Too Sweet: Inside the Indie Wrestling Revolution

(Paperback, No Edition)

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As featured on SiriusXM Busted Open Radio

Wrestling industry expert Keith Elliot Greenberg chronicles the growth of indie wrestling from school gyms to a viable alternative to WWE and speaks to those involved in the alternative wrestling league with remarkable candor, gaining behind-the-scenes knowledge of this growing enterprise.

As COVID-19 utterly changed the world as we know it, only one sport was able to pivot and offer consistent, new, live programming on a weekly basis: professional wrestling.

In 2017, after being told that no independent wrestling group could draw a crowd of more than 10,000, a group of wrestlers took up the challenge. For several years, these gladiators had been performing in front of rabid crowds and understood the hunger for wrestling that was different from the TV-slick product. In September 2018, they had the numbers to prove it: 11,263 fans filled the Sears Center Arena for the All In pay-per-view event, ushering in a new era. A year later, WWE had its first major head-to-head competitor in nearly two decades when All Elite Wrestling debuted on TNT.

Acclaimed wrestling historian Keith Elliot Greenbergs Too Sweet takes readers back to the beginning, when a half century ago outlaw promotions challenged the established leagues, and guides us into the current era. He paints a vivid picture of promotions as diverse as New Japan, Ring of Honor, Revolution Pro, Progress, and Chikara, and the colorful figures who starred in each. This is both a dynamic snapshot and the ultimate history of a transformational time in professional wrestling.

Reviews

Indie wrestling has been nothing short of the revolution Greenberg suggests, and his book burrows deep inside its genesis, gestation and still-evolving future. Kenny Herzog, writer, Rolling Stone, The Ringer
The elegant prose I grew up reading (in Greenbergs wrestling articles) is back on display here, as he shines a necessary light on a remarkable time in the indies. Justin Barrasso, Sports Illustrated
Professional wrestling fans and historians will be gratified. Library Journal
Too Sweet is a great dive into indie wrestling it is a great guide to those that want to learn about this topic. Voices of Wrestling
Greenberg says he spent a year researching and writing Too Sweet and the result is the ultimate exploration of indie wrestling Along with enlightening readers on some international indie promotions, Greenberg shows an obvious commitment to making his book a comprehensive history and guide. SLAM Wrestling
As youd expect from an author with Greenbergs experience, it's clearly written in a straightforward manner. The sections where he writes from first hand experience are among the strongest, helping capture the atmosphere of key independent events. Pro Wrestling Books
I would easily recommend this book to anyone else who is a fan of the independent wrestling scene (which is probably most people reading this site) or anyone who wants a look at what wrestling is outside of the WWE. SoCal Uncensored
I found the book overall enjoyable and knowledgeable for even us fans of the classic areas of wrestling. With an author like Greenber, the reader can't go wrong here. Lance Writes blog

Author Bio

Keith Elliot Greenberg is a New York Times bestselling author and television producer who wrote for WWEs publications for decades and co-authored the autobiographies of WWE Hall of Famers Ric Flair, Freddie Blassie, and Superstar Billy Graham, as well as the third edition of the WWE Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.