Review Fix chats with author Jason Norman, who discusses his collaboration with pro wrestling legend Barry Horowitz on ‘My Life on the Wrong Side of the Three-Count.’
About ‘Wrestling Is My Gimmick: My Life on the Wrong Side of the Three-Count’:
For someone whose career spanned nearly four decades, Barry Horowitz might have the lowest winning percentage in professional wrestling history. But there’s a reason why his name reached household levels among fans of the sport. Wrestlers who put on a deliberate losing performance (known as “jobbers”) provide the starting points for the game’s top names, and Horowitz was always there to help every new generation of talent rise to the next level. He took all the moves. He made them all look good. He absorbed every pin and submission. And then he came back to do it for someone else. From the local federations in Florida to years in the World Wrestling Federation, Horowitz helped launch the careers of wrestlers from Ric Flair to the Ultimate Warrior to Kane to Bill Goldberg, and everyone in between.
This book presents the life and career of Barry Horowitz. From his life outside the ring to his storied career in professional wrestling’s most unsung role, this biography hopes to shed light on why Horowitz was so committed to an industry who sometimes failed to return the favor. From Horowitz comes a tale of defining one’s own success and doing the best for the toughest of businesses–and about becoming a cornerstone in a part of pro wrestling that’s commonly underrated, but an integral part of the trade!
About Jason Norman:
An award-winning journalist and lifelong wrestling fan, Jason Norman teaches college English in southeastern Virginia.
Review Fix: How did you meet Barry?
Jason Norman: On Facebook in 2022. Physically, at a comic/card convention in Virginia Beach in 2024. We had been talking online since 2023.
Review Fix: How familiar were you with his work before you met him?
Norman: Very. I was a lifelong wrestling fan, with a brief stoppage after the Chris Benoit murders in 2007.
Review Fix: What was the interview process like?
Norman: Very simple. He talked openly about everything. Most of the people I tried to contact – repeated, most! – were helpful as well.
Review Fix: What did you learn that you weren’t expecting?
Norman: I certainly wasn’t aware of the story of losing his daughter. What a horrible tragedy.
Review Fix: What’s your favorite Barry story?
Norman: I really liked writing about his time in Global and the push he got in the WWF in the 90s.
Review Fix: What’s the tone of the book?
Norman: Very humorous and informative.
Review Fix: Who will enjoy it the most?
Norman: Wrestling fans who are looking for the story of people like Barry, who form the jumping-off point for so many others in the business.
Review Fix: What’s next?
Norman: Hopefully the autobiography of Mickie Knuckles, the queen of hardcore death matches. I’m about 95% done with it.
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