Howard answers a few Qs from an old friend
Howard's media coverage continued on Tuesday, February 16, as he joined long time friend Joe Loverro (who is mentioned in Swimming with Piranhas by the way) on WQQQ 103.3 FM Sharon, Connecticut. Heard Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET, you can learn more about Joe and The Q Morning Show.
Dave Meltzer of 'The Wrestling Observer' takes a look at 'Piranhas'
In the February 8 edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, under the "Here and There" section, founder and editor Dave wrote of Swimming with Piranhas:
- "I've been reading a book called Swimming with Piranhas, which is a pro wrestling book written by Howard Brody (former many year NWA president although he won't rank up there with Sam Muchnick for historical value) on the last few flights. I'm surprised nobody has talked bout this book because in some ways it's one of the best wrestling books out there. Everyone who has any intention of getting into pro wrestling from a business standpoint should read it because every type of hustler and con artist imaginable shows up during Brody's journey through the pro wrestling business. It's the most real book about wrestling outside of WWE/TNA, most notably the underbelly of the business, that I've seen. I'm not saying people should read it because it will scare them away from getting into the business (although that would be the sane reaction), but simply you need to be armed with the knowledge of the kind of people you meet, so at least you are forewarned. Quite frankly, I think people who want to work in the MMA business should read the book, because the kind of people who came out of the woodwork in the 90s and early 00s and wanted to bring pro wrestling to their country, or get involved in running pro wrestling shows, for the most part are wanting to do MMA in this decade. There are a lot of interesting characters involved, some of whom people that have been really into the indie scene over the years would know. But it's really a story about a guy who so badly wanted to make it in wrestling and always seemed on the verge of a big score, only to find out that the business people, one after the other, were con men themselves hoping for their own score, that never came."
Howard appears on Ringside Rap
On Wednesday, January 27, Howard joined Rich Tate, Les Thatcher, and Mike Sempervive for an appearance on Ringside Rap. Heard Wednesday nights from 8 to 10 p.m. ET on blogtalkradio, the show includes the latest news and information on pro wrestling and MMA, as well as provides interviews with legends of yesterday and stars of today. [ Listen to the interview here ]
'Ring of Hell' author praises 'Piranhas'
On December 30, Howard recieved a copy of a review from acclaimed investigative journalist Matthew Randazzo V, author of Ring of Hell: The Story of Chris Benoit & the Fall of the Pro Wrestling Industry. He wrote of Swimming with Piranhas:
- "Howard Brody's Swimming With Piranhas is a true rarity: an excessively humble memoir about life in the pro wrestling industry. Swimming With Piranhas is the story of a normal, intelligent white-collar businessman trying to make it in pro wrestling while maintaining his dignity, self-respect, and family life. With his various partners, Howard Brody accomplished amazing things — negotiating the near-defunct NWA brand into an on-air partner with Attitude-era WWF, turning Japanese pro wrestling into a huge fad in Europe, arranging one of the pivotal first steps in ECW's national expansion, and becoming the first pro wrestling promoter to break into China — and Swimming With Piranhas is a fitting last entry to that estimable legacy."
Howard gets double 'Slammed' in Canada
Daniel Wilson of Slam! Sports< Wrestling recently reviewed Swimming with Piranhas and subsequently interviewed Howard to get his thoughts on how he approached writing the book. "All in all the book makes for a great read," Wilson wrote, "and will be lessons for those who still want to swim with the piranhas." [ Read the review here ] and [ Read the interview here ]
Howard experiences total Carnage
On Tuesday, December 15, Howard was one of the three featured guests (along with Simon Dean and Dutch Mantell) when he joined Casey, Rick and Norine for an appearance on the Carnage Crew Radio Show. Heard Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. ET the show has featured such guests as Bushwhacker Luke, Buff Bagwell, Honkytonk Man and others. [ Listen to the interview here ]
Alan Wojcik and The Phantom review 'Piranhas'
Alan Wojcik of alanwojcik.com and PWInsider among other notable wrestling Web sites recently shared his thoughts on
Also weighing in is The Phanton from Pro Wrestling Digest who wrote: "After reading 'Swimming With Piranhas,' I was happy that, no matter how infatuated I was with wrestling, I never decided to go in as a promoter. I would have been eaten alive, as almost happened with Brody." [ Read the review here ]
Howard gets a little morning taste of T&A
Howard's media tour continued on Wednesday, December 9, as he joined the T&A Morning Show with Tommy & Abbi on 96.1 WKZQ Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Carolina's Pure Rock 105.5 WXQR. Heard Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET, you can learn more about Tommy and Abbi.
