Before The Bell

THE WRESTLERS’ WRESTLERS

Whoever claimed “history is written by the victors” obviously didn’t know much about professional wrestling. Of course, top guys like Bret Hart and Mick Foley enjoy the privilege of some big megaphones when it comes to telling their respective sides of the story. But there are plenty of opportunities for everyone to get in on the action these days, including fans, bloggers, and jobbers. Although platforms now include internet and video forums, the print industry is still alive and kicking. And it remains a preferred format for professional writers and historians, as is the case with the new book The Wrestlers’ Wrestlers: The Masters of the Craft of Professional Wrestling, by Dan Murphy and Brian Young.

Murphy, whose work previously and extensively graced the pages of PWI for over two decades, still has the knack to develop the kind of reasoned and cogent criteria that he utilized in running down the PWI “500” and “Women’s 50/100” rankings during his tenure. But, in The Wrestlers’ Wrestlers, formidable weight is especially provided to the respect that grapplers have earned from their peers while building their legacies, which decidedly distinguishes this work from encyclopedia-styled compilations and almanacs.

It’s the concept of what constitutes a “wrestler’s wrestler” that makes this volume essential reading. Through the work of Murphy and Young, history unfolds in