Pro Wrestling: A Comprehensive Reference Guide. By Lew Freedman. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2018. 305 p. Acid-free $94. (ISBN 978-1-4408-5350-0). E-book Available (978-1-4408-5351-7), call for pricing.

Professional wrestling is one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world, delivering spectacles that are equal parts athletic competition and theatrical performance. As pro wrestlers have grown in stature from local heroes to worldwide superstars, so too has the wrestling industry grown from traveling road shows to globally televised productions. Despite the massive success of pro wrestling, a literature search reveals a dearth of reference guides and scholarly analysis on the subject. In Pro Wrestling: A Comprehensive Reference Guide, author Lew Freedman provides a much-needed guide for newcomers to this unique hybrid of sport and performing art.

The volume begins with a preface that establishes its goal of “highlighting the famous and important names who elevated pro wrestling in public esteem” (ix). This is followed by an introduction that traces the growth of pro wrestling to its current status as a multimillion-dollar industry and a chronology that identifies some key dates in this development. The guide is comprised of 100 entries arranged alphabetically and primarily focused on the careers and lives of individual wrestlers. A few other important topics are also covered, including wrestling promoters and governing bodies. Each entry helpfully includes see also references and a further reading list predominantly composed of news articles, websites, and popular nonfiction titles for readers to explore.

For popular culture scholars or knowledgeable fans of pro wrestling, this work does have some limitations. There is little discussion of the terminology and tropes of wrestling storytelling beyond an article on kayfabe— the essential genre convention that all things depicted in a wrestling performance are real. Additionally, the biographical entries focus less on personal lives and more on each wrestler’s career and in-ring exploits. Even this information is presented in the form of a broad overview, with brief descriptions of character traits and storyline highlights, rather than examined in significant detail.

As a result of these limitations, this guide may be more appropriate for a general audience seeking an introduction to the world of pro wrestling. The focus on major personalities is a compelling hook for new fans and younger readers, and the suggested further readings are easily accessible online or through a library. This, combined with the overall lack of guides about pro wrestling, makes this title a potentially valuable addition to high school and public library collections.—Kapil Vasudev, Special Collections Resident Librarian, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio