Top 5 Wrestling Documentaries

In this edition of The Wrestling Estate roundtable, we list our top 5 wrestling documentaries.

Chad Gelfand’s Top 5 Wrestling Documentaries

Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows

The concept of following Bret Hart around for a year in the WWF is great, but then it turned into his last year with the company and then the company eventually screwing him over. The filmmakers were there every step of the way, even outside the locker room when Bret knocked Vince out. It’s rare that such a large piece of wrestling history is captured that comprehensively in real-time.

Kofi Kingston WWE 24

Kofi Kingston is one of my all-time favorite wrestlers, so of course, his documentary would rank highly with me, but this also felt bigger than wrestling. The journey that was KofiMania was a magical one, and the documentary showcasing Kofi going back to Ghana as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion and a hero to his people is one of the most beautiful scenes captured in a wrestling documentary.

Rise and Fall of ECW

The documentary that was so good it led to the revival of a promotion. This was one of the first times ECW’s history was told in full on a documentary (many came after it) and WWE’s access to archival footage puts this one over the top.

Beyond the Mat

This has some of the most classic moments in wrestling documentary history from Vince aggressively chewing on water, Mick Foley’s family crying at ringside and the advanced training method of jumping on a trampoline in a speedo. A little bit of everything!

Seth Rollins WWE 24

Redesign. Rebuild. Reclaim. This WWE 24 follows Rollins trying to not only rebuild himself physically and mentally after a devastating knee injury forced him to give up his WWE Championship and end one of the hottest runs of his career. You’ll come away with a greater appreciation of Rollins after watching this documentary.

Juan Bautista’s Top 5 Wrestling Documentaries

ESPN 30 for 30: Nature Boy

If it is not the best ESPN film released, it is certainly in the top five. This has an unprecedented look at Ric Flair’s life in and out of the ring.

Andre The Giant

This tremendous HBO film either reintroduced Andre to a whole new generation or rekindled the love that longtime fans have for him.

The Resurrection of Jake The Snake

Considering his current run in AEW, you should watch this to see just how far Jake Roberts has come in his battle with addiction.

The Sheik

This film looks at Khosrow Vaziri migrating to the U.S and becoming The Iron Sheik. It looks at the height of his career to the low points, taking bookings at Grand Masters of Wrestling and when his daughter was killed in 2003.

Ladies and Gentlemen My Name Is Paul Heyman

Paul Heyman has seen the WWE ran under both Vince McMahon Sr. and Vince McMahon Jr. He was in the middle of a war and has seen the landscape of wrestling go through significant changes.

Steven Jackson’s Top 5 Wrestling Documentaries

Heroes of World Class: The Story of the Von Erichs and the Rise and Fall of WCCW

Independent wrestling documentaries didn’t get the due they deserved for a long time, thanks to the WWE’s monopoly on history and archive footage. However, Heroes of World Class was able to come in the nick of time before WCCW was snapped up Vince McMahon. This is the most candid and complete history you will find of WCCW anywhere. Full of insightful soundbites, awesome footage and a beautiful story arc, it is the premier independent wrestling documentary.

The Wrestling Road Diaries

Before leaving the world of independent wrestling, Bryan Danielson took part in a great personal travelogue entitled The Wrestling Road Diaries. Created and directed by my good friend of many years Eric Santamaria, it is a fun look at the modern world of independent wrestling, and the last few weeks of Danielson’s run with Ring of Honor.

For All Mankind: The Life and Career of Mick Foley

Although I’ve not been very complimentary of WWE of late, there is one thing it does well, and that is career retrospectives. Mick Foley’s most recent documentary in 2013 was a blast to watch, covering all of Mick’s career in detail. The interview segments with current stars, alumni and Mick’s friends really painted a well-rounded picture of Mick, which was very humbling and satisfying to see.

Cocaine and Cowboy Boots: The Herb Abrams Story

It couldn’t be a best wrestling documentaries roundtable without mentioning one episode from Dark Side of Ring. The wildly popular show drew me in straight away, and out of all the amazing episodes, the UWF and Herb Abrams gained a mythical status in the wrestling world because of its bizarre business dealings and out-of-this-world CEO. Unlike the rest of the Dark Side of the Ring episodes, this one was truly a journey into the unknown for me, and I left feeling like I watched one of the best hours of TV I’ve ever seen.

