[Note: This was published before the banning of "Under the Mat" as well as the passing of The British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith]

Mick Foley. Kurt Angle. The artist now known as Joanie. Goldberg. Diamond Dallas Page.

Sans Foley, the above list of wrestlers-turned-authors have all received more than enough media attention for their collective literary endeavors. Most recently, Angle did the talk-show circuit to promote "It's True! It's True!" as did Chyna and Foley prior. And what wrestling fan hasn't (rightfully) heard the accolades of "Have a Nice Day!"? But have you heard of "Under the Mat"?

Possibly I'm living in isolation, but aside from a few words on a select wrestling web sites, Diana Hart's "Under the Mat" (which, by the way, is not available in US book stores) has gone almost unrecognized and unacknowledged--even though it has been in print for over one month now.

For the occasional or band-wagon fan, the name Diana Hart may not ring a proverbial bell (no pun intended).

Diana--daughter of Stu and the late Helen Hart, brother to wrestlers Bret and Owen, ex-wife of Davey Boy Smith (aka The British Bulldog) and sister-in-law of Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart--speaks openly not only about a business that she grew-up in, but of her family and wrestling participants from both past and modern-day.

By the end of the book, you almost feel as though you know Ms. Hart. (Did you actually feel like you knew Chyna after reading "If They Only Knew?" Probably not.) Diana is able to make a connection between herself and the reader that--in the realm of wrestling publications--only Foley has been able to achieve in the past.

Speaking of Foley ... it is hard to review any wrestling book without comparing it to "Have a Nice Day!" Much like "Beyond the Mat" comparing to "Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows" or future Regal-Benoit matches with their Pillman 2000 classic. It is impossible.

"Under the Mat" is not "Have a Nice Day!" Foley won over fans with his light-hearted stories and wit--even when Foley describes the brutal loss of his ear in Germany, he interjects humor which in turn, makes a horrific story easier to digest. Ms. Hart's story is completely opposite. There is no room whatsoever for humor--Diana's story is harsh, grizzled, shocking, sometimes hard-to-rationalize reality. She candidly and bravely discusses Davey's abuse and other dark days of her life ... something most people would avoid. She also speaks about the rapant drug use in wrestling--one aspect that Foley stayed far from.

Excluding the fabulous Foley humor, for information, story and content "Under the Mat" is "Have a Nice Day!'s" equal ... a distinction I never thought I'd give.

For fans who followed wrestling during the 1980's and 1990's, "Under the Mat" is essential reading. Diana's stories are not are fascinating and at the same time, somber. Autobiographies by major "Under the Mat" players, Bret Hart and The Dynamite Kid, may tell "the story," but they don't utilize honest reality when it comes to the "truth." For fans disappointed specifically in Bret Hart's pictorial/autobiography "The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be," Diana's book discusses "The Hitman" ... seemingly a different man than the eternal "hero" he strived to portray.

Ironically and sadly, Martha Hart, widow of Owen, filed suit against Diana for the information published in Under the Mat. Yet again, adding another dark chapter to the Hart legacy.

Die hard fans may notice a few wrestling-related factual errors--such as when Steve "Mongo" McMichael is referred to as "Mondo"--but nothing that will distract. However, the only thing I wanted from "Under the Mat" was ... more. Unlike many books that were a relief to finish, after reading the 200-page book in a weekend, I found myself wanting to read more of Diana's book even though it was already completed.

What I find ironic is that Ms. Hart's involvement in the business spans more years than Angle, Chyna and Goldberg combined. Yet, probably 90% of the fans have read Chyna's autobiography (with the catchy over-sized font ... i.e. "I don't have much to say.") while only a small percentage will read Ms. Hart's.

One of many reasons this "Under the Mat" is so compelling is Diana's voice ... a sympathetic voice that speaks freely about difficult subjects ranging from Davey's abuse to family difficulties. The majestic aura that The Hart Family had for years has seemingly been altered by Diana's account ... but not in a bad way. It simply brings the aura into perspective. The Harts are human. And humans are not perfect, even if we may perceive them as being so.


Buy Diana Hart's "Under the Mat" HERE!