Young Bucks audiobook

This is an awesome book. I have not be a full time pro-wrestling fan for a number of years. Yet I do keep one ear to the ground. I did stop watching WWE quite early on, and changed to the indi shows definitely ROH.I think I became a fan of every member of the roster, I actually find it funny the number of top guys I saw, and pointed out to the people are now the top of the WWE.When I first saw this book my first thought was oh the Young Bucks made it to the WWE. as only WWE or these big company wrestlers would be writing their own book. The fact is that they did not need a company behind them. They not only enhanced every company they worked for, but created their own.What makes these guys so great is they took everything that was thrown at them or to them and made it their own. They did everything their own way.These guys are compared to the Hardy Boyz, to the point that there book is even written in the same both brother writing a chapter each. Even their early careers of starting in their backyards with home made rings. The difference comes later, where the Hardys made it their goal to be in the WWE/WWF, the Bucks decided to go the outlaw way.This is a great story of passion, persistence, sacrifice, hardwork, heartbreak and achievement. This is an awesome underdog story of two guys who would not change but changed the world of their industry.

Never did I expect that I would cry so much because of a wrestling book, but here we are. This was beautiful, and when I say that - I mean it. I can't find a single flaw because everything was on point. The writing? Engaging. The chapter length? Not too long, not to short. The story? Truly inspiring. As a wrestling fan I knew who the Young Bucks were, but I didn't know the full story. Now I do, and all I can say is wow. Even if you're not into wrestling, you should still give this a try. It's written in a very accessible way so you shouldn't have any trouble connecting the dots. And it's a good time, trust me. I only wish it was even longer.

In 2019, Nick and Matt Jackson, alongside several of their friends and peers, as well as American businessman Tony Khan, founded AEW (All Elite Wrestling), a new and exciting competitor to the monopolistic WWE in the United States. However, the duo weren’t always the trendsetting disrupters they came to be in recent years, they had to start at the very bottom. YOUNG BUCKS: KILLING THE BUSINESS FROM THE BACKYARDS TO THE BIG LEAGUES is the story of how the two Jackson brothers rose through the ranks and went from undesirable to undeniable.The book spends considerable time on how they both came up in the business as self-taught backyard wrestling performers before receiving legitimate training through a promotion in Southern California. From there, Nick and Matt remained focused on establishing themselves as a tag team first and foremost forgoing any ambition of becoming singles stars. The Jacksons write at length regarding their difficulties in getting attention from Vince McMahon’s WWE due to their size and boyish looks. They also dig into their frustrations working under promoters and writers who were always looking to split them up and move them away from tag team wrestling.It wasn’t until they were on the verge of quitting wrestling altogether in 2011 that they changed their approach to the business itself and used the criticisms they frequently received as fuel for becoming intentionally obnoxious performers. If people believed they were disrespectful, put too much elaborate choreography in their matches, or overused certain moves and ideas, they decided they would lean harder into what many had considered their faults. This drastic change in attitude led to fans all over the world embracing them as favorites while also paying top dollar for truckloads of merchandise. This allowed Matt and Nick to create a career in wrestling that no longer required them to seek the approval of the biggest wrestling promotion in the world.Before reading this book, I wouldn’t have considered myself knowledgeable when it came to the careers of Nick and Matt given that I hadn’t watched much wrestling outside of WWE until about maybe five years ago. It was interesting getting to learn the ups and downs of life on the modern-day independent scene as well as the massive success the two enjoyed while a part of New Japan Pro Wrestling throughout the 2010s. I would have liked more about the formation of AEW, but the promotion is still young, so there will be lots of time for that. While I’m more in favor of wrestlers waiting until their careers are either over or mostly winding down, Nick and Matt have been wrestling in some form or fashion for over twenty years and had a wealth of material to pull from allowing them to produce an engaging, yet brief, memoir.

