Celebrated weekly on WWF by such superstars and commentators as Y2J, Chris Benoit and Lance Storm, Stu Hart is the father of modern day wrestling. First a pro wrestler himself, and later the living legend who trained some of the most formidable athletes in the sport in his own basement, Hart and his family's story reveals the true triumphs and tragedies of professional wrestling. In this insider's account, readers will learn about the horrific death of Stu's son Owen, the rise and fall of his son Bret, and all of the colourful characters and moments in between.

In this thrilling memoir, the first son of wrestling steps out from behind the shadows of Calgary's fabled "Hart dungeon" to discuss his family and the cutthroat world of professional wrestling. Stories about growing up as Stu Hart's son and the brother of wrestling legends Bret "Hitman" Hart and Owen Hart offer insight into this wrestling dynasty and the close relationships with people such as Andre the Giant and Killer Kowalski. Detailing the rise of the family business and how it was destroyed by Vince MacMahon, how the tragic death of Owen rocked the family, and what really happened behind the scenes of the infamous "Montreal screwjob," this gripping tell-all also provides information on how wrestling should be booked and the toll steroids and other drugs have taken on those close to Hart. The perfect book for fans, this account is chock-full of inside-the-ring stories and wrestling gossip.

The wild blood-on-the-mat saga of the rise and fall of the infamous Stampede Wrestling company.

In his own words, Bret Hart’s honest, perceptive, startling account of his life in and out of the pro wrestling ring. The sixth-born son of the pro wrestling dynasty founded by Stu Hart and his elegant wife, Helen, Bret Hart is a Canadian icon. As a teenager, he could have been an amateur wrestling Olympic contender, but instead he turned to the family business, climbing into the ring for his dad’s western circuit, Stampede Wrestling. From his early twenties until he retired at 43, Hart kept an audio diary, recording stories of the wrestling life, the relentless travel, the practical jokes, the sex and drugs, and the real rivalries (as opposed to the staged ones). The result is an intimate, no-holds-barred account that will keep readers, not just wrestling fans, riveted. Hart achieved superstardom in pink tights, and won multiple wrestling belts in multiple territories, for both the WWF (now the WWE) and WCW. But he also paid the price in betrayals (most famously by Vince McMahon, a man he had served loyally); in tragic deaths, including the loss of his brother Owen, who died when a stunt went terribly wrong; and in his own massive stroke, most likely resulting from a concussion he received in the ring, and from which, with the spirit of a true champion, he has battled back. Widely considered by his peers as one of the business’s best technicians and workers, Hart describes pro wrestling as part dancing, part acting, and part dangerous physical pursuit. He is proud that in all his years in the ring he never seriously hurt a single wrestler, yet did his utmost to deliver to his fans an experience as credible as it was exciting. He also records the incredible toll the business takes on its workhorses: he estimates that twenty or more of the wrestlers he was regularly matched with have died young, weakened by their own coping mechanisms, namely drugs, alcohol, and steroids. That toll included his own brother-in-law, Davey Boy Smith. No one has ever written about wrestling like Bret Hart. No one has ever lived a life like Bret Hart’s. For as long as I can remember, my world was filled with liars and bullshitters, losers and pretenders, but I also saw the good side of pro wrestling. To me there is something bordering on beautiful about a brotherhood of big tough men who pretended to hurt one another for a living instead of actually doing it. Any idiot can hurt someone. —from Hitman

Owen's wife Martha, tells the story of their life together from the days as high school sweethearts, through Owen's rise to fame in the WWF.

