Wrestling For My Life: The Legend and the Faith of a WWE Superstar
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4/5 Stars
The Heartbreak Kid's list of nicknames is nearly as long as his list of credentials. His in-ring career is one of the most well known and interesting of all WWE superstars past and present. Some people within the industry and many fans, proclaim that he is the greatest performer in the history of professional wrestling. Outside of the spotlight he overcame a self-destructive lifestyle after being born-again as a Christian. His new journey took him down the road of charity within his religious community and a successful television show exploring the world of hunting.
There is no attempt to mislead the reader with this publication. Even with forewords by both Paul "Triple H" Levesque and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, there is no doubt from the outset that this is a story of Shawn's personal growth away from the spotlight rather than his time soaking in the atmosphere created by thousands of fans seated in arenas across the globe. In some ways the book could be classed as a guide to being a Christian for beginners. Shawn goes through his journey from drug-addict and miserable human-being to a family man contributing to the Christian community. By no means does he present himself as "holier than thou" nor as a perfect church goer. What seems to be a real openness to his downfalls, shortcomings and difficulties in understanding how to live his life the "righteous" way is very refreshing to read in this kind of a release from a celebrity. Somewhat in the same vain, the story of how he came to co-host Macmillan River Adventures with Keith Park is just as full of giant learning curves. As with his wrestling persona, Shawn is not afraid to poke-fun at himself and his initial lack of ability, co-ordination and hunting grace. Of course there are some wrestling stories included too, although they do all tie into his progression as a Christian. He talks about the phenomenal matches with the Undertaker and how they came to happen. The infamous Vince and Shane McMahon versus Shawn Michaels and God match is discussed, plus the build-up to it. For Shawn's faith it was a very controversial story, one that he fully explains his reasoning behind not only agreeing to do it, but wanting to do it. The formation of D-Generation X is covered and of course his decision to retire from the ring. Also, he answers the question of if there will be one more match or not.
I find it hard to be fully objective about this autobiography. For the audience it is aimed at, I can only imagine that from start-to-finish it would be a thoroughly enjoyable read. However, for myself - an agnostic - I found it tedious when religion was a focal point. At no time did I feel cheated or that I'd paid for something which was not provided, as I mentioned before, the nature of the book is not hidden. Shawn's insight on the topic of wrestling is interesting, it is just unfortunate for the non-Christian wrestling fan there was not more of it. The book could have had an extra fifty pages padded with wrestling anecdotes and would have been great, but that would have defeated the purpose of wanting to focus on his walk with God. At one-hundred-and-ninety-seven pages long though, it is not an awfully long book. David Thomas has helped Shawn put together a well-written work while keeping a very personal feel to the whole thing. Of course this a must have for any "hardcore" Shawn Michaels fan. For wrestling fans who are also Christian, again I can merely speculate that this would be a touching story, as I think it would be for non-wrestling fans who are of a religious persuasion. As for wrestling fans, while the subject of your interest is captivating when it appears. I could not recommend paying the cover price just for that content.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
Review of Wrestling For My Life: The Legend and the Faith of a WWE Superstar.
Reviewer: Jimmy Wheeler.
Published: Pre-2019.
Book Review: #16.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
Review of Wrestling For My Life: The Legend and the Faith of a WWE Superstar.
Reviewer: Jimmy Wheeler.
Published: Pre-2019.
Book Review: #16.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Wrestling For My Life: The Legend and the Faith of a WWE Superstar.
Authors: hawn Michaels with David Thomas.
Pages: 176.
Published as Hardback: February 10, 2015.
Publisher: Zonderva.