Two Words, One Answer.
Chris Benoit
 Ring of Hell: The Story of Chris Benoit & the Fall of the Pro Wrestling Industry $12.95 First, this is not a biography of Chris Benoit, this is a brutal look at pro-wrestling which destroys any contribution Benoit may have made by disgorging his life and rampant steroid abuse. The modern business of wrestling is constantly attacked and dwells off of the presence of steroids, drugs, and alcohol. At least to the non-fan. Randazzo is obviously not a fan of pro wrestling as there are less than ten pages in this entire book in which he doesn't somehow degrade this form of entertainment. I could really care less how people view pro wrestling but to seemingly insist it is nothing more than staged cock-fighting backed up by steroids and narcotics is a bit overboard. This is not a look into a wrestler's life and the savage crime he committed. This book is a True Crime genre text in which it is the author's job to take the subject and make him seem endearing to the public for a few pages and then turn around and show that the subject is the most horrific piece of garbage in existance. Randazzo does this admiringly well with Benoit and uses Dynamite Kid, Pillman, Guerrero, and Owen's tragedy to back up his defense on the business in general. On the upside, the entire text is a remarkable look at a business that is in severe need of change for the overall well-being of the participants if nothing else. These are independent contractors that have no health insurance or retirement plan and whose careers are forced to endure longer than their bodies can take it. Randazzo's attack on Benoit and wrestling (face it, it is nothing short of an all-out attack) is brutal and unforgiving (not that Benoit's final acts should be forgiven) but it should make hardcore fans take another look and realize there is so much more going on than watching hardbodies like Cena, Batista, and others playing superheroes in the ring. Somehow during is assault on Benoit, Randazzo also decides to take shots at HHH and his marriage to Stephanie McMahon but it reallt didn't need to be here to support his argument. Anyway, as a wrestling biography, this is a tragedy. As a true crime novel, it is top notch. Either way, it should be required reading for wrestling fans just so they are forced to learn that there's more going on than what WWE, TNA, and other companies are allowing you to see on television.  Chris Benoit: The Definitive Story of Murder, Drugs and Wrestling's Darkest Hour $18.95 I AM/WAS A BIG FAN OF CHRIS BENOIT,I WAS VERY SHOCKED AND UPSET OVER WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM AND HIS FAMILY. MY GOD HAVE ON HIS SOUL BUT NEVER WILL I EVER TAKE TO TIME TO READ THIS BOOK BECAUSE SOMETHING LIKE WHAT HE DID TO HIMSELF AND HIS FAMILY SHOULD BE LEFT ALONE FOR CHRIST SAKE!  Dungeon of Death $14.95 I was loaned this book by a friend, who suggested it to me as a fan of Chris Benoit. I read it, and I cannot say that I recommend it. First of all, the title is incredibly misleading. The author does point out a lot of dead Stampede alumni, but doesn't claim there is a curse. More accurately, the book is a list of people in wrestling who have died, with some history thrown in. Secondly, if you are the kind of wrestling fan who reads the Observer or Torch, there is nothing new here. If you have been a fan of wrestling at all in the last 5 years, there is nothing new here. Shocking insights like: Dynamite Kid is in bad shape, Davey Boy Smith did steroids, and Chris Benoit killed his family! Finally, the book isn't very well written. It reads like a long-time wrestling fan telling stories at a convention. There are spelling and grammatical errors, and the writing just isn't compelling. Furthermore, there are many references to other information, but almost never is it linked so you can verify or follow up on anything. This book is really just a crass attempt to monopolize on the Benoit tragedy and the deaths of many wrestlers. |
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