The Comic Book Story of Professional Wrestling Is a Trip Down Nostalgia Lane

“Wrestling isn’t fake!” David Arquette would scream in the critically panned comedy Ready to Rumble—a guilty pleasure of this reviewer—and to many fans, professional wrestling is as real as oxygen. My own love for wrestling is undeniable, and so is my love for comics, and those loves were previously united in my review of SBI Press’s Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia showed.

That is why The Comic Book Story of Professional Wrestling: A Hardcore, High-Flying, No-Holds-Barred History of the One True Sport called to me when I saw it tucked into the graphic novel corner at Moon Palace Books. Part of a series of other graphic histories from Ten Speed Press that includes The Comic Book Story of Video Games and The Comic Book Story of Beer, this book by Aubrey Sitterson and Chris Moreno is a history lesson about and love letter to professional wrestling—or, in the words of WWE chairman Vince McMahon, “sports entertainment.”

Ten Speed Press

From the first page, which features a five-panel retelling of the 1987 WrestleMania III bout between Hulk Hogan and André the Giant, to the retelling of Daniel Bryan‘s 2014 miracle victory at WrestleMania XXX, the graphic novel goes far beyond the history of WWF/WWE as it explores the origins of professional wrestling and its cultural impact throughout the years. Sitterson and Moreno start by throwing the reader into the world of carnies and clowns, as professional wrestling was born at the carnival after the American Civil War. From this point, they tell a linear, almost chronological story that touches on everything that has made professional wrestling what it is today.

The most appealing thing about The Comic Book Story of Professional Wrestling is that it does not take itself too seriously. This approach could have harmed the story, but by having fun with the history of pro wrestling and teaching those unfamiliar with the sport, it creates an enjoyable experience. Moreno’s cartoon art style adds to the enjoyment, as it feels like an animated documentary on wrestling, though at times the art might seem unflattering if the reader is unfamiliar with the wrestler being drawn. For example, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin looks as if he has to sneeze and Bob Backlund looks like he crawled out of an Archie comic. Besides these minor distractions, I found myself in awe of Moreno’s ability to capture the appearance of current and past wrestlers. The way he was able to show the evolution of wrestlers such as Daniel Bryan and CM Punk shows the passion and love he has toward wrestling. If you are a fan yourself, it is a treat to see how he is able to switch CM Punk’s style throughout the book and keep it accurate.

The story does skip over some well-known controversies in the world of professional wrestling, such as the fact that wrestlers are independent contractors and thus are ineligible for WWE-provided health insurance, but that does not affect the overall tone and theme of the book. This is meant to be a love letter to professional wrestling, with a goal to educate those unfamiliar about the sport, and Sitterson’s writing is able to do that in 170 pages. In a brilliant move, a page early in the story is dedicated to wrestling slang, allowing the terms to be used through the rest of the book without any confusion. For example, bump is defined as “The act of falling—flat backed, chin tucked in—onto the mat. An essential part of most wrestling matches, bumping works to protect the wrestler while making the loudest noise possible.” Little touches like that add a layer of intelligence and passion to the world of professional wrestling.

Another bright spot in the book comes in the form of an apology. Throughout, there is a noticeable lack of female wrestlers, and toward the end of the story Sitterson dedicates a page to the recent explosion in women’s wrestling, which has been dubbed the Women’s Revolution. The story does feature women wrestling before that, but only to show how different the American audience views women wrestling as opposed to the Japanese audience. Sitterson does not shy away from the demoralizing past of women’s wrestling in America; one panel features a match that stipulated that one female wrestler had to strip the other to their underwear to win (a type of match that was too popular during the late 1990s and early 2000s). Being a fan of professional wrestling, I am glad that this part of history was not skipped, as it allows the opportunity to show how far women’s wrestling has evolved.

It is easy to recommend this book to any wrestling fan, as it explores everything you would want from a comic book and is a nice way to travel back in time to relive matches and wrestling personalities from different eras. This is also a graphic novel I can see being used in art or comic-based classes, as it does a great job using the format as an educational tool. If you are a fan of professional wrestling, then this is for you. It may lack an overall story, but the recapturing of history will have fans smiling.