestler must
be pushed like star by both the booking and creative committee, who are equally
responsible for a talent’s position on the card and the strength of their
storylines respectively. To expect a wrestler to climb those greasy rungs
unaided is career suicide and therefore its the responsibility of everyone to
assure their jobs are done to the very highest so that those they play God with
have the best possible chance of succeeding. No professional wrestler can be
seen as a legitimate main event personality if he’s constantly plying his trade
in the promotion’s mid-card or battling enhancement talent week in and week
out, therefore needing the exposure a main event position provides.” It’s one
hundred percent correct.
In the fallout of Survivor Series 1989, Tennant
once again provides a nice twist by looking at Dusty Rhodes’ entry into the
company and his feud with The Big Boss Man. Asserting that Boss Man was the
perfect first real opponent for Rhodes isn’t a fact I every thought about until
it was raised here but looking at it now, he’s correct. Larger than Rhodes and
with a fearsome reputation thanks to his feud with Savage and Hogan, Boss Man
was the perfect first rival for Rhodes even though they never had a decent
match. Veering away from this feud, the fallout also covers the
‘No Holds Barred: The Match / The Movie’ event in detail to its credit, which
wasn’t a wrestling pay-per view in general though shown on the medium. As the
final event of WWF’s section of the book, it’s insightful and wraps up the
promotions participation in this book to perfection.
The
‘In Memory’ section is a heartbreaker on a whole different level. It will make
you feel and even make you cry at some points during its retelling and
remembering those who fell during the era the book covers. There isn’t an exact
date for some and the cause of death is missing for a few but looking at how
much effort Tennant put into the book, I’m sure there was no shirking here when
it came to researching each and every name which must have taken him days to
do. For the main segment of the book, it’s a wonderful and poignant note to a
thoroughly absorbing read on.
There
are many more excellent things about every chapter and event here but too many
for me to mention. So I’ll allow you to discover the joys for yourself.
Instead, I’d like to take you through other things which are great about this
tome. The first thing I noticed was the company tense it was written in. Instead
of referring to McMahon’s promotion as WWE, Tennant instead goes with the old
WWF name which is historically correct. This gives the book a even further
nostalgic feeling as had he refereed to the company in its present moniker than
it may have taken the glare off of what was special about the era. It’s a
clever way to keep lapsed fans engaged and please those who believed that the
company did their best stuff under the previous name.
Almost
every match Matt Tennant has chosen to cover in detail in ‘On the Night’ is
detailed and exciting to read. Even those bouts which didn’t thrill on the
events are made to sound more exciting than they were. It’s quite an incredible
feat to make something dull sound riveting. Some match descriptions are shorter
than others whilst some are more detailed but that adds to the book’s
quirkiness. I must point out here, that Tennant has described every match on
every event from bell to bell but rather chosen one or two to describe in
complete detail. The rest of the bouts are included in short descriptions to
leave you in doubt what type of bouts they were as far as good or bad goes.
There isn’t one match he’s missed in some form or another.
Across
the course of this review, you’ll have heard me mention the alternate pay-per
view posters which are used effectively as chapter points. Each has its own
unique style and subheading relating to a storyline which happened at that
particular event. The design and subheadings were created by Matt Tennant and
drawn by Josh Wright, as you’ll have read in my exclusive interview with the
author previously. I have to say that whilst there isn’t a bad drawing amongst
the whole bunch, the Halloween Havoc poster is just out of this world.
Weaknesses:
Believe
it or not, this is the part I hate most of all. Usually, it’s easy to drop
something into this category especially with WWE’s releases which usually miss
something or other out. But occasionally we get a really good release such as
‘Ladies and Gentlemen, My Name is Paul Heyman’ or ‘Macho Man: The Randy Savage
Story’ which you hate to bash. But in the interest of being fair, then I must
find something about everything which isn’t that great even if its something
small or you just think I’m being picky which I am with ‘A Love Letter to the
Mat’.
One
thing you may notice across the course of this book, though if you’re not
actively looking for it then it may pass you by, is the repetition. I know this
is a book of over 1,000 pages and as Matt Tennant says in the Afterword, it’s
almost impossible to write something of this length without repeating yourself
or a certain word several times but for a select few people there is a chance
one word repeated at length may annoy you. However, you’d have to be really
picky to find this a problem as there are plenty of excellent adjectives in
between so you should rarely recognize this fact. Hey, what can I say, I was
desperate for something to put here.
Conclusion:
‘A
Love Letter to the Mat: The Complete Story of Professional Wrestling on Pay-Per
View: Volume 1 – 1985 – 1989’ may be a lengthily title for a book but that
doesn’t quash its quality in any way or form. Collecting together every
wrestling pay-per view event from the mentioned era along with little known
facts and backstory on every major and minor feud to take place on each event,
this superb digest is exactly what it says in its title. A love letter to
professional wrestling, which ranks amongst the very finest wrestling books
ever to be released.
When
I was asked to review this, I was hesitant at first. I’ve read so many crappy
books on wrestling that don’t deserve to be published that it’s unbelievable.
The majority of them come from WWE themselves who bastardise their history
beyond recognition to suit what their product is at the time. Yet when I tucked
into ‘A Love Letter to the Mat’, I was refreshingly surprised at how detailed,
honest, intriguing and gripping the elements were. For a first book for a new
writer, this is nothing less than a stunning debut and as you read through its
fascinating pages with its bracing illustrations the time it must have taken
author Matt Tennant to source every detail, won’t be lost on you and makes it
an even more enjoyable read.
