The Six Pack

On the Open Road in Search of Wrestlemania

By: Brad Balukjian

Narrated by: Brad Balukjian

From the bestselling author of The Wax Pack, comes another eye-opening road trip adventure into a pocket of iconic pop culture—professional wrestling—starring the Iron Sheik, Hulk Hogan, Tito Santana, and many more larger-than-life characters of the WWF of the 1980s.

In 2005, Brad Balukjian left his position as a magazine fact-checker to pursue a dream job: partner with his childhood hero, The Iron Sheik (whose real name was Khosrow Vaziri), to write his biography. Things quickly went south, culminating in the Sheik threatening Balukjian’s life. Now seventeen years later, Balukjian returns to the road in search of not only a reunion with the Sheik, but something much bigger: truth in a world built on illusion.

Balukjian seeks out six of the Sheik’s contemporaries, fellow witnesses to the World Wrestling Federation’s (WWF) explosion in the mid-‘80s, to unearth their true identities. As Balukjian drives 12,525 miles around the country, we revisit the heady days when these avatars of strength, villainy, and heroism first found fame and see where their journeys took them. From working out with Tony Atlas (Tony White) to visiting Hulk Hogan’s (Terry Bollea) karaoke bar, we see where these men are now and how they have navigated the cliffs of fame.

The Six Pack combines the spirit of a fan with the rigor of an investigative reporter, tracking down former WWF employees, childhood friends, and mutually curious archivists. Wrestling is perceived as a subculture without a cultural home, somewhere between sport and theater—often dismissed as silly and low‑brow. But what makes this book so compelling is the humanity beneath each wrestler. The Iron Sheik, Hulk Hogan, and the rest of the cast were not characters in a comic book movie. They were real people, with families and feelings and bodies that could break. Most of them did, in fact, break; some have been repaired, but none of them will ever be the same.

©2024 Brad Balukjian (P)2024 Hachette Books

Critic reviews

“With a PhD in entomology, a beat-up Ford Fusion, and a prior career as a fact-checker, Brad Balukjian is both the least likely and the absolute best person to write this book. His humility, intelligence, and devotion to fact serve a work that is revelatory, emotionally on point, and addictively readable. It's all here—the lawsuits and exploitation, the clashing egos, the brain damage and the debauchery. But this is less an exposé than a love letter—to the strutting monsters of Balukjian's youth and to the men they ultimately became: surprisingly reflective, sometimes broken, always fascinating. What an achievement this book is.”—Mary Roach, author of Stiff and Fuzz

“Is pro wrestling real? Of course it is! It’s real enough to make a man take to the road in search of his boyhood heroes, undertake a sweet journey of self-discovery, and produce this gem of a book filled with wit, warmth, and wisdom.”—Jonathan Eig, author of King: A Life, Ali: A Life, and Luckiest Man

"The Six Pack isn’t mere rediscover-my-youth journey. It’s a joyful odyssey into the blissful, wacky, weird, outrageous world of 1980s wrestling. So step up to the top rope and leap into Balukjian’s masterful time machine.”—Jeff Pearlman, author of The Last Folk Hero and Three-Ring Circus

I love this book.

Great story by a great author. Compelling, entertaining, and well worth your time and money.

Great job, bubba

A great listen and interesting story about legends of the WWE, along with a snapshot of their out of character lives. Brad is also a terrific narrator.

Great book about the stars of my youth

Heard Brad on Jim Cornette. I have one criticism: it's Oh-Lee Anderson, not Ol. This book is perfect otherwise.

A pro wrestling fan and a terrific writer

I loved The Wax Pack. So when I found out Brad was a fellow pro wrestling fan, I bought this immediately. And it did not disappoint. Just like The Wax Pack, Brad takes the reader on an engaging roadtrip to meet the stars. This time he’s on the hunt for legends of the squared circle. What I love most about Six Pack, is the humanizing
narrative. We get know wrestlers like Tony Atlas and Tito Santana in terms of not just over coming the challenges of the business but for their perseverance over the course of their lives. The effect for me is appreciating my childhood heroes even more. Im also a big fan of how transparent the author is in the challenging journey to write book like this as an outsider to a very protective and close guarded industry. So I found myself rooting for Brad just as much as for the wrestlers trying to live after decades in the spotlight. The Six Pack then is a multidimensional narrative that somehow is extraordinarily seamless and engaging. Brad is also an excellent reader with a voice that strikes a perfect chord from beginning to end. Highly recommended

It's OH-lee Anderson

A well paced and nostalgic story about an important moment in pro wrestling history and it's key players. Unfortunately the consistent mispronunciation of Ole Anderson's name was a bit of a drag. It's like listening to a history about the US Constitution and getting Gouverneur Morris' name wrong the whole time. I understand Ole may not be a common name, but someone in production should've checked.

Good

Very good personal and business details I especially liked the last third of audiobook. The first half is good but a little more editing with the characters timeline would have helped but the second half is better with this and more personal. Still it's really good overall and the Hulk Hogan stuff is very well done and the Shiek story is finally hashed out last third of book. Even if your not a wrestling fan it's interesting and if you are or where a fan back in the day you will definitely enjoy it.

Not Just a Wrestling Story! ( but it's a great wrestling story!)

Enjoyed from start to finish. I hope you find time to write another one eventually. Maybe do one based on the southern territories.

More than just a biography.

I'm not even really sure where to start; this book made me feel so many emotions... Some that I haven't felt in many, many years.

The tl;dr would be "Well researched, well written, performed wonderfully, and full of heart. Worth every penny."

It's hard not to be impressed with the dedication that went in to all of the research and in person interviews that really brought the story to life. Much more than just a collection of facts and data, it weaves the story of the author's cross country journey to bring this book together. For me personally, this really helps set the book apart and give it a unique feel.

The performance was very well done and I typically enjoy when it's the author reading their own work. You're better able to get a feel of the emotions the author intended when it's literally in their own words.

While the first ¾ of the book had me smiling and laughing, I was in tears by the end. Having lost many of my immediate family at an early age, I could relate to the pain of the Iron Sheik. It managed to remind me of emotions that I had thought were long forgotten.

I can't think of anything negative to say. All I can do is recommend to everyone that they should check it out!

The Road Stories

Great road stories and a great way to learn about the WWF 80s expansion time.

an amazing must read!!

if you have any interest in history or wrestling listen to this amazing audiobook!! Highly recommend!!