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Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling
Calgary’s Stampede Wrestling spawned some of the biggest wrestling stars in history, from mat kings of the past like Gene Kiniski and Superstar Billy Graham to modern idols like Bret “Hitman” Hart, the British Bulldogs, and Chris Benoit. Pain and Passion tells how a small, family-run wrestling business profoundly influenced the world of professional wrestling as we know it today. Pain and Passion takes readers on a rowdy ride through the evolution of Stu Hart’s Calgary promotion, from its meagre beginnings in the 1940s, its peak in the 1980s, and its fall as Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Entertainment changed the face of wrestling forever. But this is more than a wrestling story – it’s a tale of family and of human tragedy. The Hart family lived for the wrestling business and, like Starbucks mowing down a mom-and-pop coffee shop, the emergence of McMahon’s media colossus ran Stampede into the ground. The wrestling game lost its innocence and western Canada lost a staple of its pop culture. As for the Hart family, the once-mighty clan was nearly destroyed by the business it loved. The Stampede Wrestling story is a wild blood-on-the-mat saga over fifty years in the making. It’s sure to captivate not only wrestling fans, but anyone who appreciates a powerful drama.
- GenresNonfictionSportsHistory
333 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 1, 2014
Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling is the story of Stampede Wrestling, from it's beginnings in the early days of professional wrestling to its demise, and the Harts, the family that ran it.
This is the eleventh book in my Kindle Unlimited Experiment. For the 30 day trial, I'm only reading books that are part of the program and keeping track what the total cost of the books would have been.
Up until a few years ago, I watched quite a bit of professional wrestling. My favorites for most of that time came from the Stampede territory so I was pretty excited to read this.
The books starts with the Hart family moving to the Canadian prairie to homestead in the 1920's. What a rough way of life? It's like the American midwest, only much much colder. Once Stu Hart is born, things get cracking. Stu meets Toots Mondt and becomes a wrestler and eventually comes back home to start a wrestling promotion.
Stampede sure must have been a rough territory to work back in the day, with a thousand miles between some towns, unreliable transportation, vicious ribs by the other wrestlers, and the colliding egos of the Hart brothers.
In fact, the more I read about the Hart family, the more I wish I hadn't. They're portrayed in the media as the Kennedys of the wrestling world but act more like a bunch of white trash assholes for the most part. Lots of bickering, backstabbing, and money-grubbing.
The road stories and the parts focusing on the British Bulldogs and Bret Hart were my favorites. Keeping the Dynamite Kid out of trouble on the road must have been a full time job. All the tragedy surrounding everyone who came out of Stampede and made it big were hard to read but not as hard to read as the eventual decline of the promotion and the Hart siblings fighting like pigs at a trough for any money coming into the family because of Owen Hart's death.
Heath McCoy has a journalism background so this was much better written than most wrestling books. Even though there's a morsel of fanboyishness creeping through every once in a while, he keeps things pretty objective, showing the good with the bad. As with most wrestling books, I would have traded some of the non-wrestling bits for more road stories.
3.5 out of 5 stars. It wasn't my favorite wrestling book but it's way ahead of most of the rest of the pack.
Current Kindle Unlimited Savings Total: $61.51.
This is the eleventh book in my Kindle Unlimited Experiment. For the 30 day trial, I'm only reading books that are part of the program and keeping track what the total cost of the books would have been.
Up until a few years ago, I watched quite a bit of professional wrestling. My favorites for most of that time came from the Stampede territory so I was pretty excited to read this.
The books starts with the Hart family moving to the Canadian prairie to homestead in the 1920's. What a rough way of life? It's like the American midwest, only much much colder. Once Stu Hart is born, things get cracking. Stu meets Toots Mondt and becomes a wrestler and eventually comes back home to start a wrestling promotion.
Stampede sure must have been a rough territory to work back in the day, with a thousand miles between some towns, unreliable transportation, vicious ribs by the other wrestlers, and the colliding egos of the Hart brothers.
In fact, the more I read about the Hart family, the more I wish I hadn't. They're portrayed in the media as the Kennedys of the wrestling world but act more like a bunch of white trash assholes for the most part. Lots of bickering, backstabbing, and money-grubbing.
The road stories and the parts focusing on the British Bulldogs and Bret Hart were my favorites. Keeping the Dynamite Kid out of trouble on the road must have been a full time job. All the tragedy surrounding everyone who came out of Stampede and made it big were hard to read but not as hard to read as the eventual decline of the promotion and the Hart siblings fighting like pigs at a trough for any money coming into the family because of Owen Hart's death.
