Ring of Hell: The Story of Chris Benoit and the Fall of the Pro Wrestling Industry

It's not always easy being a wrestling mark. Very few other forms of entertainment elicit the extreme responses that admitting you are fan of wrestling fan does. There really is no in between - people either love it or think of it in the same light as paying to see the 75 pound rat at the state fair. This book was written for the former group, but the tone will be much more appealing for the latter. Ring of Hell is mainly centered on around the rise and mega-fall of Chris Benoit - a man who most hardcore wrestling fans thought of as an almost a god-like being during the late 90s and early part of this century. It chronicles Benoit's insane (barbaric) training, massive drug addiction, and psychological downfall. Really though most of that was either already known (or widely assumed) - the book's real contribution is the insight it provides to the wrestling industry as a whole. This is a no-holds-barred expose on wrestling. From the addictions to drugs, booze, and sex to the "ribs" played backstage to the deaths of the wrestlers, no stone is left unturned. If you ever wanted to know what truly goes on behind the scenes, this is your book. I gave this book "5-stars" mainly because I think every wrestling (and non-wrestling) fan should read it. That's not to say the book doesn't have its flaws. For one, there are typos and the author uses graphic language to describe situations. Second, the book almost reads as a personal attack on wrestling while very little (or, in most cases, zero) time is spent bringing up counterarguments. Third, there are times when this negative criticism of wrestling becomes so one-sided it's tough to figure out exactly what the author wants done. For example, the book constantly bashes wrestlers like Benoit and Eddie Guerrero for being devoted to the "business" and unwilling to leave despite the overwhelming evidence that it will eventually kill them. Then the author almost looks down on Shane Douglas, a man who got out of wrestling, because he now makes an honest living working at Target. I'm sure the author's point was that a grown man now has to make a living working at Target due to wrestling, but what about the fact that Douglas was able to make oodles of money while as wrestler, enjoyed the high life for a time, got out, and is now working a low-stress job that can support his family. If all the money he earned while wrestling was blown leaving him no other option, who's fault is that - wrestling or Douglas'? Again though, the book will make you think twice about the insane world of pro wrestling. It's not always fair or willing to discuss the counterarguments, but it's truthful and thought provoking - a rarity when it comes to this profession.

For any TRUE Chris Benoit fan, who still hasn't been able to come to grips with the loss of one of, if not the absolute best, wrestler of all time,this book is for you. Matthew Randazzo V has done his research and has done it well. In this book, he shares an in depth look at the world of wrestling in which Chris Benoit lived. Not the world of wrestling in which the viewer lives, but the hardcore truth. His style of writing brings with it both truth that hurts and comforts. If you are looking for some answers and maybe some closure on what brought on the tragic loss of a great wrestler and a great man, look no further than "Ring Of Hell". Bravo to Matthew Randazzo V on such a fine piece of work.

"Ring of Hell" is a wake-up call for wrestlers, promoters, fans, and--most importantly--the rest of the world. One cannot rationally imagine why any wrestler wouldn't champion this book, which is a watertight argument in favor of improving working conditions--if not basic human rights--within the industry. Grim subject matter aside, this entertaining, captivating and informative book will ultimately engender positive change. Any aspiring pro wrestler who reads this book will have no choice but to think twice about their perspective vocation. At the very least, they will gain well-founded misgivings about working for Vince McMahon, saving their own health and happiness in the process. Randazzo can hardly be faulted for that. Randazzo is already being unjustly vilified for pointing fingers, naming names, and exposing facts that those within the industry gamely attempted to hide for years. Many have bristled at the book's wider exposure of Chris Benoit's colleagues and their respective proclivities. Such inclusions of "dirt" are entirely justified, if not unavoidable, in order to illustrate the pervasive, industry-wide insanity that fed Benoit's downward spiral. Contrary to the recent self-serving carping of lesser authors who mistakenly consider themselves Randazzo's "competition" (Irv Muchnick, I'm looking in your blog's direction...), "Ring of Hell" will stand the test of time due to the pure, visceral honesty contained within. At times, this direct approach lapses into a narrative voice that seems downright insulting (especially if your last name is "Hart"). Depending on one's personal alignment, the reader may find this alienating. The ugly truth cannot be avoided: people are suffering, if not dying, in ways that are entirely preventable. Randazzo's fresh perspective is a welcome and long overdue slap in the face.

Attempting to explain to non-wrestling fans just how shocking the news that Chris Benoit had brutally exterminated his immediate family shortly before, in a gesture pregnant with symbolism, strangling himself on his weight bench is more or less an impossible task, mostly because it requires people to explain the appeal of wrestling in the first place. After all, the story arc of Benoit's entire professional career - if not his entire life - is one of the redemptive power of professional wrestling, the vector he exploited to overcome his physical and charismatic shortcomings and become a genuine favorite among fans despite decades of conditioning to reject wrestlers like him on first sight. For fans of Benoit's no-nonsense, give-%110 approach to their beloved form of entertainment, the news of his family's fate was almost Shakespearian in its tragedy; it was as if Paul McCartney were to admit to have killed his first wife Linda and eaten her corpse for Christmas dinner. Matthew Randazzo's "Ring of Hell" is simultaneously both the best possible introduction to that world for outsiders and the most intimidatingly thorough reckoning for fans yet put out. The stories it contains are wild beyond belief, but Randazzo documents his sources extensively, attributes quotes whenever possible, and demonstrates a willingness to question his own sources' credibility if journalistic responsibility demands it. The end result is a ruthlessly compelling read which nevertheless leaves the reader feeling like they've learned something - namely, that contemporary professional wrestling is a soberingly cannibalistic industry driven on the willing suicides of its stars. "Ring of Hell" is the story of a love so absurd normal folks probably haven't ever even considered its existence - an all-consuming love for pro wrestling. As the book exhaustively documents, this singular love motivated Benoit to endure nightmarish training regimens all over the world, poison himself with performance-enabling (not, the book stresses, "-enhancing") drugs, and willingly subject himself to degenerative brutality with a regularity so reliable as to defy comprehension. Worse, Benoit's tragic compulsions are mirrored over the course of the book by dozens of figures, from functionally insane billionaires to palpably good-natured, kind-hearted fellow wrestlers. All are punished. Randazzo explains how a climate for such behavior could even exist, let alone flourish, by relying on an treasure trove of source material, much of which comes to light for the first time in this book's pages. While the notion that pro wrestling is a dangerous, sleazy place shouldn't really be news to anyone, literally every page of "Ring of Hell" brings revelations about the depth and wicked creativity of the professional wrestling industry's inherent amorality with the potential to drop your jaw. Sometimes, these stories are cartoonishly hilarious (Japanese icon Antonio Inoki buying "Inoki Friendship Island" on