It’s
hard to pick out just one stimulating facet of this book because there are so
many, however it’s the smallest detail which has been so cleverly woven in
which you may not even realize is there that makes it such a joy to read. For
starters, the sections on each separate company are designed differently with a
unique heading given to WWF, Jim Crockett Promotions / WCW and AWA which makes
them feel separate to each other instead of continuous chapters. More grungy
and gothic, the WWF chapters as good as recapture the feeling of watching the
company during the eighties whilst the Jim Crockett Promotions and World
Championship Wrestling segments have a more regal and upper class look to them.
It serves the book well that Matt Tennant has taken the time to make each
promotion featured feel different to others.
One
of the best things about this entire tome is that instead of doing what every
other writer would have done and lump together tired facts about every event
featured in this book, Matt Tennant has taken the time to delve back into the
history of professional wrestling and before the main body of this book gets
underway, we’re treated to a chapter on the Vince McMahon and Jim Crockett war
and after you’ve digested its meaty main body, you can then take a breather and
pay tribute to the fallen in a touching and thought provoking memorial segment
which will tug at the heart strings.
However,
this book succeeds where all others fail and that’s in the main body’s detail.
It would have been so easy for Matt Tennant to leave out everything that others
may not deem necessary and just include the important background on major
feuds. He hasn’t done that. Instead, he’s included almost every occurrence to
do with every feud from weekly television including the broadcast and recording
dates which give this book a wholesome feel that you’re not missing anything as
you traverse the years. There are even feuds here which had nothing to do with
the events in question. Granted, the Jim Crockett Promotions / World Championship
Wrestling sections aren’t as long as the WWF ones but that is a very minor gripe.
Even though they’re not as lengthily, they still provide ample information for
new and old fans alike.
Away
from the book’s subject, one of the most stirring facts is the language used to
convey each rivalry and how important the medium of pay-per view was to
professional wrestling in the nineteen eighties. Words which you may not have
known existed are employed to great effect in a funny, involving, touching and
at times sad collection of pages which don’t just spend their time explain
wrestling jargon but also have a generous amount personal memories from the
author which are used to exceptional effect. His introduction to the book which
takes in his personal introduction to professional wrestling in 1989 via his
late grandfather is both informative and tender whilst its Afterword is a
lovely piece of writing all on its own. Those who are easily touched will need
a hanky ready.
The
book also features over twenty two brand new illustrations of pay-per view
poster which are just a sight to behold on their own. Illustrated to
perfection, these depict the large and sometimes smaller stories of each event
and are good enough to know who the wrestlers are but not exactly spot on as to
have an issue of copyright. Some are better than others of course, but the
striking front cover and the Halloween Havoc 1989 pieces are particularly
exceptional.
Reading
like a story instead of just another non-fiction diary also gives this book an
edge which others don’t have. We have all seen wrestling books on the shelves
of our local book stores titled ‘The History of...’ so I’m pleased that Tennant
didn’t go down this route. Had he done so then it may have taken away from the
personal touch this book possesses. ‘The story of...’ lends it a much more
individual identity and for the most part, it seems as if the author is talking
to you personally instead of a mass group of readers. Pleasingly, there is also
a perfect balance of story and truth, meaning that whilst the bouts are
described as if they were legitimate fights to advance the story of the digest,
Tennant then breaks kayfabe elsewhere to make sure wrestling fans don’t grow
tired of things being described as if they were real. It’s quite unique.
In
the end, as I’ve already said, I was greatly surprised by this offering and
there are not enough good analogies in the English language to use to describe
it with. True, like anything and everything else in public circulation it has
its shaky moments such as a little repetition here and there but let’s be
honest, you can’t write a book of this size without a little repetition. Also,
it is a wordy piece so those who do not possess the attention span or don’t
like to read bulky projects may want to give it a miss. Though, even if you
don’t like the latter, purchasing the book for reference only can also be
beneficial as you have a handy information log at your fingertips which gives
even more information than you can find on the internet. Standing above its
peers and competition, ‘A Love Letter to the Mat’ may be a pricey purchase but
its one of the rare ones that actually warrants its price tag. I’ll even go as
far as to say that for the information, nostalgic feeling and detail on show it’s
a bargain which would get an ‘A+’ if Review Corner offered one.
Annoyingly,
because this is self published by the author the likelihood is that you’ll only
be able to purchase it online from Amazon or the website it was published
through Completleynovel.com. However, it's now come to light that you can also order it from Waterstones either in store or online. This may also be true with other high street bookshops. This means that it won’t
be knocked down even though a number of smaller bookshops will carry the title,
so you should be able to purchase it from those as well. That it couldn’t find
a publisher when it stands head and shoulders above those that did is a
miscarriage of justice but that doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t sell well,
because it absolutely deserves to. Whether you’re a new fan, a long-time fan or
a lapsed fan you’ll get something from this book, which can also be used as a
reference piece for any future knowledge.
If
you’re going to buy one book this year, then make sure it’s ‘A Love Letter to
the Mat: The Complete Story of Professional Wrestling on Pay-Per View: Volume 1
– 1985-1989’. You won’t be disappointed and will be left craving a second
volume which we’ve been told will only happen if this one sells well. So get
the word around to people who don’t know its there and people who don’t read
this blog. It’s epic, grand, very absorbing and easy to read. You’ll laugh and
cry at the same time. It’s almost as if you can hear Matt Tennant throwing down
the gauntlet to WWE to produce something better with as much honesty and
forthright humour. That of course won’t happen, but I can’t wait to see how he
handles Volume 2 should there be one.
When
all is said and done, ‘A Love Letter to the Mat: The Complete Story of
Professional Wrestling on Pay-Per View: Volume 1 – 1985-1989’ deserves it place
as the definitive wrestling tome of our time.
Rating:
A
Onwards
and upwards...
