Author

Chapter One: Tim Hornbaker - Reveals His Next Book Project

​#PWHS #Interview #TimHornbaker #NWA #ProWrestling #Wrestling  #NatureBoy #BuddyRogers #WWWF #CWC #WWF #WWE
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Question 1

Tim Hornbaker has written four books on professional wrestling, always devoting a keen eye to detail and painstaking research to his work. 

His first work, National Wrestling Alliance: The Monopoly that Destroyed Pro Wrestling, was an in-depth history of the NWA, tracing the steps from its inception to inevitable failure. This was followed by Legends of Professional Wrestling: 150 Years of Headlocks, Bodyslams and Piledrivers. More than just a collection of wrestling profiles, the breadth and depth of this work is remarkable. His next work, Capitol Revolution, told the little-known origin story of the promotion that would later become the major force in professional wrestling today, the WWF/WWE. His latest work, Death of the Territories, would recount the steps taken by Vincent Kennedy McMahon to consolidate his pro wrestling empire and the failures that would cause the territories to die out, one by one. Taken together, it is a rich body of work.

Tim, What is your latest project? Could you tell me more about it?

Answer

My current project is a biography of the legendary "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers.  Buddy was a fascinating individual, in and out of the ring, and his story is very complex.  There is enough fiction on Buddy to write an entirely separate book.  But I knew going into this research that there were many pitfalls and unproven theories interwoven into Buddy's life story, and I wanted to set the record straight.  I wanted to get to the core of who he was, what he accomplished, and what his legacy really was.  It's interesting because his story in professional wrestling begins during the 1940s and his last match took place in 1983.  During his career, he intersected with all of the greats from Jim Londos to Ric Flair, and he was there for the TV boom, the rise of the NWA, and the formation of the WWWF.  He was also with the WWF as Vince McMahon Jr. was on the cusp of taking his organization national.  This book is as much a biography of Buddy Rogers as it is a history of the business, and I think readers will learn a lot about the original "Nature Boy," the first man ever to hold both the NWA and WWWF/WWE championships.

Question 2

What motivated you to write about wrestling?

Answer

Writing about professional wrestling was a natural progression for me.  I started as an interested fan, digging in old newspapers for information I personally wanted to find.  I wanted to learn more about champions like Ed "Strangler" Lewis, Joe Stecher, and Earl Caddock, and, of course, Frank Gotch.  My local library had the New York Times archives on microfilm, and that was my start.  Soon, I was learning about the National Wrestling Association, and then the National Wrestling Alliance, and I was completely hooked.  I think by around 2001, I was up to my ears in material I had researched, and I wanted to share it with others.  It wasn't until about four or five years later, though, that I began to centralize my focus and actually write my first book.  

Question 3

How do you go about doing research for a book?

Answer

Probably like most writers, I have a personal system and style of researching.  I tend to take a methodical approach, and spend months, if not years, searching for information.  When putting this data together, I focus on the major life events of my subject, but at the same time, don't overlook trivial facts that may seem insignificant.  Maintaining a system of organization for this information is crucial, and it sometimes can be a major challenge, especially when dealing with thousands and thousands of documents.  In the case of the Buddy Rogers book, I've been in contact with over 100 different sources so far, and each have helped add another layer of knowledge to his life story.

Question 4

Which writers have influenced you?

Answer

I've been influenced by so many writers.  My favorite book is the World War II epic, "The Longest Day" by Cornelius Ryan with "The Glory of their Times," by Lawrence S. Ritter a close second.  I enjoy the research and writings of David McCullough a great deal.  In terms of wrestling writers, I have to say that J Michael Kenyon was a significant influence.  Every email from J Michael was a lesson in one way or another.  Just the way he wrote his messages illustrated the passion he had for wrestling and getting the facts right.  I just wish he would've written a handful of historical books during his lifetime because they would've been mandatory reading.  Steve Yohe, Mark Hewitt, Don Luce, Scott Teal and Libnan Ayoub are others who have been committed to studying and writing about wrestling history for decades.  They've been a big influence.

Question 5

Out of all the books you have written, do you have a favorite? Which one is it?

Answer

Great question.  No, I don't have a favorite.  They are all important to me.  But I think if you look at my books in order from National Wrestling Alliance to Death of the Territories, you can clearly see my journey and evolution as a writer and researcher.  I think I'm trying harder to balance strong historical content with a friendlier narrative, and that's a tough act for many nonfiction authors.  It's been tough for me.  My NWA book was heavy through and through, and I always envisioned it as being a hardcore reference book.  I've said that, knowing what I know now, if I had the opportunity to go back and make adjustments to the text, I would.  Then I look at it and realize that I don't want to change it.  I like it the way it is.  I meant for it to be a deeper history of wrestling, and I think it serves it's purpose.

Julie Hankinson

Thank you, Tim. We'll speak again once you are further into  writing the book on Buddy  Rogers, so you can give our readers and yours an exclusive sneak peak .

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​Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.

Interview with Tim Hornbaker.
Interviewer: Julie Hankinson.
Published: May 29, 2019 
Author Interview: #1.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.

​Other interviews on the #PWHS website can be   Read Here.