Pre-order the e-book version of The Greatest Matches and Rivalries of the WrestleMania Era here
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“I Wanted to be a Critic, But…”
From long-time columnist and podcaster at Lordsofpain.net, “The Doc” Chad Matthews, comes the definitive countdown of the 100 greatest matches and rivalries in modern professional wrestling lore, available in e-book format on November 1st. Doc posits that sports entertainment is as reasonably objectifiable as college football rankings or Hollywood glory and strips away the veil of pure subjectivity others have stayed hidden behind to offer the most analytically thorough account ever written on this subject.
Since its standard print release in August, readers have raved about how smooth it reads and about the debates that it naturally sparks within wrestling fans, encouraging them to do the one thing they like to do more than any other in modern times: argue among themselves.
“It’s a tough time to be a WWE fan these days with the current product. Luckily, Chad wrote a book that takes you back to “the good ole days” in incredible detail.”
“The meticulous research done to complete this book is incredible.”
“Matthews passion for the sport bleeds through these pages and by the end you will feel like you know him. This book really is a must for all fans of pro wrestling past and present.”
“As with all art forms, there is of course an unavoidable element of subjectivity when trying to argue that Match/Rivalry A is better than B, but Matthews does present a lucid, compelling argument for the placement of each entry.”
“I tend to be extremely critical of wrestling opinions in list format, but this book is incredible. [It] manages to give an incredibly detailed perspective on each and every entry while still maintaining an easy read feel. I think that any wrestling fan would enjoy, whether they are the obsessed die hard or the casual viewer.”
Utilizing something he calls “objective subjectivism” – a euphemism that acknowledges pro wrestling as obviously somewhat subjective but petitions for acknowledgment of pro wrestling also being inescapably capable of objectification – Matthews has mined the annals of WWE and NWA/WCW lore to discover the specific traits that define the greatest matches and rivalries and, having pinpointed these elements, has found a logical way to separate the truly great from the very good, to compare the totality of stories like Daniel Bryan vs. The Authority or Stone Cold vs. Vince McMahon to overall rivalries like Triple H vs. The Rock or Edge vs. Undertaker and to iconic matches like Steamboat vs. Savage or Angle vs. Michaels.
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Pre-order the e-book version of The Greatest Matches and Rivalries of the WrestleMania Era here
