Walking A Golden Mile

Millions of wrestling fans know him as the Goodwill Ambassador, the snooty English gent who loves to taunt no-good Americans about their low-life ways. But the true story of World Wrestling Entertainment grappling star William Regal is as outrageous as any pro-wrestling soap opera story line. Born Darren Matthews, by the age of fifteen Regal was taking on all-comers in a Blackpool fairground wrestling booth. He traveled the world and fought the old-time favorites loved by millions of Brits: Giant Haystacks, Big Daddy, and Kendo Nagasaki. Soon the glitzy world of U.S. professional wrestling beckoned-and that's where his life fell apart. By day he was wowing crowds with his encyclopedic knowledge of the wrestler's art and a toff's act guaranteed to get fans hot under the collar. By night he was ingesting any kind of drug he could get his hands on-and blotting out his problems with booze. Regal remembers his life's dizzying ups and downs in this frank, take-no-prisoners account of his life. With an unsentimental eye, he recalls just how he pulled himself back from the brink of destruction. Even a heart failure which left him in the hospital with eight wires sticking out of his neck was not enough to stop Blackpool's own in his tracks. He describes life on the road with World Wrestling Entertainment-the biggest showbiz juggernaut this business has ever known. And he reveals how he's battled back to become one of the best-loved-and hated-figures in the colorful world of sports entertainment. There's even a few juggling midgets thrown in for good measure.Chandler, Neil A. is the author of 'Walking A Golden Mile ' with ISBN 9780743476348 and ISBN 0743476344.