I once heard someone pose the question, if you walked into a bar and saw Jeff Bridges seated at one end and Beau Bridges at the other, which one would you sit by? Most people would be drawn to Jeff Bridges, the big name star, the Academy Award winner with the winning smile. He’d graciously smile and take photos and sign autographs and bid you a polite adieu. But Beau? Beau doesn’t get the recognition and accolades of his brother, and he doesn’t get the mob scene either. If you want to encounter a star, you go to Jeff. If you want to sit and have a drink and hear some good stories, you sit by Beau.
There are many wrestling fans who only read the books by the big names like Jim Ross, Chris Jericho, Mick Foley, and Bret Hart, but the die hards know that as good as their books can be, it’s the guys from the undercard who will really tell it like it is. The journeymen with the shorter lines at the autograph shows are also the guys who will take their time to spin some truly great, untold tales. This is the case with Scott Casey and his new autobiography.
I confess Scott Casey was not a name I recognized when I first heard he was writing a book, but Scott is one of those men who worked very territory with every big name you ever heard. He cuts right to the chase, telling you just enough of his early life to let you know where he came from before settling in to tell you where he’s been. Casey has a story about every town he’s visited and every man he shared a locker room with, and his memoir is densely packed with one memory after another.
Casey has great stories about all the big names, like how the Funks helped him get his start, how a pre-Bruiser Brody Frank Goodish insisted on dropping the Western States title to Casey, partying with Ric Flair, and the time he invited Andre the Giant for Thanksgiving dinner, Casey also gives some great insights into folks like “The Grappler” Len Denton, Tiger Conway, Jr., “Killer” Tim Brooks, and Eddy Mansfield.
Casey’s autobiography reads less like a typical well-researched autobiography and more like a transcript from a night out at the bar with the author himself. At times I felt like I was sitting at a table in the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino and Vegas, home of the Cauliflower Alley Club Reunion, while Cowboy spun one tale after another from his long career. The occasional side stories from friends add even more color to the dusty trail he drove, especially the asides from the great Les Thatcher. This is co-author Nick Masci’s first crack as a wrestling author, and I have to say all in all, he did a great job capturing the voice of the Cowboy.
The book is only about 200 pages in large type, which makes it an all-too-quick read. It’s a book you’ll finish quickly because you won’t want to put it down. Fans who love a good rasslin’ story will enjoy this last ride with Cowboy Scott Casey.
You can order the book, signed or unsigned, exclusively at Scott Casey’s website www.cowboyscottcasey.com