The Bottom Line
While it would have been easy for the controversial nature of his death to be the dominant theme of this book thankfully the authors of this book went in a direction that made me know and care more about his life. The wrestling chapters of this book are written by Larry Matysik while the personal chapters are written by his life. Separately, both sets of chapters stand on their own. When read together, this book becomes a must read for any wrestling fan.
Pros
- The book answers many questions about the death of Bruiser Brody.
- Instead of being a sad death story, it is an inspiring story of how to stand up for yourself.
- Several in-ring controversies are discussed in-depth.
- A great look into the business of the sport during the territorial and WWE expansion eras.
Cons
- None
Description
- The book is co-authored by Larry Matysik and Barbara Goodish.
- Barbara Goodish is the widow of Bruiser Brody.
- Larry Matysik was Brody's friend and the protégé of Sam Muchnik.
- The forward is by Dave Meltzer and the introduction is by Jim Ross.
- The soft-cover book is 206 pages.
Guide Review - Brody by Larry Matysik & Barbara Goodish
The book starts out with the story of Bruiser's death and the events that led up to it. The late Victor Quinones spoke openly about the politics of the Puerto Rico based WWC and how that led to the locker room murder of Bruiser Brody. The following chapter which was about Barbara's trip to Puerto Rico to deal with the aftermath of her husband's murder could be the horrific story I have ever read but done with such class that one can't help but admire her for her courage in such terrible circumstances.
Thankfully, with that terrible story behind us, the book is then able to focus on his life. Unlike many of the spineless performers we are currently seeing lie to the media, Brody was the biggest rebel in wrestling. What did he do that made him a rebel? He stood up to the promoters that normally walk over the wrestlers in their quest to rob them of every possible dollar and their self-respect.
While fighting for his respect, he was also able to gain the respect of some of his fellow wrestlers. Several of them, including Stan Hansen, Terry Funk, Gary Hart, and Bobby Jaggers speak freely about Bruiser Brody and many of the controversies he was involved in both inside and outside of the ring.
