Review of Tributes and Tributes II

We’re' scared to think how the world would exist if Dave Meltzer and his Wrestling Observer Newsletter were never born. Thanks to him, the rich, fascinating history of pro wrestling has been exposed to a much wider audience who would otherwise be left with A&E's embarrassing biography on the subject and Vince McMahon's joke of a Hall of Fame.

We still don't know why wrestling history is ignored by today's promoters and fans, because as Meltzer reveals to us, wrestling's past is extremely decorated with sellout stadiums, sky-high TV ratings, and amazingly tough athletes, some of which date back to before the roaring 1920s. Tributes and Tributes II pay homage to many of the people who made those times flourish, and gave their lives to a business that, after all these decades, still commands little respect. For today's fans who have had the misfortune of not ever seeing many of these deceased fellows grapple, there's a whole lot to learn and admire about our fallen heroes. For today's top wrestling stars, some of the information here could save their lives.

While we couldn't be happier about the exposure Tributes will provide the masses, we can't help but be terribly saddened by many of the stories here. You see, a good percentage of the athletes presented in the book died long, long, LONG before they should have.

For the past several years, pro wrestlers have been dropping like flies, and almost everyone is afraid to admit it. Kudos to Meltzer for raising the issue, and since the time this book was published, even more stars are no longer with us. And if the lessons from Tributes had been learned, most of them could've been prevented.

The saddest story, of course, is that of the Von Erichs. In the early 1980s, Dallas was on fire with incredible ratings, groundbreaking interviews, elaborate ring entrances, and TV production values years ahead of their time. But to focus on nothing but that success is to live in Fantasy Land. Behind the curtain saw drugs, alcohol, and bad credit reports take the lives of four out of five Von Erich brothers. They’re all dead now, as is their father, and yet another little brother who was electrocuted as a child. And so is the villain (Terry Gordy) the Von Erichs were feuding with on the other side of the ring.

Can you imagine the equivalent happening in football, music, or acting? There would be countless documentaries, motion pictures, and front page news stories about such a torn family. But in wrestling, there was relatively nothing. Tributes honors all these success stories, but also exposes the reality behind the fantasy and what we can learn from it.

The tragic stories don't end there. There is no shortage of young, promising superstars destroyed by one evil vice or another. There are the drug deaths (Brian Pillman, Eddie Gilbert, Louie Spicolli, Art Barr), freak accidents (Junkyard Dog, Owen Hart), health problems (Rick Rude, Yokozuna), murders (Bruiser Brody), steroids (Big John Studd), and many others too numerous to mention. Even worse are the dozens of deaths this book didn't have room for, and the deaths that occurred after it went to press.

As for the writing, it's excellent. With Meltzer, that is a given and saying is so stating the obvious and wasting space. If you're able to block out the sadness for a few minutes, you'll really enjoy this book. You'll read about:

-The undercard of the famous Sammartino-Zbysko match at Shea Stadium, in which two icons faced each other who would later go on to set the world indoor attendance record.

-What Andre the Giant told a famous NFL superstar backstage in the locker room that instilled fear in the footballer's eyes.

-A famous fight at a diner involving an old legend from the 50s and 60s, which lasted all of one punch.

-The record-breaking success of Junkyard Dog, before he ever set foot in the WWF.

-The "don't snitch" rule in wrestling that allowed a man in Puerto Rico to get away with murder.

-An assortment of pranks pulled by two famous high-flying jokesters who got their start in Calgary.

You get the idea. All these obits ran as first-run features in Meltzer's newsletter, were later published in an underground, under-published version of Tributes, and are now fully produced in a snazzy, full-color book with some incredible photographs inside. You cannot call yourself a wrestling fan unless you own and have read this piece of art. We've been happy subscribers for 10+ years and will remain so as long as it's around.

We just hope there will be no Volume 3, but again, thinking so would be living in Fantasy Land...

To order, please click below:

Dave Meltzer's 'Tributes'

Dave Meltzer's 'Tributes II'

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