By Mike Mooneyham

Dec. 9, 2001

There is no shortage of pro wrestling books currently on the market, and the list ranges from Hooker, an up-close look at the wrestling business as told by the great Lou Thesz, to a tell-all memoir by blonde bombshell Missy Hyatt.

Thesz’s book, Hooker: An Authentic Wrestler’s Adventures Inside the Bizarre World of Professional Wrestling, was first released in 1995 and is a must-read for any fan of the business. Thesz, the only man to wrestle in seven different decades, was to his generation what Ric Flair was to his, and many historians call him the greatest the game has ever produced.

Hooker is a nostalgic look at the men who paved the way for today’s superstars, although the author would be the first to admit that the business he loved and competed in for more than half a century in no way resembles today’s version. One doesn’t have to be a mat historian, however, to enjoy this gem. Thesz’s stories of the road and his dealings with unscrupulous promoters are priceless; particularly poignant are the sections dealing with his friendship with the great Ed “Strangler” Lewis.

[ad#MikeMooneyham-336×280]Thesz, who first won the world heavyweight title in 1937, for years was not only the dominant figure in the wrestling business as a six-time NWA champion, but also was instrumental as a businessman who helped shape the profession behind the scenes. Unlike many of his peers, Thesz was recognized as an international sports celebrity during a period when pro wrestling was often viewed as a shady sideshow.

An autographed copy of Hooker can be ordered for $16.95 on-line at Thesz’s Web site at www.louthesz.com.

In Missy Hyatt, First Lady of Wrestling: The Original Sexy Sidekick Tells All, the always outspoken Hyatt relishes in revealing some of her sordid “secrets.” In this book, the latest in a long line of wrestling biographies, Hyatt openly discusses her many affairs with not only some of the top stars in the wrestling business, but figures from the sports and entertainment industries as well.

Perhaps former ECW owner and current WWF talent Paul Heyman (aka Paul E. Dangerously) sums it up best on the back cover of Missy’s book: “Missy Hyatt is going to burn in hell – and rightfully so!” Adds Kevin Nash: “I think I’m the only guy in wrestling who didn’t sleep with Missy Hyatt.”

The book, published by ECW Press, lists for $17.95.

Another new autobiography that opens a pretty big can of worms is Diana Hart’s Under The Mat: Inside Wrestling’s Greatest Family. This eye-opening account takes the reader on a disturbing journey behind the scenes of the legendary but dysfunctional Hart wrestling family, and few are spared Diana’s poisonous pen as she shares her family’s closet full of skeletons with the world. Taking a particularly hard hit is brother Owen’s widow, Martha Hart, who reportedly is filing a lawsuit against sister-in-law Diana for “inaccurate and irresponsible statements about her and her family.” Wrote Martha in a press release: “The book is filled with distortions, misstatements and unjustified slurs that attempt to destroy the reputation of my family and me, and undermine the memory of Owen. I have no choice but to deliver a formal libel notice. If necessary, we will take further legal action to correct these distortions and vindicate our reputation.”

Even Diana’s mother, the late and revered Helen Hart, fails to escape unscathed, as her daughter candidly describes her battle with alcohol. As for her ex-husband, “British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith, Diana claims he raped her after doping her drinks. (An update on this lurid story: Only last week criminal charges against Smith for allegedly making physical threats against Bruce Hart, Diana’s brother, were dropped. Smith now lives with Bruce’s wife, Andrea Hart, which gives you an idea of the kind of material that’s in the book). Only Diana’s brother Owen and 86-year-old Hart family partriarch Stu come out of this one in relatively good shape.

The book, written by Diana Hart with Kirstie McLellan and published by Fenn Publishing Company, lists for $24.95.

For an in-depth look into the colorful lives of some of wrestling’s greatest performers, longtime Wrestling Observer editor Dave Meltzer revisits some of his best writing in the form of tribute articles originally run in his critically acclaimed newsletter. Tributes: Remembering Some of the World’s Greatest Wrestlers is a collection of these remarkable eulogy pieces – farewells that chronicle the lives and careers of 20 wrestling personalities.

