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Book synopsis

"Best of the Best" Selection - Pro Wrestling Torch

2025 Back-to-School Reading Week Selection, Wrestling Observer Live

"It literally reshapes and recontextualizes the entirety of professional wrestling history." - Mike Johnson, PWInsider

"A Decided Novelty" explores the chronological history of Black professional wrestlers through the eyes of its pioneers, beginning with the period shortly after the abolition of American slavery, and concluding at the launch of the Civil Rights era. This book reveals the true origins of the wrestlers who overcame the unfathomable legal and social constraints of their time to leave an indelible mark on professional wrestling history. While many of these wrestlers' names have long been forgotten, the results of their efforts continue to linger in the style and presentation of the athletic art form to this day.

While the telltale signs of their presence remains with us, the names of these Black wrestling legends and their specific contributions have been largely forgotten. By neatly unfolding the life narratives of more than 20 Black pro wrestling stars who were prominent over a 70-year period, "A Decided Novelty" restores the importance to long-forgotten names like Viro Small, Clarence Bouldin, Frank Crozier, Illa Vincent, Reginald Siki, George Godfrey, Jack Nelson, Gorilla Parker, Alex Kaffner, Jack Claybourne, King Kong Clayton, and many others whose DNA remains woven into the contemporary pro wrestling product.

Book details

• Full title: A Decided Novelty
• Subtitle: The Essential Guide to Black Pro Wrestling History, 1880 - 1950
• Author: Oliver Lee Bateman, Mike Johnson, Patrick Jean-Joseph
• Language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 590
• EAN: 9798218714628
• ID: 50475304
• Publisher: Darkstream Press
• Weight: 675 g
• Dimensions: 216 × 140 × 30 mm
• Date of publishing: 01. July 2025

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