From the Publisher
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
From the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
Though Bret Hart is now retired from wrestling, he is recognized
around the world as one of pro wrestling's all time greats. In 2006
he was inducted into both the WWE Hall of Fame and the Geroge
Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. His appeal
also transcends pro wrestling; Hart was voted one of the top fifty
Canadians of all time in the CBC's Greatest Canadians series. He
recently completed a cross-Canada tour reprising his role as The
Genie in Aladdin.
From the Hardcover edition.