
Death of the Territories
Expansion, Betrayal and the War That Changed Pro Wrestling Forever
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $17.19
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Kyle Tait
-
By:
-
Tim Hornbaker
About this listen
For decades, distinct professional wrestling territories thrived across North America. Each regionally based promotion operated individually and offered a brand of localized wrestling that greatly appealed to area fans. Promoters routinely coordinated with associates in surrounding regions, and the cooperation displayed by members of the National Wrestling Alliance made it easy for wrestlers to traverse the landscape with the utmost freedom.
Dozens of territories flourished between the 1950s and late '70s. But by the early 1980s, the growth of cable television had put new outside pressures on promoters. An enterprising third-generation entrepreneur who believed cable was his opportunity to take his promotion national soon capitalized on the situation.
A host of novel ideas and the will to take chances gave Vincent Kennedy McMahon an incredible advantage. McMahon waged war on the territories and raided the NWA and AWA of their top talent. By creating WrestleMania, jumping into the pay-per-view field, and expanding across North America, McMahon changed professional wrestling forever.
©2018 Tim Hornbaker (P)2019 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
-
Nitro
- The Incredible Rise and Inevitable Collapse of Ted Turner's WCW
- By: Guy Evans
- Narrated by: Guy Evans
- Length: 17 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nitro is a story about much more than WCW and the Monday Night Wars. It is a story of an era, a time in which the media and cultural landscape precipitated - and later supported - pro wrestling's mainstream popularity. It is a story of how a company made in the image of an intuitively brilliant risk-taker betrayed its original promise. It is a story of how a handful of men, each struggling with their own limitations, facilitated a public obsession that changed television forever.
-
-
way better than the death of wcw
- By DMCizzle on 01-05-21
By: Guy Evans
-
The Death of WCW
- By: R.D. Reynolds, Bryan Alvarez
- Narrated by: Bryan Alvarez
- Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1997, World Championship Wrestling was on top. It was the number-one pro wrestling company in the world, and the highest-rated show on cable television. Each week, fans tuned in to Monday Nitro, flocked to sold-out arenas, and carried home truckloads of WCW merchandise. Sting, Bill Goldberg, and the New World Order were household names. Superstars like Dennis Rodman and KISS jumped on the WCW bandwagon. It seemed the company could do no wrong.
-
-
Like a rambling friend telling you WCW history
- By Eric Philleo on 12-18-17
By: R.D. Reynolds, and others
-
Kayfabe: Stories You're Not Supposed to Hear from a Pro Wrestling Production Company Owner
- By: Sean Oliver
- Narrated by: Sean Oliver
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you thought the world of pro wrestling was wild, imagine what you haven’t seen on TV and in the ring. Add to that the backdrop of building a renegade production company, negotiating with impossible wrestling talent, and hosting groundbreaking, shoot-style programming, and you have the story of Sean Oliver. Sean has seen industry-wide accolades for the company he co-founded and for which he serves as front man. Watch the unpredictable and unconventional story through Sean’s eyes.
-
-
BEHIND THE SCENES GALOUR
- By MOHAMMED IBRAHIM ALJEHANI on 04-05-18
By: Sean Oliver
-
Slobberknocker
- My Life in Wrestling
- By: Jim Ross, Paul O'Brien
- Narrated by: Jim Ross, R.C. Bray
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There are few people who have been in the wrestling business longer than Jim Ross. Slobberknocker is the story of how an Oklahoman farm kid with a vivid imagination and seemingly unattainable dreams became "The Voice of Wrestling" to record TV audiences and millions of fans around the world. Jim opens up about his life as an only child on a working farm, who became obsessed with professional wrestling having first seen it on his grandparents' TV.
-
-
Somewhat disappointed
- By Maci Hutson on 11-16-17
By: Jim Ross, and others
-
There's Just One Problem...
- True Tales from the Former, One-Time, 7th Most Powerful Person in WWE
- By: Brian Gewirtz
- Narrated by: Greg Baglia
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For decades, wrestling was shrouded in secrecy. It had larger-than-life personalities, bone-crunching physicality and jaw-dropping theatrics, but backstage, it was an industry devoid of outsiders. Then in 1999, after working together on a special for MTV, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson turned to 26-year-old television writer Brian Gewirtz and asked, “You ever consider writing for WWE?” That question, and its answer, would have a profound effect on both of their lives for years to come. There's Just One Problem is a story about perseverance, tenacity, and steel chairs.
-
-
There's Just Obe Problem...Narration.
