“Very well written, I am really enjoying it. I have been so impressed by the writers and their passion for the subject” – Mick Foley, wrestling legend and bestselling author "Expert contributions that unexpectedly and thoroughly cover a treasure trove of topics. This reader was euphoric over the amount of subject matter jam-packed into this important and long overdue collection" - Jamie Hemmings, Book Editor for SlamWrestling.net "The quality of writing at its best was really good, a lot to think about. A flat out really good read." - Bruce Mitchell, Senior Columnist - Pro Wrestling Torch 99.9% of professional wrestling books are written by men about male performers in a male-dominated business. This book aims to help correct the balance, giving a voice to women and fans of women’s wrestling, showing women in the ring are just as captivating to watch and that female fans are just as passionate. Women Love Wrestling is a collection of writing from women and about women in wrestling, written by fans, wrestlers, podcasters, promoters, journalists, culture critics, PhDs and academics. Women Love Wrestling is a mix of wrestling history, personal stories and studies of professional wrestling. We focus on women’s wrestling of course, but include stories from the wider world, including lost Victorian legends and reflections on how wrestling can be compared to the masterpieces of Shakespeare. Learn about how to watch joshi, how women train to wrestle, how promoting all-women shows requires a different approach, how wrestling fandom creates gender-bending art and cosplay, the history of GLOW, AJW, Shimmer and EVE, issues with diversity, the slow progress being made with gender equality and more thanks to our diverse team of writers. The profits from this book are donated to RAINN and Women's Aid

Throughout the new millennium, the number of women interested in amateur wrestling has skyrocketed. From grade school to college, girls and women have been strapping on their head guards and singlets to grapple with their dreams of success on the mat. However, the sport and its participants have not always had an easy time. This book documents the growth of female amateur wrestling in America, and the difficulties and victories it has faced, from removal from the 2013 Olympic Games, to missing the 2020 Games altogether due to Covid-19. The work chronicles the bravery of the women who have led the sport and sets out their performances in the 2021 Olympic Games. With 50 photographs, it also features interviews with the female wrestlers who continue to challenge an often-suppressed field, hoping eventually to leave their mark on the American sports world.

A comprehensive and fascinating illustrated look at women’s professional wrestling, including 100 profiles of superstars from around the world. Women’s pro wrestling has existed in the USA since the 1930s, and this colorful encyclopedia references the fashion, fun, and drama of the sport through the years and around the world. Focusing on 100 competitors—from current faves Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair, to Germany's Jazzy Gabert, Japan’s Io Shirai, and Canada's LuFisto, to legends like The Fabulous Moolah, Sable, Ivory, and Lita—it includes relevant stats and each one’s compelling story. Written by noted authority LaToya Ferguson, this engaging history is great for anyone interested in powerful women, fantastic costumes, and pro wrestling itself.

A look at the history of WWE’s WrestleMania, with a focus on how women have been treated over the years, embracing both the good times and the bad times, and tracking the progress that has gradually been made to see women main event the biggest wrestling show in the world. Includes analysis of every single show in chronological order to identify themes, trends and issues faced over time, as well as a statistical breakdown of eras. Plus the history of what it meant to be a Diva, profiles on the top stars of each era, and an attempt to define who is Ms. WrestleMania. A minimum of 25% of all profits from this book will be donated to women’s charities. Praise for The Women of WrestleMania: “This book is not only the history of women at WrestleMania, but a tribute and celebration to the contribution of women to WWF/E" –Voices of Wrestling "This herstory of WrestleMania, from women in bathroom break matches to no matches at all to the main event, is interspersed with longer profiles on wrestlers who've defined their respective eras, one of which made me gasp!." --Scarlett Harris, author of A Diva Was a Female Version of a Wrestler "The Women of WrestleMania" features a impressively detailed collection of the presentation and evolution of the badass women featured on the grandest stage of them all." --Ella Jay, A Wrestling Gal podcast