Heath McCoy has a journalism background so this was much better written than most wrestling books. Even though there's a morsel of fanboyishness creeping through every once in a while, he keeps things pretty objective, showing the good with the bad. As with most wrestling books, I would have traded some of the non-wrestling bits for more road stories.
3.5 out of 5 stars. It wasn't my favorite wrestling book but it's way ahead of most of the rest of the pack.
Current Kindle Unlimited Savings Total: $61.51.
April 11, 2013
It should be no secret by now that I love books about professional wrestling. Whether it's about a performer's career or a take on a promotion or an organization itself, it's a tremendous source of entertainment. Stories about shenanigans taking place behind the scenes can always succeed in getting a laugh out of me. The fact is, these guys are on the road over 300 days a year and if they can't find a way to blow off some steam, they're going to go crazy.
Calgary sun columnist Heath McCoy takes you through the struggles and triumphs of Stu Hart's Calgary based promotion Stampede Wrestling. Everything is covered in impressive detail from Stu's humble beginnings to his rise to prominence in the international wrestling community. Stampede grew from a local wrestling promotion to a hotbed of talent recognized the world over.
When I heard that this book was being published, I had to get my hands on it. Just think of the stories involving legendary prankster Owen Hart, let alone the colorful antics of the entire Hart family itself. Despite my admiration of Owen and his older brother Bret, his remaining siblings are not often looked upon favorably and are usually the subject of bizarre tales.
What can only be described as an anomaly in pro wrestling culture, Heath is an outsider with a purely objective view. He doesn't have an axe to grind nor any performers to smite so it’s easily one of the more refreshing takes on the business.
Looking back, the amount of talented performers that had honed their skills in Stampede Wrestling is remarkable and to read about their early days in the business was certainly interesting. Overall, I'd say this is a necessary companion to Bret Hart’s self penned autobiography and should be read by any pro wrestling aficionado interested in the territory days.
Cross Posted on Every Read Thing
Calgary sun columnist Heath McCoy takes you through the struggles and triumphs of Stu Hart's Calgary based promotion Stampede Wrestling. Everything is covered in impressive detail from Stu's humble beginnings to his rise to prominence in the international wrestling community. Stampede grew from a local wrestling promotion to a hotbed of talent recognized the world over.
When I heard that this book was being published, I had to get my hands on it. Just think of the stories involving legendary prankster Owen Hart, let alone the colorful antics of the entire Hart family itself. Despite my admiration of Owen and his older brother Bret, his remaining siblings are not often looked upon favorably and are usually the subject of bizarre tales.
What can only be described as an anomaly in pro wrestling culture, Heath is an outsider with a purely objective view. He doesn't have an axe to grind nor any performers to smite so it’s easily one of the more refreshing takes on the business.
Looking back, the amount of talented performers that had honed their skills in Stampede Wrestling is remarkable and to read about their early days in the business was certainly interesting. Overall, I'd say this is a necessary companion to Bret Hart’s self penned autobiography and should be read by any pro wrestling aficionado interested in the territory days.
Cross Posted on Every Read Thing
November 3, 2021
A four thats more like a three and a half. I know that the history of Stampede is kind of inseparable from the Harts, but this read like a book that couldn't decide if it was about Stampede, or about the Harts, with the post-sale bits of Hart family drama being interesting, but also like...I'd just rather that was its own book.
September 3, 2023
This book is both a history of the Stampede Wrestling promotion and of the Hart family. I didn't get to watch Stampede regularly until 1986 when my parents and I moved from Ontario to British Columbia, save for three days when my television in Mississauga would somehow pick up a small station on the westernmost fringe of Ontario. We were not on cable at the time so I have no idea how that happened. One of the shows it carried was Stampede Wrestling. Why I have no idea, just as I never figured out why a CBC station in Barrie and a CTV station in Kitchener both carried All-Star Wrestling from Vancouver.
The book begins with the early days of Stu Hart and ends with the death of Chris Benoit and his family. In between it is filled with larger than life characters and events that one might have had to have seen to believe. Definitely it is a good glimpse into the world of professional wrestling, both from a national perspective and from that of a small regional promotion. It is interesting to see how wrestlers who got their start in Alberta would go on to become big names in the national stage that was the WWE and WCW. The one thing that is apparent from my reading is that the author doesn't sugarcoat anything. He covers the bad times as well as the good. For instance he doesn't shy away from the fact that Owen Hart's death in fact tore the family apart, to the extent that Bret and his sister Ellie can not be in the same room together, much to the disappointmen of Natalia who love both her mother and her uncle.
