WWE Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to World Wrestling Entertainment [Hardcover]

About time the first ever comprehensive non kayfabe WWE encyclopaedia it covers absolutely everything from the Superstars/Divas, Matches, TV shows and more that have taken place from the 60's to present day it has more than 700 WWE entries and 2500 plus rare/common pictures.
It gives in depth information on every subject there is even a page that includes a Chris Benoit article and also cover other touchy subjects such as the 1997 Survivor Series Montreal incident involving Bret "Hitman" Hart and Shawn Micheals etc, this is a must have for any WWE fan it will settle many arguments between fans about events that have occurred in the history of the company.
There are a few things that I have found missing and these are Fake Diesel (Played by Kane), Fake Razor Ramon which I find weird as they acknowledged they weren't the originals on TV and for some reason there is no mention of the Superstars TV program that ran through the 90's I imagine superstars was just missed out by mistake and will be in a second edition somewhere down the line but I believe the missing out of the fake diesel and Razor is due to kayfabe issues or something so that wont likely be rectified.
This book has become a number one best seller in the USA's New York Times under the Sports category after only being on the shelves for a week.
Well worth the purchase
10/10

For almost fifty years, World Wrestling Entertainment has been the wrestling promotion that has never faltered. Where promotions like the NWA, AWA, WCW and ECW may have become defunct, WWE still stands. While it has never always been on top, it's always survived for better or worse. It's evolved from the World Wide Wrestling Federation to the World Wrestling Federation to finally World Wrestling Entertainment. And in those fifty years, it has such a rich history. So many colourful characters, so many prizes, innovative/pioneering matches/concepts/storylines all proudly belong to the WWE. Many a wrestling legend can proudly say that their finest career moments took place in this organization and many more wrestlers would say they'd love to compete at a WrestleMania. WWE is undoubtedly the most colourful wrestling promotion today and the sheer scale of everything it produces and represents is immense.

To try and sum all that up in a book would surely be next to impossible. Yet Kevin Sullivan and Brian Shields have done just that with WWE Encyclopedia, a truly mammoth book that's over three hundred and sixty pages and absolutely PACKED with information about the WWE, it's earlier incarnations, all it's major legends, great superstars, veterans, jobbers, tag-teams, factions, managers, announcers, Divas past-and-present, championship belts (active and defunct), pay-per-views, TV shows, merchandise, match-types and WrestleMania.

Those who've purchased the great big Encyclopedias for the Marvel and DC universes will know just how utterly in-depth they were. And it's the same here. DK have published yet another fascinating, big, beefy book that won't disappoint fans at all. All the information presented here is just so vast and chronicles all the major stuff that people need to know. I was absolutely amazed by it all, but was really surprising was that there were things about the WWF/E that even I didn't know. Reading this is such a brilliant learning experience that will amaze both old and new fans.

Kevin Sullivan and Brian Shields have really produced a masterwork. They could easily have cobbled something together with many omissions and endless historical inaccuracies, but mercifully, they've instead done bags and bags of research before they've put pen to paper. Wrestlers from the sixties and seventies are chronicled here, with black-and-white photos (where available) to go with profiles. Even wrestlers who've had many a gimmick change are profiled under their famously different gimmicks. It shows how much Sullivan and Shields cared about this project and you can tell they've put their hearts and souls into it. Although there are a few minor inaccuracies throughout the book, these are VERY sporadic and really petty. It takes nothing away from the quality at all.

The profiling of the hundreds and hundreds of wrestlers within WWE Encyclopedia varies depending on their importance, career moments and runs with the company. For instance, guys like Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Mick Foley, John Cena, Triple H, The Undertaker, Ric Flair and Vince McMahon are naturally (and deservedly) covered with great, in-depth two-page giant spreads. Other legends like Bret "Hitman" Hart, Shawn Michaels, Bob Backlund, "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka, Eddie Guerrero and Jake "The Snake" Roberts get great one-page profiles that show just how awesome legends they were. But regardless of the superstar(s), all get a fair amount of profiling that fits accordingly with the wrestler(s) in question. As a result, it makes the pace of the book absolutely perfect.

And if fans are expecting any biased prejudice towards particular superstars, no one need worry at all. Vince doesn't allow his ego to affect the result in any way as every superstar is honoured and portrayed in a positive light. Even big names you may not have expected to see in WWE Encyclopedia are chronicled here and get the proud recognition that they deserve. "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Bruno Sammartino, Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, Jeff Jarrett among others (that Vince has issues with/or went elsewhere) are all profiled positively. Even the Ultimate Warrior is treated with high respect and praise for his accomplishments and WWE run (which is VERY surprising after that infamous Self-Destruction DVD), with all the negative stuff omitted, something that is most pleasing indeed. Even Chris Benoit is (amazingly) profiled here, minus the mention of the horrific Benoit Tragedy, which is something I suppose we should all be thankful for, instead choosing to remember the hero we lost.

Although there were wrestlers who had more legendary success in other companies (e.g. Tazz, Raven, Sabu, Diamond Dallas Page and Goldberg), nothing is taken away from any of them, as their success in other wrestling organizations is mentioned and honoured. I was also so pleased that amazingly talented guys who had great WWE runs were also included, such as Lance Storm, Val Venis, Taka Michinoku and Ken Shamrock. Late greats like Owen Hart, Rick Rude, Mr Perfect, Bam Bam Bigelow, Crash Holly, Yokozuna, the Big Bossman and of course, Andre the Giant all get the credit they deserve, much to my joy. Divas like Trish Stratus, Lita, Sable, Chyna and Sunny, and other female greats like the Fabulous Moolah, Sherri Martel and Wendi Richter, are all documented. Facts about weights, heights, finishing moves, hometowns etc are really brilliant, as are all the pages about the merchandising, title histories and wrestling shows that WWE has given us. It's all just a great, giant of a history book that provides the reader with a fun, pleasurable learning experience that will keep them occupied for months.

I don't think I've read a WWE book this good since Mick Foley's Have A Nice Day autobiography. WWE Encyclopedia is just a staggering, awesome read that is worth every penny. Not only is it one of the best products to ever come from the WWE catalogue, it's also one of the best wrestling books that's ever been released. It's absolutely essential for all wrestling fans. Seriously, buy a copy now.

This is a truly jewel for every wrestling fan. All the superstars are mentioned amongst the period when they were active.
Nice to now facts and explanation of different types of matches.
A big encyclopedia which every truly fan prenatally must have.

Fedor.