MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee has long been known for its deep roots in professional wrestling.
I spoke to Brad Balukjian about his upcoming book that examines the lines between fact and fiction in wrestling.
“This area, the AWA was huge here in the 60’s and 70’s. Milwaukee has always been a wrestling town,” Brad Balukjian says.
Balukjian is a journalist, scientist, professor, and the author of the book The Six Pack, on the Open Road in Search of Wrestlemania.
“There are so many that may not openly admit it in mixed company that they are big wrestling fans but there are so many people out there that are, that do enjoy wrestling that do not talk about it that much,” Balukjian says.
The book deals with truth in a world built on illusion.
“One thing in wrestling that’s always fascinating is where is that line between myth and reality, right?” Balukjian says. “Where is that line between truth and fiction? And when you play, especially back in the old days when you played a character 24/7. How did that character take over your life?”
With a lot of interesting reveals on everyone from Hulk Hogan, to the Iron Shiek.
“Most of them were quiet. They were kind of shy,” Balukjian says. “You know, amazing. Again, people like Sgt. Slaughter. Or this guy Bill Eadie who played a character named the Masked Superstar and Demolition Axe. These were unassuming polite quiet guys.”
The revealing items? Most wrestlers in person, want to be known as a real person. And sometimes things aren’t what they seem.
“It was always the bad guys in real life that were nice,” Balukjian says. “In real life, the bad guys were the good guys and the good guys were the bad guys and that’s an interesting phenomenon. But Hulk Hogan is I would say, I think you know in real life he’s a good guy.”
The book also deals with what happens when you meet your heroes and the humanity behind wrestling.
Talk to us:
Hey there! At TMJ4 News, we’re all about listening to our audience and tackling the stuff that really matters to you. Got a story idea, tip, or just want to chat about this piece? Hit us up using the form below. For more ways to get in touch, head over to tmj4.com/tips.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
