Between 2014 and 2016, author James Dixon penned his TITAN TRILOGY; three books (TITAN SINKING, TITAN SHATTERED, AND TITAN SCREWED) chronicling the WWF in the years 1995 through 1997, arguably the most transformative years in the wrestling industry outside of the collapse of the territorial system in the 1980s.
Following a ten-year break, Dixon has returned with the first book in a new trilogy, TITAN SHRINKING. This time around, Dixon is looking at the year 1992, with two more books set to follow, looking at 1993 and 1994, respectively.
The year 1992 saw massive change within Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation. Rocked by simultaneous scandals involving steroids as well as sexual misconduct, McMahon had also tried his hand at launching a doomed bodybuilding organization (the WBF), promoting the first overseas major pay-per-view event (Summerslam ’92) as well as the transition from the slower, more plodding style of the 1980s, to the younger and faster style that would set the course for the 90s and beyond.
Thanks to popular programs like Dark Side of the Ring and the Vince McMahon documentary series on Netflix, even the casual fan may be aware of subjects like the steroid scandal or the ring boy scandal, so for hardcore fans, it may be difficult to unearth bits of new and shocking information. However, by focusing solely on a single year, Dixon painstakingly digs through every shred of news that arose over a period of twelve months. There were certainly things here that I could not remember hearing about, like Sid Eudy’s failed drug test before WrestleMania, Jake Roberts’ planned retirement to join the creative team, McMahon losing a lawsuit to a Milwaukee-based regional promotion resulting in a television show name-change, as well as, but on a lesser scale, some of the rejected names for the regrettable Max Moon character (Moe Leckulor made me laugh out loud).
The ring boy scandal is covered in depth here, as it had resurfaced following the release of the 2024 Vince McMahon documentary on Netflix. Recently, after the Maryland Child Victims Act removed the statute of limitations, several John Does came forward to open a new lawsuit against WWE, TKO Holdings, as well as both Vince and Linda McMahon. In the book, Dixon examines all that occurred, as well as a blow-by-blow recap of Vince McMahon’s disastrous appearances on both Larry King Live and Donahue in an effort to save face.
Given the scope and seriousness of the steroid scandal, one has to wonder if Vince ever would have pivoted to a Bret Hart or given a shine to someone like Shawn Michaels if the Federal Government hadn’t ultimately forced his hand. McMahon had at least been looking at a successor to Hulk Hogan for quite some time (Ultimate Warrior being one), but thanks to Hogan’s ill-advised appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show as well as his waning popularity, it made sense to go in another direction. Dixon discusses at length Hogan’s decision to step away from Titan following the boos he received at the ‘92 Royal Rumble, something that had reportedly really rattled him, and the ultimate decision to move forward with Bret Hart, someone McMahon viewed as a dependable, solid hand who would work hard for the company.
James does a fantastic job running down a transitional year for Vince McMahon’s WWF. The book essentially runs in chronological order throughout 1992 with slight diversions to fill in backstory or add more context to a specific event, such as linking Marty Jannetty’s 1993 return to Shawn Michaels’ 1992 heel turn. All the big touchpoints of the year are covered, including all of the “Big Four” pay-per-views, with special attention paid to WrestleMania VIII, as well as the aforementioned Summerslam ‘92 at Wembley Stadium.
Apart from countless hours of research through books, television and podcast interviews, documentary releases, and articles, James was able to use previously completed interviews he had conducted with those who lived through the era including John Nord (Berzerker), Barry Darsow (Smash/Repo Man), Brian Knight (Axl Rotton), Harvey Goldsmith (brother to promoter Martin Goldsmith), J.J.Dillon, Lanny Poffo, Marc Mero, Sgt. Slaughter, and Ted Dibiase.
I really can’t heap enough praise on this book. I’m a big fan of James’ work and wasn’t sure if he’d ever return to this time period. Not only am I happy to see that he has, I’m also enthusiastic to see what he conjures up for his next two releases.
Titan Shrinking: How Wrestling’s Muscle Lost Its Power by James Dixon is available now on Amazon