Howard hooks up with South Florida's Mr. Right
On Friday, December 4, Howard was the featured guest when he joined South Florida's Mr. Right Jeff Katz in the studio from 5 to 6 p.m. Heard Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET on 850 WFTL, Jeff is an award winning talk show host and a longtime friend of Howard's, dating back to their time together in the NWA.
Howard finds himself in the Dog House
On Thursday, December 3, Howard joined The Dog House with Elvis and the Litter on a trio of radio stations: 104.3 NOW-FM Las Vegas, 97.7 KRCK-FM Palm Springs, and 92.7 REV-FM San Francisco. Elvis and the Litter are heard 6 to 10 a.m. PT Monday through Friday.
Howard has run-in with the LAW
On Sunday night, November 29, Howard appeared on Live Audio Wrestling with John Pollock and Dan "The Mouth" Lovranski. Heard on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 98 Sunday nights at 11 p.m. ET, the LAW features the latest in Pro Wrestling and MMA news. It also features a weekly discussion with Wrestling Observer newletter founder Dave Meltzer. [ Listen to the interview here ]
Howard Featured on 'The Fight Show'
On Thursday, November 26, Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., Howard was a featured guest on The Fight Show with Mauro Ranallo. Heard on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 98, The Fight Show delivers the latest news in Mixed Martial Arts, Boxing and Pro-Wrestling. [ Listen to the interview here ]
Howard appears on Heidi Harris in the Morning
On Monday, November 23, Howard was one of the featured in-studio guests on Las Vegas' number one morning show to talk about his new book. Heidi Harris in the Morning airs weekdays from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. Pacific Time on AM 720 KDWN.
Alex Marvez of Scripps talks 'Piranhas' with Howard
Howard's longtime friend Alex Marvez of Scripps Howard News Service and FoxSports.com recently chatted with the former NWA president about life, liberties and the pursuit of wrestling happiness. [ Read the interview here ]
Gary Cubeta interviews Howard for 57talk.com
On Sunday, November 15, Howard was interviewed by Scottsdale, Arizona's Gary Cubeta of 57talk.com. Cubeta, who has archived nearly 200 interviews on his site, grills Howard about his experiences behind the scenes and what the underbelly of pro wrestling is really like. [ Listen to the interview here ]Howard appears on The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show
On Saturday, November 14, Howard was the featured guest on The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show, heard locally in Boston on 1510 The Zone. Hosted by Sheldon Goldberg, Joe Matterazzo and Mike Johnson, The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show is the voice of pro wrestling in New England and is the highest rated program on the station. [ Listen to the show here ]
Howard steps Between the Ropes to talk Piranhas
On Tuesday, November 10, Howard was the featured guest on the Between the Ropes radio show, heard locally in Orlando, Fla. on ESPN 1080 AM. Hosted by Brian Fritz, Vito DeNucci and D'Lo Brown, Between the Ropes is an insightful and entertaining radio program covering the worlds of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. [ Listen to the show here ]ECW Press talks to Howard about his new book, and where it all began
ECW Press recently spoke with Howard about Swimming with Piranhas: Surviving the Politics of Professional Wrestling, which chronicles his personal experiences associated with the sports entertainment industry over a 25-year period, including a stint as president of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). [ Read the interview here ]
Swimming with Piranhas: Previews
These excerpts are taken from various parts of Howard's book to give the reader an idea of the types of stories they can expect to find. Two of the passages (excerpts 1 and 7) are from parts of the book that saw heavy editing and actually were deleted from the final edit.
[ Read excerpt 7 here ]
[ Read excerpt 6 here ]
[ Read excerpt 5 here ]
[ Read excerpt 4 here ]
[ Read excerpt 3 here ]
[ Read excerpt 2 here ]
[ Read excerpt 1 here ]