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Under the Black Hat
- My Life in the WWE and Beyond
- Narrated by: Jim Ross
- Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
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Summary
From legendary wrestling announcer Jim Ross, this candid, colorful memoir about the inner workings of the WWE and the personal crises he weathered at the height of his career is “a must-read for wrestling fans” (Charleston Post Courier).
If you've caught a televised wrestling match anytime in the past 30 years, you've probably heard Jim Ross' throaty Oklahoma twang. The beloved longtime announcer of the WWE “has been a driving force behind a generation of wrestling fans” (Mark Cuban), and he's not slowing down, having signed on as the announcer of the starry new wrestling venture All Elite Wrestling. In this follow-up to his best-selling memoir Slobberknocker, he dishes out about not only his long career, which includes nurturing global stars like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, and John Cena, but also about his challenges of aging and disability, his split from collaborator Vince McMahon, and the sudden death of his beloved wife, Jan. The result is a gruff, endearing, and remarkably human-scale portrait, set against the larger-than-life backdrop of professional wrestling.
Ross' ascent in WWE mirrors the rise of professional wrestling itself from a DIY sideshow to a billion-dollar business. Under the Black Hat traces all the highs and lows of that wild ride, in which Jim served not only as on-air commentator, but talent manager, payroll master, and even occasional in-ring foil to threats like Paul "Triple H" Levesque and Undertaker. While his role brought him riches and exposure he had never dreamed of, he chafed against the strictures of a fickle corporate culture and what he saw as a narrow vision of what makes great wrestlers - and great story lines. When suddenly stricken with Bell's palsy, a form of facial paralysis that makes it impossible to smile, he stared down his greatest fear - being cast out of the announcing booth for good.
Picking up where Slobberknocker left off and ending on the cusp of a new career in a reimagined industry, Under the Black Hat is the triumphant tale of a country boy who made it to the top, took a few knocks, and stuck around - just where his fans like him.
Not only being one of the greatest wrestlers of the WWE, Ross is also “a master storyteller, and this book is the perfect forum for his forty years’ worth of tales” (Chris Jericho, former WWE champion).
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What listeners say about Under the Black Hat
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Bp1
- 27-04-21
Bored me to tears
This was after my favourite era in WWF but this story / style of writing bored me to tears
Only lasted few chapters, it was my own fault though, I was never a fan of his commentary either
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2 people found this helpful
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- theryanwatkins
- 28-07-20
10/10
10/10 one of the best wrestling books ever. meltzer would give this book 7 stars
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2 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 05-12-21
Good god almighty!
Incredible listen. Starts right into closing time of the Attitude Era and doesn’t let up. Great stories all interwoven with the tragic death of JR’s wife Jan. Nice one JR
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1 person found this helpful
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- Nathan Penney
- 21-08-21
A story of man that never gave up
Absolutely loved it.
This book truly is a love story about Jim Ross, his wife Jan, and his mistress: Professional wrestling.
I went through a roller coaster of emotions while reading this. It's Engaging, laugh out loud Funny, Shocking, and few stories actually got me p**sed off at times. And it bought tears to my eyes. This Book has a Huge Heart.
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- B J Fahey
- 16-08-21
loved it
I'm a Jr fan this book made me more of jr fan absolutely amazing book
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1 person found this helpful
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- david
- 10-08-21
awesome
absolutely awesome. a true legend . And an essential listen for any wwe fan
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1 person found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 02-08-21
Excellent follow up
JR pulled no punches here. A rollercoaster ride filled with great stories - fun, interesting and occasionally tragic, all delivered with the articulate Oklahoma voice that was the soundtrack to many childhoods.
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- Zac Hazlehurst
- 18-07-21
Very insightful
Excellent stories. Engaging, emotional and enthusiastically told. An essential book for any pro wrestling fan
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- Dan
- 03-07-21
the voice of my childhood
fascinating hearing the stories, truly heartbreaking chapter 50 JR the voice of wrestling amazing listen
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- Amazon Customer
- 26-05-21
5 stars!
a must for any wrestling fan. JR telling his own story makes this audiobook unmissable
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