 Continuing with the wrestling books theme of late, the second one I read was even shorter than the first. And it is also the oldest, and, more to the point, is by some one I doubt many people have heard of or remember. And yet it is a thoroughly entertaining read.
So the second I have perused is ‘Thumbs Up’ by “Dazzler†Joe Cornelius (1984).
Who?
To be perfectly honest, that was my initial reaction. But he was a mainstay of the UK wrestling scene in the 1950s and 1960s, known as much for his sequined capes as his ability in the ring, who got into some film work.
To the book. This one is less than 150 pages (paperback) and so it is not a taxing read. Took me a day. The parallels between this and ‘Pure Dynamite’ in style are hard to ignore. Again, the language is conversational, and, again, this is brutally honest. However, it was edited much more tightly, so no passages really jarred the reader out of his/her comfort zone. And so, again much like Billington’s book, this was an easy read both in length and the way it was written. Oh, and they are both English (obviously).
And this is where the similarities pretty much stop dead.
There is no pretence at kayfabe here. This is basically a series of anecdotes – most quite amusing if not downright funny (having his wrestling trunks cut away by an over-excited nurse and then having his, shall we say, limited manhood displayed for all the world to see as he was carried back to the dressing room… my words cannot do it justice) – about his life as a wrestler, and then about his (admittedly limited) acting career.
He is particularly honest about himself and his own life. It’s the sort of self-deprecating humour the English and Australians share, so I guess that’s why I found it so well done.
His stories of Japan, of using goat hair as a sex aid, of deliberately being thrown into a pretty girl so he could meet her… the stories come thick and fast. The first chapter is all about what he considers his greatest finish in an absurdly short match. And then there is the nickname he got for himself – the ‘thumbs up kid’. This is truly a celebration of his life written by him, and it comes across as exactly that – a celebration. There are no real “woe is me†type stories, there are no real nasty digs at people (except maybe the hit man sent to kill him – a real hit man, with a gun and stuff). If Cornelius is as cool as he comes across in this book, then he would surely be a great bloke to actually be around. In fact, I think he’d be great to have a few beers with down the pub and just listen to.
The last 30 pages or so deal with his life after the ring, particularly his film work, and his family. And, again, his honesty comes through, and there is very little big-noting of himself.
This is a great little book looking at an era in the pseudo-sport we all love that just does not get much coverage. And looking at it from a Euro-centric point of view is something else entirely. I liked it a lot.
Another really good book – thoroughly recommended.
