Tributes II (By Dave Meltzer) Review

Rating 4.33 out of 5

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Tributes II: Remembering More of the World's Greatest Wrestlers
By Dave Meltzer
Published by Sports Publishing
Released on October 1, 2004
239 Pages (Hardcover)
Available in Hardcover

Since 1982, Dave Meltzer has published the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, which earned the nickname "dirt sheet" in the 80s for giving away many insider secrets. While it may have been shunned publicly, the Observer was the only way to keep up with the business - even for those on the inside. Besides providing access to the latest inside news, Dave is more than just "The National Enquirer of wrestling," he is also an excellent writer who is extremely passionate about the wrestling business and researches his topics thoroughly.

Tributes II takes over where the original Tributes installment leaves off. The book covers the life stories of Lou Thesz, Wahoo McDaniel, Miss Elizabeth, Freddie Blassie, Road Warrior Hawk, Andre the Giant, Curt Hennig, Johnny Valentine, Davey Boy Smith, Terry Gordy, Owen Hart, Stu Hart, Gorilla Monsoon, The Sheik and Tim Woods. The Andre and Owen biographies are expanded from the first book. It is a collection of some of the best Observer articles of the past several years in a hardcover, full-color format that is 239 pages. Included with the book is a DVD interview with Meltzer where he talks about each of the wrestlers featured in the book and also discusses why there is a problem with early deaths in the wrestling industry. It is an excellent companion piece to the book.

Tributes II is a must-read for any Observer reader or anyone who wants the learn the full stories about these wrestler's careers. All of the biographies in the book are tributes to wrestlers who have passed on, but the stories are about their lives and not their deaths (with the exception of Owen Hart). If you are not a long-time Observer subscriber and you chose to buy these issues separately, it would cost you $60. With Tributes II, not only does the book cost a fraction of that price, but also you get all of these great stories in one place with excellent presentation. Tributes II is a valuable piece to any wrestling book collection.