I have been a wrestling fan since I was about 15. When AEW first started in 2019, I hopped on the train, and I have never left. I don't watch WWE anymore. AEW is all I need.Before AEW, I was mildly aware of the Young Bucks, mostly because of the things they were doing in New Japan, and after discovering Being The Elite (which changed everything), I became a fan of Nick and Matt. They clearly love wrestling, but respect it too much to just lie down and take money, they wanted to do something different, to change the game. And I can definitely respect them for that.This book is not that well written, and sometimes a little too descriptive, but at the same time I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Bucks evolve into who they are now. It's funny to think that just a few years ago, they were finding it hard to get by and working a 'normal' job to circumvent their incomes. Now they are EVPs and tag team champions of a company they helped form. It's been a massive ride for them, but they sure have deserved every second of success.The parts I loved the most were seeing when and how they met their crew; Scorpio Sky, Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes, Hangman Page, PAC. And then others like Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan, Sami Zayn, Adam Cole, etc. So many of these guys all know each other, came up together, but all of them went on different paths. I enjoyed reading about how they became The Elite, and the road to 'All In.'If anything the last few chapters were a bit rushed, and I would have loved to gain some more insight into what they were thinking and feeling when turning down a massive offer from WWE to go their own way. This was one hell of a story, but at the same time I would have liked to gain more of an insight into how the brothers actually felt about certain things. Like I said, sometimes there was a lot of description about what was happening, but not how it emotionally impacted these two young bucks.Regardless, this was entertaining, and interesting. And there is more than enough room for a sequel.

If you are a wrestling fan I think this book is quite easy and enjoyable to read and follow the events that happened to Matt and Nick. If you are not I still think there is a lot of good things to get from this book.It's a story about their journey. from birth to become one of the best tag teams in wrestling business history. You will find how hard it was for them, mostly mentally from a money and family standpoint. What drove them to keep going, and how did they manage to become the world best without no1 company.As a wrestling fan, I got so much. From the information that I didn't know or just relive the part I knew. An easy recommendation to any and every wrestling fan.

5 stars since I‘m biased af and I absolutely love The Young Bucks.But in all seriousness this book is a delight!It was quite a rollercoaster of emotions and I almost felt their anxiety in the difficult parts if their lives when they were struggling hard, but at the end it left me all happy and fuzzy inside!

I still remember the tremendous anticipation for 'All In' back in 2018.Every day leading up to it filled me with an increasing hunger for professional wrestling that I hadn't had in years. With the WWE on the steady decline (if not financially, then atleast in the minds of their most ardent fans) thanks in part to terrible booking, lack of any real stars and an absolute oversaturation of wrestling content that focused on more quantity and less quality - the wrestling revolution sparked by the Elite and Tony Khan was something the business sorely needed.We needed a revolution. And the wrestling Gods answered our prayers.Fast forward to 2 years later, and All Elite Wrestling is without a doubt the premier wrestling show on the planet (although some credit goes to NJPW for bungling up their product in 2020). With a talented roster ranging from WWE vets like Moxley and Jericho, to rapidly rising homegrown stars like MJF, Jungle Boy and Darby Allin - AEW is the place to go for any wrestling fan who doesn't want their intelligence insulted, yet rather satiated, through fantastic booking and wrestling.This may seem like a digression - but in many ways, what I'm talking about is essentially the culmination for the arduous journey Matt and Nick Jackson go through in the decades leading up to the creation of 'All Elite Wrestling'.In this day and age where even the best wrestlers are content with picking up WWE's fat paycheck (heck, I'd do it too), the Bucks went against the grain and took a path that no wrestler would even fathom - creating a wrestling company of their own with Tony Khan at the helm, and good friends (i.e, Omega, Cody, Page amongst others) by their side.This is a story of how a small group of wrestlers taking the road less travelled, along with the ardent support of their fanbase, would result in one of the best weekly episodic wrestling TV shows.My heart is overflowing with an unbridled ocean of respect for these two men after reading this book - I still own an OG Young Bucks Bullet Club tee that I put on whenever I watch major AEW PPV's, as a sign of my support. I gobbled this book up in 2 days -as a sign of my support.The Bucks (more specifically, the Elite) have something the WWE doesn't - and that is the unwavering loyalty of their fans. Together, I - along with every other real professional wrestling fan out there - are going to make sure that your efforts don't go wasted. We're gonna stick by AEW, not blindly, but because you guys are doing something meaningful for the business - something that can make a huge change in the years to come.No other way to do it - but to go all in.PS: Looking forward to attend an AE-dub show live before I hit my 30's.

