"You will have a major positive vibe in your mind and body when you finish reading this book."
Living the "American Dream" is something everyone aspires to achieve. WWE Superstar TITUS O'NEIL has definitely achieved it ten fold. He has traveled the world and his positive outlook on life and philanthropy has affected thousands. He was an All-American HS Football player and graduated from the University of Florida before he joined World Wrestling Entertainment. But it almost never came to be reality. Because O'Neil (real name Thaddeus Bullard) faced major challenges in his youth that would derail anyone's dreams. One of the challenges was overcoming the dreaded "he's a bad kid" label that is placed on many children of all ethnic backgrounds. Things obviously worked out for him and its the catalyst for him telling people how he became the person he is today. The book is titled "THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A BAD KID: HOW I WENT FROM STEREOTYPE TO PROTOTYPE (August 6th release, ECW Press, 240pp, $27.95 US) and is co-written by Paul Guzzo.
There is so much to talk about and I don't want to spoil the journey. I will be upfront: this is a NOT a professional wrestling story filled book. Mr. Bullard/O'Neil brings it up in the work; if you came expecting in-depth stories about his career, you will be disappointed. I will say he does bring up the infamous slip and slide incident in Saudi Arabia.
Back to the big topic, Bullard grew up in south Florida and right from the start he was dealt a horrible hand by life that I cannot mention without getting emotional. Throughout his youth he was hit with that "bad kid" label despite doing well in school. Thanks to some intervention by school teachers and some youth outreach programs, Bullard got involved with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch. It was not a immediate natural fit for a black child from the mean streets of South Florida and Bullard outlines his struggles in sometimes stark detail. In case you are not getting the message, this is a story of coming from the one of the worst situations for someone of any skin color to the shining light.
With help from Mr. Guzzo, Bullard talks about the tools he uses to this day to make himself a positive person to his own children, the hundreds of millions of wrestling fans he sees on the road as well as the Tampa Bay community he calls home today. You will have a major positive vibe in your mind and body when you finish reading this book.
This book is on sale nationwide in stores as well as the normal online retailers. Thanks to Susannah Ames of ECW Press (www.ECWPress.com) and the WWE for giving the honor once again of reviewing their books. Follow Titus through social media on through @TitusOneilWWE. Follow me on social media @MyNameIsWojcik on Twitter and www.Facebook.com/MyNameisWojcik.
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