Ever since the “Monday Night Wars,” where WWE and WCW battled for wrestling supremacy (with the WWE coming out on top), there was now only one game in town. If fans wanted to watch wrestling, it was WWE or bust. That is no longer the case. Wrestling’s New Golden Age is both a historical look at the sport, while showing how everything has finally come full circle. Going back to the past, the sport was originally territory-based, with wrestlers traveling across the country from promotion to promotion. From the East coast (Jim Crockett, WWWF) down to Texas (World Class) and all the way up to Canada (Stampede), wrestling was run on an individual level. But once Vince McMahon Jr. came into the picture, that all changed. While the territory system is long gone, indie wrestling is bigger than ever. Whether it’s ROH, CZW, NXT, NJPW, or any of the other numerous promotions, wrestling has a new face. With information spreading online through social media and video streaming, fans are able to watch wrestling on a consistent basis, as opposed to only when the WWE is on TV. They not only have more options, but are able to watch wrestlers travel up the ranks to the “big show.” Now when a wrestler from the indie’s makes his WWE appearance, he already has a gimmick, a storyline, and a faithful fanbase. As can be seen with CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, and many others, the independent promotions are the new face of professional wrestling. Featuring interviews with wresting stars, including Jake Roberts, Jim Ross, Rob Van Dam, Matt Hardy, Tommy Dreamer, and numerous others, Wrestling’s New Golden Age shares how the wrestling world has finally come full circle, to the joy of fans across the globe.

The People's collection of cultural studies essays on wrestling.

20th anniversary sequel to a seminal book of the Jewish renewal movement. Deals with spirituality in relation to personal growth, marriage, ecology, feminism, politics and more. Outlines original ways to merge “religious” life and “personal” life today.

The millions of fans who watch World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) programs each year are well aware of their role in building the narrative of the sport. #WWE: Professional Wrestling in the Digital Age explores the intersections between media, technology, and fandom in WWE's contemporary programming and business practices. In the Reality Era of WWE (2011 to the present), wrestling narratives have increasingly drawn on real-life personalities and events that stretch beyond the story-world created and maintained by WWE. At the same time, the internet and fandom have a greater influence on the company than ever before. By examining various sites of struggle and negotiation between WWE executives and in-ring performers, between the product and its fans, and between the company and the rest of the wrestling industry, the contributors to this volume highlight the role of various media platforms in shaping and disseminating WWE narratives. Treating the company and its product not merely as sports entertainment, but also as a brand, an employer, a company, a content producer, and an object of fandom, #WWE conceptualizes the evolution of professional wrestling's most successful company in the digital era.

Offering candid and detailed accounts of bona fide wrestling legends and a Foreword by Bret Hart, Tributes II takes its place among the most important books ever written on the world of pro wrestling.

Professional wrestling is one of the most popular performance practices in the United States and around the world, drawing millions of spectators to live events and televised broadcasts. The displays of violence, simulated and actual, may be the obvious appeal, but that is just the beginning. Fans debate performance choices with as much energy as they argue about their favorite wrestlers. The ongoing scenarios and presentations of manly and not-so-manly characters—from the flamboyantly feminine to the hypermasculine—simultaneously celebrate and critique, parody and affirm the American dream and the masculine ideal. Sharon Mazer looks at the world of professional wrestling from a fan’s-eye-view high in the stands and from ringside in the wrestlers’ gym. She investigates how performances are constructed and sold to spectators, both on a local level and in the “big leagues” of the WWF/E. She shares a close-up view of a group of wrestlers as they work out, get their faces pushed to the mat as part of their initiation into the fraternity of the ring, and dream of stardom. In later chapters, Mazer explores professional wrestling’s carnivalesque presentation of masculinities ranging from the cute to the brute, as well as the way in which the performances of women wrestlers often enter into the realm of pornographic. Finally, she explores the question of the “real” and the “fake” as the fans themselves confront it. First published in 1998, this new edition of Professional Wrestling: Sport and Spectacle both preserves the original’s snapshot of the wrestling scene of the 1980s and 1990s and features an up-to-date perspective on the current state of play.