Slobberknocker
There are few people who have been in the wrestling business longer than Jim Ross. And those who have made it as long as he has (half a century to be exact) probably made enemies or burned bridges. But that's just not JR.





Slobberknocker is the story of how an Oklahoman farm kid, with a vivid imagination and seemingly unattainable dreams, became “The Voice of Wrestling” to record TV audiences and millions of fans around the world.





Jim opens up about his life as an only child on a working farm, who became obsessed with professional wrestling having first saw it on his grandparent's TV. Even though the wrestling business was notoriously secretive and wary of “outsiders,” he somehow got a foot in the door to start a historic career, one where he held almost every job in the business?from putting up the ring to calling matches, from driving his blind, drunk boss towards revenge, to consoling two naked 600 pound brothers in the shower room after a rough match.





With all those adventures and responsibilities, he's also recognized as the man who built and nurtured a once-in-a-generation talent roster that took the WWE to new heights, including “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Brock Lesnar, and The Rock to name a few. Readers will finally get the opportunity to hear never-before-told stories about the politics, wackiness, and personalities of all the biggest stars.





But this isn't just a wrestling story. It's a story about overcoming adversity and achieving your dreams, as success did not come without significant costs and unforeseen challenges to JR, including multiple bouts of severe facial paralysis called Bell's Palsy.





Currently the host of the podcast The Ross Report, any fan of wrestling?from the territory days to today?will be enthralled with stories from the road and behind the scenes. Slobberknocker is the first time Ross tells his story?and you don't want to miss it!
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Slobberknocker
There are few people who have been in the wrestling business longer than Jim Ross. And those who have made it as long as he has (half a century to be exact) probably made enemies or burned bridges. But that's just not JR.





Slobberknocker is the story of how an Oklahoman farm kid, with a vivid imagination and seemingly unattainable dreams, became “The Voice of Wrestling” to record TV audiences and millions of fans around the world.





Jim opens up about his life as an only child on a working farm, who became obsessed with professional wrestling having first saw it on his grandparent's TV. Even though the wrestling business was notoriously secretive and wary of “outsiders,” he somehow got a foot in the door to start a historic career, one where he held almost every job in the business?from putting up the ring to calling matches, from driving his blind, drunk boss towards revenge, to consoling two naked 600 pound brothers in the shower room after a rough match.





With all those adventures and responsibilities, he's also recognized as the man who built and nurtured a once-in-a-generation talent roster that took the WWE to new heights, including “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Brock Lesnar, and The Rock to name a few. Readers will finally get the opportunity to hear never-before-told stories about the politics, wackiness, and personalities of all the biggest stars.





But this isn't just a wrestling story. It's a story about overcoming adversity and achieving your dreams, as success did not come without significant costs and unforeseen challenges to JR, including multiple bouts of severe facial paralysis called Bell's Palsy.





Currently the host of the podcast The Ross Report, any fan of wrestling?from the territory days to today?will be enthralled with stories from the road and behind the scenes. Slobberknocker is the first time Ross tells his story?and you don't want to miss it!
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Slobberknocker

Slobberknocker

Unabridged — 10 hours, 48 minutes

Slobberknocker

Slobberknocker

Unabridged — 10 hours, 48 minutes

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Overview

There are few people who have been in the wrestling business longer than Jim Ross. And those who have made it as long as he has (half a century to be exact) probably made enemies or burned bridges. But that's just not JR.





Slobberknocker is the story of how an Oklahoman farm kid, with a vivid imagination and seemingly unattainable dreams, became “The Voice of Wrestling” to record TV audiences and millions of fans around the world.





Jim opens up about his life as an only child on a working farm, who became obsessed with professional wrestling having first saw it on his grandparent's TV. Even though the wrestling business was notoriously secretive and wary of “outsiders,” he somehow got a foot in the door to start a historic career, one where he held almost every job in the business?from putting up the ring to calling matches, from driving his blind, drunk boss towards revenge, to consoling two naked 600 pound brothers in the shower room after a rough match.





With all those adventures and responsibilities, he's also recognized as the man who built and nurtured a once-in-a-generation talent roster that took the WWE to new heights, including “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Brock Lesnar, and The Rock to name a few. Readers will finally get the opportunity to hear never-before-told stories about the politics, wackiness, and personalities of all the biggest stars.





But this isn't just a wrestling story. It's a story about overcoming adversity and achieving your dreams, as success did not come without significant costs and unforeseen challenges to JR, including multiple bouts of severe facial paralysis called Bell's Palsy.





Currently the host of the podcast The Ross Report, any fan of wrestling?from the territory days to today?will be enthralled with stories from the road and behind the scenes. Slobberknocker is the first time Ross tells his story?and you don't want to miss it!

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

I realized very quickly at the beginning of my WWE career that if I was going to be successful at my craft, then one of the main components I needed was a conduit between myself and the global audience watching from homefithat conduit was Jim Ross. I needed a trusted voice to make the audience at home feel the performance I was giving in the ring. Proud to say we reached our global audience in a very big way. ”
—Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, former WWE champion and Hollywood superstar

“Jim Ross is not only the greatest wrestling play-by-play man ever, he's the architect behind the greatest roster in WWE history. He's also a master storyteller and this book is the perfect forum for his more than forty years of tales from his time in the business. So put on your black Resistol and get ready for an amazing read that is anything but bowling shoe ugly!
—Chris Jericho, former WWE champion and New York Times bestselling author

“[The] book is unique, introducing [JR] as a person to readers but also covering some of the most seminal moments in wrestling.
—Justin Barrasso, Sports Illustrated

