The world of professional wrestling is paradoxical. Storylines are intricately plotted by creative writers, refined by the agents and the wrestlers the day of the match, and performed live in front of worldwide audiences to evoke drama and emotion. It’s scripted: it’s “fake.” Yet, more often than not, it is the real-life backstage machinations, the behind-the-scenes tales of drama and deceit, of pettiness between allies and adversaries, that feel as though they were actually penned by Hollywood’s finest scriptwriters.

David Sahadi’s Backstage Pass is a firsthand account of what occurs beyond the squared circle — stories that are often more compelling and dramatic than anything that occurs on TV or inside a ring. These never-before-told stories are glorious, nefarious, and at times truly unbelievable: five-star mega-bouts between the powers that rule, the leaders and decision-makers who are often in agreement (but mostly at odds), and the superstars themselves.

This book is a tale of defiance, decadence, and denial — and you do not have to be a wrestling fan to enjoy it.