By Oliver Hurley.
Published by Pitch Publishing.
Released June 30, 2010.
Pages 192, hard cover.

The author of Wrestling’s 101 Strangest Matches started his career in journalism by creating a fanzine covering the same subject in the year of 1995. Hurley has gone on to gain extensive experience in all forms of magazines, newspapers and websites. Oliver has worked for well known publications such as Power Slam, The Guardian, The Big Issue, The Metro, Edge, Total Guitar, and Games Master just to name a few.

A book of the strange occurrences and stories that take place within a squared circle, or in some cases whatever may very well be acting in place of one. Including a whole host of well known names alongside uprising hopefuls and in some cases ne’er-do-wells. A total of 8 chapters not including the foreword written by Alexander Bedranowsky A.K.A Thumbtack Jack, the introduction, and the bibliography at the rear. With a short recap of the events that led to each of the 101 matches staking it’s claim to rightfully be featured in between the front and back covers, from impromptu situations, to extreme violence, to the plain old freakish and weird, finishing with the just outright absurd. Oliver Hurley covers all walks of wrestling allowing the reader to get a look at what can be the funny, the scary and the what the f… Moments that can happen to any wrestler on any given night from the Road Warriors Vs. the Midnight Express, Jerry Lawler Vs. Terry Funk, Zack Gowen Vs. Brock Lesnar, all the way across the spectrum to Mitch Page Vs. Mad Man Pondo. Hurley doesn’t stop there though the book includes all walks of life alligators, bears and robots, not to mention such non-wrestlers as Akebono, the sumo wrestler.

Wrestling’s 101 Strangest Matches is a thoroughly entertaining read from start through finish. It is capable of being read in one sitting or in many short sittings. Covering everything from hilarious tales of winning by hypnosis to the extremely bizarre Japanese bath house matches. This is not meant to be a serious or informative look into the world of wrestling, Oliver Hurley accomplishes exactly what you expect he set out to achieve, compiling a list of some of the most amusingly weird moments in pro-wrestling all gathered together inside one handily sized, fun-filled, hard back book for hardcore wrestling fans and the casual fan.

5/5 Stars