To sum up this is a good book to read if you have an interest in professional wrestling, or if you want to learn more about the subject. It was, at least for me, a fairly easy read. And I did finally learn who the Memphis Mafia was.. The only real fault I have is the lack of an index. This makes it impossible to look up the various individuals that are discussed in it. Still a good book, and one that should be on the shelf of every wrestling fan, especiall those from Canada. Happy reading.
The book begins with the early days of Stu Hart and ends with the death of Chris Benoit and his family. In between it is filled with larger than life characters and events that one might have had to have seen to believe. Definitely it is a good glimpse into the world of professional wrestling, both from a national perspective and from that of a small regional promotion. It is interesting to see how wrestlers who got their start in Alberta would go on to become big names in the national stage that was the WWE and WCW. The one thing that is apparent from my reading is that the author doesn't sugarcoat anything. He covers the bad times as well as the good. For instance he doesn't shy away from the fact that Owen Hart's death in fact tore the family apart, to the extent that Bret and his sister Ellie can not be in the same room together, much to the disappointmen of Natalia who love both her mother and her uncle.
To sum up this is a good book to read if you have an interest in professional wrestling, or if you want to learn more about the subject. It was, at least for me, a fairly easy read. And I did finally learn who the Memphis Mafia was.. The only real fault I have is the lack of an index. This makes it impossible to look up the various individuals that are discussed in it. Still a good book, and one that should be on the shelf of every wrestling fan, especiall those from Canada. Happy reading.
March 12, 2023
When I was a kid - late ,50s/early '60s - my cousin and I spent a lot of weekends at two particular sports events: Big 6 hockey (a local men's league that played in the Stampede Corral - long before the Saddledome was even a twinkle...), and Stampede Wrestling (usually at the Victoria Pavilion - and occasionally at the Corral - on the grounds of the Calgary Stampede).
Although even the most recently updated version of Pain and Passion is more than 15 years old, I only discovered it recently - and the 7-12-year-old in me had to read it.
Basically, it's a warts (on warts) and all history of Stampede Wrestling and the family that was at the Hart of it.
Unlike some other books that look at that history from the POV of one family member or another, this is a history compiled by a journalist and more than fair and balanced (to use a term that has used, wrongly, elsewhere).
As one who was a kid during one of the production's most entertaining eras, I have to say that this is not a book to be... enjoyed, exactly... but it is an extremely interesting and exhaustively researched document that shows Stampede Wrestling in a unique light - recognizing that the best of the WWF/WWE owes a lot to this small, territorial sports event (both in terms of utilizing talent and exploration of storylines).
Plus, there are many, many photos from the course of the lives of Stu & Helen Hart and their family as well as the wrestlers from Stampede Wrestling.
If you love pro wrestling, this is a must read.
Although even the most recently updated version of Pain and Passion is more than 15 years old, I only discovered it recently - and the 7-12-year-old in me had to read it.
Basically, it's a warts (on warts) and all history of Stampede Wrestling and the family that was at the Hart of it.
Unlike some other books that look at that history from the POV of one family member or another, this is a history compiled by a journalist and more than fair and balanced (to use a term that has used, wrongly, elsewhere).
As one who was a kid during one of the production's most entertaining eras, I have to say that this is not a book to be... enjoyed, exactly... but it is an extremely interesting and exhaustively researched document that shows Stampede Wrestling in a unique light - recognizing that the best of the WWF/WWE owes a lot to this small, territorial sports event (both in terms of utilizing talent and exploration of storylines).
Plus, there are many, many photos from the course of the lives of Stu & Helen Hart and their family as well as the wrestlers from Stampede Wrestling.
If you love pro wrestling, this is a must read.
March 10, 2019
Well written and very thorough. It's not a happy read. There was so much trial and tribulation that effected the Harts throughout patriarch Stu's rise to fame in Western Canada and matriarch Helen's allegiance to the craziness despite her yearning to get away from the business on down to the ups and downs of running a wrestling territory in an isolated Canadian cowtown and raising a brood of kids, almost all of which either entered the business themselves or married wrestlers themselves. It also digs into the tragedies that befell the family after the glory days of Stampede: Dynamite Kid's self-destruction which forced him back home to England, Bret and the Montreal Screwjob, Owen Hart's tragic death and the division it caused in the family, Davey Boy Smith's eventual self-destruction, the deaths of Helen and Stu, Bret's stroke and the ultimate...former Hart Dungeon student Chris Benoit's ultimate demise into madness that caused him to take not only his own life, but the lives of his wife and son. Wrestling is not a happy business even when it's causing the masses great excitement and joy; however McCoy takes to the third generation of Hart wrestlers now in the business with great positivity and anticipation. This is an essential read for anyone fascinated by The Hart Family or territorial wrestling. Enjoy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2021
a good older book i'd missed when it first dropped. mccoy, who covered the hart family for the calgary sun, had plenty of access to stu's brood, so the book is quite hart-centric (understandably so, given how intertwined that promotion was with the hart family - perhaps even more than other territories dominated by a promoter and his kids, given how many harts there were and how "niche" stampede was).
