Giant Haystacks became a worldwide wrestling superstar and a British icon during the 1970s, 80s and 90s. His matches against the likes of Big Daddy, Kendo Nagasaki and William Regal on ITV's World Of Sport are now part of sports-entertainment folklore. Billed as standing 6 feet 11 inches tall, and weighing at his peak a reputed 46 stones, he was indeed a ring mammoth.
But behind the ring villain image was Martin Ruane of Salford, a quiet and often shy family man who had come through the hard knocks of life, battling crippling insecurity along the way to transform himself nightly into his wrestling alter ego. Under the name of Loch Ness, Martin had signed with the American WCW promotion to battle Hulk Hogan when fate cruelly intervened.
During the summer of 1998 a young fan was surprised to find himself invited to his hero's Prestwich home to start work on a book that Martin hoped would tell his story, an insight into an extraordinary life. Little did they know that within a few short months the dark spectre of cancer would halt them both in their tracks.
Now for the first time Rob Cope tells of his meetings with his heavyweight hero, and the story of Martin's unique life as told to him by the man himself before his untimely death. This personal memoir is a fully illustrated celebration of a man who was a giant in every sense. A figure wrestling fans loved to hate but a man also genuinely loved by all who knew him.
Details
- Publication Date
- Oct 29, 2021
- Language
- English
- ISBN
- 9781458354518
- Category
- Sports
- Copyright
- All Rights Reserved - Standard Copyright License
- Contributors
- By (author): Rob Cope
Specifications
- Pages
- 134
- Binding Type
- Paperback Perfect Bound
- Interior Color
- Color
- Dimensions
- US Trade (6 x 9 in / 152 x 229 mm)