Professional wrestling’s most notorious scandals and drug-fueled spectacles are laid out using insider details and investigative journalism in this powerful exposé of the sport. Featuring pieces previously published in magazines such as Penthouse and People, this book examines the demise of the old Mafia-like territories, whose wake, with the help of cable television and deregulation, helped fuel the astonishing growth of professional wrestling. These solemn and thoroughly investigated accounts—of Hulk Hogan’s drug use, the untimely death of Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka’s girlfriend, the ill-fated Von Erich clan, and various scandals associated with World Wrestling Entertainment’s Vince McMahon—go beyond the theatrics to illustrate what really goes on behind the curtain and where the sport now stands.
Wrestling Babylon
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Irv Muchnick knows wrestling like Anna Wintour knows fashion, and his intriguing collection of ring tales is written with passion and savage humor." —Frank Deford, bestselling author and National Public Radio contributor
"Wrestling Babylon is the literary link between fans (including closet intellectuals) and intellectuals (including closet fans)." —John Heindenry, executive editor, The Week magazine
"The wrestling version of Alice in Wonderland: You fall into the hole and you discover a world you never dreamed of. But Muchnick didn't dream this stuff up, he dug it up." —Scott Ostler, sports columnist, San Francisco Chronicle
"Muchnick on wrestling is a surreal thing." —Roy Blount, Jr.
"Like his uncle Sam Muchnick, Irv is a great reporter. But Irv is also a great writer." —Larry Matysik, author, Wrestling at the Chase: The Inside Story of Sam Muchnick and the Legends of Professional Wrestling
"A few hundred years from now some archeologist is going to dig up a copy, alongside a box of men’s neckties, and wonder which aspect of our culture was stranger . . . In a world of timid, formulaic scrivenings on sports and entertainment and sports entertainment, Wrestling Babylon is a sock on the jaw." —Bert Randolph Sugar, from the Foreword
"The only problem with this wonderful book is that it ends too soon." —BeyondChron
"Loaded with detailed and well-researched goodies." —New York Post
About the Author
Irvin Muchnick is a writer whose work has appeared in publications ranging from The New York Times to Penthouse. He is the nephew of legendary wrestling promoter Sam Muchnick. He lives in Berkeley, California.
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More About the Author
Irvin Muchnick is author of CHRIS & NANCY: The True Story of the Benoit Murder-Suicide and Pro Wrestling's Cocktail of Death (2009) and WRESTLING BABYLON: Piledriving Tales of Drugs, Sex, Death, and Scandal (2007). He is a widely published magazine journalist and has appeared on forums as diverse as Fox News' "O'Reilly Factor," National Public Radio's "Fresh Air with Terry Gross," and ESPN's "Up Close." Muchnick is lead respondent in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case for freelance writers' rights, Reed Elsevier v. Muchnick.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I am glad I checked this out of the library because it is not worth paying for. The book is very short and is shorten even more with an abundance of random pictures that take up every third page. Worse the author posts random columns written previoulsy in his book. Even worse is the details of the articles are often written almost verbatim in previous pages. I read almost the exact paragraph more than once on many occasions. Most everything in the book is know by most fans of wrestling. I found the section on the Von Erichs interesting and that was about it. I would not waste my money unless you have money to waste in that event buy the book.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Luke
Format:Paperback
This book is one of the worst professional wrestling books I have ever read. The book is filled with information that is well known among most fans and is presented in a lazy and unorganized manner. Muchnick uses old articles to fill the pages of this books. Amazon says this book is 200 hundred pages long, but it barely makes it over 160 and most of that is pictures or his long winded and boring articles written for previous magazines.
Don't buy this book.
Don't buy this book.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By J. Rhoades
Format:Paperback
This covers various scandals in the sport, and seems complete (ends before the Benoit deaths). It is readable for fans and non-fans alike. It ends with a chronological list of deaths of wrestlers under the age of 50 (and its a fairly long one). Could be more detailed.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not as good as I'd hoped. Use your own discretion when buying it.
September 11, 2011
By A. Schortgen
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be. I always found that things that go on outside of the wrestling ring are fascinating to learn about. I am surprised with some of the details in this book, but overly not impressed with it. It doesn't reveal as much as it claims to on the cover (so don't let that fool you.) If you buy this book, I wish you the best at reading it because it's a tad confusing.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Peter
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The book collates material that the author has written about over the years. Goes through the well-known scandals of Superfly Snuka and his girlfriend dying, Hulk Hogan and steroids, Pat Patterson and the allegations of ringboys etc.
The material is readable but nothing new to wrestling fans who have read other books.
The material is readable but nothing new to wrestling fans who have read other books.