mccoy has to do a lot of finessing to avoid siding with whichever hart he's interviewing, and it's possible some of the hart feuds have been stitched up (or deepened) in the subsequent 15 years. the final section, which seems rushed bc it has to cover benoit's bitter end, does have a lot of great early-life quotes from nattie neidhart, who has gone on to be a bigger deal than most of the people discussed in the book.
as histories of a single promotion go, this is certainly among the best, if only because there's so much primary-source material: quotes, quotes, and more quotes. that said, the organization of the book is a little disjointed, and certain things are emphasized to the exclusion of others (i'd have liked more on mike shaw and bad news allen, but at least they're there, and you can listen to their "shoot interviews" on youtube).
mccoy has to do a lot of finessing to avoid siding with whichever hart he's interviewing, and it's possible some of the hart feuds have been stitched up (or deepened) in the subsequent 15 years. the final section, which seems rushed bc it has to cover benoit's bitter end, does have a lot of great early-life quotes from nattie neidhart, who has gone on to be a bigger deal than most of the people discussed in the book.
as histories of a single promotion go, this is certainly among the best, if only because there's so much primary-source material: quotes, quotes, and more quotes. that said, the organization of the book is a little disjointed, and certain things are emphasized to the exclusion of others (i'd have liked more on mike shaw and bad news allen, but at least they're there, and you can listen to their "shoot interviews" on youtube).
December 19, 2020
Read this book!
As a moderate wrestling fan, I found this book to be a wonderful introduction into the bizarre, yet enticing world of professional wrestling. The stampede wrestling promotion had been one I had heard in passing and after reading this book, I am so glad to have taken the time to look into it. Filled with great stories and interviews, Pain and Passion is a wonderful read for a range of wrestling fans. McCoy informs the reader of the language and lore of wrestling without it coming off as patronizing. The legacy of the Hart clan is a wild ride that will keep you engaged until the last page. Highly recommend.
As a moderate wrestling fan, I found this book to be a wonderful introduction into the bizarre, yet enticing world of professional wrestling. The stampede wrestling promotion had been one I had heard in passing and after reading this book, I am so glad to have taken the time to look into it. Filled with great stories and interviews, Pain and Passion is a wonderful read for a range of wrestling fans. McCoy informs the reader of the language and lore of wrestling without it coming off as patronizing. The legacy of the Hart clan is a wild ride that will keep you engaged until the last page. Highly recommend.
August 1, 2019
Heatlh McCoy does a terrific job of writing about the rise and fall – and rise again and fall again – of Stampede Wrestling, one of the great wresting circuits of all time, and the huge, brawling, ultimately tragic Hart family of Calgary. Great characters, terrific stories; an enlightening look back at a quirky piece of Alberta history.
May 19, 2023
well researched, balanced and compassionate
A real treat for the wrestling fan and activist. Balanced, in depth and journalistic but with a respect for the industry while pulling no punches when it comes to the darkness behind it.
A real treat for the wrestling fan and activist. Balanced, in depth and journalistic but with a respect for the industry while pulling no punches when it comes to the darkness behind it.
January 12, 2019
Enjoyed this a lot. A little unforgiving in places but well done.
June 4, 2025
This is the second time I have read this book. I loved reading the history of the wrestling show I loved as a kid.
June 15, 2022
One of the most significant Wrestling territories ever, Stampede Wrestling, and Canada’s first family of wrestling, the Harts, are responsible for so much of the fabric of the wrestling landscape. Heath McCoy pulls back the curtain and exposes the ugly side of the territory while highlighting its significance and brilliance. Significant without being overly salacious or sensational. A must read for all wrestling fans.
February 3, 2021
Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling by Heath McCoy (2007)
Like allot of young kids being raised in the 70’s every Saturday afternoon, Stampede Wrestling was part of our afternoon rituals. To watch our favorites in the ring and then out in the backyard to imitate them was of course next.