Killing The Business is the story of the Bucks Of Youth, those two spot monkeys that you either love or hate. The thing is. there's no denying their influence on the prowrestling world. There was a time when you needed the WWE to make your career, but then the Bucks came along and through hard work, dedication, and marketing, they proved that you could be successfult without the big machine. Even if you're not a fan it's an interesting biook and one that follows the career of Matt and Nick right up until the moment they meet TOny Khan and once again made history by being a part of AEW. It's an interesting read that at times becomes egoristical, but it's expected but under the ego is the reality that none of their success would have been possible without the wrestling fans. They're the people who followed the Bucks through TNA and beyond. While there isn't a lot of dirt here, it's still a good read. Matt and Nick wrote the book themselves on their Iphones without a ghost writer which is impressive and doesn't suffer from filler. It follows their career from the backyards to the big leagues while showing just how much of an impact they've made in wrestling. It's a great read that doesn't have the usual fall from grace that most bios do, but as they begin to reach the end of their ROH run there's a few surprises here. The Young Bucks are both reviled and respected but one thing you can't denyi is how successful they are. They built their brand and believed in themselves and it paid off. While they may be spot momkeys, there's no denying their influence on the world of wrestling.

Fascinating journey, probably the most complete pro wrestling memoir I’ve read (Chris Jericho wrote his first one like this, but the story continued into a second, and third, book, whereas this one covers similar territory in one, and of course Mick Foley’s, which started the modern trend, though by the time he reaches WWE he just wrote what fans already knew, and kept it kayfabe). The incredible sequence of events that led to AEW is fresh enough that it still feels like yesterday, but also comes with nostalgia. The Massie brothers are also incredibly candid about how difficult their journey was, but also their fortunate upbringing, even if it didn’t always seem that way, that helped pave the way for their later success. Whereas Mox was written almost entirely through ego, it’s tough not to find people, in Killing the Business, you couldn’t easily see as friends, if you ever had the chance. And to be their friends…!

