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 “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.

Jonathan Snowden's profile page

Jonathan Snowden is the author of the bestselling Total MMA (2008) and co-author of The MMA Encyclopedia (2010). He is a national lead writer for Bleacher Report and is a former radio DJ and television producer. He currently works for the Department of Defense.

“Jonathan Snowden has crystallized in one volume the history of ‘Strong Style’ wrestling. From Frank Gotch to Karl Gotch. From the United States to Japan and all points in between, it really is all in there!” — Wrestling Figs

“This is the type of a book that should be studied and researched, providing fans of both professional wrestling and mixed martial arts with the type of knowledge that fans of other more mainstream sports have had access to for decades.” — Bleacher Report

“While Shooters is a book about pro wrestling at heart, it’s actually a book for MMA fans as well as the later chapters are focused on the role pro wrestlers played in the rise of the early days of mixed martial arts, in organizations like Pancrase, the UFC, and PRIDE. If you wanted to learn more about the early crossover wrestling/MMA stars, guys like Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn, this is your book.” — MMA Blog

“A fascinating read . . . At under 300 pages before appendices, it’s a fairly brisk one as well. Whether you're a fan of pro wrestling or not, the stories presented within have plenty for everyone to enjoy.” — MMA Torch