A look at "A Look Behind the Curtain" by Arn Anderson

Love him, or hate him, if you are a true wrestling fan, you have to respect Arn Anderson. An original member of the Four Horsemen, Arn's work ethic and ring savvy has been an envy of many professional wrestlers through his fifteen year career in the squared circle.

The book is living proof of the dues this grappler made to get to the top. Born and raised in Rome, Georgia, Anderson wrestled in high school and was runner up in the state wrestling championship in the 167-pound weight class.

After competing in several power-lifting events, and four years as a meat cutter, Arn trained with local wrestler Ted Allen from Georgia Championship Wrestler. Anderson lost his debut match against "Bullet" Bob Armstrong, yet Arn credits Armstrong as the man to get him his first job in the business.

Anderson moved to Louisiana, and wrestled for Cowboy Bill Watt's Mid South promotion. Arn claims in the book to have trailed 2,500 miles a week for the group. Anderson relives a time when he almost quit wrestling, and if he had all his possessions with him, would have left for Georgia to seek other employment.

Living from paycheck to paycheck, Anderson and his fellow wrestling pals often found shelter in $12 a night motel room. The wrestlers jammed packed cars on the road, paying the driver four cents per mile.

Anderson moved back to Georgia to wrestle when Matt Borne (Doink) was looking for a tag team partner. When the partnership failed, Arn moved to Florida, and wore a mask as Super Olympia.

It was while in the Sunshine State when Ric Flair spotted the young ring technician. Anderson states in the book he left Florida, after 18 months, for Charlotte for Flair, "the dirtiest player in the game."

Arn describes NWA promoter Jim Crockett as "extremely introverted." Crockett owned the territory in Charlotte, before relocating it to Atlanta, when his television shows started airing on Superstation WTBS.

With Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, and Ole Anderson, the Four Horsemen was formed. Arn's own words during an interview inspired the creation of the group, "The only time this much havoc had been wreaked by this few a number of people, you need to go all the way back to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."

Ole Anderson was kicked out of the Horsemen, and when Tim Horner stepped up to side with Ole, Arn started tagging with Tully Blanchard.

Arn says his greatest match was July 4, 1987, a War Games match in the old Omni Arena in Atlanta. The Horsemen lost to the Road Warriors, Paul Ellering, Dusty Rhodes, and Nikita Koloff when Horsemen manager James J. Dillion was forced to give up.

With the pending sale of Crockett's promotion to Ted Turner, Tully and Arn decided to visit WWF owner Vince McMahon, who had been courting the team. Anderson says his time in the WWF made him "more well known in the wrestling world." Arn states, "Vince paid me what I was worth ... Vince made good on every promise."

Anderson recalls his first serious neck injury occurred in a tag team match with the Rockers. Marty Jannetty attempted a victory role, which was not executed properly, causing Arn to suffer a herniated disk.

On October 28, 1993, while on a tour in England, Sid Vicious attacked Arn with a pair of scissors. Anderson suffered 20 stab wounds. Vicious was immediately fired by WCW.

Anderson under went a lamanectomy on April 8, 1997, a procedure where the 5th, 6th, 7th, and the T1 are removed from the spine. Four months later, Arn Anderson retired. On Nitro, Arn said, "I'm left with a hand, my left hand, too weak to hold a glass, to weak to button a button."

"Thank you for allowing Arn Anderson to catch his dream," is how Arn closes the book. Arn Anderson, thank you. Thank you for the matches, the memories, your integrity, your class, your desire to be the best. Thanks for being an inspiration to us all. Thank you for sharing your dream with us.

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