Author | Diana Hart Kirstie McLellan Foreword Stu Hart [lower-alpha 1] |
---|---|
Original title | Under the Mat: Inside Wrestling's Greatest Family |
Country | United States and Canada |
Language | English |
Genre | Biography |
Publisher | Fenn |
Publication date | 2001 |
Pages | 200 pp |
ISBN | 1-55168-256-7 |
OCLC | 47270558 |
796.812/092/2 B 21 | |
LC Class | GV1196.A1 H34 2001 |
Under the Mat: Inside Wrestling's Greatest Family is a book co-written by Diana Hart (daughter of Stu and Helen Hart, ex-wife of Davey Boy Smith and mother of Harry Smith) and journalist Kirstie McLellan. [1] [2] [3] The subtitle, Inside Wrestling's Greatest Family, refers to the Canadian Hart wrestling family, which includes wrestlers such as Smith Hart, Bruce Hart, Keith Hart, Dean Hart, Bret Hart, Ross Hart, Owen Hart, Teddy Hart, David Hart Smith and Natalya Neidhart among others. The book is highly controversial and was pulled from stores after Martha Hart, widow of Owen Hart and Diana Hart's sister-in-law, filed a lawsuit. [4] The book became an Alberta top ten nonfiction best-seller on its release. [5] [6]
The writing of the book was at least partially motivated by the death of her younger brother Owen Hart. Hart has also stated that she hoped that the book would lead to her brother Bret respecting her and taking her seriously, which she did not feel he had done during the investigation and trial which surrounded the death of Owen Hart. [7]
McLellan has stated that she and Hart know each other personally and Hart approached her to make the book together. [8]
The book focuses mainly on the realities of professional wrestling. Under the Mat recounts Diana's life growing up in the Hart House, being sister to Owen and Bret, witnessing their rise to fame and the terrible tragedy which claimed Owen's life. She remembers her father training some of the WWF's and WCW's biggest names in her family's basement gym, the famous Dungeon, and recounts their tales to stardom.
In the chapter "Roots" she also discusses her family's history on her mother's side. It focuses mostly on her grandfather, American marathon runner Harry Smith. [9]
The book has received generally negative critique. It has been criticised for its factual errors, grammatical mistakes, spelling issues and unstructured content. [10] [11] It has also been criticised for its overwhelming focus on negative events. According to employees of the Toronto-based law firm Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, a preliminary review of the book identified dozens of significant factual errors. [12]
Hart has been accused of using Under the Mat as a way to express the "dirty secrets" of the Hart family and friends. Hart elaborates on negative details related to several people including Dynamite Kid, Bret Hart, Martha Hart, Andrea Hart and Davey Boy Smith. [13] [14] People like Dynamite Kid, Ben Bassarab, Davey Boy Smith and Jim Neidhart are in the book accused of several occasions of criminal activity. Hart has especially been accused of trying to discredit her brother Bret Hart and attempting to portray him as an obsessive egomaniac. [15]
Toronto Star book reviewer Michael Holmes stated that the book was "terribly underwritten, ridiculously simplistic and pointlessly episodic, repetitive and error-riddled." He also said that the book was "one of the most manipulative, megamaniacal, deliberately unselfconscious books I have ever read. Reading it makes you feel dirty." [16]
Initially, when asked about whether she had noticed any backlash from family or others, such as Jim Neidhart, Diana stated that she did not care what Neidhart thought about the book. [17] She also stated that the book was not intended to be vindictive and that she is very proud to be a Hart. [18]
Her brother Bret is a vocal critic of the book and has said that it is a very disturbing read and called it pornographic. He goes on to say that there are enough true Hart stories that Diana did not need to resort to fiction. [19] Bret and others have also questioned the legitimacy of the foreword which Diana claims to be written by their father, Stu. [20] [21] McLellan has stated that Bret was very upset by the book and that he confronted her about it in public at a gym which they both went to at the time. [22]
One of her other brothers, Bruce, has also criticised the book, and called it "ill conceived" and expressed that he cannot understand why his sister would write such a book. He has hypothesized that Hart may have been mentally unstable at the time of the writing. [23]
Legal action was pursued by Martha Hart, Owen Hart's widow. Martha claims that Diana made inaccurate and irresponsible statements about her and her family. [24] [25] She stated that the book was “filled with distortions, misstatements and unjustified slurs that attempt to destroy the reputation of my family and me, and undermine the memory of Owen.” [26] Diana defended herself in an interview for the National Post and stated that she stood by what she has written, insinuating that Martha was a rich bully who was trying to use her money to suppress her recounts. She stated "Martha has money to fight me on it and I don't. I know what I have written is true." [27] The book was pulled from bookstores across Canada by publisher H.B. Fenn and Co. Ltd. in January 2002. Removing the book was part of a settlement between Martha Hart and the publisher. As part of the settlement, the publisher expressed its regrets and a financial settlement was paid to the Owen Hart Foundation, a Calgary-based charity created by Martha. [28]
Long-time wrestling announcer and Stampede alumni Ed Whalen also discredited the book, referring to it as a "fairy tale" and considered joining Martha Hart in the lawsuit. [29]
Hart has later asserted that the stories that were printed in the book, were completely twisted and changed from how she had written them originally, and was deeply hurt by the controversy that was caused for her family from the book. Her brother Bret has questioned her claim that she was not aware of the book's content before publication. [30]
Heath McCoy, the author of the book Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling has stated that there is some truth to some of the statements in the book, such as Hart's claim of her mother Helen's alcoholism. [31]
Tom Billington, professionally known as The Dynamite Kid, admitted to some of the criminal actions he was accused of in the book. [32]
Martha Hart's book, Broken Harts: The Life and Death of Owen Hart, was partially written in response to Under The Mat. [33] [34]
Diana Hart has since disowned the book and called it a failure as a journey and has stated that she is now on good terms with her brothers and sisters, though the book remains listed in her author bio in her more recent books. [35] [36]
McLellan has stated that Hart took her on "an amazing journey" when writing the book. After the release of Under the Mat, McLellan has helped write several other nonfiction books and autobiographies, including the best selling autobiography of former National Hockey League (NHL) player Theoren Fleury named Playing with Fire . [37]
Bret Sergeant Hart is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling background, wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College. A major international draw within professional wrestling, he has been credited with changing the perception of mainstream North-American professional wrestling in the early 1990s by bringing technical in-ring performance to the fore. Hart is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time; Sky Sports noted that his legacy is that of "one of, if not the greatest, to have ever graced the squared circle". For the majority of his career, Hart used the epithet "the Hitman".
Stewart Edward Hart was a Canadian amateur and professional wrestler, wrestling booker, promoter, coach, trainer, football player and sailor. He is best known for founding and handling Stampede Wrestling, a professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta, teaching many individuals at its associated wrestling school "The Dungeon" and establishing a professional wrestling dynasty consisting of his relatives and close trainees. As the patriarch of the Hart wrestling family, Hart is the ancestor of many wrestlers, most notably being the father of Bret and Owen Hart as well as the grandfather of Natalya Neidhart, Teddy Hart and David Hart Smith.
James Henry Neidhart was an American professional wrestler known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation as Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart, where he was a two-time WWF Tag Team Champion with his real-life brother-in-law Bret Hart in the Hart Foundation. He also won titles in Stampede Wrestling, Championship Wrestling from Florida, Mid-South Wrestling, Memphis Championship Wrestling and the Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation. He was part of the Hart wrestling family through marriage to his wife Ellie Hart, teaming with various members throughout his career, and appearing with his daughter Natalya Neidhart on the reality television show Total Divas.
Thomas Billington, best known by the ring name the Dynamite Kid, was a British professional wrestler.
Bruce Edward Hart is an American-born Canadian retired professional wrestler, promoter, booker, trainer and school teacher. He is a second-generation wrestler and a member of the Hart wrestling family, being the second child of Stu and Helen Hart. He is best known for his time in Stampede Wrestling and several appearances for WWE, often with his brothers Bret and Owen.
Keith William Hart is an American born-Canadian retired professional wrestler and firefighter. He is a member of the Hart wrestling family and the third child of Helen and Stu Hart, CM. He is best known for his work for Stampede Wrestling and several appearances for WWE, often with his siblings Bret, Owen, Bruce and Diana. In Stampede he won several championships and for WWE he participated in the seventh edition of Survivor Series.
Smith Stewart Hart was an American-Canadian professional wrestler and a member of the Hart wrestling family. His parents were Stu and Helen Hart. Smith was the first of their twelve children, being one of their eight sons, Bruce, Keith, Wayne, Dean, Bret, Ross and Owen followed him. Hart is also the father of two professional wrestlers, Mike and Matt Hart. Hart wrestled for the majority of his career in Canada but also worked briefly in other countries and is best known for his time in Stampede Wrestling and for his appearances for WWE. He died in 2017 due to prostate cancer.