- By Joshua on 08-28-22
By: Brian Gewirtz
-
The Last Real World Champion
- The Legacy of "Nature Boy" Ric Flair
- By: Tim Hornbaker
- Narrated by: Joe Hempel
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For more than a century, professional wrestling has cultivated some of the most eccentric and compelling personalities. As the embodiment of flamboyance and intensity, the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair stood at wrestling's apex for decades, cementing his place as a once-in-a-lifetime athlete and performer. When he was in the ring, fans knew they were witnessing the very best, and he not only became a multi-time world heavyweight champion in the NWA, WCW, and the WWE, but his status as a generational great has been confirmed with inductions into numerous Halls of Fame.
-
-
Awesome story of the GOAT, WOOOO
- By Vern on 10-29-23
By: Tim Hornbaker
-
Nitro
- The Incredible Rise and Inevitable Collapse of Ted Turner's WCW
- By: Guy Evans
- Narrated by: Guy Evans
- Length: 17 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nitro is a story about much more than WCW and the Monday Night Wars. It is a story of an era, a time in which the media and cultural landscape precipitated - and later supported - pro wrestling's mainstream popularity. It is a story of how a company made in the image of an intuitively brilliant risk-taker betrayed its original promise. It is a story of how a handful of men, each struggling with their own limitations, facilitated a public obsession that changed television forever.
-
-
way better than the death of wcw
- By DMCizzle on 01-05-21
By: Guy Evans
-
The Death of WCW
- By: R.D. Reynolds, Bryan Alvarez
- Narrated by: Bryan Alvarez
- Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1997, World Championship Wrestling was on top. It was the number-one pro wrestling company in the world, and the highest-rated show on cable television. Each week, fans tuned in to Monday Nitro, flocked to sold-out arenas, and carried home truckloads of WCW merchandise. Sting, Bill Goldberg, and the New World Order were household names. Superstars like Dennis Rodman and KISS jumped on the WCW bandwagon. It seemed the company could do no wrong.
-
-
Like a rambling friend telling you WCW history
- By Eric Philleo on 12-18-17
By: R.D. Reynolds, and others
-
Kayfabe: Stories You're Not Supposed to Hear from a Pro Wrestling Production Company Owner
- By: Sean Oliver
- Narrated by: Sean Oliver
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you thought the world of pro wrestling was wild, imagine what you haven’t seen on TV and in the ring. Add to that the backdrop of building a renegade production company, negotiating with impossible wrestling talent, and hosting groundbreaking, shoot-style programming, and you have the story of Sean Oliver. Sean has seen industry-wide accolades for the company he co-founded and for which he serves as front man. Watch the unpredictable and unconventional story through Sean’s eyes.
-
-
BEHIND THE SCENES GALOUR
- By MOHAMMED IBRAHIM ALJEHANI on 04-05-18
By: Sean Oliver
-
Slobberknocker
- My Life in Wrestling
- By: Jim Ross, Paul O'Brien
- Narrated by: Jim Ross, R.C. Bray
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There are few people who have been in the wrestling business longer than Jim Ross. Slobberknocker is the story of how an Oklahoman farm kid with a vivid imagination and seemingly unattainable dreams became "The Voice of Wrestling" to record TV audiences and millions of fans around the world. Jim opens up about his life as an only child on a working farm, who became obsessed with professional wrestling having first seen it on his grandparents' TV.
-
-
Somewhat disappointed
- By Maci Hutson on 11-16-17
By: Jim Ross, and others
-
There's Just One Problem...
- True Tales from the Former, One-Time, 7th Most Powerful Person in WWE
- By: Brian Gewirtz
- Narrated by: Greg Baglia
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For decades, wrestling was shrouded in secrecy. It had larger-than-life personalities, bone-crunching physicality and jaw-dropping theatrics, but backstage, it was an industry devoid of outsiders. Then in 1999, after working together on a special for MTV, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson turned to 26-year-old television writer Brian Gewirtz and asked, “You ever consider writing for WWE?” That question, and its answer, would have a profound effect on both of their lives for years to come. There's Just One Problem is a story about perseverance, tenacity, and steel chairs.
-
-
There's Just Obe Problem...Narration.
- By Joshua on 08-28-22
By: Brian Gewirtz
-
The Last Real World Champion
- The Legacy of "Nature Boy" Ric Flair
- By: Tim Hornbaker
- Narrated by: Joe Hempel
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For more than a century, professional wrestling has cultivated some of the most eccentric and compelling personalities. As the embodiment of flamboyance and intensity, the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair stood at wrestling's apex for decades, cementing his place as a once-in-a-lifetime athlete and performer. When he was in the ring, fans knew they were witnessing the very best, and he not only became a multi-time world heavyweight champion in the NWA, WCW, and the WWE, but his status as a generational great has been confirmed with inductions into numerous Halls of Fame.
