jonathan snowden

The secret history of the real fighters in pro wrestling

Shooters recounts the stories of athletes like Brock Lesnar and Gene LeBell, men who have lived their lives on the border between &ldquo:works” and “shoots,” between the routines of the professional wrestling circuit and the legitimate confrontations that made their reputations.

From catch wrestling masters Strangler Lewis and Billy Robinson to pro–wrestling icons like Frank Gotch and Lou Thesz, from Olympic heroes Danny Hodge and Kurt Angle to the Japanese wrestler who trained the famous Gracie family and gave birth to the global phenomenon of MMA, Shooters takes you from the shadowy carnival tent and the dingy training hall to the bright lights of the squared circle and the Las Vegas glitz of the Octagon. This volume takes fans of pro wrestling and MMA from Billy Riley’s legendary Wigan Snake Pit to the rigorous UWF Dojo in Tokyo, and draws on meticulous research and original interviews with today’s tough guys.