This book starts with the birth and rearing of Stu Hart and it is quite the story for sure. From poor upbringings in the depression in Western Canada to a career in amateur wrestling and then military service, Stu excelled.
Soon Stu was out of the military, establishing himself as a professional wrestling star, then a marriage to a New York socialite this brash and bruising Albertan was on his way to immortality.
The book covers the early days when Stu was wrestling and growing Stampede Wrestling, all the way to the birth and raising of the Hart clan and there are allot of them.
It features some amazing stories about the early days of Stampede Wrestling, both humorous and tragic. Stampede Wrestling did not grow without allot of heartache and tears.
The role the Harts played in growing an empire including a mansion in Calgary that became a beacon for upstart wrestling stars, the infamous “dungeon” and Stu’s brutal training regime that many an upstarted tried and left whimpering.
The ones that came back time and time went on to become legends in the industry.
A fun read that I recommend to any wrestling fans out there.
Like allot of young kids being raised in the 70’s every Saturday afternoon, Stampede Wrestling was part of our afternoon rituals. To watch our favorites in the ring and then out in the backyard to imitate them was of course next.
This book starts with the birth and rearing of Stu Hart and it is quite the story for sure. From poor upbringings in the depression in Western Canada to a career in amateur wrestling and then military service, Stu excelled.
Soon Stu was out of the military, establishing himself as a professional wrestling star, then a marriage to a New York socialite this brash and bruising Albertan was on his way to immortality.
The book covers the early days when Stu was wrestling and growing Stampede Wrestling, all the way to the birth and raising of the Hart clan and there are allot of them.
It features some amazing stories about the early days of Stampede Wrestling, both humorous and tragic. Stampede Wrestling did not grow without allot of heartache and tears.
The role the Harts played in growing an empire including a mansion in Calgary that became a beacon for upstart wrestling stars, the infamous “dungeon” and Stu’s brutal training regime that many an upstarted tried and left whimpering.
The ones that came back time and time went on to become legends in the industry.
A fun read that I recommend to any wrestling fans out there.
March 30, 2008
This is basically everything a non-autobiography wrestling book should be. I'd rank this up there with the best wrestling books ever (Dynamite, Bret Hart, Foley, etc). It's is probably the most objective thing out there on the Harts (namely because the other major books out there are written by members of the family). The chapter on Stu Hart's early life (complete with living in canvas tent!) is worth the price alone.
June 2, 2017
An essential for any Stampede Wrestling or wrestling history fan. This book surprised me with just how much research and interviews went into and were included. This book isn't entirely written in the order of the years the promotion went through, but it's not too difficult to follow that you would lose interest in any way. I can't say enough great things about this book and it was the best book on a promotion that I have read to date.
March 23, 2023
Being a Nova Scotian, living in Calgary I found this book just that much richer in terms of getting a feel for the city and the scene that hosted what was Stampede wrestling.
Really good retrospective especially if you enjoy Wrestling history and stories from the road.
I was tickled to read so many stories about wrestlers I grew up watching and following.
Can easily recommend this book to any wrestling fanatic. And Calgary fanatics!
Really good retrospective especially if you enjoy Wrestling history and stories from the road.
I was tickled to read so many stories about wrestlers I grew up watching and following.
Can easily recommend this book to any wrestling fanatic. And Calgary fanatics!
October 21, 2009
This is more than just a very detailed history of a legendary wrestling promotion. It goes into the characters that made it what it was, telling crazy stories that all revolve around Stampede wrestling. It's a great time capsule of a different era of wrestling. One of the best wrestling related books I have ever read.
August 3, 2011
A very good wrestling book....hearing some of those old stories, mostly about the Hart Family, makes this book a must read for Wrestling fans. Will change your opinion on Dynamite Kid for better or worse.
April 20, 2015
I remember watching Stampede Wrestling on Saturday afternoon's with my brothers and dad. We all knew it was staged but that never stopped us from getting into the action. This book was a welcome walk into my childhood.
August 7, 2011
If you are a fan of Stampede Wrestling or the Hart family, then you should definitely read this.
June 30, 2012
An amazing look at the most popular Canadian wrestling federation ever. The stories are smart, funny, and tragic.
March 29, 2017
A balanced read that both tells the highs and lows of the Harts and Stampede Wrestling and doesn't pull any punches over the many troubles, withering relationships and seemingly doomed characters. It's not really the most inspiring read, as a lot of what started out so great with this family and promotion devolved into a lot of sad ends on a number of fronts, but it's an account of these times for better or worse and because it is a lot more worse the book shouldn't shy away from any of these things, and nor did it.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews