Swimming with Piranhas : Surviving the Politics of Professional Wrestling

Exposing wrestling’s inner workings and back-office deal making, this memoir is a hard-hitting firsthand look at the sport from Howard Brody, one of its most controversial promoters. Beginning with how he became involved with professional wrestling and produced his first television program, it then focuses on his time as president of the National Wrestling Alliance and reveals the truth behind the rumors surrounding his departure from the organization. Brody’s relationships with many of wrestling’s most powerful and creative figures—Vince and Linda McMahon, Eric Bischoff, Paul Heyman, Tod Gordon, Antonio Inoki, Hiro Matsuda, the Funks, Dusty Rhodes, Jim Cornette, and Hulk Hogan—are discussed in detail, revealing many little-known details about the behind-the-scenes negotiations involved in booking and promoting shows. From dealing with building and talent managers to working with radio and television stations, Brody explains the nuances of booking promotions, discusses the nature of negotiating and selling wrestling to television networks and sponsors, and divulges fascinating details about many aspects of working in the wrestling business. In this memoir, the former president of the National Wrestling Alliance, Howard Brody gives a first hand account of how he's been able to survive the world of pro wrestling politics, despite getting a few bloody noses along the way. Brody delves into the historical aspects of his time at the NWA, describing encounters – both good and bad – with some of professional wrestling's most powerful and creative minds including Vince and Linda McMahon, Eric Bischoff, Paul Heyman, Tod Gordon, Antonio Inoki, Hiro Matsuda, the Funks, Dusty Rhodes, Jim Cornette, Hulk Hogan, and more. Brody describes how he got hooked on the business, how he raised money to shoot a ladies wrestling TV pilot, and how he finally ended up in the NWA, serving as its president from 1996 to 2001, and the controversy surrounding how and why he left. Delving into the inner workings of booking and promoting shows, from dealing with talent to building managers, radio and television stations, Brody explains the differences and similarities between small, medium and large promotions, and talks about the nature of negotiating and selling wrestling to television networks and sponsors. Swimming With Piranhas covers aspects of the pro wrestling business that have yet to be captured on paper. This book reveals the true war stories as Brody takes the reader into the boardrooms and back offices of the most exciting business in the world: professional wrestling. Exposing wrestling's inner workings and back-office deal making, this memoir is a hard-hitting firsthand look at the sport from Howard Brody, one of its most controversial promoters. Beginning with how he became involved with professional wrestling and produced his first television program, it then focuses on his time as president of the National Wrestling Alliance and reveals the truth behind the rumors surrounding his departure from the organization. Brody's relationships with many of wrestling's most powerful and creative figures, Vince and Linda McMahon, Eric Bischoff, Paul Heyman, Tod Gordon, Antonio Inoki, Hiro Matsuda, the Funks, Dusty Rhodes, Jim Cornette, and Hulk Hogan, are discussed in detail, revealing many little-known details about the behind-the-scenes negotiations involved in booking and promoting shows. From dealing with building and talent managers to working with radio and television stations, Brody explains the nuances of booking promotions, discusses the nature of negotiating and selling wrestling to television networks and sponsors, and divulges fascinating details about many aspects of working in the wrestling business Contents ......Page 6 Dedication ......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Foreword......Page 12 Introduction......Page 14 1. WHERE HAVE YOU WRESTLED?......Page 18 2. POLITICAL SCIENCE 101......Page 29 3. THERE’S NO SUBSTITUTE FOR EXPERIENCE......Page 47 4. CHANGING TIMES......Page 79 5. EUREKA!......Page 96 6. WOW! NO, WWOW!......Page 117 7. FLIGHT OF THE BUMBLEBEE......Page 143 8. RUNNING ON EMPTY......Page 165 9. RIDING THE ROLLER COASTER......Page 184 10. 1994......Page 213 11. THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE DOWNRIGHT SCARY......Page 239 12. JOURNEY OF A RING WARRIOR......Page 263 13. KING OF THE CARNIES......Page 295 14. HAIL TO THE CHIEF......Page 318 15. LIFE AFTER THE NWA......Page 389 16. AGAINST ALL ODDS......Page 416 17. FINAL THOUGHTS......Page 426