Some of them are available (with some pages missing) on google books. No surprise Mick Foleys aren't.
I went looking for wrestling books a while back here in Oz but they are insanely expensive here. Not paying $45 for a paperback book.
I've read "If They Only Knew" by Chyna. Found it a good read although it foreshadows the weirdness with XPac with the benefit of hindsight. It was cool how protective the other wrestlers were towards her and highlighted the grunginess backstage compared to the glamour once they hit the lights. She portrays that desperation some wrestlers showed when they sat and waited for the story lines to remember them and how depressed they were when they weren't. She is rather mean about Killer Kowalski who's wrestling school she attended. Paints him as a stingy character all about the money, who wouldn't spring for heating in winter with a backyard ring that was hard as anything. I really connected with her description of how spiteful they other students were towards her when they sparred. I've done some martial arts, and as the only female was hurt a few times by wannabes trying to be Bruce Lee. I remember the spite they had towards women. I don't think wrestling is kind to women unless someone with clout is shagging them. We all saw Chyna's status once her fiance moved on to the bosses daughter. That said, I don't think Stephanie has too much fun either, hence the meaner than usual backstage vibe during her tenure.
Chyna describes her matches and what they meant to her which gave me a different view of them. I found that really cool and also noted not a lot was said about her surgery beyond the breast implants and the experience of one rupturing in a match which made my eyes water. It hurts like anything to get a natural boob hit, so I can only imagine how it would feel to have a foreign body under sensitive skin whacked.
The book highlighted what creepy nut bars her parents were. I don't think anyone could have come through her Mum and then her Dads tender care and be remotely normal. She describes having broken something and her brother taking the blame on her behalf and her Mum's over the top reaction. Tragic stuff that seemed to ring true, well as true as anything you didn't see yourself can be. Her Dad used her identity to get thousands of dollars in student loans she was then stuck with. Let alone the medical insurance bills he volunteered his ex wife for without her knowledge. It painted a sad and frightening picture for a child to live through.
The book ends on a high note with her freshly broken up with Nostrildamus but optimistic about her future. I was left with a sad feeling as I knew she hit the skids and went on to fall into many of the traps folks leaving the spotlight who can't do anything else fall into.
I found it a realistic portrayal of the path one woman faced in the wrestling business in that era of wrestling. I admire her taking the BB look and bringing it to the masses. When she wrestled I believed a woman can be strong and participate, not carry the heavy weight title the way she thought she could. I wanted more dirt on Sable who has a mean reputation among the women but the book was written during her time in the WWE. She was condescending about the other women though and felt in a different league altogether. As a fan I believe she was.
She should have looked at how the WWE treated Nicole Bass and I hope she gets herself together, even now.
I found the book in a bargain bin for $3AU.
