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20 February 2011

Undisputed by Chris Jericho

I recently won a copy via Goodreads of UndisputedHow to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps by WWE Superstar Chris Jericho.  My husband is a huge WWE fan, and I thought he would really enjoy reading about one of his all-time favorite wrestlers.  And, I have to admit, I enjoyed reading it too.

I should start this out by saying that I am a recent convert to watching WWE wrestling (the 7 years that my husband and I have been together), as opposed to my husband, who grew up watching it.  I admire the athleticism of the wrestlers, and I think its really funny how involved some people get in the storylines.

Undisputed gives an insight to the backstage life and goings on of a professional wrestler.  Yes, there is talk about the matches and such, but Jericho also talked about his feelings and insecurities.  I felt like it was an actual person talking, not a character (like some other wrestling books I've read).  I really appreciated that.  I don't want to read fluff, and that is easy to write in a memoir.  It takes courage to actually write about your true feelings.

The book has a very distinct voice, while I was reading it, I felt like Chris Jericho / Chris Irving (the wrestler's real name) was just having a conversation with me, telling me his stories.  That made for a very enjoyable and easy read.  I very much appreciated his sense of humor and just the way he recounted his stories. 

I have seen firsthand how some fans (husband not included in this) still believe that the matches are unscripted (I have some hilarious stories about attending a match and also waiting in line for an autograph, if anyone is interested).  While I don't want to say those fans are mistaken, or stupid, I do want to point out that this book is written for the fan who understands that the matches are scripted.
  
Recommendations:
I would recommend this book for fans of all levels---from the occasional fan, to the recently converted, or to those who read the dirt sheets.  However, because some of the stories are a little bit more mature in content, I would have to say I would not recommend to children (probably under age 13/14).

As for a rating, I'd have to give the book a 4 out 5.  It was well written, it was interesting, and I could tell the difference between Chris Jericho, the WWE personality, and Chris Irving, the man.

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