The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: Classic Characters

by Steven Johnson

You know the pro wrestler who holds the sport's record for most patents? No? Well, maybe you know the true origins of rock-and-roll and wrestling. No? Well, maybe you know about the convicted felon whose antics forced construction of the famed ramp at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. These and other precious nuggets are part of The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: Classic Characters, another volume by award-winning journalist Steven Johnson with respected author and editor Greg Oliver. Classic Characters delves into Rip Hawk's first experience at a burlesque house, how Jack Adkisson became Fritz Von Erich and the wrestling warriors who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Mixing updated pieces from SLAM! Wrestling with fresh research, Classic Characters is a ride a minute into the strange yet beloved world of pro wrestling.

214 pages, Paperback

Published May 20, 2025

About the author

Steven Johnson is the bestselling author of twelve books, including Enemy of All Mankind, Farsighted, Wonderland, How We Got to Now, Where Good Ideas Come From, The Invention of Air, The Ghost Map, and Everything Bad Is Good for You.
He's the host of the podcast American Innovations, and the host and co-creator of the PBS and BBC series How We Got to Now. Johnson lives in Marin County, California, and Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and three sons.

Reviews

[Jason Presley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding collection of short biographies of an eclectic group of true wrestling characters, delivered by a matter of his craft. Highly recommended, especially for the pieces on Ben Reuben, Paul Boesch and Prince Mihilakis.