The Iron Sheik was author Brad Balukjian’s favorite wrestler as a kid growing up in the 80s and directly inspired his new book, “The Six Pack: On The Road in Search of Wrestlemania.” Brad took a road trip to find and meet 6 of the Sheik’s wrestling contemporaries, including Hulk Hogan, Tony Atlas, Sgt. Slaughter, Jose Luis Rivera, Tito Santana, and Demolition Ax, aka Bill Eadie. Brad shares the stories he discovered and learned about each including The Sheik being told to break Hulk Hogan’s leg, the original plane ride from hell with Jimmy Snuka, Tony Atlas’ initiation into pro wrestling in the South, who sabotaged Jose Luis Rivera’s promised push, and the real story behind Sgt. Slaughter’s military service! Brad also dug into the early days of the WWF expansion under Vince and Linda McMahon and found records of early payouts to talent, live show grosses, and original contracts. Plus, Brad talked to then-WWF CFO Bob McMullan and Jim Troy, Vince’s right-hand man at the time, about what it was like working for Vince.
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