“While Slobberknocker is not a traditional wrestling book by any means, with Ross having stepped into the ring under duress only on a couple of occasions, there are some incredible nuggets of wrestling history built into a book that covers so many years. WWE fans will certainly be interested in hearing about Ross' transition into the WWE.”
—Tim Fiorvanti, ESPN.com

“For many wrestling fans, Jim Ross is the voice of a generation—bringing respectability, drama, humor and a dose of realism to WWE programming for more than a decade. It’s those qualities that he brings to his new memoir Slobberknocker: My Life in Wrestling. The mix of tales from backstage and Ross’ personal journey from humble beginnings to the top of his profession make this a wrestling memoir worth reading.
—Jay Reddick, Orlando Sentinel

Slobberknocker delivers on what most fans will be expecting. . . . Working with co-writer Paul O'Brien (his initial collaborator, Scott Williams, died unexpectedly in 2016), he delivers one of the best-written wrestling memoirs in memory.”
—Jon Langmead, SLAM!

"An earnestly written and mostly entertaining memoir tailor-made for fans already familiar with the ringside legend."
Kirkus Reviews

JR is a legend on and off the screen. He has been a driving force behind a big generation of wrestling and WWE fans and has helped grow one of the greatest media marketing forces in history, and that's just the tip of the iceberg, his personality and ability to connect to some of the most powerful entertainers of our generation is unparalleled. Any book from JR will be a must read.
—Mark Cuban

“My pal, Jim ‘JR’ Ross, stands as the powerful driving force that millions of wrestling fans around the world have come to rely upon for an entertaining attachment with the world of sports entertainment. JR's colorful presence with his ever-present, famous black cowboy hat makes his place at the microphone speak and spark, taking the wrestling experience to the top of the game. Let this enjoyable venture into JR’s journey through a lifetime of fun and fascination stroll the highest of highs with his dedication to total WWE perfection around the world.”
—Billy F. Gibbons, ZZ Top

"I’ve enjoyed observing JR’s unique approach to everything he does, fueled by a great passion and love for OU and all its athletic teams, but particularly our football team. I remember seeing JR for the first time on the sideline and recognizing the iconic look with the black hat, and immediately knowing it was the famous wrestling world’s JR. Getting to know him through the years, he’s become a great friend and I’ve been so fortunate to hear the tremendous stories of his career and all of the interesting people he’s met. I’m sure you’ll be entertained by these stories and acquaintances just as much as I have. Boomer Sooner.”
—Bob Stoops, head football coach, University of Oklahoma

“To be sure, his legendary career . . . provides tons of material for Ross to work with. However, the way he's able to tell stories with a flair for the narrative and more than a dash of humor is quite remarkable. . . . This has instantly become one of my favorite wrestling books, something I could easily see reading over and over again because it's such a fun and interesting read.
Bulldog’s Bookshelf

Library Journal

09/15/2017
Professional wrestling announcer Ross (The Stone Cold Truth), aka JR, tells his story in this entertaining autobiography coauthored with O'Brien (Blood Red Turns Dollar Green: A Novel). Ross grew up on an Oklahoma farm with a love of wresting that eventually led him to dedicate his life to the sport. He got his start driving his boss to wrestling shows, setting up the ring, and refereeing matches. He then moved on to announcing live TV matches, which became his passion. After jobs with different wrestling organizations, Ross began working at WWE in the 1990s. Here, he talks about encounters with famous wrestlers, offers his perspective of the 1997 Montreal Screwjob and the 1998 Hell in a Cell match, and recounts his relationship with wrestler and WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon (who wrote the foreword). Ross also helped promote stars such as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin (who wrote the afterword) and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. In sharing these stories, Ross reveals his two divorces and shortcomings as a husband and father, further touching on his bouts with Bell's palsy and the physical effects of partial facial paralysis. VERDICT A candid memoir for fans of WWE, professional wrestling, and those who root for the underdog.—Jason L. Steagall, Gateway Technical Coll. Lib., Elkhorn, WI

Kirkus Reviews

2017-11-13
The voice of the WWE chronicles his many years on the pro wrestling circuit.Ross (b. 1952) dutifully traces his humble beginnings as a smaller-than-average only child in Fort Bragg, California, born to parents who were high school sweethearts. After several relocations throughout his youth, the family settled down on an Oklahoma farm. Along with his father, the author spent time watching and becoming obsessed with wrestling, which "combined the two things I loved most in the world: sports and storytelling." That interest endured through his college years as Ross began refereeing at matches, but he frankly admits that, at the time (1975), "wrestling wasn't a steady way to make a living." Still, the author kept afloat by booking TV announcing gigs and then moved into the promotional aspect of live wrestling events. His career began to escalate as he endured his parents' divorce, and he began calling matches for World Championship Wrestling in the early 1990s. Ross capably—if a bit stiffly—fills in the details of his years with WCW and then at the World Wrestling Federation, where Vince McMahon promptly booked him for WrestleMania. As Ross explains how he found his footing at the WWF, the narrative, heavy on the insider information that will delight fans, becomes a name-dropping who's who of wrestling royalty, featuring all the requisite melodrama that comes with a career at the "Holy Grail of sports entertainment." A glossy center section illustrates his story through a scrapbook of photographs following his climb to the heights of the wrestling world. He experienced plenty of career highs as well as personal setbacks, including the death of his beloved mother in 1998 and a struggle with facial-paralyzing Bell's palsy. Wrestling aficionados, in particular, will appreciate the author's candor and wit as he chronicles his ascent to the top of the professional wrestling world.An earnestly written and mostly entertaining memoir tailor-made for fans already familiar with the ringside legend.

Product Details

BN ID: 2940169460421
Publisher: Novel Audio
Publication date: 10/03/2017
Edition description: Unabridged
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