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Reviewed by Joe Babinsack
First, let me say that this is one of
the most interesting, informative,
detailed, solidly written, but vastly
controversial books I’ve read for the
column.
Second, let me make a DISCLAIMER.
This is not a book for anyone other than
an adult.
While the nature and the descriptions of
hardcore and extremely hardcore
violence, whether one wants to debate
calling it professional wrestling, does
stay at mostly an “R” rating level, it
does go beyond that.
While the nature and the descriptions of
pornography and sexuality and associated
perversions, to call it by the most
fitting names, are really of the “R”
rating level, and really are at the
Howard Stern appropriate age level,
there are some definite situations and
descriptions that would give me pause in
explaining to a minor.
However, the use, abuse, descriptions
and details of drug use are by far the
most offensive, extreme, problematic and
difficult to defend. Beyond that, by the
sheer nature of the descriptions and
presentation, I would strongly caution
against this book being sold or read by
children.
You may call me a prude, you may call me
every name in the book. But I’ve
discussed the drug situation with JR,
and while my review is beyond his
control, I have clarified some thoughts
and appreciate his input on the subject.
I do realize that I am hyping this book
to a large degree because of my
disclaimer, and I do realize that the
curiosity factor, and the nature of
saying “don’t” in such a situation are
likely to cause more interest than not,
but so be it.
Once again, let me state clearly, that
this is not a book I would recommend for
anyone who is not a mature adult.
The world of professional wrestling has
many styles and formats and levels of
intensity.
Debates and arguments about the nature
of professional wrestling are welcome,
and I’ll likely delve into further
discussions in forthcoming columns.
Suffice to say, my definition of
professional wrestling is thus:
Professional Wrestling: an entertainment
form, to be performed by trained
athletes, with a purpose of displays of
violence, in the framework of a “match”
and with a mindset of interaction
between participants, an avoidance of
real violence, and under the auspices of
appropriate state commissions.
Now, we can certainly argue that, and it
leaves a lot of interpretation.
To that definition, the nature of not
simply hardcore wrestling, but the genre
and style of the more extreme hardcore
style, the one from which J.R. Benson
has made a name, a reputation and a
cult-like following, really does take
the notion of professional wrestling and
expands the envelope in many ways.
The obvious and major issue with most of
what I’ve read about Incredibly Strange
Wrestling, Extremely Strange Wrestling,
and in many ways, the one time explosion
of backyard wrestling types, is the
“avoidance of real violence” part. A
close second is the nature of training,
followed as well by the regulation and
the mindsets and the displays.
OK, let me simply say that the nature of
the “professional wrestling” aspect of
what J.R. Benson has perpetrated on the
world pushes everything I’ve ever held
about profession wrestling beyond the
acceptable envelope.
And yet, after reading this book by a
well informed wrestling historian, by
someone who fully understands the nature
of pro wrestling as presented in modern
history, who clearly understands the
shortcomings and failures of most modern
interpretations, and who admits
throughout this book of the extreme
nature of his own form of professional
wrestling – after all this – I cannot
readily argue against labeling J.R.
Benson a professional wrestler.
There are examples of matches, events
and situations where he clearly has
“crossed the line” but he seems to be
the first to admit it.
Furthermore, as he explains in detail,
in terms of his training with the APW of
Roland Alexander, and ongoing
interactions, matches and participation
with unquestionably legitimate pro
wrestling stars and promotions and fan
groups, J.R. Benson is no stranger to
the world of professional wrestling, nor
has he turned his back on the industry
in any way.
It’s just that his own sick, twisted
version of professional wrestling simply
isn’t made for the mainstream. Now, on
the surface of it, I find much of the
presentations of ISW and ESW quite
abhorrent.
In many ways, my thoughts of J.R.
Benson, the person, are highly
questionable to say the least, and to
say that he’s diametrically opposed to
my own beliefs and social understandings
is to be an understatement!
