Reports have been around for a while new media giant Vice was producing wrestling documentaries, and yesterday (Mar. 28) Variety ran a story which let us know a lot more about them.
Entitled Dark Side of the Ring, the six episode series will run weekly beginning on Weds., April 10 at 9PM eastern on the company’s Viceland network. Each episode is narrated by industry legend Dutch Mantell, and will explore a controversial topic or event from wrestling history. Or, as the press release states, “explore the secret history of wrestling’s biggest names”. Check out the first trailer above.
The subject matter of each episode varies in terms of general awareness, from things every WWE fan knows something about like Macho Man & Miss Elizabeth’s real life romance or the allegations against The Fabulous Moolah which caused such controversy leading up to WrestleMania 34, to ones you’d need to have lived through or dug into wrestling history to know much about, like the Von Erichs’ sad family history or the death of Gino Hernandez.
Here’s Vice’s description for the Jason Eisener (the man responsible for the Rutger Hauer 2011 exploitation comedy Hobo With A Shotgun) directed, Evan Husney and Ed Hatton produced episodes, along with their air dates:
“From backstage controversies to mysterious deaths and unsolved homicides, this series explores the darkest stories from the golden age of professional wrestling - with each episode centered on a professional wrestling icon, including the tragic love story of Randy ‘Macho Man’ Savage and Miss Elizabeth, the infamous ‘Montreal Screwjob’ which stripped Bret Hart of his title, the locker room altercation that led to the death of Bruiser Brody, as well as the dark history of the Von Erich wrestling dynasty, the controversial death of ‘Gorgeous’ Gino Hernandez and a look at the intense allegations against legendary female star The Fabulous Moolah.”
Weds., April 10 - The Match Made in Heaven (Randy Savage and Elizabeth)
Wednesday, April 17 - The Montreal Screwjob
Weds., April 24 - The Killing of Bruiser Brody
Weds., May 1 - The Last of the Von Erichs
Weds., May 8 - The Mysterious Death of Gorgeous Gino (Hernandez)
Weds., May 15 - The Fabulous Moolah
Feels like most of the wrestling docs we’ve gotten lately have either come from or been produced with involvement from WWE, so these definitely have me intrigued. You?