The 180-page book’s foreword says it all: “There is no wrestling storyline that compares to what you’re about to read.” Meltzer gives a descriptive and honest account of not only the rise, but also the fall, of some of wrestling’s top stars and the tortured business that produced them.

Tributes, published by Stewart House Publishing, has a list price of $19.95. The oft imitated yet never duplicated Superstar Billy Graham also has an autobiography due out soon. For some great excerpts, check out Superstar’s Web site at www.superstarbillygraham.com.

* Vengeance, being held at the San Diego Sports Arena, has sold out. The event gross of $506,068 is not only the highest WWF gross ever in San Diego, but also the top-grossing one-night family show in the 35-year history of the San Diego Sports Arena. w Raw and Smackdown both posted 4.2 marks last week. The last two weeks of Smackdown have produced some of the WWF’s biggest TV numbers in recent months.

* Just weeks after Hart family matriarch Helen Hart passed away at the age of 77 in Calgary, Canada, longtime Stampede Wrestling announcer Ed Whalen died late Monday after suffering a massive heart attack while on vacation in Florida.

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Whalen, 74, suffered cardiac arrest while eating lunch with his wife Nomi on Dec. 1, just days before the vacationing couple was to return home to Calgary. The television sports patriarch fell into a coma and was taken off life support on Monday. Whalen was best known for his commentary on Stampede Wrestling, as the first Calgary Flames play-by-play man and for his charity work. Celebrating his retirement in 1999 after 50 years in broadcast journalism, the Calgary Flames presented Whalen with an honorary Stanley Cup ring, an honor reserved only for team members and coaches.

Whalen, the voice of Stampede Wrestling for 27 years, had recently attended and spoke at the funeral of Mrs. Hart.

* Among the first wave of developmental cuts by the WWF are Russ McCullough, James Yang (of The Jung Dragons) , Sam Roman (Kid Romeo), Allan Funk (Kwee Wee), Elix Skipper, Rick Cornell (Reno), Evan Karagias and Mark Larue (Lash Leroux). Essa Rios also has been released from the active roster.

* The WWF will split into two separate promotions with equally divided talent beginning in January. The working plan is for Ric Flair and Vince McMahon to each head up the Raw and Smackdown shows. A televised draft will determine the roster for both groups. The change could occur as early as the Jan. 7 Raw at Madison Square Garden.

* Randy Orton, who has been drawing strong reviews working for Ohio Valley Wrestling, will be brought up by the WWF as soon as he recovers from a shoulder injury. Orton is the son of Cowboy Bob Orton Jr. and the grandson of ‘60s star Bob Orton Sr.

* Smackdown will air live on Jan. 3 from MCI Arena in Washington, D.C.

* Jim Ross recently commented on the WWF Web site on the return of Ric Flair and Jerry Lawler:

“It’s great to have Ric Flair back on World Wrestling Federation television. So many of our superstars are young and grew up idolizing the ‘Nature Boy.’ It’s kind of like a baseball player – a Jason Giambi — sitting around and talking hitting with a Mickey Mantle or a Pete Rose. Certainly Ric Flair is a Hall-of-Fame competitor and performer, and he’s really fitting in to the Federation environment extremely well. I’m sure his fans are very anxiously for Ric to get more involved in the storylines. That’ll happen in time. But it’s great to have him back here in the Federation.

“The same can be said for my broadcast partner, Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler. Certainly, King’s approach to announcing is unique. I think that Jerry is extremely happy to be back in the Federation. We’ve had a lot of fun on our broadcasts since his return. It’s just hard not to have fun when you’re sitting next to King on a live television show. Having both these Hall of Famers back in our locker room is not only good for the young superstars, but certainly for the fans as well.”

* Joanie Laurer (the Artist formerly known as Chyna) has been on the talk-show circuit promoting her December Playboy spread. Lauer, whose stock undoubtedly will fall without the WWF marketing machine behind her, commented that while she didn’t fault Stephanie McMahon for the breakup of her relationship with Hunter Hearst Helmsley, she did blame Triple H for going behind her back. Laurer claims she found about the relationship after coming across some love letters allegedly written by Stephanie.