Review of My Life in Wrestling by "Playboy" Gary Hart

I sometimes get a little cocky and tend to think I know all there is to know about wrestling history. This book put me in my place. I learned many things in this book and unlike most textbooks I've read, I didn't want to put this book down. As someone that has read almost every wrestling book published, I rank this as my second favorite behind only Bret Hart's book. Fans of Gary Hart, World Class Wrestling, the territorial era, and those wanting to learn more about the way wrestling works behind the scenes will love this book.

For those unfamiliar with "Playboy" Gary Hart, he was most famous on-screen for being a manager of wrestlers in both World Class Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling. While the stories he tells of dealing with and really managing his wrestlers would be worth the price of this book, it delivers so much more.

Behind-the-scenes, Gary Hart was a very important booker. His booking helped transform World Class Championship Wrestling from a tiny company to a national powerhouse. He also booked for Jim Crockett when the first Starrcade happened. His stories of the different territories he managed in and booked for as well as the crooked and good promoters he dealt with are fascinating material.

Fans that recall Gary Hart will remember that he had a great way of telling stories that made fans want to buy a ticket to the arena. I made not in my review of the recent WWE DVD about World Class Wrestling that "Gary Hart is still a commanding presence when he speaks." That presence translated very well to the written page.

The big selling point for many will be his first-hand knowledge and involvement of the rise and fall of World Class Championship Wrestling. Know as "Uncle Gary" to the Von Erich children before they became wrestlers, there are many parts of that story which haven't been told before.