Photo Credit: WWE.com
Every year, millions of people around the globe watch professional wrestling. While many call it entertainment, others believe pro wrestling is more about the theatrics. Nevertheless, since its inception, the popularity of this sports genre has only seen a healthy rise.
Companies such as WWE, AEW, TNA, and NJPW are currently dominating the world of pro wrestling. Wrestlers like CM Punk, Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch, Kenny Omega, Tetsuya Naito, and more are some of the biggest names in this business, and fans immensely adore their in-ring abilities. In the past, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Shaun Michaels, Trish Stratus, Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, and more had captivated pro wrestling fans for years.
Interestingly, this global phenomenon has been the subject of numerous documentaries and films. Movies such as The Wrestler, Bad Guys, Fighting with My Family, Iron Claw, etc., are critically and commercially acclaimed. Furthermore, some of them have even won prestigious awards. This also includes documentaries.
In recent years, documentaries on pro wrestling have provided insight into the sport. They have also highlighted how this complicated business works and narrated the lives of those who risk everything to entertain them. This article will look at some of the best documentaries on pro wrestling available on Peacock, WWE’s exclusive OTT platform.
Undertaker: The Last Ride
Mark Calaway, known by his stage name The Undertaker, is a retired American pro wrestler who has spent over 30 years in the WWE. He is considered one of the greatest for his in-ring skills and fascinating gimmick. He has emerged victorious in the WWF/WWE Championship, the World Heavyweight Championship, the WWF Hardcore Championship, and more.
The Undertaker won the Wrestling Observer Newsletter award for Best Gimmick for five consecutive years, a record yet to be broken. From 1991 to 2014, he remained undefeated at WrestleMania, and this series of 21 victories is called The Streak. In 2022, he became a WWE Hall of Fame inductee. Even though he is technically retired, he still appears sporadically on WWE television.
Undertaker: The Last Ride celebrates his illustrious career by highlighting his humble beginnings, rise to stardom, and some of the greatest moments of his career. It also looks at his last match against AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36. This project’s name is derived from one of his finishing moves—”the Last Ride.”
Undertaker: The Last Ride, which had six episodes, was released in 2020. According to IMDb, its synopsis reads, “This Limited Series Event gives the WWE Universe a rare inside look at Mark Calaway, the man behind The Undertaker, as he prepares for what could be the end of his legendary career.”
The Monday Night War: WWE Vs. WCW
Present-day fans believe that WWE’s biggest rival is AEW. However, in the 90s and early 2000s, they were at war with WCW. From September 4, 1995, to March 26, 2001, WWE’s TV program, Monday Night Raw, and WCW’s TV program, Monday Nitro, competed with each other regarding ratings. This led to several legendary moments and stories, which people still talk about today.
Ultimately, WWE emerged victorious in this brutal ratings war, and its co-founder, Vince McMahon, had the last laugh. WCW’s downfall was due to poor financial decisions, inflated egos, and overwork. Although officials tried everything to keep the company afloat, all were in vain. Unfortunately, the WCW went out of business in 2001. This 2014 documentary takes a closer look at this era of the industry in detail.
According to IMDb, its synopsis reads, “A documentary about the period in sports entertainment, known as the Monday Night Wars. Includes interviews with past and present on-air personalities. Also includes looking back on superstars and storylines that made the Monday Night Wars so memorable.”
Andre The Giant
André René Roussimoff, also known as Andre The Giant, was an immensely popular French wrestler throughout the 1970s and 80s. He was a whopping 7 feet 4 inches tall and held several championships, including the WWF World Heavyweight Championship, WWF Tag Team Championship, NWA Florida Tag Team Championship, and more. Reports suggest that André’s stature was a result of a condition called Gigantism. Throughout his life, he suffered from health problems and later died in 1993 at the age of 46.
Nevertheless, wrestlers, fans, and people associated with the business call him a legend and speak of him fondly. In 2018, HBO released the documentary Andre The Giant, which encompasses his complicated life and career.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, this project’s synopsis reads, “The story of the “Eighth Wonder of the World” Andre the Giant; the tale of a man whose legend is larger than life; exploring Andre’s upbringing in France, his legendary WWE career and his forays into the entertainment world.”
Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal
Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal is the newest documentary on this list since it was released this year. Windham Lawrence Rotunda, whose in-ring name was Bray Wyatt, was an American pro wrestler who appeared in the WWE from 2009 until he passed away in 2023. Wyatt could captivate fans with his fascinating character work and storytelling. He predominantly worked as a heel and held titles such as the WWE Championship, WWE Universal Championship, and more.
Bray Wyatt belonged to a wrestling family. His grandfather was Blackjack Mulligan, and his father was Mike Rotunda. Furthermore, his uncles Barry and Kendall Windham were also wrestlers. As per reports, he died on August 24, 2023, due to a cardiac attack at his home in Florida. At the time of his death, he was 36 years old.
According to its trailer on Peacock’s official YouTube channel, its synopsis reads, “Bray Wyatt is one of the most revered and mysterious characters in WWE history. The story behind that character and the man himself, Windham Rotunda, has never been documented until now. Using never-before seen interviews and exclusive backstage footage, Windham Rotunda’s inspiring story unfolds.”
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