At the intersection of sport, entertainment and performance, wrestling occupies a unique position in British popular culture. This is the first book to offer a detailed historical and cultural analysis of British professional wrestling, exploring the shifting popularity of the sport as well as its wider social significance. Arguing that the history of professional wrestling can help us understand key themes in sport, culture and performance that span the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, it addresses topics such as: attitudes towards violence, representations of masculinity, the media and celebrity culture, consumerism and globalisation. By drawing on a variety of intellectual traditions and disciplines, the book explores the role of power in the development of popular cultural forms, the ways in which history structures the present, and the manner in which audiences construct identity and meaning through sport. Wrestling in Britain: Sporting Entertainments, Celebrity and Audiences is fascinating reading for all students and researchers with an interest in media and cultural studies, histories and sociologies of sport, or performance studies.

You may have cheered for New Jack. You may have booed him out of the building. You may have even feared him at times. But until now, you've never really known The Most Dangerous Man in Wrestling. For the first time, the man born Jerome Young opens up about how he became one of the stars who enabled Extreme Championship Wrestling to make a permanent mark on the professional landscape. His crazed dives off balconies and scaffolds; his bloody, weapon-filled mat wars that trampled the line between reality and entertainment-this memoir reveals the perspective of the man at the center of them all and includes new disclosures about the infamous incidents with Mass Transit, Gypsy Joe, and the stabbing of a fellow wrestler in Florida. Beyond the gimmicks that united white supremacists and the NAACP against him and his fellow performers, New Jack candidly discusses the violence in his youth that nearly led him to a career in crime, his past as a bounty hunter, a near-fatal drug addiction, the last months of ECW, and his place in wrestling history.

Introduced in the Pacific Northwest in 1883, professional wrestling's long and storied history in the region has contributed significantly to its culture. This entertaining account of the wrestling industry in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia provides a comprehensive account of more than 130 years of events in the ring and behind the scenes. The author draws connections between developments in wrestling and the changing identity of the Pacific Northwest.

Professional wrestling is one of the most popular performance practices in the United States and around the world, drawing millions of spectators to live events and televised broadcasts. The displays of violence, simulated and actual, may be the obvious appeal, but that is just the beginning. Fans debate performance choices with as much energy as they argue about their favorite wrestlers. The ongoing scenarios and presentations of manly and not-so-manly characters-from the flamboyantly feminine to the hypermasculine-simultaneously celebrate and critique, parody and affirm the American dream and the masculine ideal. Sharon Mazer looks at the world of professional wrestling from a fan's-eye-view high in the stands and from ringside in the wrestlers' gym. She investigates how performances are constructed and sold to spectators, both on a local level and in the "big leagues" of the WWF/E. She shares a close-up view of a group of wrestlers as they work out, get their faces pushed to the mat as part of their initiation into the fraternity of the ring, and dream of stardom. In later chapters, Mazer explores professional wrestling's carnivalesque presentation of masculinities ranging from the cute to the brute, as well as the way in which the performances of women wrestlers often enter into the realm of pornographic. Finally, she explores the question of the "real" and the "fake" as the fans themselves confront it. First published in 1998, this new edition of Professional Wrestling: Sport and Spectacle both preserves the original's snapshot of the wrestling scene of the 1980s and 1990s and features an up-to-date perspective on the current state of play.

This book examines how the current era of "convergence" has affected, and is reflected in, the world of professional wrestling, which combines several different genres, including drama, action, comedy, horror, science fiction, and even romance. Professional wrestling's business practices exist at the intersection of bottom-up fan-centric strategies and strict top-down corporate control. Meanwhile, the wrestlers themselves combine aspects of carnival hucksters, actors/actresses, comedians, superheroes, martial artists, or stuntmen, and the narratives consist of everything from social critique to geopolitical allegories, and from soap opera melodramas to stereotyped exploitation. Bringing together the latest scholarship in the field, Convergent Wrestling analyzes various texts, business practices, and fan activities to explore the commonalities that define professional wrestling and consider how it exists in today's new media ecology. In addition, the book considers the professional wrestling industry from several different angles, from massive multinational conglomerate World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) to local indie federations. As such, it will appeal to scholars with interests in popular culture, media and cultural studies, and fan practices.

Mick Foley is a nice man, a family man who loves amusement parks and eating ice cream in bed. So how to explain those Japanese death matches in rings with explosives, golden thumbtacks and barbed wire instead of rope? The second-degree burn tissue? And the missing ear that was ripped off during a bout-in which he kept fighting? Here is an intimate glimpse into Mick Foley's mind, his history, his work and what some might call his pathology. Now with a bonus chapter summarizing the past 15 months-from his experience as a bestselling author through his parting thoughts before his final match. A tale of blood, sweat, tears and more blood-all in his own words-straight from the twisted genius behind Cactus Jack, Dude Love, and Mankind.

