Book 11 of 2010

This is the first book I finished on my iPad, using the Kindle app, while my wife was away in Las Vegas for a weekend.

11) The Death of WCW by RD Reynolds & Bryan Alvarez
In an age where corporate incompetence only seems to allow higher-ups to fail upwards into more money that furthers their greed, it's nice to see a story where morons who make poor decisions actually suffer the consequences of them. The story of WCW's rise to the top of the wrestling world and the subsequent fall that followed and led to its sale to rival Vince McMahon's then-WWF is a case study in people who never learn from their mistakes.


The saddest thing about the death of WCW is that those same problems persist in the wrestling business today. WWE's main event wrestlers have comprised the same seven people since 2004, and they're just now feeling the effects of that due to the staleness of the roster and age of the stars, all of whom have suffered injuries that keep them out for months on end. Distant number two promotion TNA employs all of the same office workers and creative team as WCW, so it's no wonder they fail miserably despite the wealth of talented wrestlers they have at their disposal. The book was written in 2004, and it's amazing how so many of the events chronicled here have repeated themselves since then.

As for the book itself, it's a well-researched history written in a light, conversational tone. I doubt anyone who is passively interested in wrestling would have any interest in it, but for those who enjoy the blend of sports and entertainment, it's a nice way of getting caught up on the past and serves as a solid preparation for the future.