Wrestling at the Chase: The Inside Story of Sam Muchnick and the Legends of Professional Wrestling [Paperback]

Larry Matysik (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 6, 2005

Legendary St. Louis promoter Sam Muchnick and the magical television wrestling show broadcast from the opulent Chase Hotel from 1959 to 1983 are captured in this informative, amusing, and sometimes poignant story of one of wrestling's greatest eras. The high-class establishment of the Chase Hotel and the rough-and-tumble world of professional wrestling made strange bedfellows, but they worked together to produce an addicting spectacle under the direction of Muchnick. Ric Flair, "King Kong" Brody, and Andre the Giant are just some of the many characters who are featured in the engrossing, funny, and touching tales. Any fan of pro wrestling will delight in the history, humor, and uniqueness of Sam Muchnick and the Chase.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Simulates the sensation of sitting around a table...listening to your uncles tell stories of their youths."  —Sauce Magazine 

"A fond look backwards at the glory days of wrestling."  —Shelf Life

"Details St. Louis' rich wrestling tradition as one of the country's top venues throughout the 1960s and 1970s."  —Belleville News-Democrat

"With objectivity and candor...Larry Matysik brings to life an honest, hard-hitting, and emotional account."  —Left Bank Books

"Consider Matysik's book an essential read."  —St. Louis Post-Dispatch

About the Author

Larry Matysik started working for Sam Muchnick in 1963. He also worked for Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation from 1984 to 1993, and has since been involved in independent wrestling promotions. He lives in Belleville, Illinois.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: ECW Press (June 6, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550226843
• ISBN-13: 978-1550226843
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #701,933 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great memories of a fun and exciting era!, January 23, 2006

By 

W. DeWald (Arlington, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wrestling at the Chase: The Inside Story of Sam Muchnick and the Legends of Professional Wrestling (Paperback)

This book brought back many memories of the great wrestlers I saw on TV and read about in the old wrestling magazines in an era when it was a whole lot easier to suspend disbelief.

***But note that this is NOT a 300 page book, no matter what the product description says. It is a 232 page book. An entertaining 232 pages to be sure, but still it is more than 20% shorter than the listed length. Buy it anyway, it's still worth it.***

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Paints a great picture of an era gone by, January 30, 2006

By 

Peabody Von Prufrock (Downtown USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wrestling at the Chase: The Inside Story of Sam Muchnick and the Legends of Professional Wrestling (Paperback)

Larry Matysik's book offers great insight into the St. Louis wrestling scence in a well written, organized book (which is not always the case with pro wrestling books). Larry was a sports reporter, and it shines through in his writing. Having grown up with the Mid-Atlantic territory in Virginia, I had never witnessed Wrestling at the Chase, nor was I aware of its importance in the NWA. Reading Larry's book and seeing his DVD's changed all that. There were a lot of familiar faces (Flair, Brody, Von Raschke), and some new (Crusher Blackwell, a young Ted Dibiase before he moved on to the UWF and WWF, Bulldog Bob Brown). It's a real treat to read his anecdotes then watch them on video. If you're a fan of the old NWA, this book is well worth your while to pick up. ECW Press has churned out some great wrestling books in the last year or two, including The Greatest Tag-Teams, Terry Funk's autobiography, and Harley Race's autobiography. This one is near the top of the heap. Highly recommended for fans of late 70's and 80's NWA wrestling, as well as those curious about wrestling history.

Larry Matysik is now at work on a King Kong (Bruiser) Brody biography which should be out this year.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good stuff, October 13, 2005

By 

E. Snow "The Fourth Man" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wrestling at the Chase: The Inside Story of Sam Muchnick and the Legends of Professional Wrestling (Paperback)

Another excellent wrestling book (along with Ric Flair's, The Death of WCW and the Tag-Teams). It's always interesting to find out about a promotion I knew little about, since I was a NY east coast fan with basically the WWWF as my wrestling promotion of choice. Great backstage stories as well as great stories about booking and match philosophies. My one peeve would be Matysik's need to skewer Vince McMahon and the present day wrestling product. Sure, about 90% of what he says is true and accurate, but taking shots at WWE is both easy and common now and comes off as unoriginal and tiring. Suggested reading for any wrestling fan.