Twenty-five years ago, I saw this book, Inside Secrets on How You Can Enter the Exciting World of Pro Wrestling, being sold in the back of an issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine!
I ordered it and had no idea this book would change the entire trajectory of my life. For years I thought I was the only one that had it but, come to find out, my colleagues from that era ordered it too. I remember it coming to my mom’s house in the mail and her first response was, “I know you don’t want to be a wrestler for real?!”
She had no idea!
When I started the business was still covered. Not to mention, people that looked like me, who came from where I did, they definitely weren’t thinking about being on TV, let alone a wrestler. Maybe a football or basketball player, but that was it. You couldn’t just go online and go up the street to find a million wrestling schools that anybody can open now. There were very few in the whole country and you had to be accepted to even start training.
A long story short, this book changed my entire life.
I wrestled for more than fifteen years on the indie circuit. Even though I never “made it” to WWE – well WWF when I was wrestling, I ended up having tryouts in Ohio Valley Wrestling and Florida Championship Wrestling for WWF. I also got to be an extra for WWE at the United Center in Chicago and Joe Louis Arena!
Even though the wrestling thing didn’t pan out, it took me deeper into the entertainment industry. I ended up being on VH1’s Ton Of Cash, ABC’s Let’s Ask America game show, multiple news outlets, and currently working for TV One’s Fatal Attraction and Payback national shows. Not to mention doing radio and coming full circle to WWE doing media at their events!
Definitely a hell-of-a-ride and it all started from this one book, Inside Secrets on How YOU Can Enter the Exciting World of Pro Wrestling! | By DeSean “Whipdog” Whipple
A retired professional wrestler, during his run Whipdog was ranked one of the 500 best wrestlers in the world according to Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Now the co-owner of Urban Embodiment and an acclaimed media personality, Whip can be seen and heard on TV One’s ‘Fatal Attraction’ and ‘Payback’, The WHIP & AK radio show, and The WHIP Show Podcast. Learn more HERE