I have been a professional wrestling fan my entire life. For a while, that was a taboo thing to announce out loud. When I was young, you could only watch it once a week at midnight on Saturday’s. Then, Hulk Hogan came along and made the industry cool and things just exploded. Since the days of Hulkamania, things have tailed off a bit and in recent years your only choice was watching the over-saturated WWE or, if you were fortunate, several of the great independent professional leagues out there who are able to mix old school wrestling with high-flying and risk-taking on a nightly basis.One of the major success stories to come out of the independent ranks to become global sensations are Matt and Nick Massie --- better known as Matt and Nick Jackson or The Young Bucks. They are possibly the greatest, most exciting tag-team I have ever seen and their current release YOUNG BUCKS: KILLING THE BUSINESS just may be the most insightful and enjoyable wrestling book I have read to date. The Prologue finds the Young Bucks along with their best friend in the wrestling business, Kenny Omega, seeing their current wrestling contracts with Ring Of Honor about to expire and pondering their next move. This book will end with the big reveal of what that move ends up being --- one that has changed the face of professional wrestling probably permanently.Matt and Nick share storytelling here and every other chapter is told from one of their points of view. However, it is done so expertly --- a tribute to the editing --- that the narrative is seamless. We learn about their start in Southern California and their lower middle-class upbringing in a loving, Christian household that supported their love of wrestling from their childhood. A lot of young people like to emulate their wrestling heroes, Matt and Nick built their own ring along with their father in the backyard of their home. After-school, their house was the most popular one in the neighborhood and their passion for professional wrestling turned into their own ‘league’ --- the BYWA or Backyard Wrestling Association. What started out small actually grew into another independent wrestling promotion that eventually attracted some outside professional wrestling talent.Matt talks about the only girl he had time for outside of wrestling --- Dana --- who he ended up marrying and starting a family with. It is encouraging to see how both Bucks have positive, loving family lives that mean everything to them. They clearly put their families first when it comes to every decision they made during their careers. Throughout the entire book there is enough name-dropping to make this a who’s-who of the current wrestling world. What I enjoyed most is how they humanized them all and allowed us to see behind the curtain at these very real and dedicated professionals who give their all for their fan’s entertainment.A real touching part of the book is when Matt must talk a fellow wrestler down from a suicidal moment. Regrettably, the wrestler in question named Chris Kanyon did end up taking his own life a few years after that incident as he battled demons brought on by the fact that he was an admittedly gay wrestler. The Young Bucks grew quickly from the backyard wrestling ranks and enjoyed success with TNA/Impact Wrestling as well as Ring Of Honor. Perhaps the one move that really gave them wider appeal and respect was when they travelled to Japan to wrestle with the highly competitive New Japan Wrestling promotion. They made some lifelong friendships and connections here that included Kenny Omega and later Cody Rhodes and Adam Page --- the group that would become the cornerstone of their own wrestling promotion. When the Young Bucks became part of the immensely popular stable of heels known as the Bullet Club, they really took off on a global scale.Matt and Nick revolutionized self-promotion throughout their career and continue to do so. Their t-shirt sales often rank with the top wrestling merchandise in the business. They knew they finally made it in 2018 when Funko put out dolls of the Young Bucks along Kenny Omega and Cody Rhodes. All of this paved the way for the life-changing phone call Matt took from a man named Tony Khan --- co-owner of both the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars and a British Futbol Club in the U.K. Tony’s dream and the Young Bucks ‘dreams were in sync and their initial discussions turned into what is now known as AEW or All Elite Wrestling, which they helped form along with good friends Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes, and Adam Page. All the years I have devoted to watching professional wrestling did not prepare me for this promotion. Every single move they have made has been a home run. The entire promotion is a mix of long-time wrestling favorites as well as some of the top young stars and independent talent on the circuit, many of whom could have never gotten the exposure they are receiving from AEW. It is a wrestling league where you can tell everyone likes each other and they are doing things the right way and treating everyone involved with a level of respect usually not seen in the profession.What I enjoyed most about this book, and there is much to enjoy here, is how Matt and Nick spell out all the choices they made along the way and analyzing how any of them could have led them down a completely different path. Many people say everything happens for a reason and this is self-evident throughout this book. That is a refreshing look at life and really allows the reader to step into their shoes and experience what is happening to them every step of the way. Not to be missed by any true wrestling fan and I defy you not to want to throw a super-kick at someone after reading it! Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter

This book legitimately makes me want to take my fat ass to a wrestling school. Such passion and commitment to doing what you love AND having it pay off a thousand times over??? Sounds too good to be true, but thats the Bucks! Their story is quite the ride and definitely a must read for any wrestling fan....except for maybe Jim Cornette.

If I could give this book 6 stars, I would. A must read for every wrestling fan, die hard or casual. Such an amazing ‘how we became and what it takes to stay pro wrestlers’ account from one of the greatest tag teams of all time. I will definitely be rereading this.

Absolutely incredible book, it made me laugh out loud and also made me cry

Pretty much everything you would want in a Young Bucks book about their pre-AEW days. Lots of new information that I don’t think has ever been released too about their negotiations with WWE and Tony Khan’s pitch. Also loved learning that the house they grew up in was haunted.

This was really good in an inspirational way. I love these guys, and I’ve been supporting them for a minute because I believe in them and all the times they’ve rebelled and gone against what they were supposed to do. Massive amount of respect. I like how the chapters are presented as tags in and out between the brothers, too. The writing style is not the greatest, but this is their first book, and the content more than makes up for it.