Drawing Heat the Hard Way: How Wrestling Really Works

Drawing Heat the Hard Way: How Wrestling Really Works
by Larry Matysik

Drawing Heat the Hard Way: How Wrestling Really Works
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Book Summary Information

Author: Larry Matysik
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-09-01
ISBN: 1550228994
Number of pages: 240
Publisher: ECW Press

Book Reviews of Drawing Heat the Hard Way: How Wrestling Really Works

Book Review: An Insider's Critique of Pro Wrestling
Summary: 5 Stars

In "Drawing Heat," a veteran (40+years) announcer, booker, and sometime promoter, offers his take on the last decades of wrestling history. He also suggests its possible future. The chapters: "booking 101," and "booking 102," should be required reading for anyone looking to enter "the business" in any capacity.

He shows how a smart booking team can build towards a profitable series of cards, and, conversely, how a "hot spot," or a "Dusty finish," can produce a quick profit, but kill business over time.

Matysik's portraits of some of the characters he has worked with over the years: his mentor Sam Muchnik, Vince MacMahon, and especially Frank (Bruiser Brody) Goodish, are sharply etched, and fun to read'

I found the anecdote of Bruiser Brody's encounter with a fan during a plane ride, who asked Brody if wrestling was fake, and when the wrestler told him it was, then began arguing why it was real, not only funny, but a good metaphor for the suspension of disbelief every fan experiences! The art of pro wrestling is telling a story that encourages, and allows us to suspend disbelief, and get caught up in what we see and hear.

And of course, he explores the question--"why?" is he (and by extension his readers)still a fan of a "worked" sport that shatters more dreams than it fulfills; that sometimes appeals to our worst impulses? And yet like the author, I admit I remain a fan after 50 years of watching wrestling in arenas, gyms, and of course on television.

A casual fan might find this book provides too much information--like the old saw about not wanting to know how sausage is made, if you want to continue to enjoy it! The true student of pro wrestling will find this a delightful, and insightful read.

Summary of Drawing Heat the Hard Way: How Wrestling Really Works

A personal and insightful look at the sport of wrestling, this memoir explores how and why professional wrestling captivates millions of loyal fans. Exposing how wrestling really works—how it is booked, promoted, reported on, and broadcast, as well as how steroids come into play—this book scrutinizes the sport?s power brokers, including Dave Meltzer and Vince McMahon, and analyzes how announcers and wrestlers are reshaping the sport through illusion and spectacle that, despite mistakes and controversies, continues to win the devotion of fans. Revealing personal experiences with zeal, this tell-all is the ultimate take on what it means to be a wrestling fan from someone who understands the inner workings of the business.

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