Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611

  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
A Decided Novelty: The Essential Guide to Black Pro Wrestling History, 1880 - 1950

A Decided Novelty: The Essential Guide to Black Pro Wrestling History, 1880 - 1950

Bateman, Oliver Lee
Johnson, Mike
Jean-Joseph, Patrick

Paperback

AthletesBlack American HistoryWrestling

ISBN13: 9798218714628
Publisher: Darkstream Press
Published: Jul 1 2025
Pages: 590
Weight: 1.48
Height: 1.19 Width: 5.50 Depth: 8.50
Language: English
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.

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