Wrestling at the Chase: The Inside Story of Sam Muchnick and the Legends of Professional Wrestling - Softcover

Matysik, Larry

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1550226843 ISBN 13: 9781550226843

Publisher: ECW Press, 2005

Synopsis

?Wrestling at the Chase is a fond, informative, amusing, and even poignant look at the who’s who of professional wrestling and legendary St. Louis promoter Sam Muchnick. St. Louis was the capital, and Muchnick the ruler of professional wrestling, before Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Entertainment took over. What happened in St. Louis paved the way for today’s multi-billion-dollar sports entertainment industry. The centrepiece of this magical operation was Wrestling at the Chase,” a television program which broadcast from 1959 to 1983 from the majestic Chase Hotel. Larry Matysik was Muchnick’s protégé and longtime announcer for the television show. With an insider’s eye for detail and accuracy, he recalls funny and amazingly touching tales about the characters who created professional wrestling as we know it. Ric Flair, King Kong” Brody, Dick the Bruiser,” the Von Erichs, Lou Thesz, Gene Kiniski, Pat O’Connor, Johnny Valentine, Dick Murdoch, Harley Race, Buddy Rogers, Jack Brisco, and Andre the Giant are all prominently featured. So is Muchnick himself, the Damon Runyan of wrestling, a man who helped mould the bizarre business of circus and sport. The savage twists of the politics of wrestling are on display as well, particularly the changes that rocked the mat world during the early ’80s.

About this title

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.

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

Edition details

• Publisher: ECW Press
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1550226843
• ISBN 13: 9781550226843
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 232