Established in the 1940s by the legendary Stu Hart, Stampede Wrestling was a founding wrestling company that was highly influential. This dramatic account follows Stampede’s blood-on-the-mat saga of more than 50 years, from its grassroots beginnings in Calgary to its rise and bitter fall. Despite hosting some of the biggest names in the sport and developing many modern day wrestling staples, such as ladder matches, the emergence in the 1980s of the wildly popular WWE ultimately doomed the Stampede league to closure. The Hart family crumbled along with the league, with son Owen dying in the ring and other members torn apart by begrudging feuds and internal strife. Full of violence, sex, and drugs, this is a gripping tale of the birth of professional wrestling.
Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling
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Editorial Reviews
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"I couldn't put the book down. . . . Brutally honest, its depth, getting into so many of the key personalities and stories, is amazing." —Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer
"McCoy deftly resurrects the iconic status that Stu Hart's family once enjoyed among wrestling fans worldwide. . . . A wild blood-on-the-mat saga and a powerful drama that will captivate readers." —Miami Herald
"I can't say enough good things about [this book]. This is easily one of the top five wrestling books of all time and I recommend everyone pick up a copy today and read it. You will love it just as much as I did." —Online World of Wrestling
"Throughout the tale, you meet wild and wacky characters like the McGuire brothers tag team, who made the Guinness World Book of Records as the world's heaviest twins. . . . Or a guy who tried to drink Canada dry (not easy considering the size of Canada) and a man who kept a bear in his house until one day he forgot to lock the cage!" —NY Daily News
"Riveting story detailing the rise, fall, and rebirth of the Hart wrestling dynasty." —About.com
"An excellent read, well-researched, wonderfully written . . . and brutally honest, balanced and filled with real passion. . . . A must-read." —411mania.com
"[This] collection of stories has been widely considered as the most in-depth coverage of the territory." —SLAM! Sports
"The title says it all and this book delivers." —thefightnetwork.com
About the Author
Heath McCoy is a pop culture reporter and rock critic for the Calgary Herald. His coverage of Stampede Wrestling won a Western Canadian Magazine Award. He lives in Calgary, Alberta.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
How the city of Calgary influenced pro-wrestling.,
By Brad from OWW "http://www.onlineworldofwrestl... (Nova Scotia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling (Paperback)
This is the October 2007 rerelease of one of the greatest wrestling books ever written. It was originally published two years ago, but ECW Press struck a deal to publish it once more with a brand new cover design and an additional bonus chapter focusing on various important Stampede-related developments. Author Heath McCoy brings us up-to-date on Bret Hart's WWE Hall of Fame induction, the uprising of the third generation Hart family members signing with the WWE and the horrific events that unfolded at the Benoit household on June 25, 2007 that became known as "Wrestling's Darkest Day."
To wrestling fans around the world, the city of Calgary represents the home base of a promotion known for producing some of the greatest stars the industry has ever seen. Men like "Dynamite Kid" Tom Billington, "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, "Bad News" Allen Coage, "Flyin'" Brian Pillman, "The Rocket" Owen Hart, and of course WWE Hall of Famer Bret "The Hitman" Hart are at the top of the list of distinguished Stampede alumni. That list is long and glorious and full of big names that, even though did not achieve mega-stardom, played a dramatic role in one of the most under-rated and often-sheltered territories in the world of pro-wrestling. The show was run by one of the most beloved men in wrestling history, the tough-as-nails patriarch of the Hart family, Mr. Stu Hart. Along with his devoted wife, Helen, Stu assembled a roster of stars that prominently featured many of his own sons. The Hart family was the "heart" of the promotion, but the endless parade of heels that came in to face the Harts (and their allies) was definitely the blood that ran through its veins. Stampede was a promotion known for its heat, its pride, and its passion. Calgary Herald writer Heath McCoy has put together the most thorough book about any single wrestling topic that I have ever come across. His dedication to the project is what makes all 296 pages (bumped to 333 pages in the 2007 rerelease) in this book so fascinating. McCoy researched Stampede's history for (I'm guessing) well over a year and pieced together everything from beginning to end hitting all points in between. I was happy to see that McCoy made a point of not stroking anybody's ego when discussing the many personalities that competed inside of the blood-stained Stampede ring. There were plenty of positive and negative things to say about all the Hart brothers. Pain & Passion isn't just the story of Stampede wrestling. It also deals with the tumultuous history of the Hart family. Towards the end of the book, I started to get the impression that "Pain & Passion" referred to the two loves of Stu's life; Wrestling & Family. The author goes all the way back to Stu's youth, growing up in the prairies, and follows him as he finds his way into the wrestling, and eventually meeting his future wife on a beach in New York. You will also read chapters about the Hart kids growing up, the death of Owen Hart, the inevitable division of Hart's loyalties, the new generation of Hart kids, and so much more. Rating: 9.5/10 -- I can't say enough good things about "Pain & Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling." This is easily one of the top five wrestling books of all time and I recommend everyone pick up a copy today and read it. You will love it just as much as I did.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating even if you aren't a wrestling fan...,
This review is from: Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling (Paperback)
Great book if you are interested in reading a wrestling book written very much like a historical text. The author is very comprehensive and detailed, alhough slightly biased at times, especially when comparing the Harts to outside entities. However this is a very meaty, pithy book with lots of new information in an age where regurgitation is the norm. Highly recommended for any wrestling fan who enjoys learning more about the subject.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very good book,
By
This review is from: Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling (Paperback)
A interesting story about the rise, fall & tragedy of stampede wrestling. It's sad that tragedy, money & greed tore this family apart.
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