-
-
Awesome story of the GOAT, WOOOO
- By Vern on 10-29-23
By: Tim Hornbaker
-
Titan Sinking: The Decline of the WWF in 1995
- By: James Dixon
- Narrated by: Dean Ruple
- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Throughout the history of the WWF, there have been times of prosperity and times of hardship, cycles that shape the ethos of the company by forcing changes to its infrastructure and on-screen direction. The one constant throughout three decades of change is Vincent Kennedy McMahon, the stalwart puppet-master who captains the ship. Unflinching, thick-skinned, and domineering, McMahon has ultimately outlasted all of his competition and come out on top of every wrestling war he has waged. In 1995, he very nearly lost.
-
-
Excellent Walk Down Memory Lane
- By Spooky Mike on 10-02-20
By: James Dixon
-
MOX
- By: Jon Moxley
- Narrated by: Jon Moxley
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ride alongside Jon Moxley as he retraces some of the highways traveled on his remarkable journey. Revel in the never-before-told stories about his early life in Cincinnati, Ohio; the gritty independent wrestling scene where he cut his teeth; the complicated corporate landscape of the WWE where he bucked against authority; and the rebellious upstart AEW, where he won the championship in 2020 and was finally free to achieve the vision of the wrestler he'd always wanted to be. With plenty of pitstops and revelatory insights, MOX is the riveting account of the life of a brawler.
-
-
Pretty easy listening
- By Anonymous User on 05-03-23
By: Jon Moxley
-
Blood and Fire
- The Unbelievable Real-Life Story of Wrestling's Original Sheik
- By: Brian R. Solomon
- Narrated by: Brian R. Solomon
- Length: 14 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
He was the most vicious, bloodthirsty, reviled villain in the history of the ring. During the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, he drew record crowds everywhere he went and left a trail of burned and bloody opponents in his wake. But what those legions of fans screaming for his head never knew was that The Sheik was really Eddie Farhat. The son of Arab immigrants, Farhat served his country proudly in World War II and was fulfilling the American dream. When he wasn't screaming unintelligibly and attacking his enemies, he was busy being the owner and operator of World Wide Sports.
-
-
An amazing story!
- By Drew Mac on 08-29-24
By: Brian R. Solomon
-
The Eighth Wonder of the World
- The True Story of André the Giant
- By: Bertrand Hébert, Pat Laprade
- Narrated by: Graham Rowat
- Length: 13 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Is there a way to find truth in the stuff of legend? You may think you know Andre the Giant - but who was Andre Roussimoff? This comprehensive biography addresses the burning questions, outrageous stories, and common misconceptions about his height, his weight, his drawing power as a superstar, and his seemingly unparalleled capacity for food and alcohol. But more importantly, The Eighth Wonder of the World transports listeners beyond the smoke and mirrors of professional wrestling into the life of a real man.
-
-
The Narration Nearly Ruins A Perfectly Good Book
- By Prince Akkanatan on 07-16-20
By: Bertrand Hébert, and others
-
We Promised You a Great Main Event
- An Unauthorized WWE History
- By: Bill Hanstock
- Narrated by: Josh Bloomberg
- Length: 13 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In We Promised You a Great Main Event, longtime sports journalist Bill Hanstock pulls back the curtain to give a smart fan’s account of WWE and Vince McMahon’s journey to the top. Untangling the truth behind the official WWE storyline, Hanstock does a deep dive into key moments of the company’s history, from the behind-the-scenes drama at the Montreal Screwjob, to the company’s handling of the Jimmy Snuka scandal, to the real story of the Monday Night Wars.
-
-
Pronounce names correctly!
- By JLA4 on 12-29-20
By: Bill Hanstock
-
The Silmarillion
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien
- Narrated by: Andy Serkis
- Length: 19 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The tales of The Silmarillion are set in an age when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-earth, and the High Elves made war upon him for the recovery of the Silmarils, the jewels containing the pure light of Valinor. Included on the recording are several shorter works. The Ainulindalë is a myth of the Creation and in the Valaquenta the nature and powers of each of the gods is described. The Akallabêth recounts the downfall of the great island kingdom of Númenor at the end of the Second Age, and Of the Rings of Power tells of the great events at the end of the Third Age.
-
-
TIPS when reading this book:
- By Anonymous User on 06-29-23
By: J. R. R. Tolkien, and others
-
The Rise of the Dragon
- An Illustrated History of the Targaryen Dynasty, Volume One
- By: George R. R. Martin, Elio M. García Jr, Linda Antonsson
- Narrated by: Harry Lloyd
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This lavish visual history—featuring over 180 all-new illustrations—is a stunning introduction to House Targaryen, the iconic family at the heart of HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon.
