Bryan Alvarez talks upcoming “100 Things” book for WWE fans
100 Things WWE Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die is available this Tuesday, and we spoke to author Bryan Alvarez about his newest release.
Following up on the success of his previous book The Death of WCW (and the 10th-anniversary re-release), Bryan Alvarez has a new book hitting shelves this week aimed right at WWE fans. 100 Things WWE Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die will be released by Triumph Books on July 16, and aims to be a must-read companion for WWE’s newest and most die-hard fans.
A new month means new titles, and we've got the ones you'll want to read all summer long. Be on the lookout for these hot new releases throughout July! #NBT #newbooks #SummerReading #WWE #RedSox pic.twitter.com/hzeIonxYcD
— Triumph Books (@TriumphBooks) July 2, 2019
On top of being an author, Bryan Alvarez is a former professional wrestler and has been a key part of the wrestling media for over two decades. He’s currently a co-host of Wrestling Observer Radio, The Bryan & Vinny Show, Figure Four Daily, and he hosts Wrestling Observer Live.
With so much experience, it’s no surprise that Triumph Books chose to approach Alvarez to write 100 Things WWE Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. The book itself might sound like a simple list, but manages to dive deep into some of WWE’s most notable and controversial topics.
From Vince McMahon to AJ Styles, Vince Russo to Donald Trump, Chris Benoit to WWE Crown Jewel, nothing is off limits. Because it’s not an official WWE publication, Bryan Alvarez is able to cover the things WWE would rather you pretend never happened.
On top of being a resource, 100 Things WWE Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die also serves as a bucket list companion for WWE fans. From attending a WrestleMania to watching Beyond The Mat, Alvarez also covers the moments every fan should go out of their way to experience.
Ahead of the book’s release, I got to speak exclusively to author Bryan Alvarez about his writing process, choosing what would make the final list, dedicating the book “To Vince,” and more.
Patches Chance: Does it still feel surreal to get to cover professional wrestling the way you have for so many years and now to get to write 100 Things WWE Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die?
Bryan Alvarez: I started doing this in 1995, and it’s 2019 now and I don’t even think about it. It’s just, it’s what my life is. I can’t imagine not doing it. I watch all these shows. Raw is wretched 90% of the time. I sit there some weeks and I’m like “god, why do I have to watch this show, I can’t stand this show.”
But there’s no part of me that thinks, next week I could not watch it. I could choose not to watch it. Like, it just doesn’t happen. It’s just, this is what my life is right now. And I love it, except on Monday nights. I’m very happy. I’m very lucky, but it’s not something that I think about on a daily basis. It’s just been so long.
PC: When were you approached by Triumph Books to write this book?
BA: I think it would have been last summer. I’m not exactly sure of the date, but their idea was that the release date would be sometime around July, which it was, and they wanted it out in time for SummerSlam. They do a lot of sports books, and if they do a football book they’ll try to tie it in with the Super Bowl. So they decided they would try to tie this one into SummerSlam. So I had about a year to work on it, but yeah it was about last summer.