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Memoirs of a Mad Man
“He’s just a bleeder,” they said. “He can’t wrestle. All he can do is bleed!”Mad Man Pondo never argued when people called him “just a bleeder.” He knows who he is, and he’s embraced it. He knows that his high tolerance for pain, his fearless nature, and his talent for bleeding are the reason he’s wrestled all around the world, starred in three video games, appeared in a horror film with one of his great heroes, befriended celebrities from the A-list to the D-list, and become a legend to deathmatch wrestling fans everywhere.Now, Mad Man Pondo is telling his story his way. He takes you from his early days as a wrestling fan in Flora, Illinois who accidentally got his butt kicked by Jos LeDuc to his glory days as a headliner for Big Japan. You’ll read about in-ring encounters with Junkyard Dog, Terry Funk, and Kevin Sullivan; real life run-ins with David Blaine and Benny Hinn; and unexpected confrontations outside the ring with crazed fans and the Yakuza. You’ll learn how his small cable access show Skull Talk led him to become a casting agent for Jerry Springer and how a deathmatch legend gets to rub shoulders with the likes of MC Hammer, Jonny Fairplay, Mick Foley, Eli Roth, and Robert Englund. Pondo shares stories about his most legendary deathmatch encounters and the inspirational story behind his all-women’s promotion, Girl Fight. And you’ll read his unforgettable speech from the Juggalo March on Washington D.C. at the Lincoln Memorial where Forrest Gump once cried out, “Jenny!!!”With a foreword by Vanilla Ice (yes, THE Vanilla Ice!), dozens of must-see photos, and countless stories from friends, fans, and fellow grapplers, Memoirs of a Mad Man is an all-out extreme autobiography as graphic and over the top as a Four Corners of Pain Deathmatch.
299 pages, Paperback
Published June 24, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 26, 2021
Giving this a generous two stars because despite the fact that this might be one of the most poorly written wrestling autobiographies I've read, Pondo comes out of it looking like one of wrestlings good guys, and we need all of those we can get.
More of a collection of short anecdotes and endorsements than an in depth autobiography, Memoirs of a Madman doesn't really give you a lot of detail about what was up to the point of publishing, a near 30 year career in the ring. This is unfortunate because the areas which could have been explored here are ones that have rarely been covered in other books and would have made an interesting juxtaposition compared with those who have wrestled on the biggest stages. For example, Pondo wrestled on the independents throughout the nineties which is a period that has rarely been documented in books or on video, but unfortunately outside of a few short pages we get very little insight here which feels like a real missed opportunity in all honesty.
Another gripe was the lack of research or perhaps more precisely, the lack of attention to detail. There are numerous references to Pondos supposed great friend 'Billy Corrigan' who even has a large part of a chapter dedicated to him. I quickly realised he meant Billy Corgan from The Smashing Pumpkins, but still, it was a jarring mistake, especially with someone so well known. I have no problem with him name dropping, but at least drop the correct name. The same goes for the former Japanese Sumo Wrestler 'Ben Kay' who again crops up frequently during one anecdote. It doesn't take a linguistics expert to realise that a Japanese former Sumo probably isn't going by the particularly Anglicised sounding name of Ben Kay and it took precisely two minutes on Google to release that he meant Daikokubo Benkei. It's a little thing I know, but it would have been nice if one of the two writers had put the minimal work in themselves.
All in all I had high hopes for this book, as I was hoping it would cover some areas of the business that I find particularly interesting but it mostly failed to deliver. Too much time was taken up with mundane stories about interactions with semi-celebrities and conversations he's had on with strangers on Facebook. However, having said that, regardless of my thoughts on the book, Pondos career is one that I respect immensely and as a person he seems like someone you could have a great time chatting with, especially as we share a lot of the same interests too. A great career, that isn't given the justice it deserves here.
More of a collection of short anecdotes and endorsements than an in depth autobiography, Memoirs of a Madman doesn't really give you a lot of detail about what was up to the point of publishing, a near 30 year career in the ring. This is unfortunate because the areas which could have been explored here are ones that have rarely been covered in other books and would have made an interesting juxtaposition compared with those who have wrestled on the biggest stages. For example, Pondo wrestled on the independents throughout the nineties which is a period that has rarely been documented in books or on video, but unfortunately outside of a few short pages we get very little insight here which feels like a real missed opportunity in all honesty.
