About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

"So maybe this wasn't the best wrestling book in the world, or even the best one I've personally written. I'm happy with it nonetheless. Luckily, I get to define for myself what success is - in life, in wrestling, in writing. I worked hard on this book, I'm happy with it, and I will forever consider it important and successful, whether it sells one copy or a million."
- Mick Foley (page 312)



Pros

• Mick employs the same writing style that made his first three memoirs so enjoyable.
• For the first time, Mick has an index at the back of one of his autobiographies.
• A very thoughtful take on the problems of steroids, death, and Chris Benoit.

Cons

• A bunch of stuff in this book that some wrestling fans may not care about.

Description

• This is Mick Foley's fourth autobiography.
• The book runs 336 pages and has a suggested price of $26.99.
• Mick has donated 100% of his $100,000 advance to RAINN and Child Fund International.

Guide Review - Review of Mick Foley's Fourth Autobiography, Countdown to Lockdown

Mick Foley's fourth autobiography happens to be his first not published under the WWE corporate umbrella. This book picks up where his last one left off, when he was still working for World Wrestling Entertainment. Mick details his transition from wrestler to broadcaster, the events that caused him to leave World Wrestling Entertainment, and his decision to join TNA.

The book is very similar in structure to his last one, The Hardcore Diaries.

Mick counts down the month leading to Lockdown 2009, the night he fought Sting in a steel cage for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

In addition to describing the events that took place in his life inside of the ring, Mick also details many events from outside of it as well. Some fans may enjoy these while others might not care. To help those fans decide which chapters they can skip, Mick put a Wrestlemeter on the first page of each of the non-countdown chapters.

Mick's entertaining writing style is on display again in the book and it features all the sophomoric humor his other books did. However, there is also a serious side to this book when he details his trip to Sierra Leone as well as describes the Chris Benoit saga and his take on steroids in wrestling.

Perhaps the biggest problem with this memoir is that it details a part of his in-ring career that isn't very memorable when compared to prior points of his career. During the countdown chapters, he discusses events that even though they happened a little over a year ago, I had totally forgotten about them.

Overall Recommendation: Mick ends the book by telling people that liked it to spread the word by saying that "You know, that Mick Foley guy wrote a pretty good book". Not only did Mick write a pretty good book, he accurately described it, and more importantly donated his $100,000 advance for it to RAINN and Child Fund International. While this is only a pretty good book by Mick Foley standards, it is still better than the best book that other wrestlers have written. If you have his first three books you will enjoy this one. However, unlike his first autobiography, Have a Nice Day, this isn't a must-have for your wrestling library.



Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.