The controversial story of Chris Jericho, the former undisputed Heavyweight Champion of WWE. From the age of eight, Chris dreamed of becoming a wrestler. But it wasn't until he was 25 that he hit the big time. Nicknamed 'Lion Heart', Chris eventually attained his ultimate goal - joining the WWF (now WWE). He became one of their biggest stars, even defeating wrestling powerhouses The Rock and 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin in the same night to be crowned the undisputed Heavyweight Champion. Now Chris dishes the dirt on his rivalries with other wrestling legends. Whether ripped-off by promoters, robbed at gunpoint or nearly paralysed after landing on his head during a match, Chris maintained his courage, determination and sense of humour about this dangerous and enthralling sport.

A fast and powerful style that excels in throwing and ground fighting Sambo is considered one of the most effective, technically diverse, and dynamic modern sport fighting styles ever devised. Developed in the Soviet Union and based on Kodokan Judo and wrestling, sambo emphasizes utility over aesthetics. The end result is a fast paced and powerful system that excels in both throwing and ground fighting. This book offers a serious, technical look at the Russian martial sport that has changed the way the martial arts world looks at grappling. Our emphasis will be a systematic approach, presenting skills based on their function and utility in actual sport fighting. Sambo places emphasis on fast-paced, powerful and functional throwing techniques, and equally fast-paced, powerful and functional ground fighting techniques. Using fundamentally sound skills performed by a motivated and well-conditioned athlete, who has molded what he knows to work for him with a high ratio of success, is hard to beat. Contents include The essentials of sambo Throwing techniques Leg, ankle, and hip locks Armlocks Holds and breakdowns Over 1200 instructional photographs "The skills presented in this book have all passed the tests of time and competition. Everything presented has been used successfully at all levels of competitive sambo." -Steve Scott

The millions of fans who watch World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) programs each year are well aware of their role in building the narrative of the sport. #WWE: Professional Wrestling in the Digital Age explores the intersections between media, technology, and fandom in WWE's contemporary programming and business practices. In the Reality Era of WWE (2011 to the present), wrestling narratives have increasingly drawn on real-life personalities and events that stretch beyond the story-world created and maintained by WWE. At the same time, the internet and fandom have a greater influence on the company than ever before. By examining various sites of struggle and negotiation between WWE executives and in-ring performers, between the product and its fans, and between the company and the rest of the wrestling industry, the contributors to this volume highlight the role of various media platforms in shaping and disseminating WWE narratives. Treating the company and its product not merely as sports entertainment, but also as a brand, an employer, a company, a content producer, and an object of fandom, #WWE conceptualizes the evolution of professional wrestling's most successful company in the digital era.

Ground fighting is taking the martial arts world by storm, but how do you get to the ground safely and end in a prone position? What are the dangers of throwing and taking an opponent over? In this book on throwing and take-down techniques of Sambo, the author teaches how to control vertical grappling and destroy an assailant with a demolishing throw. Including the original "blow before throw" techniques banned from sport grappling at the beginning of the century.

See the world through the eyes of champion wrestler Mick Foley as he looks back on his days in the WWE. As one of the most bizarre and fearless stars of wrestling in recent times, Mick is known for taking extraordinary risks to remain at the peak of his game. COUNTDOWN TO LOCKDOWN is a no-holds-barred, behind-the-scenes account of his mental and physical preparation for the TNA Lockdown - in many ways, the most important wrestling match of his career. This is placed in context by Foley's memories, thoughts and opinions of WWE as well as his life outside the ring, from the Benoit deaths and the 'Royal Rumble' to Sierra Leone and his meeting with former president, Bill Clinton. Full of action from inside the ring, the drama of his last days with the WWE, Foley's trademark humour as well as an industry insider's view of professional wrestling today, Foley's many fans will not be disappointed.

Disco Fury. Wrathchild. Bam-Bam Bambi. Ladies Choice. Gorgeous Michelle Starr. Welcome to the world of minor-league professional wrestling.

Over the years, professional wrestling has grown from a cult into one of the entertainment world's most lucrative industries, creating megastars out of the likes of Chynna and The Rock. And for every superstar, there are hundreds of hopefuls across North America waiting in the wings, paying their dues and counting the days until they get the call to the big leagues.

"One Ring Circus" pays homage to the wrestling life: the sound and the fury and the die-hard fans who are often as colorful and outrageous as the wrestlers for whom they clamor. Photographer and author Brian Howell spent three years following the wrestling circuit, and this book of brilliant photographs and crisp narratives perfectly captures the visceral energy of a remarkable underground scene.

Includes more than one hundred black and white -photographs.

Brian Howell's work has appeared in "The Globe and Mail," the "National Post," "Saturday Night," and "Geist" and has been exhibited in New York City.

PHOTOGRAPHY + TEXT = PARALLAX

Parallax, a new series of books from Arsenal Pulp Press, explore the far reaches of the modern world, proposing new perspectives on how we see ourselves through the eyes and the words of our most intriguing photographers and writers.

The millions of fans who watch World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) programs each year are well aware of their role in building the narrative of the sport. #WWE: Professional Wrestling in the Digital Age explores the intersections between media, technology, and fandom in WWE's contemporary programming and business practices. In the Reality Era of WWE (2011 to the present), wrestling narratives have increasingly drawn on real-life personalities and events that stretch beyond the story-world created and maintained by WWE. At the same time, the internet and fandom have a greater influence on the company than ever before. By examining various sites of struggle and negotiation between WWE executives and in-ring performers, between the product and its fans, and between the company and the rest of the wrestling industry, the contributors to this volume highlight the role of various media platforms in shaping and disseminating WWE narratives. Treating the company and its product not merely as sports entertainment, but also as a brand, an employer, a company, a content producer, and an object of fandom, #WWE conceptualizes the evolution of professional wrestling's most successful company in the digital era.

Juji Gatame remains the most consistently used joint lock in many grappling sports including judo, sambo, jujitsu, submission grappling, BJJ, and MMA.  Athletes and coaches around the world use and respect this game-ending armlock. Juji gatame was not widely popular until the 1960s, when the sambo grapplers of the former Soviet Union began their innovations with Japanese armlocks and groundfighting. With great success, they took their opponents to the mat, submitting them with never-before-seen applications of juji gatame techniques. This comprehensive manual organizes juji gatame into four primary applications Spinning juji gatame Back roll juji gatame Head roll juji gatame Hip roll juji gatame Steve Scott carefully breaks down the basics, analyzes the structure, and offers hundreds of variations so you can successfully win with juji gatame, even under stress. A logical and systematic teaching method—for easy learning A functional perspective showing hundreds of variations—your options Juji gatame unbiased—inviting all grappling styles Thousands of photographs—in action

Creating the Mania takes fans backstage with an all-access pass to the behind-the-scenes stories of WrestleMania 34. Follow the yearlong life cycle of WWE’s biggest event, from how the storylines were developed to how the host city was selected, from the logistics and planning behind hosting over seventy thousand members of the WWE Universe to the rivalries and matches playing out inside the ring, in a book that chronicles the events leading up to the “Showcase of the Immortals.” This Journey includes exclusive interviews with top Superstars, including Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Braun Strowman, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Kevin Owens, The Miz, and “Phenomenal” AJ Styles, breaking down their year leading up to ‘Mania and the highs and lows that go along with being a WWE Superstar — pushing their hardest, all with the same goal in mind . . . to main-event WrestleMania.

The Queen of the Ring is the story of Mildred Burke, the longest reigning champion of female wrestling. In this in-depth account, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Jeff Leen pulls back the curtain on a forgotten era when a petite midwesterner used her beauty and brawn to dominate America's most masculine sport. At only five feet two, Mildred Burke was an unlikely candidate for the ring. A waitress barely scraping by on Depression-era tips, she saw her way out when she attended her first wrestling match. When women were still struggling for equality with men, Burke regularly fought and beat male wrestlers. Rippling with muscle and dripping with diamonds, she walked the fine line between pin-up beauty and hardened brawler. An unforgettable slice of Americana, The Queen of the Ring captures the golden age of wrestling, when one gritty, glamorous woman rose through the ranks to take her place in athletic history.

A destiny chosen, a destiny squandered, and a champion's relentless pursuit for redemption. Growing up in a small village in Ayrshire, Scotland, Drew dreamed of becoming WWE Champion and following in the footsteps of heroes Stone Cold Steve Austin and Undertaker. With his parents' support, he trained and paid his dues, proving himself to tiny crowds in the Butlin's circuit. At age twenty-two, McIntyre made his WWE debut and was touted by none other than WWE Chairman Vince McMahon as "The Chosen One," who would lead WWE into the future. With his destiny in the palm of his hands, Drew watched it all slip through his fingers. Through a series of ill-advised choices and family tragedy, Drew's life and career spiralled. As a surefire champ, he struggled under the pressure of expectations and was fired from the company. But the WWE Universe has not seen the last of this promising athlete. Facing a crossroads, this powerful Scotsman set a course to show the world the real Drew McIntyre. Buoyed by the support of his wife, Kaitlyn, and the memory of his beloved mother, Drew embarked on a mission to recharge, reinvent and revitalise himself to fulfil his destiny. It is a story of grit, courage and determination as a fallen Superstar discovers who he truly is and storms back to reclaim his dream.

