Love of my Life

God, I love this man.

Anyone who has known me for a while knows that William Regal is my favorite professional wrestler of all time. He has influenced me in a myriad of ways and I adore him deeply. Recently he’s been in the wrestling news as he was released from his WWE contract and has moved over to AEW, becoming the leader of one of the most popular current stables; Blackpool Combat Club. His influence on the industry is astounding, so much so that Bryan Danielson, a member of the Blackpool Combat Club, wears maroon gear in homage to Regal. He is a Hall of Fame level wrestler at this point in time, and will forever be my favorite.

This book was written quite a while back, far before he moved into the authority figure role in his career. Instead, this book covers most of his life as he was trying to break into the business and then what happened once he became a star here in America as he is a British performer. Unlike a lot of WWE memoirs, Regal doesn’t pull his punches with this title. He is frankly very honest about how bad his life became and how dark it was for him at times. He goes into detail about his massive drug and alcohol abuse and how that became a huge detriment to his career taking off in a more substantial way. He is often referred to by fans as someone who should have been a World Champion, but he will be the first to let you know that he didn’t deserve it because every opportunity he was given he wasted because of his addiction.

It’s a hard read at times but made lighter knowing where Regal is now and that he was able to overcome his addictions and forge a better career for himself. He will never be the World Champion now, but countless performers cite him as their inspiration, so maybe that evens out in the long run as at least he’s still alive. A solid read if you’re a wrestling fan, especially one who wants to read more about the real-life wrestling world, dark side and all.

Title: Walking a Golden Mile
Author: William Regal
Format: Paperback
Pages: 320
ISBN:  9780743476348
Three Descriptors:  Intriguing, Honest, Open

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Yes: My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of Wrestlemania by Daniel Bryan
Himan: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling by Bret Hart