Brody

A fascinating history of one of the hottest wrestling territories of all time

Montreal was the proving ground for some of the biggest names in wrestling, including Andre the Giant, Abdullah the Butcher, and the infamous Mad Dog Vachon; it was the site of the first midget battle ever; and made famous worldwide for the infamous Survivor Series screw job that saw Vince McMahon, the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels, and Bret Hart create the “attitude” that reshaped the business. Mad Dogs, Midgets and Screw Jobs is the ultimate guide to Montreal’s legendary place in professional wrestling history.

Get the lowdown on all the major wrestlers who made their name in the territory, from Yvon Robert, the Rougeaus, and Gino Brito to Édouard Carpentier. With a detailed account of the promotional war between the Rougeaus’ AllStar Wrestling and the Vachons’ Grand Prix, a complete history of how wrestling developed on Montreal TV, and an investigation of the murder of Dino Bravo, this book demonstrates how much of what has happened in wrestling, just may have happened first in Montreal.

To wrestling fans, the Nature Boy is a platinum-blond deity, a sixteen-time world champion who accurately boasted that he could have a five-star match with a broom. No matter how limited the opponent, Flair had the skill and determination to bounce all over the mat, transforming his rival into a star. When the camera light went on, "Slick Ric" could convince viewers that, if they missed an upcoming match, a momentous life experience would pass them by. Flair's opponents were challenged with this simple taunt: "To be the man, you have to beat the man."

Away from the arena, Richard Morgan Fliehr spent years struggling with his own concept of what it meant to be a man. He suffered periods of crushing self-doubt, marital strife and—in a profession where there was room for only one Ric Flair—broken friendships.

Ric Flair: To Be the Man, cowritten with Keith Elliot Greenberg, chronicles the anguish and exhilaration of Flair's life and career—in painfully honest detail. In addition to his own words, Flair's story is enriched by anecdotes from ring greats like Superstar Billy Graham, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Harley Race, Sgt. Slaughter, David Crockett, Arn Anderson, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, "Mean" Gene Okerlund, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Undertaker and Brock Lesnar.