BOOK REVIEW: “Chris Candido – No Gimmicks Needed”
By: Brandon Sears
Written by author John Cosper and Jonny Candido, NO GIMMICKS NEEDED looks back at the life and career of the late Chris Candido.
Chris fell in love with professional wrestling from an early age. This increased ten-fold following his parents’ divorce when his father married the daughter of WWWF performer Popeye Richards. Once Richards began taking Chris to shows, he was able to go backstage and meet some of his heroes. After that, he became laser-focused on making wrestling his only goal.
Although Cosper spent time talking to many of those who worked alongside Chris, having Chris’ brother Jonny as co-author is the true strength of the book. Jonny was the closest person to Chris and was able to provide a lot of insight into Chris’ personal life. Jonny wrote about Chris’ childhood bedroom and how it had become a shrine to wrestling. Chris had piles of tapes and magazines that he had obsessively categorized; he even had stacks of journals where he would book WWF’s programming for months and years in advance. He even went so far as to create mock-schedules for himself for when he would become a professional wrestler booking himself in arenas in Japan and all over the world.
At the age of fourteen, Chris created his own backyard promotion, EKWF (Eastern Kids Wrestling Federation), and would enroll in classes at Larry Sharpe’s Monster Factory school. While he would begin regularly working independent shows a few years later, Chris would become increasingly desperate for additional ring time. Chris would follow the touring schedule of WCW, driving to wherever they were performing to both help the crew and get some extra time between the ropes.
It’s around this time that Tammy Lynn Sytch enters into Chris’ life. It would be an understatement to say that she is not looked upon fondly here. While together they would achieve a great deal of success professionally – and you could even argue that Chris may not have hit the heights he did in the WWF without her – it’s clear that their personal life together had a much deeper impact on their longevity than their professional partnership.
Chris’ time working under Jim Cornette in Smokey Mountain Wrestling carried some of the book’s best moments. Cornette would be responsible for reigning in and refining Chris’ style by showing him how to adapt his work for specific promotions and crowds. Candido had arrived in SMW with ambitious ideas for spectacular, high-flying matches but would quickly learn that the promotion’s fans were more familiar with more of a brawling style rather than an athletic showcase. Chris was able to develop a better character and grow as a heel performer without putting as much wear and tear on his body.
This style would allow him to easily transition into a role within the WWF once Vince McMahon came calling with an offer for both Chris and Tammy. While Chris’ newfound fame and fortune would certainly lead to a more comfortable life in one aspect, it would also accelerate what would become a debilitating drug addiction. Chris’ dependency on muscle relaxers (Somas) alongside Tammy’s own drug use and infidelity as well as Chris’ diminished role on the roster would lead to him asking for his release after only a year and a half in the company.
After arriving in ECW, Chris would shy away from his more comedic-based character and reinvent himself as a member of one of the company’s top factions, The Triple Threat. Here, Chris would be given the nickname, “No Gimmicks Needed” and begin working a more athletic, hard-hitting style that provided a spotlight on his technical ability. Unfortunately for Chris, while his career had been firing on all cylinders, his personal life would continue to suffer due to his addictions. From here, the book seemingly makes its case for its own episode of Dark Side of the Ring when examining Chris and Tammy’s doomed relationship and out-of-control partying. Their own toxic behavior brought out the worst in one another.
It would take a failed run in WCW and a return to the independents where Chris would frequently no-show or arrive in absolutely no condition to perform for Chris to truly wake up and make a serious effort to get clean. While he was never able to get himself clear of Tammy, he was able to make a comeback to the Candido of old, even if it did take a lot of work on his part to convince his peers he had truly kicked the habit.
Tragically, just as Chris had been gaining momentum, his life was tragically cut short following a blood clot after surgery to repair his tibia and fibula due to a freak accident in the ring. Chris’ death would unleash a shockwave of grief throughout the industry. At only thirty-three, Chris fought hard to restore his reputation and give back to the new generation of talent on the rise. Chris had so much left to give as both a performer and a mentor that it’s easy to see what sort of an effect he could have had on the business had he not passed away so young.
If No Gimmicks Needed has taught me anything, it is that Chris was beloved by all who knew him. You would be hard-pressed to find a negative word said about Chris, even when he was at his most self-destructive. Candido often said he was his happiest when he was in the ring, which is easy to believe given how difficult his personal life turned out to be. Chris wasn’t one to complain about having to put someone over or work hard to build up his peers. There need to be more people like Candido in the wrestling business; performers without an ego who leave behind a wealth of memories for all who happened to know them.
Chris Candido – No Gimmicks Needed by Jonny Candido & John Cosper is available on Amazon.