Wrestling is real. It is an actual world, with real people and real lives. It is a world of superstars and egos, a world of money and greed, of family and fame and yet a place where tragedy and misery are all too common. It is a world far from the media and television cameras. It is a world far from the spectators and the commercialism, and it is the only world Diana Hart has ever known. It is the other side of the sport, the side beyond the lights, the side under the mat, where the real stories rest, hidden from the cameras, hidden from the fans and known to only those who live it each day. Diana Hart, a Calgary native, was born into a family where the world of wrestling was unavoidable. Her father Stu was a wrestling legend, her brother Brett The Hitman became one of the sports most notorious names, her brother Owen, another wrestling star was killed in the ring while performing an unsafe stunt. Her ex-husband, Davey Boy Smith was one half of the famous wrestling tag team, the British Bulldogs and her friends include the likes of Stone ColdSteve Austin, Hulk Hogan and The Rock. Her childhood baby sitter was Andre the Giant and her fathers friends who visited her childhood home included names like Mohammad Ali. Under the Mat recounts Dianas life, growing up in the Hart home, being sister to Owen and Brett, witnessing their rise to fame and the terrible tragedy, which claimed her younger brothers life. She remembers her father training some of the WWFs and WCWs biggest names in her familys basement gym and recounts their tales to stardom. Her story is the closest true-life account of the real world of professional wrestling and will prove to be the biggest, most sought after book this fall.

Calgary's Stampede Wrestling spawned some of the biggest wrestling stars in history, from mat kings of the past like Gene Kiniski and Superstar Billy Graham to modern idols like Bret "Hitman" Hart, the British Bulldogs, and Chris Benoit. Pain and Passion tells how a small, family-run wrestling business profoundly influenced the world of professional wrestling as we know it today. Pain and Passion takes readers on a rowdy ride through the evolution of Stu Hart's Calgary promotion, from its meagre beginnings in the 1940s, its peak in the 1980s, and its fall as Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Entertainment changed the face of wrestling forever. But this is more than a wrestling story - it's a tale of family and of human tragedy. The Hart family lived for the wrestling business and, like Starbucks mowing down a mom-and-pop coffee shop, the emergence of McMahon's media colossus ran Stampede into the ground. The wrestling game lost its innocence and western Canada lost a staple of its pop culture. As for the Hart family, the once-mighty clan was nearly destroyed by the business it loved. The Stampede Wrestling story is a wild blood-on-the-mat saga over fifty years in the making. It's sure to captivate not only wrestling fans, but anyone who appreciates a powerful drama.

The story of Sylvester Ritter is finally told.

"Entertaining . . .an insightful and funny observer of pro wrestling's universe." -- Publishers Weekly In this insightful, riveting book, Jericho takes us into WWE wrestling arenas around the world as he details his classic rivalries with The Rock, Steve Austin, HHH, Shawn Michaels, and John Cena, along with all the politics and backstage machinations he faced outside the ring. Chris recounts his hilarious escapades of breaking in with the Hollywood elite via doomed auditions, short-lived reality shows, made-for-television movies, and red-carpet interviewing fiascos. Jam packed with CJ's trademark self-effacing humor, one-of-a-kind writing style, and ridiculous random encounters with everyone from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Axl Rose, and Wayne Gretzky to Paul McCartney, and Howard Stern, Undisputed is one of a rare breed-a sequel that might be better than the original.

Wrestling as a legitimate contest is one of the oldest, if not the oldest form of sport. There are cave drawings depicting memorable matches in France, which are over 15,000 years old. Egyptian and Babylonian reliefs depict wrestling bouts where wrestlers are using most of the holds known to the modern-day sport. Wrestling was also a big part of ancient Greek literature and legend and historical records of sport indicate that wrestling under various sets of rules was contested at the Ancient Olympic Games in Greece. Today’s modern wrestling is a form of "sports entertainment" in which highly skilled athletes enact wrestling matches in such a way so that their opponents do not get hurt and the matches' endings are scripted (although the audience is not aware of the script). This Historical Dictionary of Wrestling covers the history of Wrestling through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 600 cross-referenced entries on important amateur and professional wrestling, wrestling personalities, announcers, managers and promoters from all eras, and wrestling organizations. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the sport of Wrestling.