Inlewd Book Review

Missy Hyatt: First Lady of Wrestling

I sat down and read this book cover to cover in one sitting. It wasn't something I figured would be a task because I was enamored by the subject of the book (Melissa Hiatt). But, what male who has been a fan of pro wrestling for the past ten to fifteen years wasn't enamored by Missy?

Missy was without a doubt the "First lady of wrestling". The one word I could write about Missy to sum up her entire existence inside and of course outside of the business is "efficacious". She was without a doubt "dangerously enchanting".

If you are not a fan of Missy Hiatt dating back to her early years this book is still for you! It has a lot of sex and behind the scenes information about many of the top stars in pro-wrestling from the past and the present. She swaps stories on the genetic proportions (or lack thereof) of many of the past and current superstars in this business.

The book is only 164 pages long and contains many illustrations (photos) so all in all, you are probably looking at 125 pages of reading material to focus upon. The break down of the chapters goes as follows: Chapter I "Sweet Melissa" is about her days in Florida and Georgia; Chapter 2 "Learning the ropes" is about World Class Championship Wrestling out of Dallas; Chapter 3 "Living on Tulsa Time" is about her stay in UWF (Bill Watts) in Oklahoma; Chapter 4 "Wrestling with the Mania" is about her short stint in the WWF; Chapter 5 "Ain't no place I'd rather be" is about going back to UWF/NWA in Oklahoma and working for USWA based out of Tennessee; Chapter 6 "Alabama Gateway" is about the switch from UWF to CWF (Continental Wrestling Federation) out of Alabama; Chapter 7 "Ted and Missy's Bogus Journey" is about WCW out of Atlanta and her dealings with Ted Turner; Chapter 8 "Taken to the Extreme" is of course about her dealings with Paul Heyman and her stay in ECW; rounding out the book is Chapter 9 "Indie-Cent Exposure" which details her struggles after pro wrestling and working for North-East Independent Promotions.

"Two guys beat each other to bloody pulps for half an hour, slugging each other in the face, kicking each other in the groin, banging metal chairs over each other's heads, body-slamming each other through wooden tables and the crowd just sits on their hands. Like, Snore! But then, suddenly, a couple of chicks - I mean "valets" - jump into the ring, grab one another in headlocks, and start rolling around, and now the crowd's on their feet, jumping up and down, climbing onto their chairs, shoving and elbowing for a better view, yelling CATFIGHT! CATFIGHT! CATFIGHT!", that is an excerpt from the introduction of this book. I feel it is a good illustration of what to expect while reading the wrestling side of the book. You come away with a brilliant depiction of what the wrestling business is all about through the eyes of one of the most intelligent female performers to ever enter the business.

However; the sadness is also intertwined with brilliance as we follow Melissa Hiatt's rise to super stardom in pro wrestling and find her entering and exiting sexual relationships as if nothing out of the ordinary. As if nothing ultra special, as if changing outfits. It is an in depth look at exactly how this business operates and the toll it takes on the human element involved in it. Missy Hiatt survived and somehow came out of it all stronger. This book in itself is a microcosm of everything wrong in the business which can make one a hell of a lot stronger in the end. But, it is also a microcosms of what is wrong in this business and can lead some down the path of outright self distortion, and what is often worse, self destruction.

You can purchase the book online at Amazon.com.

Mark Roth, Editor/Owner LEWD Wrestling Newsletter