-
-
This is a cash grab, and nothing more
- By Lisa Carrasquillo on 10-25-22
By: George R. R. Martin, and others
-
Young Bucks
- Killing the Business from Backyards to the Big Leagues
- By: Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson
- Narrated by: Roger Wayne
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The electric and daring independent wrestling tag team tells their inspiring story, revealing how two undersized, ambitious amateur athletes from Southern California became the idols of millions of popular sports fans and coveted among the ranks of AEW’s elite wrestling lineup. Alternating between each brother’s perspective from chapter to chapter, this entertaining memoir is a complete portrait of what it means to grow into - and give back to - wrestling, the sport and profession they embody and love.
-
-
5 stars!
- By aaron evans on 02-22-21
By: Matt Jackson, and others
-
The Stone Cold Truth
- By: Steve Austin, Dennis Brent, J. R. Ross
- Narrated by: Steve Austin
- Length: 2 hrs and 26 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
He's wrestled as "Stunning" Steve Austin, The Ringmaster, and even his own name, Steve Williams. But to fans he is and will always be Stone Cold Steve Austin. His quick wit and colorful use of language combined with his everyman character captured the hearts of fans worldwide. It was Steve's ability inside the ring and his quick-witted responses that lead to his becoming one of the most popular WWE Superstars of all time.
-
-
Decent, but too short
- By Christopher McGuinness on 09-18-17
By: Steve Austin, and others
-
Tod Is God
- The Authorized Story of How I Created Extreme Championship Wrestling
- By: Tod Gordon, Sean Oliver, Terry Funk - foreword
- Narrated by: Sean Oliver
- Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Tod is God—so named for a chant the ECW fans created to honor the founder—Gordon chronicles each step of the company's meteoric rise to prominence, as well as the elements that led to his removing himself from the company before its demise. Gordon's former partnership with ECW booker Paul Heyman made for magical TV and in-ring moments. The friendship between Gordon and Heyman, both a blessing and curse, was the once-in-a-lifetime bond responsible for so many of history's greatest teams, bands, and partners.
-
-
ECW, What a legacy
- By Dylan Apple on 04-29-24
By: Tod Gordon, and others
-
Second Glance
- A Novel
- By: Jodi Picoult
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 16 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An intricate tale of love, haunting memories, and renewal, Second Glance begins in current-day Vermont, where an old man puts a piece of land up for sale and unintentionally raises protest from the local Abenaki Indian tribe, who insist it's a burial ground. When odd, supernatural events plague the town of Comtosook, a ghost hunter is hired by the developer to help convince the residents that there's nothing spiritual about the property.
-
-
Almost like reading Stephen King
- By LC on 07-28-16
By: Jodi Picoult
-
The Romanovs
- 1613-1918
- By: Simon Sebag Montefiore
- Narrated by: Simon Beale
- Length: 28 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the intimate story of 20 tsars and tsarinas, some touched by genius, some by madness, but all inspired by holy autocracy and imperial ambition. Simon Sebag Montefiore's gripping chronicle reveals their secret world of unlimited power and ruthless empire building, overshadowed by palace conspiracy, family rivalries, sexual decadence, and wild extravagance, with a global cast of adventurers, courtesans, revolutionaries, and poets, from Ivan the Terrible to Tolstoy and Pushkin.
-
-
Scholarly but gripping
- By William on 06-16-16
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Nitro
- The Incredible Rise and Inevitable Collapse of Ted Turner's WCW
- By: Guy Evans
- Narrated by: Guy Evans
- Length: 17 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nitro is a story about much more than WCW and the Monday Night Wars. It is a story of an era, a time in which the media and cultural landscape precipitated - and later supported - pro wrestling's mainstream popularity. It is a story of how a company made in the image of an intuitively brilliant risk-taker betrayed its original promise. It is a story of how a handful of men, each struggling with their own limitations, facilitated a public obsession that changed television forever.
-
-
way better than the death of wcw
- By DMCizzle on 01-05-21
By: Guy Evans
-
Kayfabe: Stories You're Not Supposed to Hear from a Pro Wrestling Production Company Owner
- By: Sean Oliver
- Narrated by: Sean Oliver
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you thought the world of pro wrestling was wild, imagine what you haven’t seen on TV and in the ring. Add to that the backdrop of building a renegade production company, negotiating with impossible wrestling talent, and hosting groundbreaking, shoot-style programming, and you have the story of Sean Oliver. Sean has seen industry-wide accolades for the company he co-founded and for which he serves as front man. Watch the unpredictable and unconventional story through Sean’s eyes.
