Identity in professional wrestling : essays on nationality race and gender The Iron Sheik and public representation of Iranian national identity in professional wrestling Zara Mirmalek They aint like us : race class and gender in Smoky Mountain wrestling Edward Salo Latin lords of the ring : politics nativism and Mexican Chicano identity through professional wrestling Justin D. Garcia Degenerative sports and dirty tactics : race and professional wrestling in Cape Town South Africa c. 1880 1988 Hendrik Snyders Nazis Japs and Pearl Harbor attacks : German and Japanese stereotypes in American professional wrestling Aaron D. Horton Deepest darkest Africa : cultural appropriation in professional wrestling Kevin Hogg Wrestling with masculinity : exoticos in lucha libre Ximena Rojo de la Vega Guinea Transformed bodies and gender norms : gender identity of Japanese women pro wrestlers Keiko Aiba A secret fascination : professional wrestling gender non conformity and masculinity Elizabeth Catte and Josh Howard Sasha Banks the boss of NXT : media gender and the evolution of womens wrestling in WWE Christiana Molldrem Harkulich The beginnings of wrestling in Brazil : theatricality marketing and a colorful character Riqueldi Straub Lise Andre Mendes Capraro Natasha Santos and Aaron D. Horton The transmission of cultural values through professional wrestling : a cross cultural comparison Tyson L. Platt The sportification of wrestling in France : strength performance and regulation (1852 1913) Frederic Loyer and Jean François Loudcher I couldnt carry a tune in a bucket : music in the Memphis and Mid South UWF professional wrestling territories and the transformation of southern political culture 1958 87 Christopher L. Stacey Pile driving the past : WWE 13 and mediating the history of WWE through video games Andrew Baerg Lowland gorilla ballerina acrobat : Brock Lesnar Sherdog.com and the perception of professional wrestlers competing in combat sports Evan Karl Nagel Macho madness and the mania ( oh yeaaaah dig it! ) : mediatization masculinities and affective memories of WWFs halcyon days (circa 1984 1993) Damion Sturm Origins of the rock n wrestling connection Seth Bovey This collection of new essays contributes to the growing literature on pro wrestling with a broad exploration of identity in the sport. Topics include cultural appropriation in the ring gender non comformity national stereotypes and wrestling as transmission of cultural values