Life Is Short, And So Am I
My Life Inside, Outside, and Under The Wrestling Ring
Dylan "Hornswoggle" Postl, with Ross Owen Williams and Ian Douglass
Published: 2019
Pages: 286
Synopsis: Documenting the unique career of former WWE star Hornwsoggle.
The entire roster was brought in to Raw in Green Bay for the big reveal; no one had any idea who it was going to be. I figured it would just be another day at work but iud-afternoon, as rehearsal was about to start, Vince's right-hand man Bruce Prchard told me to meet him backstage. When I got there, the first thing he did was demand my phone. I could tell from his expression, he was dead serious, so I handed it over. Then he said the words that changed my life: "You're Vince's son."
The big reveal was going to be me. All I could do was stare at him blankly and mumble, "Why?"
"What does you mean, why?" Bruce replied. "You're going to be in a storyline with the boss. Don't question it!"
I asked if I could have my phone back and was told I'd get it back after the show. The office was determined to keep the identity of Vince's son a secret and didn't want any risk of the news getting onto the internet. I told Bruce I understood but if I was going to be featured in the main event on Raw in my home state, I wanted to ask my dad, Anne, and her mom to be there. Bruce agreed to have complimentary tickets for them and watched me like a hawk when I texted, asking them to come to the show that evening. Then he took my phone away again.
Throughout his WWE run, Hornswoggle was primarily used for laughs... but that doesn't mean he's a joke, by any stretch. In fact, after reading his book Life Is Short, And So Am I: My Life Inside, Outside and Under the Wrestling Ring, I have a much better appreciation for someone who chased his dreams and, despite facing overwhelming odds, succeeded.
We begin with Dylan Postl's very sad upbringing, in which a rough family life -- including the suicide of his half-brother -- eventually brought him closer to his father (and no, we don't mean Mr. McMahon or Finlay). While he dealt with surgeries and the quirks of dealing with a shorter stature than his friends, one of the main things to keep him motivated was his love of professional wrestling.
Getting started as a backyard wrestler, Postl was eventually trained by fellow Wisconsin native Ken Anderson (a/k/a WWE's Mr. Kennedy) and hit the indy circuit. Just a couple of years into his indy career, he was signed by WWE to be Little Bastard, the sidekick of Finlay that would eventually become known as Hornswoggle.
Learning about the protocols for hiding under the ring until the exact right moment during a match is interesting, but equally interesting is Postl's experiences, both positive and negative, in acclimating to the WWE roster. Some competitors, including Kofi Kingston and Brian Myers, were great to him, while others including CM Punk were less so.
In addition to seconding Finlay, Hornswoggle took part in a lot of memorable television moments, including a run as Cruiserweight Champion, becoming McMahon's "surprise" son, joining D-Generation X and the memorable Wee LC match against El Torito on pay-per-view. We get to read about all these moments in great detail.
As well, there are references to Postl's endeavors outside of the ring, including his film appearances in Leprechaun: Origins and Muppet's Most Wanted, and his post-WWE career as a hometown promoter, something he continues with to this day.
Apparent through the entire book is Postl's love of his family, including his father, stepmom and son Landon. This adds a very welcome dimension to the book and really takes us beyond the wrestling performer.
Overall Rating: Oh Hell Yeah! This is a fun read, punctuated by some great anecdotes and details that most wrestling books tend to skim over. Well worth your time.