-
-
BEHIND THE SCENES GALOUR
- By MOHAMMED IBRAHIM ALJEHANI on 04-05-18
By: Sean Oliver
-
The Death of WCW
- By: R.D. Reynolds, Bryan Alvarez
- Narrated by: Bryan Alvarez
- Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1997, World Championship Wrestling was on top. It was the number-one pro wrestling company in the world, and the highest-rated show on cable television. Each week, fans tuned in to Monday Nitro, flocked to sold-out arenas, and carried home truckloads of WCW merchandise. Sting, Bill Goldberg, and the New World Order were household names. Superstars like Dennis Rodman and KISS jumped on the WCW bandwagon. It seemed the company could do no wrong.
-
-
Like a rambling friend telling you WCW history
- By Eric Philleo on 12-18-17
By: R.D. Reynolds, and others
-
The Wrestlers' Wrestlers
- The Masters of the Craft of Professional Wrestling
- By: Dan Murphy, Brian Young
- Narrated by: Joe Hempel
- Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Wrestlers' Wrestlers spotlights elite performers and analyzes exactly what made them your favorite wrestler's favorite wrestlers. Authors Dan Murphy and Brian Young interviewed more than 40 in-ring veterans, historians, referees, and promoters to get a unique insider's look at the people who have made a lasting impact on the world of professional wrestling. It offers a special peek "behind the curtain" and a rare look into the top stars' thoughts on their peers, their influences, and their personal favorites.
-
-
surprised by some mentioned
- By Amazon Customer on 02-22-24
By: Dan Murphy, and others
-
The Last Real World Champion
- The Legacy of "Nature Boy" Ric Flair
- By: Tim Hornbaker
- Narrated by: Joe Hempel
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For more than a century, professional wrestling has cultivated some of the most eccentric and compelling personalities. As the embodiment of flamboyance and intensity, the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair stood at wrestling's apex for decades, cementing his place as a once-in-a-lifetime athlete and performer. When he was in the ring, fans knew they were witnessing the very best, and he not only became a multi-time world heavyweight champion in the NWA, WCW, and the WWE, but his status as a generational great has been confirmed with inductions into numerous Halls of Fame.
-
-
Awesome story of the GOAT, WOOOO
- By Vern on 10-29-23
By: Tim Hornbaker
-
Gotch vs. Hackenschmidt
- The Matches That Made and Destroyed Legitimate American Professional Wrestling
- By: Ken Zimmerman Jr.
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 1 hr and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Matches Which Built and Crippled an Industry Frank Gotch turned pro wrestling from a fringe spectacle to one of the most popular spectator sports. Still, it took Gotch three years to lure undefeated World Champion George Hackenschmidt to the United States for a title defense. The result was two controversial but legitimate wrestling matches, whose effects were felt for the next two decades. Read the true story of this series of matches.
-
-
Very interesting story!
- By Hank on 11-25-24
-
Nitro
- The Incredible Rise and Inevitable Collapse of Ted Turner's WCW
- By: Guy Evans
- Narrated by: Guy Evans
- Length: 17 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nitro is a story about much more than WCW and the Monday Night Wars. It is a story of an era, a time in which the media and cultural landscape precipitated - and later supported - pro wrestling's mainstream popularity. It is a story of how a company made in the image of an intuitively brilliant risk-taker betrayed its original promise. It is a story of how a handful of men, each struggling with their own limitations, facilitated a public obsession that changed television forever.
-
-
way better than the death of wcw
- By DMCizzle on 01-05-21
By: Guy Evans
-
Kayfabe: Stories You're Not Supposed to Hear from a Pro Wrestling Production Company Owner
- By: Sean Oliver
- Narrated by: Sean Oliver
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you thought the world of pro wrestling was wild, imagine what you haven’t seen on TV and in the ring. Add to that the backdrop of building a renegade production company, negotiating with impossible wrestling talent, and hosting groundbreaking, shoot-style programming, and you have the story of Sean Oliver. Sean has seen industry-wide accolades for the company he co-founded and for which he serves as front man. Watch the unpredictable and unconventional story through Sean’s eyes.
-
-
BEHIND THE SCENES GALOUR
- By MOHAMMED IBRAHIM ALJEHANI on 04-05-18
By: Sean Oliver
-
The Death of WCW
- By: R.D. Reynolds, Bryan Alvarez
- Narrated by: Bryan Alvarez
- Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1997, World Championship Wrestling was on top. It was the number-one pro wrestling company in the world, and the highest-rated show on cable television. Each week, fans tuned in to Monday Nitro, flocked to sold-out arenas, and carried home truckloads of WCW merchandise. Sting, Bill Goldberg, and the New World Order were household names. Superstars like Dennis Rodman and KISS jumped on the WCW bandwagon. It seemed the company could do no wrong.
