BOOK REVIEW: WWE BIG APPLE TAKEDOWN
By Scott Foster on 10/30/2006 6:08 PM
Recently, I sat down with the WWE novel Big Apple Takedown. I had a little extra money, and had the time to take a chance on reading one of the different literary offerings from WWE. While I was not expecting a Pulitzer prize worthy novel, I was hoping for an interesting story, or at least an amusing look at what Vince McMahon thought was an entertaining book. After reading the book, I can say that at least I was entertained while laughing at the rather mediocre writing skills of the author. Granted, I’m sure the writing had to in some way pass Vince’s approval, so the mediocrity can’t be solely attributed to the author.
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On the surface, Big Apple Takedown is an interesting premise for a novel. In 2001, ‘Mr. McMahon’ meets up with an old ‘friend’ (not really a friend, but more of a school years adversary) on the way from one WWE show to another. This ‘friend’ (Phil Thompson) explains how the WWE superstars would be perfect for a new security ‘force’ that the National Security Agency (NSA) wants to set up. They could get in, and get out quickly (in much the same way they are in town for a night, then out)
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Fast forward to 2006. WWE superstars are now involved in a mission trying to bring down a commercial grade methamphetamine operation. The ‘team’ consists of HHH, Torrie Wilson, Batista, Chavo Guerrero, and John Cena. Over the course of the rest of the book, the reader is treated to Torrie trying to seduce one of the villains in the book, Chavo and Batista trying to break into the methamphetamine factory and hack into the director’s computer system, John Cena acting as a backup, and of course the main ‘hero’ on the team, HHH. In true McMahon fashion, the HHH character is the one to get the majority of the glory, he’s the character to emerge as the ‘star’ of the team, and he appears to be the most important superstar in WWE. Sounds like a situation right out of WWE creative. There is a cameo appearance (undercover, unbeknownst to even Vince) by Stone Cold Steve Austin as an agent who’s been undercover as a limo driver for the villain Torrie’s trying to seduce.
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The Vince McMahon Character in this book is a mixture of ‘Mr. McMahon’ and Vince McMahon the businessman. However, the writing makes his character out to be far more important than he actually is (at one point, Vince has the superstars break with what Mr. Thompson wants them to do, and follow what his directives for the meth lab operation are).
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All in all, if you have about $7 to spend on a paperback and want to read a novel that will make you laugh at times at the ego of Vince McMahon and the WWE-creative team type of plot development that only a WWE novel could have, then pick it up- if you want to read something that will last in your mind as a quality piece of reading- pass by Big Apple Takedown.. it’s worth a laugh, but in the end it’s not worth too much else… You can write Scott at fostersdf@gmail.com.
