Big Daddy versus Giant Haystacks
A Super Heavyweight Story
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Pitch Publishing Ltd
Published:23rd Mar '26
Should be back in stock very soon
As the 1970s began, Shirley Crabtree (Big Daddy) was a semi-retired wrestler, aged 40; the younger Martin Ruane (Giant Haystacks), a down-on-his-luck father of three. Both were living in poverty, scratching out a living in the murky underworld of northern England as nightclub doormen. A decade later, they were two of the most famous faces in Britain, with record-breaking millions tuning in to watch them clash at Wembley. But the glory wouldn’t last forever. Big Daddy vs Giant Haystacks tells a rags-to-riches tale of unlikely fame, family loyalty, tragic death, and a uniquely British pop culture phenomenon. This gripping roller-coaster story features exclusive contributions from the likes of Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart, former British heavyweight champion Tony St. Clair and ‘Superstar’ Mal Sanders.
"A brilliant, fantastic read. Brought back so many memories of a golden period in my life. Extremely accurate too. Steven should be very proud of it."
-- 'Superstar' Mal Sanders"Steven Bell has captured an era of British wrestling and exported it to the world through his research, reporting, and storytelling."
-- John Pollock * POST Wrestling *"If you’re a fan of the golden era of British wrestling, you’ll absolutely love this book."
-- Ben Veal * Wrestling Life *"Very well written and correct in every way."
-- Tony St. Clair * former British Heavyweight Champion *"A brilliant read... one of the best sporting books I’ve read so far this year. Their story is brilliantly and movingly told by Steven Bell – a real-life slice of our social history. TalkSPORT’s Book of the Week."
-- Paul Ross * talkSPORT *"Steven Bell has crafted the definitive history of British pro wrestling to date. When you’ve been chronicling wrestling history as long as I have, you start to think you’ve learned all there is to learn. Steve proved me very, very wrong."
-- Brian R Solomon * Shut Up and Wrestle *"Blown away from the first page... Wrestling history at its most essential."
-- Marc Haynes * WrestleISBN: 9781836802549
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
320 pages