But, after reading the man’s book, and
scrutinizing his professional wrestling
career, after examining his credentials,
after figuring out his “take” on the
industry, and after exchanging dozens of
emails, I’m vastly impressed by his
understanding of professional wrestling,
and, after wiping away the figurative
bodily liquids and frighteningly obscene
creative juices, I must admit to a
certain level of admiration.
But a bigger question ensues.
J.R. Benson is, by his claims and
reputation, and the quotes and
explanations of notable industry
figures, a great promo guy. He’s also
very creative, has a strong resume of
work (even omitting his own psychotic
promotions) and has a background of
being trained, of interacting with high
level names, and boasts of a strong
acquaintance with James Cornette.
(As an aside, the wrestler/valet known
in OVW as Synn was involved with J.R.
Benson and is now with Cornette. The
exploits of Stacey and her sister Brenda
are detailed throughout the book, as
they ran with Benson and wrestled on a
variety of events together, and their
interactions inside and outside the
rings of the APW promotion are quite the
story!)
What has bubbled up in my own cynical,
pro wrestling inspired mind is that
there is a good chance that good ole
J.R. has his working shoes on throughout
this book.
He just has that natural charm, a
devious intellect, and a vast reservoir
of wrestling knowledge, and a seemingly
strong business peddling his twisted
DVDs. The book of course is a marketing
scheme in and of itself, and in some
ways has to be taken in that light.
On the surface, the book is a history of
J.R. Benson’s involvement with
professional wrestling from his youth to
the present. Living in the San Francesco
area for almost all of that time, with
an ill-fated move across the country,
and briefly in Tennessee, to test the
waters of professional wrestling in the
mid-1990’s.
What I love is the perspective of a
wrestling fan, who turns into a
wrestler, who then goes back to being a
fan. There aren’t all that many books
that show the fans point of view, and
this does a great job of capturing the
addictive nature of the business.
Which happens to be one of many for the
author.
But the history of the west coast
wrestling business is interesting.
Benson explains the fans perspective
during the tail end of the Roy Shire
promotion, and the appearances of the
AWA and the WWF in the 1980’s. It’s
quite interesting to read someone’s
growth as a fan, and how much it
mirrored my own interests, from Apter
mags to newsletters to internet
participation.
And Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer is
somewhere in the midst of it all.
Although the newsletter coverage and
Dave himself become both sought after
goals and then foils, in the hopes of
getting coverage for Incredibly Strange
Wrestling and its evolution into
Extremely Strange Wrestling.
Having followed the sport and being
roughly the same age as J.R., I know of
his name, his exploits and his
reputation to some degree. I recall the
controversies and the discussion (and
disgust) over some of his productions.
As Benson stumbled into becoming trained
as a pro wrestling talent, he all but
takes a leading charge at introducing
hardcore wrestling to the area. Once
again, that is for good or bad, but he
certainly was fearless in his
involvement
For the first 300 or so pages, the book
is interesting, albeit with a sick and
twisted coverage of the drug scene, and
the overall weirdness and outlandishness
of J.R. Benson’s warped creativity.
The details on the hardcore carnage are
disturbing.
The details on the drug use even more
so.
The sexuality of the promotions push the
envelope, even beyond the Howard Stern
level.
But again, for the first 300 pages, I
was lulled into a false sense of
security and acceptance. It simply
didn’t seem as bad as the reputation
that preceded it. The untrained nature
of some of Benson’s wrestling associates
was troubling, but there seemed to be a
sense of restraint, and an understanding
that Benson was more into the spectacle
and the showmanship – albeit a warped
and evil mindset – and his interactions
with the west coast scene, even
volunteering for being put through a
table by Sabu, seemed crazy but
plausibly acceptable.
The drug use was out of hand, and if
real as written, begs the question of
sanity and existence.
Along the way, we are introduced to Vic
Grimes and the burgeoning hardcore scene
in APW, as Roland Alexander seemed to
have his mind changed on following the
exploits of ECW, and moved from staid
and traditional wrestling promoter to
hardcore maven. The stories of
Alexander, notably the Scott Hall
incident, are legendary and yet fairly
presented.
