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Nitro
- The Incredible Rise and Inevitable Collapse of Ted Turner's WCW
- Narrated by: Guy Evans
- Length: 17 hrs and 37 mins
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Summary
In April 1999, Entertainment Weekly asked its readers what many were surely wondering to themselves: How did wrestling get so big?
As a consequence of the heated ratings competition between World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), the spectacle had taken over Monday nights on prime-time cable television. But in a departure from the family-friendly programming produced by the last industry boom - the 1980s wave, which made household names of Hulk Hogan, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, and Andre the Giant - the new era of wrestling combined stunning athleticism with a raunchy sex appeal, engrossing story lines, and novel production techniques that reflected a changing society and its shifting values.
Once again, wrestling was a ubiquitous phenomenon - only this time, it seemed as though the fad would never end. With both WCW and WWF expanding into other forms of entertainment - movies, video games, music, and the like - the potential for growth appeared to be limitless.
But with uncertainty surrounding its corporate future, and increasingly uninspired programming eroding its audience, WCW stood on the verge of collapse. Three years into a five-year plan devised by its charismatic leader - a former Blue Ribbon Foods salesman named Eric Bischoff - the company whose unexpected ascension initiated the entire boom was operating on borrowed time.
For by the end of the five-year plan, WCW ceased to exist.
But Nitro is a story about much more than WCW and the Monday Night Wars. It is a story of an era, a time in which the media and cultural landscape precipitated - and later supported - pro wrestling's mainstream popularity. It is a story of how a company made in the image of an intuitively brilliant risk-taker betrayed its original promise. It is a story of how a handful of men, each struggling with their own limitations, facilitated a public obsession that changed television forever.
*Features interviews and comments from 120+ WCW/TBS employees*
What listeners say about Nitro
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- Steven Whyte
- 25-05-22
A great listen for any wrestling fan
It's a story that's been retold hundreds of times but if you were keen to know the more intricate detailings of WCW from the behind the scenes at TV to decisions taken by Network executives then this is a must listen.
Guy is clearly a terrific and knowledgeable writer who does a very decent job of narrating his own tale. It may have been lifted by a more complete experienced voice in the audiobook game but it never becomes uninteresting or a grind to listen to.
As Vince McMahon would say:
"It's such good s***"
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- Amazon Customer
- 15-08-20
Very detailed account
So many facts and pieces of info. Normally prefer stories to facts but enjoyed nevertheless
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- Sam Cordell
- 16-08-20
Very interesting - high in detail
very good book. very interesting. goes into more detail than i could have expected. It is a little dry but that is be be expected with such a comprehensive covering of the WCW lifecyle. It highlights famous on air moments as well as the business lanscape of Turner broadcasting. worth a listen.
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- James Lomas
- 12-06-21
Detailed document of WCW's rise and fall.
Comment and opinion from wrestling personalities is plentiful and easily avaliable. Where Nitro sets itself apart is the interviews with entertainment Managers from Turner etc. By far the best researched wrestling book I've read (listened to). The only slight quibble is that he doesn't offer any challenge or caveat to the opinions included, instead we get some dubious quotes read out word for word and then we're on to the next section. But excellent and enjoyable if you're interested in the subject.
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- Andrew T.
- 17-04-23
Top class listen from start to end
Excellent and richly detailed book covering both WCW and WWF. Interesting for anyone into media and business - not t iist wrestling.
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- Anonymous User
- 28-04-22
5 Stars
Fantastic book from start to finish, devastated it’s over now and I need to listen to something else
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- Amazon Customer
- 04-02-21
A must have for wrestling fans
I absolutely loved this book. The work and research put into this book is phenomenal. It’s a must have for wrestling fans , especially fans like myself that grew up watching the rise and fall of wcw .
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- Jim Johnson
- 04-03-22
Outstanding
really enjoyable detailed trip back in time to tell the WCW story. A recommendation for all wrestling fans
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- Lee J. Dargue
- 21-08-22
Fantastic insight, well researched!
Great insight into the world of WCW, feels like a series of books could be written about each chapter.
Whooooooooo! #4Life
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- Anonymous User
- 04-12-23
Monday night wars
This books gives a good behind the scenes look at WCW and the down fall of it. Would recommend this if your a classic wrestling fan.
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