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CLASSIC FOLEY BOOK ON SALE FOR AMAZON KINDLE AND MORE BOOK NOTES

By Mike Johnson on 2024-06-21 16:05:00

Mick Foley's third memoir The Hardcore Diaries is currently on sale for $2.99 on Amazon Kindle.

Cover artwork has been revealed for several new pro wrestling books:

Hello to the Bad Guys: How Pro-Wrestling's New World Order Changed America written by Marc Raimondi is scheduled for a March 2025 release, PWInsider.com has confirmed.  The 325 page hardcover book will be released by Simon & Schuster.

Promotional material for the book notes:

From ESPN reporter Marc Raimondi comes a compelling, gripping narrative history of professional wrestling’s legendary faction, The NWO (New World Order), from their inception in 1996 to their influence on American pop culture today.

In 1996, professional wrestling was one of the most watched sports on cable television, with more than 5 million people tuning in every week. And in the late 1990s, pro-wrestling was the hottest thing in American pop culture, with companies making millions in action figures, video games, and simple black t-shirts emblazoned with three little letters: NWO.

The NWO, or New World Order, became a business like no other, and was responsible for the explosive ratings and rabid fanbase. It started with an ingenious storyline starring Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and the titular Hollywood Hogan—Hulk Hogan gone bad. Together, they formed a new era of characters to root for: The Bad Guys.

Never before had audiences cheered for the villains, rooting for them over the heroes. The NWO broke down wrestling’s fourth wall in a clever new way, blurring the lines between fiction and reality. And suddenly, watching professional wrestling not only became socially acceptable, but a necessity if you wanted to stay up to date with pop culture. Their impact was infectious and long-lasting. It was entertainment that shaped a generation.

Written by Marc Raimondi, a current ESPN reporter with nearly twenty years of experience in journalism, this narrative history explores professional wrestling’s most popular faction and how their existence influenced American culture like never before.

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A new book by author Steven Johnson on the legendary Jim Londos is slated for a 8/6 release from McFarland Publishing, PWInsider.com has confirmed.  Promotional material for Jim Londos: The Golden Greek of Professional Wrestling notes: 

The most famous active athlete in the world during the Great Depression was not Babe Ruth, Sonja Henie or Babe Didrikson. It was a determined Greek immigrant who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean as a 15-year-old to escape a demanding father and start a life abroad. Jim Londos slept in railcars and firehouses to make ends meet and quickly found refuge on the mat.

Combining an Old World work ethic with a flair for the dramatic, Londos overcame skeptics and antagonists to become pro wrestling's greatest star, an international celebrity who walked with presidents, prime ministers and the common man. He was responsible for keeping wrestling alive during the Depression and representing achievement to ethnic minorities, underdogs and women, all of whom he attracted in record numbers. This complete biography of Jim Londos tells the story of the first great immigrant athlete, a man who rescued the soiled sport of wrestling when it was down for the count, and brought hope and inspiration to his countrymen and millions worldwide.

1940s comic book Daffy: Golden Age Wrestling Queen will be reprinted later this year as a two part collection, PWInsider.com has learned.  The first part will be released this December.   Promotional material for the first volume notes:

"DAFFY: GOLDEN AGE WRESTLING QUEEN is the first of a historic two-volume series collecting at long last the complete adventures of Daffy Dill, the original comic book Queen of Wrestling. Originally serialized in Smash Comics in the 1940s, and featuring an array of contributors, DAFFY showcases playfully innovative cartooning and design as the titular heroine battles a lineup of unusual challengers from crooked gangsters and bootleggers, to monsters and rogue toreadors. Daffy's adventures showcase a stunning variety of classic cartooning styles, from series creator Gill Fox's chunky brawler, to the flashy, stylish lines of the great Janice Valleau (working as “Ginger”). Witness the evolution of Daffy Dill as she evolves from a lovably klutzy behemoth to a whip-smart, scrappy fighter who can solve any problem and suffers no fool for long. Daffy Dill's adventures are presented here for the first time in 80 years, painstakingly restored and ready at last for another round in the ring."

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