Batten down the hatches, It’s pandemonium!
“Unloading with the heavy artillery” (yes, another of Gorilla Monsoon’s plethora of catch phrases) is author Brian R. Solomon, as he unveils and life and times of not only a good guy on television, but a wonderful and generous man behind the scenes. During my youth, Prime Time Wrestling was must see television on Monday nights. The straight Monsoon with the quick-witted Bobby “The Brain” Heenan made a show featuring pre-recorded wrestling matches simply a blast.
With a forward by the legendary Bret “The Hitman” Hart, who Monsoon dubbed the excellence of execution, “Irresistible Force” traces Monsoon’s career inside and outside of the squared circle, and with meticulous research, addresses some of the misconceptions people might have about the hall of famer. His legacy endures, with the industry he loved still referring to the staging area just behind the entrance curtain as the Gorilla position.
Solomon explains how the amateur wrestler becomes a pro grappler, and adopted the moniker Gorilla Monsoon. The author takes you behind the curtain as Monsoon transitioned from a headliner with champion Bruno Sammartino, becoming a part owner of the WWWF, which became the WWF during the birth of Hulkamania and Wrestlemania. “Irresistible Force” documents the rise of Vince McMahon, eventually buying the company from his father and expanding the promotion.
Most of Gorilla’s in ring career was before my interest in wrestling grew, and thus, this complete biography of his wrestling journey that took him internationally is engaging. Additionally, I enjoyed the many road stories that involved Monsoon and his colleagues. After “Irresistible Force,” you will have more of an appreciate for this wrestling icon. This book is a “main event anywhere in the country.”
By: Brian R. Solomon
Narrated by: Brian R. Solomon
Length: 20 hrs and 8 mins
Release date: 10-28-25
Publishers: ECW Press, Podium Audio