By Ed Symkus

Sheldon Goldberg’s engaging first novel spotlights the world of pro wrestling.

The Last Fall by Sheldon Goldberg. Self-published, 245 pp., $16.99 (softcover), $9.99 (Kindle)

Do you need to be a wrestling fan to enjoy Sheldon Goldberg’s debut novel about grapplers who show off their athletic and “dramatic” expertise in the squared circles of the sport of kings?

No, you do not. The book offers a compelling plot that takes some unexpected side swerves as it moves jauntily along, and features a vibrant cast of characters making their way through a fictionalized but reality-based world that has long existed on the fringes of professional sports.

But do you need to be a wrestling fan to appreciate the nuances of Goldberg’s peek behind the customarily closed doors of this popular and lucrative entertainment enterprise?

Well, it couldn’t hurt. At the center of The Last Fall is a fairly straightforward story about a talented young kid who — starting with a right time-right place scenario — works his way up through the wrestling ranks from impressionable neophyte to holder of a championship belt. In and around that narrative, Goldberg loads in lots of insider terminology (babyface, heel, jobber, shooter), all of which he defines. The names of selected real-life wrestlers (George “The Animal” Steele, The Fabulous Moolah, The Unpredictable Johnny Rodz) are mentioned in passing. There are also references to wrestlers dealing with constant injuries and endless hours on the road, including how they navigate the often underhanded sides of the business.

Those looking for a tell-all about the seedy side of the sport will be disappointed. The author is far from a whistleblower, though he is an insider. Sheldon Goldberg was never a wrestler but he certainly knows what he is writing about. Goldberg is the founder and owner of New England Championship Wrestling. He produced and hosted The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show and is an inductee in the New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame.

The protagonist is 11-year-old Richie Pacheco, who at the outset lives with his single mom and her father in 1971 in Harrisburg, PA. Much is made early on of the mentor-student relationship that develops between Richie and the retired former wrestler Sailor Sam Sullivan, who now trains young up-and-comers and promotes local shows.

Goldberg follows Richie over the years, from rigorous training to his first pro match and his first name change (he becomes Rick Petersen) to his becoming part of a tag team with slightly younger and much greener Pete Petrocelli. They’re dubbed The Jam (with name changes to Rockin’ Ricky Randall and Pistol Pete Powell), and they set out on an upward trajectory through the lower-to-middle echelons of what was known in the early-’80s as the wrestling territories.

Shining moments in the book include times when real wrestling history pops up in the background and the appearance of marginally disguised characters, based on actual people. (Fans will have no trouble picking out the renamed Vince McMahon, Vince McMahon Jr., and Ted Turner, or figuring out that American Championship Wrestling is a stand-in for WCW and that the All American Network is the USA Network).

The narrative is generally fast paced, though things become a bit bogged down and slightly confusing when the action turns away from the characters and briefly focuses on some behind-the-scenes management wheeling and dealing. But the momentum returns when the proceedings take a dark turn involving drugs, death, and scandal – a mood-changing move that’s smoothly handled by Goldberg.

The twists and turns of Pacheco-Petersen-Randall’s wrestling journey means the introduction of number of colorful characters – the most engaging being Professor Al Sheridan (knowledgeable fans will recognize a veiled Al Snow) – who runs the scrappy Montana outfit Great Western Wrestling, where our protagonist is sent for some retooling (and another name change).

The Last Fall is, at its heart, a dramatic recounting of the career arc of Richie Pacheco. Still, the story also features detailed descriptions of ring action and absorbing discussions on the psychology of the sport. Fans and non-fans wrestling will find something of interest here.

Ed Symkus is a Boston native and Emerson College graduate. Among his accomplishments: He went to Woodstock, interviewed Edward Gorey, Ray Bradbury, Ted Nugent, and Kathryn Bigelow, and has visited the Outer Hebrides, the Lofoten Islands, Anglesey, Mykonos, the Azores, Catalina, Kangaroo Island, Capri, and the Isle of Wight with his wife Lisa.