9 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By Jean Valjean
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Wrestling Babylon is a real eye opener. It blasts open the gritty underside of professional wrestling. This book is basically a compilation of articles written over the past two decades by Irvin Muchnick, a nephew of legendary wrestling promoter Sam Muchnick of Minnesota. The book presents insider information about the overuse of anabolic steroid in pro wrestling during the past two decades and other forms of drug abuse which stems from wrestling promoters preference to employ those who possess highly inflated and cartoonish physiques. It also reveals the sexual abuses which do happen behind the scenes. The book content is written with a great deal of humor and obvious love of professional wrestling. It perhaps appears to be a contradiction to say the author loves "rassling" and yet maintains a hard edged objectivity when discussing what actually happens behind the scene, however Muchnick has been able to successfully balance the two opposing sentiments. He is simply presenting wrestling as it is. It is only through awareness that positive change can happen. I only wish that Muchnick had been able to tie the story of professional wrestling from the early years of the television era and linking it to its current evolutionary stage and leading to a discussion about its possible future. Perhaps that is meant for another book. Are you listening Mr. Muchnick?
8 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By J. Meltzer
Format:Paperback
"Wrestling Babylon" is the fly on the wall in the locker room. The stories that Irv Muchnick weaves throughout the book are more dramatic than any "angle" written by WWF writers. From Hulk Hogan's steroid scandal to backroom pedophila to Superfly Stuka's mysterious dead girlfriend, you really start to see how wrestling, despite IPOs, videogames and its semi-mainstream appeal, is a seedy, dark business.
The sense of Vince McMahon's mind you get from reading the various chapters is particularly noteworthy. The psychology of a man who took wrestling from gymnasiums to Madison Square Garden is fascinating and frightening. Perhaps the scariest and darkest part of the book is McMahon's own quotes on how he treats his business and his employees.
All in all, "Wrestling Babylon" is a great book for anyone who knows the difference between a German Suplex and a Boston Leg Lock. It is also a great book for anyone who has a soft spot for wrestling but always wanted to peer behind the curtain.
The sense of Vince McMahon's mind you get from reading the various chapters is particularly noteworthy. The psychology of a man who took wrestling from gymnasiums to Madison Square Garden is fascinating and frightening. Perhaps the scariest and darkest part of the book is McMahon's own quotes on how he treats his business and his employees.
All in all, "Wrestling Babylon" is a great book for anyone who knows the difference between a German Suplex and a Boston Leg Lock. It is also a great book for anyone who has a soft spot for wrestling but always wanted to peer behind the curtain.
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I'm a huge pro wrestling fan and an avid read of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Because of that I already knew much of the information in this. I really only got it for the Jimmy Snuka chapter which is good but leaves you wanting more. It's written in a really messy style and it's a little hard to read. It's not a bad read but it's not the best.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Babble On Wrestling
There's simply nothing here in this potboiler that's the least bit interesting. I'm not against dishing dirt, but the author had no dirt to dish, just rehashes of very old news... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Joseph R. Oleary
5.0 out of 5 stars
Revealing expose' on sports entertainment
For people who've often wondered about whether or not wrestling is a legitimate contest of strength or a predetermined show between two actors, this book takes readers behind the... Read more
Published 2 months ago by D. Gonzalez
2.0 out of 5 stars
Sub-par at best
I ordered this book after being sucked in by the title. The combination of wrestling and babylon is not something you hear often and it sounded (to me) like it would be an... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Oceanus
3.0 out of 5 stars
Ehhh...
This is book was ok but not worth the money in my opinion. I got it for free at a wrestling event i attended in Boston. Read more
Published on February 7, 2011 by Ry
2.0 out of 5 stars
A Waste
Not much to this one, save your money as there are many books far better than this one on pro wrestling!
Published on April 26, 2010 by Ricky Lee Hicks
1.0 out of 5 stars
Boring, old news
This book is horrible. It is VERY boring, unorganized and everything in it (despite being recently written) is old news to just about everyone who actually likes wrestling. Read more
Published on September 18, 2009 by Erin M. Kessler
2.0 out of 5 stars
Redundant and spiteful
Whether the author will admit it or not, this book is written like someone who hates wrestling. Every shortcoming brought up, ever scandal seems to be delivered in a spiteful,... Read more
Published on July 1, 2009 by Justin "Violent" Lee
4.0 out of 5 stars
Behind the scenes look .............
If you're a wrestling fan this is a must read....plain and simple!
Don't ask questions....the price is ridiculously low right now so just buy it.
Don't ask questions....the price is ridiculously low right now so just buy it.
Published on January 20, 2008 by Mark Vincent
