National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story

National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly that Strangled Pro Wrestling

Paperback: 300 pages

In the 1950s, in Las Vegas, a businessmens conglomerate dominating a $25 million-a-year sports industry hid their illegal practices from the U.S. Department of Justice until they were caught. The sport that privileged cold hard cash over honest competition was professional wrestling, and the conspirators were members of the famed National Wrestling Alliance.

National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly that Strangled Pro Wrestling examines the NWA promoters overwhelming success, and the relationships to influential politicians and writers that protected their financial interests for over 50 years. Breaking the faade of sports production, it shows how promoters actually twisted arms to edge out their opponents.

Hornbaker documents the life of the NWA, from its humble beginnings in the Midwest after World War II, to its worldwide expansion. He chronicles the Department of Justices investigation, providing sports fans with a never-before-told side of wrestlings legacy.

The most noteworthy exploits of the National Wrestling Alliance were behind locked doors. Now, the conspiracies of a century-old brand of entertainment will finally be revealed.

Timothy Hornbaker has researched professional wrestling for the past 10 years. For this book, he has received assistance from descendants of the National Wrestling Alliances most famous members. He is an avid baseball fan and lives in Southern Florida.

50 black & white photos throughout

Rating: - Definte Read
Reviewer: Jeb M. from Clarksburg, West Virginia
I will agree with someone below who said Mr. Hornbaker does repeat stuff, but for me that was perfectly fine as it did help keep everything together for me. I had just read "Fall Guys" the 1937 book by Marcus Griffin that REALLY delved into the early 1900's up to the Everett Marshall reign. This book almost pics up where that one left off. Pick this one up and find Fall Guys and learn about the history of the business. Do it, it'll be good for your brain.
Thanks highspots for fast great service!

Rating: - Recommended reading
Reviewer: Darren from Winnipeg, Manitoba
This is a very informative book on the behind the scenes dealings of the NWA, and how all the other major companies came to be. (AWA, WWWF, WWA etc.) My only real criticism would be how things got repeated from one chaper to the next, but i realize that was done to tie things together. still, a good book and i would recommend it to history buffs.

Rating: - Highest possible recommendation
Reviewer: Rich from Douglasville, Georgia
I found this book to be the most comprehensive and well-written reference piece associated with the business of professional wrestling. Every wrestling fan – the older generation who saw the boom period of what the NWA meant to us and our territorial promotions – down to the newer generation who laughs at the current version of the alliance; especially those who look at us funny for speaking so highly of what they only see as a current gnat on the wrestling scene. Highest possible recommendation.

GeorgiaWrestlingHistory.com

Rating: - National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly that Strangled Pro Wrestling
Reviewer: Paul from Oakville, Ontario
Timothy Hornbaker has provided wrestling fans with a keen historical perspective of the early days of pro wrestling and the formulation of the National Wrestling Alliance and how the NWA shaped and dominated the business for the latter part of the 20th century. The book also brings to light the monopolistic, self-serving practices of wrestling promoters and casts a shadow on certain individuals, such as founding president, Sam Muchnick, who have attained almost mythical status in the lore of the pro mat game. This book is not an easy read because it more factual than anecdotal, but one that has earned its place on the shelves of the quintessential wrestling fan's library.