-
-
Like a rambling friend telling you WCW history
- By Eric Philleo on 12-18-17
By: R.D. Reynolds, and others
-
The Wrestlers' Wrestlers
- The Masters of the Craft of Professional Wrestling
- By: Dan Murphy, Brian Young
- Narrated by: Joe Hempel
- Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Wrestlers' Wrestlers spotlights elite performers and analyzes exactly what made them your favorite wrestler's favorite wrestlers. Authors Dan Murphy and Brian Young interviewed more than 40 in-ring veterans, historians, referees, and promoters to get a unique insider's look at the people who have made a lasting impact on the world of professional wrestling. It offers a special peek "behind the curtain" and a rare look into the top stars' thoughts on their peers, their influences, and their personal favorites.
-
-
surprised by some mentioned
- By Amazon Customer on 02-22-24
By: Dan Murphy, and others
-
The Last Real World Champion
- The Legacy of "Nature Boy" Ric Flair
- By: Tim Hornbaker
- Narrated by: Joe Hempel
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For more than a century, professional wrestling has cultivated some of the most eccentric and compelling personalities. As the embodiment of flamboyance and intensity, the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair stood at wrestling's apex for decades, cementing his place as a once-in-a-lifetime athlete and performer. When he was in the ring, fans knew they were witnessing the very best, and he not only became a multi-time world heavyweight champion in the NWA, WCW, and the WWE, but his status as a generational great has been confirmed with inductions into numerous Halls of Fame.
-
-
Awesome story of the GOAT, WOOOO
- By Vern on 10-29-23
By: Tim Hornbaker
-
Gotch vs. Hackenschmidt
- The Matches That Made and Destroyed Legitimate American Professional Wrestling
- By: Ken Zimmerman Jr.
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 1 hr and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Matches Which Built and Crippled an Industry Frank Gotch turned pro wrestling from a fringe spectacle to one of the most popular spectator sports. Still, it took Gotch three years to lure undefeated World Champion George Hackenschmidt to the United States for a title defense. The result was two controversial but legitimate wrestling matches, whose effects were felt for the next two decades. Read the true story of this series of matches.
-
-
Very interesting story!
- By Hank on 11-25-24
-
Hardcore History
- The Extremely Unauthorized Story of the ECW
- By: Scott E. Williams
- Narrated by: Karl Miller
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
ECW was one extreme contradiction piled on top of another. It was an incredibly influential company in the world of professional wrestling during the 1990s, yet it was never profitable. It portrayed itself as the ultimate in anti-authority rebellion, but its leadership was, at various points, working covertly with the two wrestling giants, the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling. Most of all, it blurred the line between real life and the fantasy world of professional wrestling like no other company before it.
-
-
Get a narrator with product knowledge
- By Dr Feelgood on 11-29-16
-
There's Just One Problem...
- True Tales from the Former, One-Time, 7th Most Powerful Person in WWE
- By: Brian Gewirtz
- Narrated by: Greg Baglia
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For decades, wrestling was shrouded in secrecy. It had larger-than-life personalities, bone-crunching physicality and jaw-dropping theatrics, but backstage, it was an industry devoid of outsiders. Then in 1999, after working together on a special for MTV, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson turned to 26-year-old television writer Brian Gewirtz and asked, “You ever consider writing for WWE?” That question, and its answer, would have a profound effect on both of their lives for years to come. There's Just One Problem is a story about perseverance, tenacity, and steel chairs.
-
-
There's Just Obe Problem...Narration.
- By Joshua on 08-28-22
By: Brian Gewirtz
-
The Six Pack
- On the Open Road in Search of Wrestlemania
- By: Brad Balukjian
- Narrated by: Brad Balukjian
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2005, Brad Balukjian left his position as a magazine fact-checker to pursue a dream job: partner with his childhood hero, The Iron Sheik (whose real name was Khosrow Vaziri), to write his biography. Things quickly went south, culminating in the Sheik threatening Balukjian’s life. Now seventeen years later, Balukjian returns to the road in search of not only a reunion with the Sheik, but something much bigger: truth in a world built on illusion.
-
-
The story and the history was super good
- By Amazon Customer on 02-27-25
By: Brad Balukjian
-
Ballyhoo!
- The Roughhousers, Con Artists, and Wildmen Who Invented Professional Wrestling (Sports and American Culture)
- By: Jon Langmead
- Narrated by: Kirk Winkler
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ballyhoo! The Roughhousers, Con Artists, and Wildmen Who Invented Professional Wrestling is a history of professional wrestling’s formative period in the U.S., from roughly 1874 to 1941, and the contested interplay of wrestlers and promoters who built the “sport” as we know it. During this period, the major conventions that would define wrestling to the present day were perfected and codified, as wrestling morphed from a rough sport practiced on farms and at town gatherings to melodramatic mass entertainment that reliably drew large crowds in cities across the nation.
