The latest edition of the Pro Wrestling Illustrated Podcast features a candid interview with Jon Chattman, ghost writer of Jimmy Snuka’s 2012 autobiography, “Superfly: The Jimmy Snuka Story.”
In his interview with PWI Senior Writer Al Castle, Chattman, a Huffington Post contributor and proprietor of ThisIsASides.com, discussed collaborating with Snuka on the book, which was instrumental in authorities re-opening their investigation into the 1983 death of Snuka’s girlfriend, Nancy Argentino.
“I didn’t push him at all. Right from the get-go, the one constant with Jimmy was he kept saying, ‘I want the truth. I want the whole story.’ It was never one of those deals where, ‘We must put this in,’” Chattman recalled. “In terms of the Nancy situation, I asked him the question a couple times. I went online and there was a lot of stuff that I also heard that I took to him. And his story never wavered. And the way it’s in the book is the way it was told to me.”
In the book, Chattman and Snuka explained how Argentino said she fell and hit her head during a rest stop in a road trip, and later died. Prosecutors accused Snuka of beating Argentino to death, and indicted him in 2015 on third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter charges. Weeks before his death, a Pennsylvania judge dismissed the charges because of Snuka’s poor health.
Chattman said that while the criminal charges left a “blemish” on Snuka’s legacy, he does not think they should define it.
“I don’t think it’s Chris Benoit. I’ll say that much. I don’t think you erase him from memory,” Chattman said. “All I’ll say is I think his legacy is intact. Ultimately, you look at what he did in the ring and it’s remarkable. And he was an innovator and he inspired so many people. But it’s a touchy subject. It’s hard because we’re talking about a human life that passed away. Me, personally—if you ask me, ‘Do you think Jimmy did it?’ No. I met him and he was the kindest man possible. I just look at the whole thing as a shame, because there’s a loss of human life there.”
In the interview, Chattman also discusses the challenges of getting Snuka to recollect his history, what Snuka was the most proud of, and how he feels about his book being largely remembered for what he wrote about the Argentino incident.
Also on the PWI Podcast, Castle previews the new PWI mobile app and takes an early look at the WrestleMania 33 card. The entire podcast can be streamed at pwi-online.com or downloaded on iTunes.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