Dean Harry Anthony Hart was a Canadian–American amateur wrestler, professional wrestler, referee, wrestling as well as music promoter and member of the Hart family who wrestled in Canadian regional promotions during the 1970s and 1980s, most notably in the Calgary-based Stampede Wrestling. He was the son of Stu and Helen Hart and the younger brother of Smith, Bruce, Keith and Wayne, as well as older brother of Ellie, Georgia, Bret, Alison, Ross, Diana and Owen Hart. Dean was widely regarded as the most handsome of the Hart brothers. He died at the age of 36 in 1990, from a heart attack induced by kidney failure.
Benjamin Bassarab is a Canadian former bodybuilder and professional wrestler, best known for his appearances for Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling promotion throughout the 1980s. Bassarab is a two time Stampede International Tag Team champion. Wrestling historian Dave Meltzer described Bassarab as a semi-spectacular in-ring performer.
Diana Joyce Hart is a Canadian-American writer, model, valet and wrestling personality. She is the youngest daughter of Canadian wrestling promoter Stu Hart and was the second to last child born to Stu and his wife Helen. She is best known for her several appearances for Stampede Wrestling and WWE often with her brothers Bret and Owen Hart as well as her husband Davey Boy Smith, and for her book, Under the Mat.
Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be also known as The Bret Hart Story: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be is a 2005 documentary film released as part of a three-DVD set on November 15, 2005, by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The documentary chronicles the career of popular WWE wrestler Bret Hart. Hart collaborated with WWE to make the documentary, contributing hours of interview content to the film. This collaboration marked the first time Hart had worked in an on camera capacity with WWE since the Montreal Screwjob, which was Hart's last in-ring appearance with the company until his return on January 4, 2010. The documentary chronicles Bret Hart's wrestling career, from how he broke into the business as a member of the Hart family to his run in World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
Owen James Hart was a Canadian professional wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He received most of his success in the WWF, where he wrestled under both his own name and the ring name The Blue Blazer.
The Hart Dungeon or Hart Family Dungeon, otherwise known simply as The Dungeon, was the gym and wrestling school located in the basement of the Hart mansion. The school was created by Stu Hart, patriarch of the Hart wrestling family and is known for having produced some of the greatest and most successful professional wrestlers of all time.
The Hart wrestling family, sometimes known as the Hart dynasty, is a mainly Canadian family with a significant history within professional wrestling. The patriarch of the family was wrestling legend Stu Hart (1915–2003). An amateur and professional wrestling performer, promoter and trainer, Stu owned and operated his own wrestling promotion, Stampede Wrestling. He also trained some of the most well known stars in wrestling history including "Superstar" Billy Graham, Fritz Von Erich, Edge, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, Christian and Stu's sons Bret Hart and Owen Hart.
Harry James Smith was an American long-distance runner. He was most notable for competing in the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm. He was also the father of Hart wrestling family matriarch Helen Hart and the father-in-law of Stu Hart.
Ross Lindsay Hart is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, promoter, trainer, booker, TV producer, coach and actor. Hart is a member of the Hart wrestling family and the second youngest son of Stu and Helen Hart. He is best known for his work in Stampede Wrestling and several appearances in WWE, often with his siblings Bruce, Keith, Bret, Diana and Owen Hart.
Bradley Joseph Annis is an American retired bodybuilder, powerlifter, fitness guru, professional wrestler, gym owner and firefighter. Annis is best known for his work for Stampede Wrestling and his ownership and handling of the Calgary gym at which many of the wrestlers trained. Annis is married to Georgia Hart, the daughter of wrestler Stu and wrestling promoter Helen Hart.
Donald Stewart, born around 1832 in Scotland was a politician who served in the North Dakota House of Representatives.
Stu Hart: Lord of the Ring is a 2002 biography of Canadian professional wrestler and promoter Stu Hart, written by journalist Marsha Erb and published by ECW Press. The book is generally considered to be the most in-depth work on Hart's life and career.
Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling is a 2005 history book written by Heath McCoy about the Canadian professional wrestling promotion Stampede Wrestling and its associated wrestling territory. It was published by CanWest and later ECW Press and was well received by former workers of the organisation as well as journalists of the professional wrestling industry.
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