As the first comprehensive look at the ruffians, rascals, and rule breakers in the wrestling business, this history explains the rise of the wrestling villain, the reasons for his (or her) success, and the impact these sordid characters have had on the sport. Based on first-hand interviews with hundreds of wrestlers, managers, promoters, and historians, these entertaining profiles document wrestling's top rotten apples from the 1920s to today, providing plenty of support for the book's claim that fans love to hate the bad guys as much as they love to love the heroes. With remarkable candor, wrestling's troublemakers explain why they became villains and how they perceived and honed their roles; the sport is richer for the presence of the nefarious ones--and they know it. With more than 150 never-before-seen photos, this book will satisfy devoted fans and inspire everyone else to take a look at the exciting and often bizarre world of professional wrestling.

In hockey, goalies have always been a contradiction -- solitary men in a team game, the last line of defence and the stalwarts expected to save the day after any and every miscue and collapse from his teammates. It's no wonder that anyone who played the position has had his sanity questioned; yet some of the biggest innovations in the game have come from its puckstoppers. In The Goaltenders' Union, Greg Oliver and Richard Kamchen talk to more than 60 keepers of yesterday and today, finding common threads to their stories, and in dozens of interviews about them with other coaches and players. From Gilles Gratoony the Loony Gratton, who refused to play because the moon was out of alignment with Jupiter, to Jonathan Quick, the athletically gifted master keeper of today's game, the book is an entertaining and enlightening peek behind the mask.

Founded by Greg Oliver and John Powell, SLAM Wrestling (http: //slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/home.html) changed the way North America's true favorite pastime was presented on the web. With the backing of Sun Media and Canoe, SLAM Wrestling brought pure journalism to the muddy waters of the pro wrestling media coverage. Never in the Internet Age had the squared circle been viewed with a keen eye by reporters and analysts who broke down the philosophy of wrestling and feted its legends, while also not being afraid to show the very human side of the locker rooms that are hidden from the plain eye inside the world's biggest arenas. SLAM Wrestling takes readers on a journey through SLAM Wrestling's first dozen years and the often all-too real world of professional wrestling. From WWE to the independent leagues that dot North America's landscape, SLAM Wrestling gives the unique view of the reporter's eye as history unfolds, including interviews with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, John Cena, "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson, Trish Stratus and many others. Plus, for the first time ever, SLAM Wrestling's writers take you behind the scenes and share their insights into what made the site stand out as one of the most respected sources for information in all of the Internet wrestling community. From the celebration of WrestleMania XVIII in Toronto, to the tragic death of Owen Hart and many others, SLAM Wrestling has covered it all and now brings the history of the mat wars straight to your bookshelf.