Inlewd Book Review

Tributes: Remembering Some of the World's Greatest Wrestlers

When I received Dave Meltzer's Tributes in the mail, I was almost depressed at the prospect of facing 160 pages about the lives of some of my favorite wrestlers and wrestling personalities that are no longer here. However, my apprehension quickly washed away once I started reading.

Starting with Owen Hart, each turn of the page brought back special memories of the industry's legendary performers and their dazzling deeds. From there, Meltzer chronicles the lives and careers of Brian Pillman, Rick Rude, Andre The Giant, Bruiser Brody, Fritz Von Erich, Kerry Von Erich, Yokozuna, Junkyard Dog, Giant Baba, "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers, "Big" John Studd, Dino Bravo, Ray Stevens, Louie Spicolli, Art Barr, Eddie Gilbert, Jumbo Tsuruta, and Gordon Solie.

As the book's subtitle indicates, "remembering some of the world's greatest wrestlers" is the author's primary goal, but those familiar with Dave Meltzer's work know better than to expect a string of flowery odes to the deceased. The front flap says it best: Tributes is "a homage to [the wrestlers'] athletic ability, their charisma and drive, a celebration of the characters they brought us, and a warning to those who figure to follow in their footsteps." Indeed, Meltzer is honest without being disrespectful - a tricky feat considering how wild some of these characters were. Not just limited to tales about the wrestlers' on-air exploits, the prose delves deeper into the lives they led when the cameras weren't on. In a business built on theatrical illusions, it's ironic that the stars' real-life traits and habits (drugs, alcohol, temperament, etc.) often played a key role in affecting their professional success.

Tributes is packed with so much information that even diehard students of the game stand to learn a few new things while reading it. Meltzer's career biographies detail how the wrestlers broke into the business, the personal and career shakeups they faced on the road to superstardom, their drawing power (including when and where they achieved their highest fan turnouts), and a bevy of other fascinating facts and figures.

From the foreword: "There is no wrestling storyline that compares to what you're about to read." It's the truth, folks. When a book as wonderful as Tributes comes along, I feel compelled to spread the word to everyone I know. Since Mick Foley's first autobiography, Have A Nice Day, was released two years ago, there has been a renaissance of superb wrestling literature from other grapplers and famous writers alike (in the "Acknowledgements" section, Meltzer thanks Foley for opening the door and "disproving the stigma that we've all had to live with - that wrestling fans can't read"). Tributes continues the recent tradition of top-notch wrestling books by being the authoritative guide on the industry's most beloved legends. Their accomplishments can no longer be forgotten, but their mistakes hopefully won't be repeated.

The author of Tributes, Dave Meltzer, runs the Wrestling Observer newsletter, which is considered by many to be the leading print publication in the industry. More information is available at WrestlingObserver.com. You can purchase the book online at https://secure.competitor.net/thelaw/ or Amazon.com.

Chris Sabga, Former Editor IGN Wrestling