On December 13, 2019 I reached out to Kevin Nash for the first time about interviewing him for my books about the history of TNA/IMPACT Wrestling. Yesterday, just a few hours after watching Nash’s “WWE Untold: Two Dudes With Attitudes” documentary on Peacock, he called me. We wound up speaking for five hours! It was easily one of the best conversations I’ve had during this entire process.
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I’m always up for a good book about professional wrestling, and a new one is coming out on April 27, The Wrestlers’ Wrestlers: The Masters of the Craft of Professional Wrestling by Dan Murphy and Brian Young. Unlike other wrestling books, this isn’t focused on one particular individual or promotion. Rather, it’s a collection of profiles of elite performers, analyzing what made them your favorite wrestlers’ . . . favorite wrestlers. So, instead of simply being a list of the greatest wrestlers of all time, according to the fans, this book is about the wrestlers that other wrestlers admire. It’s an interesting concept.
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I’m now more than 40 interviews into my book project about the history of TNA/IMPACT Wrestling, and today I interviewed Diamond Dallas Page! Yes, the master of the Diamond Cutter and founder of DDP Yoga and I spoke at length about his time in TNA Wrestling. We discussed why he joined TNA, why he left, his thoughts on Jeff Jarrett, Dixie Carter, AJ Styles, and much more! I have many more interviews on the horizon, so stay tuned for more updates.
Nearly two years ago I interviewed Diamond Dallas Page, the founder of DDP Yoga (DDPY) and a legend in the professional wrestling industry. It was an amazing discussion that resulted in a series of events: we became friends, I stayed at Dallas’ house for a week a few months later, he taught me DDPY at the largest workshop ever, and I became Philadelphia’s first-ever certified DDPY instructor, among other wonderful opportunities. If you want to get to know Diamond Dallas Page better and learn all about DPPY and why it’s so special, I implore you to watch his newly released documentary, Relentless, which is available on Amazon Prime Video.
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Back in 2000, DK, the same company that brings us incredible WWE books, published WCW: The Ultimate Guide. This slim hardback book was a precursor to the WWE Encyclopedia. It compiles wrestler biographies, information about moves, events, TV shows, PPVs, and more. It’s an interesting look at a company that, just one year later, would be bought out by Vince McMahon’s WWE. Below is a video review, where I show you every single page in this out-of-print book. Enjoy!
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Ian Hodgkinson — better known as Vampiro, the lucha libre legend and former star in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) — has a new documentary called Nail in the Coffin: The Fall & Rise of Vampiro. Having grown up watching Vampiro in WCW, I jumped at the chance to interview Ian to learn more about his thoughts on the documentary, his career in wrestling, and more.
The Resurrection of Jake the Snake is one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen, and it’s easily my favorite. I’ve watched it several times and it still makes me cry. That’s how powerful it is — I know what’s coming, yet the tears always flow. This riveting cinematic experience chronicles professional wrestling legend and founder of DDP Yoga Diamond Dallas Page helping his mentor, friend, and fellow wrestling luminary, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, topple addiction over the course of 18 months. It’s a perilous journey with disheartening lows and unimaginable highs. What I love most about The Resurrection of Jake The Snake is how it perfectly captures the triumph of the human spirit. Not only does DDP inspire Jake to turn his life around, he also gets Scott Hall — another one of pro wrestling’s ticking time bombs — to move in with them at the Accountability Crib so he can also transform his life for the better. Keep in mind that these are the two pro wrestlers that people thought were going to wind up dead at any given moment. Both of these men are friends who helped Dallas get his big break, and he never forgot what they did for him. Rather than have their lives cut short by self-destructive behavior, DDP stuck out a hand and helped Jake and Scott rise above the maelstrom of sadness and pain their lives had become so they could achieve their full potential and find true happiness.
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Today, I took part in another episode of Completely Damaged Radio at Montgomery County Community College. I had such a wonderful time on the show back in December that I jumped at the chance to do it again.
This time around we talked about pro wrestling, Barry Manilow, James Patterson, Bruce Springsteen, and all things DDP Yoga, including the upcoming DDP Yoga Retreat. Check out the show (above), and enjoy!
