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This is a review of the Chris Jericho Book entitled A Lion’s Tale: Around The World In Spandex, which features a hardback 412 page biography, including exclusive glossy photos and a forward by Jim Ross.
Publish Date: 2008, Orion Publishing, Chris Jericho.
Co-Authored: Peter Thomas.

Pick up you copy now at Amazon.com!

Wow! I received this masterpiece of a book for Christmas from my sister because Bret Hart’s was too expensive, and whether Hart’s is any good or not, I’m glad this was in my stocking. This is the first true epic of wrestling books and should be on the shelf of every true wrestling fan.

With Jericho’s personal and wacky style of writing, the colorful photos slotted throughout and the sheer amount and variety of “cant put the page down” stories, this is perhaps the best wrestling book I have ever read.

Where Matthew Randazzo’s “Ring of Hell” was like the dirty crime fiction version of the modern history of pro wrestling, Chris Jericho’s “A Lion’s Tale” is the Once Upon A Time In America / Road Trip version of modern wrestling history, in that it spans the drama of a lifetime, but leaves you smiling as the geeky guy tries to get the girl, or comes out with a “ricokulous” line. Because Jericho and Benoit’s careers were so similar, like Randazzo’s book this takes you from Canada, to Mexico, to Japan and to WCW, but unlike the Benoit book, this feels real, this feels personal and it doesn’t make you feel like you watched some controversial porn afterwards. That being said Jericho definitely has some experience in Germany where that is concerned!

Although I didn’t always “get” Chris’s humor, nor understand some of his pop culture references, you can definitely tell that Jericho is the one writing this book. Like a good TV show with characters that evolve over time, you’ll invest so much emotion that Chris becomes your friend. Hell if I met him now I’d begin reminiscing about the time we got held up at gun point in Mexico and left to walk the dangerous streets despite not speaking the language, or the time we ate brownies with Mr McMahon. The only difference is I wasn’t really there.

If you think you know Chris and his career, think again. Who knew that he was so religious and..well such a geek? Who’d have thought that one of the closest friends in his career was Tonga (aka Haku/Meng)? Did you know that Jericho thinks Vampiro is an assclown, or that the legendary Mil Mascaras isn’t so legendary?

Hilarious, empathetic, heart warming, gross, scary and down right bleeding interesting. If only I could just get my mum to read it and maybe she’d understand what I write about for days on end! My only qualm is it ends with his WWE debut and as we’ve later found out, that’s because he’s doing a second book. Sellout. Still if you’ve heard how good Foley’s first book was or you just want to listen to the ultimate “road story” then this my wrestling friends is for you.

I got my copy from the trusted Amazon.com, but you may also like to check for a bargain on Ebay, which is pretty good for wrestling.

Related Links:
Chris Jericho Bio