Wrestling Babylon: Piledriving Tales of Drugs, Sex, Death, and Scandal

Berkeley-based freelance writer Irvin Muchnick’s slightly erudite rendering of pro wrestling’s movements over the past four decades somehow provides the missing literary link between fans and intellectuals. Readers from both camps who’ve wondered what’s really gone on behind the scenes may not be surprised by these tales of copious drug use, scandal and death. What is surprising, and worth the book’s price, is Muchnick’s delivery. Wrestling Babylon brims with his unique passion and humor—cultivated through 20 years of reporting on the subject for various publications. Another difference between Muchnick and others who’ve hawked their literary scribblings on the wide world of wrestling is that he pays attention to the under-covered stories, but without over-indulging in them.