2015 Reading Challenge Book 055 Pain and Passion the history of Stampede Wrestling

TITLE-Pain and Passion the history of Stampede Wrestling Revised and expanded edition
AUTHOR-Heath McCoy
FORMAT-Paperback
FIRST TIME READING-Yes
PRICE-$5

I had been wanting to read this book for a few years. But the $20 price for a paperback kept me from buying it. Then a few weeks back I was at a outdoor Indy wrestling show,Powerslam Productions Slamfest 4,and on the gimmick table was stacks of wrestling books. Ended up grabbing this one and 2 others.

Before reading the book I knew a bit about Stampede. But not that much. Mostly cause I haven't seen much Stampede footage. Stampede was a Calgary based wrestling territory. Ran by Stu Hart and his family. It lasted for decades and produced some of the most technically sound wrestlers of the modern era.

But with anything that last a long time there will be the good and the bad. And sadly nowadays Stampede is remembered more for the bad than the good.

It seems cause of the long harsh trips the wrestlers loved to play ribs AKA practical jokes on each other. And Stampede developed a rep as having some of the worst ribs of any territory in North America.

The author works for a major Calgary newspaper. And his research into the history of Stampede is amazing. So many stories are told that I had never heard before. And you can tell he spent weeks talking to the various living members of the Hart family.

So if you have any interest in the territory days of wrestling this is a book worth tracking down.

Pain & Passion gets a 4.13 outta 5

2015 Reading Challenge Book 031 My Life in Wrestling by Playboy Gary Hart

TITLE-My life in wrestling
AUTHOR-Playboy Gary Hart
FORMAT-E book
FIRST TIME READING-Yes
COST-free

Ok first thing this book is out of print and selling for around $400 as of this writing. The co-author refuses to allow it to go back into print or releasing an e book version. Even after seeing how much demand there is for the book. When it first came out I was having money issues so didn't buy a copy. Figuring I could just wait a year or so and grab a used copy. Then about 3 weeks ago a e book version of the first draft of the book leaked out. Since I can not afford to pay $400 for a book I got the e book file.After reading it I am even more mad that it looks like this book will never go back into print.

I got to see lots of Gary Hart when he was in WCCW. And knew about his runs in JCP. But had no idea he had worked all over the world. With stints in Australia and Canada.

The book starts out with a young Hart discovering wrestling. Then he ends up getting involved with the Chicago mafia. He manages to get out of the area before anything majorly bad happens to him. I love how candid Gary is about this part of his life.

From there we get a great look behind the scenes at all kinds of territories.And as expected his behind the scenes stories from World Class are the highlight. I had heard about how wild the World Class locker room was. But after reading Hart's book I found out what I had heard wasn't even half of what was going on.Of course there is lots of stories of the Von Erich boys partying and drug use. And since Gary managed him we get all kinds of Gino Hernandez stories.

I have read around 13 wrestler bios. With Foley's first book,Jericho's first book and Bob Holly's being my faves. This book quickly jumped up to the front of that list. Gary pulls no punches. Gary is as hard on himself as he is on everyone else.

Now a few words about the e book copy. Since it is from the first draft,there is  a few changes between this and the actual printed version. Chapter 12 is missing from my copy. Which I am told deals with the first airplane crash Hart was in. Supposedly a few things in the chapter about Gary working with the Chicago mob are changed. Talking to people that have read both versions I keep getting told that while this first draft is really good,the final printed version is amazing.

As for how after all these years the first draft got leaked. I have heard that before the book was published Gary and his family sent out the first draft to prospective publishers. Most people seem to think that is how this version leaked. With a few people thinking it is someone inside the WWE that leaked it. I first heard about the leak at a wrestling forum I have been reading for 15 years. Someone mentioned reading it. So I PMed them asking where to find a copy. They sent me a link to where I could download it. The next day I mentioned to some friends at another forum about the book. Sent them a copy. And the next day the file showed up at a major wrestling torrent site.

Normally with stuff that has been legally released I prefer to get a legal copy. But unless a new printing of the book happens,this e book version is the only affordable way to read what I think is one of the best wrestling biographies.

My Life in Wrestling gets a 4.75 outta 5.