-
-
Very informative
- By Kathryn Usher on 08-27-24
By: Jon Langmead
-
Ringmaster
- Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America
- By: Abraham Josephine Riesman
- Narrated by: Alyss Weissglass
- Length: 15 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The definitive biography of Vince McMahon, former WWE chairman and CEO, charts his rise from rural poverty to the throne of one of the world’s most influential media empires—and features exclusive interviews with more than 150 people who witnessed, aided, and suffered from his ascent.
-
-
Good book, but you’ll know a lot of this stuff
- By Tim Reads Things on 04-21-23
-
MOX
- By: Jon Moxley
- Narrated by: Jon Moxley
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ride alongside Jon Moxley as he retraces some of the highways traveled on his remarkable journey. Revel in the never-before-told stories about his early life in Cincinnati, Ohio; the gritty independent wrestling scene where he cut his teeth; the complicated corporate landscape of the WWE where he bucked against authority; and the rebellious upstart AEW, where he won the championship in 2020 and was finally free to achieve the vision of the wrestler he'd always wanted to be. With plenty of pitstops and revelatory insights, MOX is the riveting account of the life of a brawler.
-
-
Pretty easy listening
- By Anonymous User on 05-03-23
By: Jon Moxley
-
Dusty
- Reflections of Wrestling's American Dream
- By: Dusty Rhodes, Howard Brody
- Narrated by: Kerry Woodrow
- Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There has been much said about Dusty Rhodes, the 'American Dream', over the years by both his fans and peers. Aside from the frequent fictional prose penned by wrestling magazine journalists and internet smart marks that run rumor-mill websites, however, there has not been much written about him. Until now. With the exception of a select few, there has been no bigger name or personality in the annals of pro wrestling history than Dusty Rhodes.
-
-
What a horrible job
- By Bruce Wood on 11-29-13
By: Dusty Rhodes, and others
-
Business Is About to Pick Up!
- 50 Years of Wrestling in 50 Unforgettable Calls
- By: Jim Ross
- Narrated by: Jim Ross
- Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For wrestling fans, Jim Ross’ voice is the soundtrack of an era. This book is your ringside ticket to wrestling’s most unforgettable moments—from the announcer who made them iconic. In the last 50 years, professional wrestling has risen up from a collection of regional territories to become a global phenomenon—and Jim Ross has been there for it all. From the grit and glory days of the 1970s with NWA, to the rise of WCW and the heyday of WWF and WWE, to signing on as on-air talent and senior advisor for wrestling’s newest chapter at AEW, Jim Ross has long had the best seat in the house.
-
-
business is about to pick up
- By Patrick Hall on 02-13-25
By: Jim Ross
-
We Promised You a Great Main Event
- An Unauthorized WWE History
- By: Bill Hanstock
- Narrated by: Josh Bloomberg
- Length: 13 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In We Promised You a Great Main Event, longtime sports journalist Bill Hanstock pulls back the curtain to give a smart fan’s account of WWE and Vince McMahon’s journey to the top. Untangling the truth behind the official WWE storyline, Hanstock does a deep dive into key moments of the company’s history, from the behind-the-scenes drama at the Montreal Screwjob, to the company’s handling of the Jimmy Snuka scandal, to the real story of the Monday Night Wars.
-
-
Pronounce names correctly!
- By JLA4 on 12-29-20
By: Bill Hanstock
-
Is Wrestling Fixed?
- I Didn't Know It Was Broken!
- By: Bill Apter
- Narrated by: Bill Apter
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a kid growing up in New York in the late '50s, Bill Apter fell in love with professional wrestling, and it wasn't long before he was rubbing shoulders with the greats as a young reporter and photographer. He's since become the world's best-known wrestling magazine personality, and he's had professional and personal relationships with a who's who of the business, like Triple H, Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Sting, and Ric Flair.
-
-
I am certain there is an audience out there somewhere...
- By wally on 08-21-16
By: Bill Apter
-
Rowdy
- The Roddy Piper Story: A Biography of Our Father
- By: Colt Baird Toombs, Ariel Teal Toombs, Craig Pyette - contributor
- Narrated by: Joe Hempel
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In early 2015, Roderick Toombs, aka Rowdy Roddy Piper, began researching his own autobiography with a trip through Western Canada. He was rediscovering his youth, a part of his life he never discussed during his sixty-one years, many spent as one of the greatest talents in the history of pro wrestling. Following his death due to a heart attack that July, two of his children took on the job of telling Roddy's story, separating fact from fiction in the extraordinary life of their father.
