The Best in the World: At What I Have No Idea

by Chris Jericho, Peter Thomas Fornatale

Overview

The New York Times bestselling author,  WWE champion, international rock star, and over-the-top media personality returns with a hilarious memoir of his adventures in the worlds of pro wrestling, music, and showbiz.
 
In The Best in the World, Chris Jericho treats his fans to a completely uncensored chronicle of his misadventures within WWE rings and onstage with his band, Fozzy. Written with his trademark self-effacing humor, this memoir is laced with behind-the-scenes looks at the preposterous situations he’s all too prone to get himself into, including incredible stories about his dealings with WWE head honcho Vince McMahon; his feuds with Rey Mysterio and CM Punk; his legendary battle with Shawn Michaels; how he took one on the chin from Mike Tyson and Mickey Rourke; his encounters with pop culture icons such as Ozzy Osbourne, Lorne Michaels, Slash, James Hetfield, and Bob Barker; and his six-week stint on Dancing with the Stars.
 
But whether Chris is enjoying success or falling on his face, Jerichoholics worldwide will come away from this book agreeing on one thing: Chris is the best in the world...at providing yet another hugely entertaining read!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781592409433
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/22/2016
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	432
Product dimensions:	7.60(w) x 9.00(h) x 3.20(d)

About the Author

Peter Thomas Fornatale is a freelance writer and editor and the author of The Winning Contest Player. He lives in New York.

Chris Jericho, best known for being a professional wrestler for the WWE, is the author of Undisputed and A Lion's Tale. He is also the lead singer for the heavy metal band Fozzy. Chris splits his time between Los Angeles, California, and Tampa, Florida, where he lives with his wife and three children.

Roger Wayne hails from small-town Minnesota. He served in the Air Force as a broadcast journalist in South Korea before obtaining his BA in communications and journalism. Roger has recorded for video games, animation, and commercials, and he loves making books come to life. You can see what he's up to at rogerwayne.com.

Read an Excerpt

Hiding in the Bowels of the Arena . . .
. . . I couldn’t believe I’d gotten away with it.
 
I felt like I’d just pulled off the crime of the century as I hid in the back lounge of the tour bus in the parking garage of the US Airways Center in Phoenix. I felt that way because there were 18,000 hard-core wrestling fans in the arena above me, watching the 2013 Royal Rumble, and not a single one of them knew I was there. It blew my mind that in this age of social media, when everybody and their blog had Twitter accounts and Facebook pages, my secret hadn’t been exposed. I’d re-signed with World Wrestling Entertainment over a month earlier and had looked online every day since, expecting to see my cover blown and my surprise return to the Royal Rumble spoiled. Thankfully, it hadn’t been and I was ready to go out there and try to tear the damn house down like I always did. It was the first time I’d entered the WWE with no warning, no sign, no series of cryptic vignettes to signal my appearance, and I felt the crowd was going to blow a gasket when they saw me. I’d only been out of the company for a few months,
but my passion for the WWE burned brighter than ever because over the last few years, I felt I was on a career high. I’d left the company in 2005 a bitter man and it had been a long and winding road that had led to my return in 2007, but in the five-plus years since, I felt I’d done the best work of my career and wanted to keep the Y2J ball rolling. I’d learned so much as a character and as a wrestler in the past half decade that I’d become a completely different performer. My work had gone to a different level and I’d helped create and deliver the two best angles of my career as a result. As I took cover in the back of the production bus waiting for the cue to head to the ring, I closed my eyes and began reflecting back on the past five years. I thought back to November 2007, when I was standing in the Gorilla Position ready to hit the stage in Fort Lauderdale as my countdown clock ticked down from 10. . .

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Praise for Undisputed:

"Jericho could quickly become the 'undisputed' wrestling author champion of the world."
—Bleacher Report

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Chris Jericho
 
“Jericho could quickly become the ‘undisputed’ wrestling-author champion of the world.”—Bleacher Report
 
“Brash...Compulsively readable...As bracing as a body slam.”—Kirkus Reviews
 
“A cleverly told, fun-filled story.”—chicagosports.com
 
“The best book centered around a wrestler I’ve read.”—Jerry Greene, Orlando Sentinel
 
“Jericho’s charm rings through on every page.”—Bret “Hitman” Hart, Five-time WWE Champion

From the Publisher

10/27/2014
World Wrestling Entertainment star Jericho (Undisputed) delivers the third chronicle of his unconventional life in and outside the ring, which should be a sure hit with his large fan base of "Jerichoholics." He recounts his life since 2007 when he returned to wrestling after his self-described "sabbatical," having left the WWE in 2005. Like his previous books, Jericho displays a keen understanding of the realities of being a character in the tightly-scripted wrestling world: "the second time you were made champion was the proof that you really deserved it and could make the company money by holding it." He offers an inside look at how wrestlers change their images to stay popular, as he details how he switched roles from his nice-guy persona to that of "the ultimate heel with no redeeming qualities," based on the villain played by Javier Bardem in the film "No Country for Old Men." Jericho also describes his encounters with the likes of Mickey Rourke, Metallica, and Bob Barker, as well as a long look at life on the road with his heavy metal band Fozzy. Overall, however, the book lacks the fast-pace of his earlier efforts; many of the stories sound like repeats of past exploits. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

2014-08-13
The WWE wrestler and entertainer chronicles his latest alcohol-fueled adventures and his push to become a bigger celebrity. Along with Fornatale, who co-authored his previous two best-selling books, Jericho (Undisputed: How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps, 2011, etc.) is back to regale us with tales from a life filled with drunken nights on the pro-wrestling circuit, performances with his heavy-metal band, Fozzy, and, increasingly, appearances on network TV. Along the way, we get to know Jericho's informal storytelling style, with its self-deprecating humor and many pop-culture references. Pro-wrestling fans, casual and hard-core alike, will have their interest piqued by the volatile relationship between Jericho and WWE's head honcho, Vince McMahon. Jericho also devotes plenty of space to the ways in which he carefully planned his wrestling feuds with recent icons like Shawn Michaels and older legends like Ricky Steamboat. The confrontations have never been limited to fellow wrestlers: Jericho took a punch from Mike Tyson, endured a tongue lashing from Bob Barker and narrowly escaped an all-out brawl with Mickey Rourke (and his crew of bone-breakers). Metalheads will certainly appreciate Jericho's encyclopedic knowledge of hard-core rock bands and his childlike anxiety when meeting stars like Ozzy Osbourne and the members of Metallica. Jericho also recounts his experiences on Dancing with the Stars, which allowed him to showcase his personality as an entertainer, not just a pro wrestler. Laced with deadpan comedic quips and diabolical schemes to further his position as a wrestling villain, this book makes a strong case for Jericho's extensive skill set as a performer. A rollicking ride through a large swath of the entertainment industry.

Kirkus Reviews