The Judo Advantage explores the dynamics of how and why the human body works most efficiently for throwing, submission, and pinning techniques. Although judo provides the basis for the author's analysis, his insights also relate to other grappling sports such as Russian sambo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and Olympic and collegiate wrestling. Gain a competitive edge using the principles of human biomechanics. Master the ability to control your opponent's movements. Improve fluency for seamless transition between techniques. Generate incredible power and speed. This book features: In-depth analysis of stances, balance breaking, throws, takedowns, transitions, ground fighting, trapping, footwork, combinations, gripping, posting, linear and angular movement, torque, generating power, evading, generating force, changing directions, and stability Over 200 action photos Drills and winning insight for coaches and athletes of grappling arts Steve Scott merges traditional martial wisdom with modern kinesiology, the study of human anatomy and movement. This new biomechanical perspective helps competitors develop every facet of their grappling skill, giving them a clear advantage in controlling opponents.

The life of the internationally famous professional wrestler Shinsuke Nakamura, from his childhood to the International Wrestling Grand Prix championship, and beyond! Before he became a star of American professional wrestling, Shinsuke Nakamura was Japan's "King of Strong Style." Follow his life and career from the amateur grappling ranks to the Nippon Budokon, thrill to his matches against such legends as Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar, his reign as the youngest New Japan Pro-Wrestling Heavyweight Champion, and his success as a mixed martial artist.

Bob Backlund began life as a poor farm boy in the little village of Princeton, Minnesota, with a population of just over 2,000 people. He was a below-average student with a lackluster work ethic and a bad attitude, who hung with the wrong crowd and made a lot of bad choices. He was a kid whose life was headed for disaster-until a local coach took interest in him, suggested that he take up amateur wrestling, and offered to work with him if he promised to stay out of trouble. It was in North Dakota that Bob Backlund had the first of several chance encounters that would shape his destiny. While working out at the YMCA gymnasium in Fargo, North Dakota, where he wrestled for North Dakota State, Backlund met a well-known professional wrestler, "Superstar" Billy Graham. The men talked, and at Graham's suggestion, Backlund was inspired to pursue a career in professional wrestling. Less than five years from that day, on February 20, 1978, Backlund would find himself halfway across the country, standing in the middle of the ring at Madison Square Garden with his hand raised in victory as the newly crowned World Wide Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Champion. The man Backlund pinned for the championship that night was none other than Superstar Billy Graham. Featuring contributions from Bruno Sammartino, Harley Race, Terry Funk, Pat Patterson, Ken Patera, Sergeant Slaughter, The Magnificent Muraco, George "The Animal" Steele, "Mr. USA" Tony Atlas, The Iron Sheik, and many others, this book tells the incredible story of the life and nearly forty-year career of one of the most famous men to ever grace the squared circle. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, is proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports-books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. In addition to books on popular team sports, we also publish books for a wide variety of athletes and sports enthusiasts, including books on running, cycling, horseback riding, swimming, tennis, martial arts, golf, camping, hiking, aviation, boating, and so much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

This inspirational book is Pat Roach's final goodbye to the world, before his tragic death. The 'Gentle Giant' battled with cancer for six-and-a-half years, before it eventually claimed him, in the small hours of Saturday 17 July, 2004. His confidante and biographer, Shirley Thompson, has combined Pat's final experiences and thoughts, with over seventy tributes from close family and friends, to produce a fascinating book. Pat's widow, Doreen, step-brother Pete Meakin, and a host of celebrities, including Kevin Whately, Chris Fairbank, Julia Tobin, Noel Clarke, Jimmy Nail and Timothy Spall, all feature prominently. Tim Healy, who was a particularly close friend, has written an entire chapter, scriptwriters Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais provide an insightful Foreword. Pat's wish that this last book should convey a message of hope to fellow cancer patients, whilst also providing a measure of funding for the Cancer BACUP charity, will be realised, as the book is launched. His courage, combined with the warmth and affection that he frequently inspired in others, shines throughout. But be prepared for a few unexpected surprises, including a chapter that could only be published posthumously! Two galleries, containing over a hundred unique photographs, provide the crowning glory to this truly memorable book...the third and final biography in the "Pat Roach Trilogy."