-
-
Bravo
- By Amazon Customer on 02-14-25
By: Colt Baird Toombs, and others
-
The Squared Circle
- Life, Death, and Professional Wrestling
- By: David Shoemaker
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A breakthroughexamination of professional wrestling - its history, its fans, and its widercultural impact - that does for the sport what Chuck Klosterman did for heavymetal
The Squared Circle grows out of David Shoemaker'swriting for both Deadspin, where hestarted the column "Dead Wrestler of the Week" - a feature on the many wrestlingsuperstars who died too young because of the abuse they subjected their bodiesto - and Grantland,where he covers the pro-wrestling world and its place in the pop culturemainstream. Shoemaker's sports writing has since struck a nerve withgenerations of wrestling fans who, like him, grew up worshiping a sport oftenderided as "fake" in the wider culture. To them, these professional wrestlingsuperstars are not just heroes but an emotional outlet and the lens throughwhich they learned to see the world.
Starting in the early 1900s and exploring the path of prowrestling in America through the present day, The Squared Circle is thefirst book to acknowledge both the sport's broader significance and wrestlingfans' keen intellect and sense of irony. Divided into eras, each section offersa snapshot of the wrestling world, profiles some of the period's preeminentwrestlers, and examines the sport's influence on our broader culture. Throughthe brawling, bombast, and bloodletting, Shoemaker argues that pro wrestlingcan teach us about the nature of performance, audience, and, yes, art.
Full of unknown history, humor, and self-deprecatingreminiscence - but also offering a compelling look at the sport's rightful placein pop culture - The Squared Circle is the book that legions of wrestlingfans have been waiting for. In it, Shoemaker teaches us to look past thespandex and body slams to see an art form that can explain the world.
-
-
Good stories, bad editing
- By Andrew B on 06-13-16
By: David Shoemaker
What listeners say about Death of the Territories
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- K
- 09-19-22
Great book
Great narration fantastic book if your a wrestling fan of history ..it goes really in depth
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tony G
- 11-28-22
Very thankful for the history and knowledge.
This Book was a great listen,I've always enjoyed the history of wrestling, I like how its all beginning and 80s,it goes back and forth,up and down. But if your a fan you can follow with no problem,I actually did a few chapters twice.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 01-24-23
Great hardcore knowledge
A great listen for people who already know a fair bit about it. Might be too specific for those who don’t already know a bit about this.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 01-17-25
Chill
Nice basic intro to the breakdown of the territories. Nothing super in debt but gives you a playing field in which you can do your own research and fine it easier going into deeper waters.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Matt
- 06-27-20
In depth and informative, didn't love the voice
This book is truly deep, almost too deep at times, into the strange and chaotic world of territory wrestling and the rise of WWF and WCW. The length is just about right and while at times it reads like a book report, it kept me interested. Truly, the amount of research that went into this is staggering.
Unfortunately, the vocal performance leaves a little to be desired. Nearly every sentence is ended like the sentence carries too much weight. It's hard to describe, but it is read like every sentence should blow you away rather than just presenting the info. I found this pretty wearing after a few hours.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- kennylcx
- 11-02-19
A ruthless business it became
I heard many things over the years, but this book puts it in perspective how, when, and where. Good read!!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Keith T
- 04-29-24
Detailed history of the US wrestling territories
There's a lot in here that even I didn't know. Great history of pro wrestling in the States.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Chris
- 06-20-19
Great for old-school rasslin fans
I really enjoy learning more about old school pro wrestling, er, rasslin and this has that! My knowledge of wrestling (for what it is) is mostly post-1984 and WWF's rock and wrestling, so hearing old NWA stories and about the territory days is fascinating to me. There were a few times where I was like, "really?" and in some good ways, some bad. Like talking about all the bad taste angles done in World Class by the Von Erichs and I didn't remember the Fritz-fake heart attack angle being mentioned at all. It was fun listening to 1983 in particular and how Vince was setting the stage for his national take over. Anyway, if you like old rassling stories, this is for you!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 10-11-20
Great Narrator
Awesome job by the narrator. Great pronunciation and pace of reading. I recommend this audiobook to any wrestling fan.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- indifference84
- 07-19-23
A Great Entry Point
This is a great entry point for those looking to learn about the history of a very uniquely American sport/art.
There obviously isn't enough room to cover everything in the dying days of the territories, but, this sure manages to cover a lot of ground.
While reading, it was very easy for me to get engrossed and completely lose track of time. The narration was performed very well and I didn't catch any mispronunciations or other audio errors.
I highly recommend this book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!