Titan Sinking: The Decline of the WWF in 1995 by James Dixon was released in 2014 and features a look at, well, the decline of the WWF in 1995.
It’s a fascinating read on all the issues surrounding the company in what is widely considered the worst year in WWF history.
Here are some thoughts on the book.
- For starters, the best part about this book is that it actually exists. The reason why that’s significant? So that anyone who wants to know the ins and outs of the WWF in 1995 doesn’t have to go back and watch the entire year’s programming. If you do that, it will not be enjoyable. Luckily, this book gives you the information you need without requiring a rewatch. There was some quality stuff in 1995, but it was overshadowed by some terrible characters, storylines, and matches.
- If you’re a longtime wrestling fan who enjoys reading the “dirt” on what’s going on behind the scenes, a lot of the stuff included in Titan Sinking may not be news to you. However, I guarantee there are tidbits that have either been forgotten or are surprising developments that hadn’t been mentioned multiple times elsewhere. That makes for a fun reading experience.
- Since the focus is on the WWF in 1995, there are plenty of nuggets on things such as how Lawrence Taylor was thrust into the main event slot at WrestleMania XI, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash’s backstage frustrations with Vince McMahon, the rise of the Kliq, the other backstage factions within the company, and much more. The book goes into great detail on not only the main stories that most are aware of, but also all the little side stories that led to those memorable and infamous moments.
- Speaking of Hall and Nash, the book does a nice job laying out their story arcs throughout the year, which allows the reader to sense the heightened frustration for both. Nash’s run as WWF Champion (as Diesel) did not exactly meet expectations, though it’s hard to put all the blame on Nash for that. There’s also tidbits on scrapped storylines for Hall, which included a proposed WrestleMania program with The Undertaker that never happened. Again, if you want to understand what led to Hall and Nash jumping ship to WCW, I think the book is great at connecting all the points of frustration for the duo.
- Undoubtedly, one of the most unintentionally funny moments of 1995 came at the first In Your House pay-per-view. For those that know the story, the WWF did a house giveaway (yes, an actual house), and it was won by an 11-year-old kid. The house was sold six months later for $175,000, which likely did not make members of the roster very happy given the company’s financial state given how it equated to what they were being paid. The recounting of the story was fun to read, even if it’s common knowledge at this point.
- There’s also insight on the creation of WCW Nitro and its impact on McMahon’s thinking of his own product. It would lead to the WWF pivoting towards a more edgy product, and though that wouldn’t reach its pinnacle until a few years later, you start to see the foundation of those ideas towards the end of 1995.
- Of course, the WWF’s most controversial figure in 1995 was Shawn Michaels, and there are a plethora of stories that back up the drama that followed him throughout the year. There was the rumored extracurricular activities with Sunny, who was dating the late Chris Candido at the time. There was Michaels’ political machinations against those he didn’t like, as well as those that favored his fellow Kliq members. I also think the book is effective at painting the portrait of Michaels’ relationship with McMahon during this period, and the latter’s tendency to go above and beyond to keep his rising star happy.
- Other random tidbits I found interesting to reflect on was the controversial Goldust character, Shane Douglas’ run with the WWF (and his feud with the Kliq), Bill Watts’ ideology on WWF’s booking before his exit from the company, Paul Bearer’s extreme dislike of Sunny, Lex Luger jumping ship to WCW, Shawn Michaels’ infamous bar fight in Syracuse, Bret Hart’s role during the Kliq’s rise to power, the WWF’s financial situation, and much more.
BLAKE’S TAKE ON TITAN SINKING: THE DECLINE OF THE WWF IN 1995
While wrestling historians may struggle to find new information throughout the book, that doesn’t discount it as an excellent resource for anyone looking for a trip down memory lane into what a tumultuous year for the WWF. And as I said earlier, Titan Sinking is a better alternative than having to watch the 1995 product from start to finish. Then again, since I do a lot of wrestling reviews, maybe I’ll accept that challenge at some point.
The book is available on Amazon.
For more of my show reviews, visit the Pro Wrestling Reviews section!