And the details of ISW and ESW as well.
At first I wasn’t sure how such a
self-admitted drug fiend could remember
all this stuff, but as Benson relates,
his typical posse of Ron Hed and Peter
Hinds, the ring announcer and cameraman
respectively, more than likely provided
through the video taping an ongoing
video diary of his own exploits.
And thus the details are well presented
and hard to dispute.
But again, shortly after that 300 page
mark, everything went to hell. Obviously
by Benson’s own words in a nightmarish
event, and also for the reader, as the
shocking jolt of the detailed depths of
Benson’s style of hardcore wrestling is
exposed far more than the business in
general.
It was an event called ESW, Exposing the
Business.
Now, as usual, I’m not one to give a
blow-by-blow description of what the
reader can read or watch on video. Of
course, this doubles back to my concerns
about overly hyping J.R. Benson’s
maniacal and atheistic and outrageous
presentations and promotions. You can
get those details elsewhere and on line
in a variety of forms, and I’m sure J.R.
would love it if you bought his
merchandise at his web site.
Suffice to say, the details of what
happened at Exposing the Business are
sickening.
As I presented my own understanding of
professional wrestling, violence is to
be staged, not felt. And the physical
safety of the wrestlers is paramount,
Actually, the only thing it comes
secondary to is the safety of the fans.
All of that is far more disturbing than
the nature and perversions presented in
and out of the ring.
Drug use, to the extent that it
diminishes capacity for coherent
thought, for protecting the safety of
others, is about the worst thing I can
imagine in the confines of a wrestling
event. That Benson and others didn’t
just condone, and didn’t just dabble,
but completely abused and allowed it to
abuse their actions is unjustifiable on
any level.
Taking chair shots has been a
controversy that has exploded over this
year. Drug use as well. And here’s a
book, and a particular event, that
completely destroys any known sense of
restraint in regards to either of those
horrific abuses of body.
From a shattered ankle that is far more
gruesome than any other situation in
wrestling history, to taking full bore,
ungimmicked guitar shots, to tossing
objects into the crowd, it’s a
nightmarish scene, and completely
destroys any notion that the attempts of
ESW were in the realm of professional
wrestling.
And again, not because of the incredibly
distasteful nature of the storylines,
gimmicks or acts.
J.R. Benson has established himself as
almost a cult like figure in the most
outlandish style of professional
wrestling that has ever existed. But his
book is a strong piece of history, both
in the nature and the results of pushing
the envelopes of acceptable
presentations of the sport.
Benson finishes the book strong, with a
great overview of what’s wrong with the
industry today, where it went wrong, and
how it can right itself.
Which may, in many ways be hypocritical,
considering the levels to which he
obliterated standards and acceptance of
the sport in and of his own promotional
work.
But aside from many complaints of
subject matter, and controversies of his
own making, “Extremely Strange” is an
excellent piece of writing. I do wish
J.R. would have avoided some rather
pedestrian commentary on politics, and
he provides a rather incredible defense
of Vince Russo that also raises
eyebrows, but once again, Benson’s style
of self-promotion, his professional
wrestling expertise and understanding of
history, as well as his unyielding
creative juices and insistence on
pushing every button imaginable all roll
into a big question of how much of J.R.
Benson’s autobiography is real, and how
much is worked.
Which, after all is said and done, is
the core nature of any truly masterful
professional wrestling endeavor.
I just remain hopeful that some of the
damage explained and exploited is more
fictional than factual.
Joe Babinsack can be reached at
chaosonejoe@yahoo.com.
I have another self-published piece in
the pipeline, as well as UFC fighter
books, plus assorted DVDs of assorted
promotions across the country, including
a recent IWC release. I’m always looking
to cover more indy level promotions, so
don’t hesitate to drop me a line!
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