Another gripe was the lack of research or perhaps more precisely, the lack of attention to detail. There are numerous references to Pondos supposed great friend 'Billy Corrigan' who even has a large part of a chapter dedicated to him. I quickly realised he meant Billy Corgan from The Smashing Pumpkins, but still, it was a jarring mistake, especially with someone so well known. I have no problem with him name dropping, but at least drop the correct name. The same goes for the former Japanese Sumo Wrestler 'Ben Kay' who again crops up frequently during one anecdote. It doesn't take a linguistics expert to realise that a Japanese former Sumo probably isn't going by the particularly Anglicised sounding name of Ben Kay and it took precisely two minutes on Google to release that he meant Daikokubo Benkei. It's a little thing I know, but it would have been nice if one of the two writers had put the minimal work in themselves.
All in all I had high hopes for this book, as I was hoping it would cover some areas of the business that I find particularly interesting but it mostly failed to deliver. Too much time was taken up with mundane stories about interactions with semi-celebrities and conversations he's had on with strangers on Facebook. However, having said that, regardless of my thoughts on the book, Pondos career is one that I respect immensely and as a person he seems like someone you could have a great time chatting with, especially as we share a lot of the same interests too. A great career, that isn't given the justice it deserves here.
January 29, 2022
Great Read! Very Unexpected
Mad Man Pondo is the Forrest Gump of professional wrestling and pop culture. In his tell-all autobiography, you see how he’s had a hand in nurturing young wrestlers while carving out a bloody legacy not to be soon forgotten.
I saw his deathmatches in the early days of YouTube and was appalled. Yet, like a car crash, I’m gonna rubberneck to get a better view of the accident. I’d return time and again to watch his matches and each time, I was legitimately grossed out. But I still kept coming back before I realized - I actually like this guy.
Years later, I shared a locker room with him once and knew instantly what drew me to him. Despite the lack of any real wrestling in most of his matches, Pondo had a keen eye for connecting with people simply through his body language. Not only that, but he couldn’t suppress his good nature and large heart. On my first and last handshake with him, I felt it then and there. He’s a good dude, chasing the American dream while living life on his own terms.
If you want a feel good story with a happy ending, skip this book. If you want a no holds barred look into an insane journey with the most unlikeliest of heroes, then this book is for you.
5 freakin’ stars
Mad Man Pondo is the Forrest Gump of professional wrestling and pop culture. In his tell-all autobiography, you see how he’s had a hand in nurturing young wrestlers while carving out a bloody legacy not to be soon forgotten.
I saw his deathmatches in the early days of YouTube and was appalled. Yet, like a car crash, I’m gonna rubberneck to get a better view of the accident. I’d return time and again to watch his matches and each time, I was legitimately grossed out. But I still kept coming back before I realized - I actually like this guy.
Years later, I shared a locker room with him once and knew instantly what drew me to him. Despite the lack of any real wrestling in most of his matches, Pondo had a keen eye for connecting with people simply through his body language. Not only that, but he couldn’t suppress his good nature and large heart. On my first and last handshake with him, I felt it then and there. He’s a good dude, chasing the American dream while living life on his own terms.
If you want a feel good story with a happy ending, skip this book. If you want a no holds barred look into an insane journey with the most unlikeliest of heroes, then this book is for you.
5 freakin’ stars
August 8, 2018
Fantastic book by deathmatch wrestling legend Mad Man Pondo. If you like Indy wrestling you will know him and the book is more than just the Pondo you see in IWA, CZW etc. Some great stories, thoughts and options.
This up is there with the best wrestling autobiographies, actually just make the autobiographies in general.
Great read.
You can’t stop Pondo and you won’t be disappointed.
This up is there with the best wrestling autobiographies, actually just make the autobiographies in general.
Great read.
You can’t stop Pondo and you won’t be disappointed.
September 7, 2018
I read a lot of wrestling books, and this one is vastly underrated. The stories are hilarious, and I couldn't put it down. It's worth the price just for the chapters on Big Japan. Highly recommend for anyone that enjoys wrestling.
February 24, 2020
Very underrated wrestling autobiography. Easy read, very cool stories. Worth checking out for any wrestling fan!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews