Professional wrestling fans are spoiled for choice nowadays, with a boom in the creation of new wrestling books.
From tell-all autobiographies, to historians analyzing the business and even former writers peeking behind the curtain, there is no shortage of reading material.
One of the most interesting topics to read about is all about the former promotion called World Championship Wrestling.
WCW took the fight to the WWE in the 1990s, with their ratings war being dubbed “The Monday Night Wars”. This is one of the most interesting times in wrestling history, and a fantastic subject for a number of books.
There are a number of books that tell the tale of WCW, and in this article we’ll take you through all the best ones. Let us know what you think is the best book about WCW in the comment section!
R.D Reynolds & Bryan Alvarez – The Death of WCW
The Death of WCW of the most fun wrestling books you’ll ever read. Alvarez and Reynolds’ dry sense of humor is apparent from the first page.
They retell the tale in great detail about how WCW went from the biggest wrestling company in the world, to going out of business just 5 years later.
From the company being built up by Ted Turner, to it flourishing under Eric Bischoff before dying just years later, it is as much a comedy as it is a tragedy.
They provide stats and figures, as well as numerous interviews with wrestlers and backstage personnel to figure out just it all went so very wrong.
The story is told from the very foundations of WCW, all the way to its buyout by the WWF in 2001.
However, it is the journey, and not the destination in this book. Learn about the silly money WCW paid Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, as well as how Scott Steiner was rewarded for not listening to anybody ever.
Find out why Vince Russo made David Arquette (and himself!) the WCW Champion, and why they buried Ric Flair in his hometown time and time again.
Guy Evans – Nitro: The Incredible Rise and Inevitable Collapse of Ted Turner’s WCW
If you want a more in-depth and slightly drier take on the death of WCW, then Guy Evans Nitro is the book for you.
It still includes all the hilarious stories you want to here from working with the likes of Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo.
However, you get first-hand experiences from people who worked there, giving us the most comprehensive information about what it was like in WCW.
Getting former wrestlers and personalities to tell their stories and give us a peek behind the curtain makes this one a can’t miss, and one of the best WCW books around today.
This is the book you need to read if you want the most comprehensive look at World Championship Wrestling, although it is perfect if read in tandem with The Death of WCW.
Chris Jericho – A Lion’s Tale: Around The World In Spandex
One of the greatest of all time, Chris Jericho, writes one of the greatest wrestling books of all time.
A Lion’s Tale details Chris Jericho’s journey from a small-time wrestler learning his trade in Canada, to his travels around the world, from Japan to Europe to Mexico.
Chris Jericho writes extensively about his time in WCW, with the funniest part being his dealing with Goldberg, and their infamous feud.
It paints a frustrating picture of WCW, giving a clear indication of everything that was wrong with the company behind the scene.
While it is not exclusively about WCW, it features a big section about the company and is a must read in 2023.
The book finishes just before his historic debut in the WWF, leaving a good cliffhanger for future iterations.
Jericho’s voice and tone is very evident in this book. It’s clear it came from him, and not just sent off to a ghostwriter to write.
At times, his jokes are a little cringeworthy and unfunny, but overall the book is very funny. A great read and one of the must-read wrestling books out there.