SPW The Documentary: Pro Wrestling Behind the Scenes

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of interviewing New Zealand wrestling star Will Power, a mainstay of Southern Pro Wrestling. One of my favorite independent promotions, SPW truly showcases how diverse and refreshing Oceanic wrestling really is. That is why when I saw that SPW had produced its own independent documentary it was must-see viewing for me. This documentary has it all. A great overarching history of the promotion, informative soundbites and brilliant production values. And most importantly, it is available for you all to see for free! This documentary was made with love by people who love the wrestling industry and that’s what matters to me the most.

Matthew Smith’s Top 5 Wrestling Documentaries

Twist of Fate: The Matt and Jeff Hardy Story

My first wrestling documentary. These guys were easily my favorite wrestlers growing up, so getting to see behind the scenes was awesome. It helped shed light on what made the two so fearless and showed what it took for them to get to the top of the tag team world.

CM Punk: Best in the World

I loved every minute of this one from getting to see him travel the world on the independent scene to becoming one of the longest-reigning WWE Champions in recent memory. Punk was always very sure of himself and knew he was a top guy before he ever really was top guy material. His voice and controversy helped him gain a massive fan base to the point he could no longer be denied. His feud against John Cena is the best of the PG Era.

The Destruction of The Shield

I wasn’t watching NXT back when Seth Rollins won the title and Roman Reigns was known as Leakee. Sadly, I had never heard of Dean Ambrose. I, like many other fans though, quickly fell in love with The Shield and was crushed like Reigns’ back after Seth cracked him with a chair. The Destruction of The Shield is put together so well, letting you see where the trio started from and what they evolved into on the main roster.

Stone Cold: The Bottom Line

If Stone Cold talks, I’m going to listen.

The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man in Sports-Entertainment

I could watch this simply for The Rock’s best moments on the mic.

David Gibb’s Top 5 Wrestling Documentaries

Dark Side of the Ring: Jimmy Snuka & the Death of Nancy Argentino

The Vice crew took a story most longtime fans half-knew and ripped the whole thing wide open, exposing nearly 40-year-old lies that deserved to be exposed and secrets that deserved not to be kept. While we didn’t get the full “guess who showed up with a bag of cash” story (likely for legal reasons), the team who put the documentary together did a great job making sure nobody could mistake what happened and who the bad actors were.

Card Subject to Change

Not that many years ago, the indies were a lot different. I firmly believe anybody – wrestler or fan – under 30 should have to watch Card Subject to Change to fully appreciate the growth and development wrestling has seen at the independent level in the last 15 years. Kevin Sullivan steals the show. Trent Acid steals your heart.

Magnum’s Opus

I may be a bit biased because of the incredible conversation I had with subject/director Chris Parsons (Magnum CK) back in the winter, but Magnum’s Opus is the perfect wrestling documentary for our current moment. Its frank discussion of mental health, community and the unique way in which wrestling brings people together and fills them up is something we need to hold onto until wrestling as we knew it is able to return.

Beyond the Mat

Beyond the Mat changed wrestling – full stop. Once even a small group of people appreciated the depths of Mick Foley’s pain, Rock’s desire to succeed and Jake Roberts’ depravity, it became significantly harder to get the audience to feel satisfied seeing only the “wrestler;” they wanted to see the other side of the person’s life. And here we are today!

Exposed! Pro Wrestling’s Greatest Secrets

When I was in middle school and wrestling was at its biggest, this exposé was the first taste I ever got of looking at wrestling from a different perspective. Most of the “secrets” they “exposed” were only half-true or already anachronistic by the time the special aired in 1998, but the blatant manipulation of the production team by the wrestlers involved still makes this a very fun watch in 2020.

John Corrigan’s Top 5 Wrestling Documentaries

Beyond the Mat

I could watch this over and over again. From Dennis Stamp to “he’s gonna puke!,” Barry Blaustein’s glimpse behind the curtain is a fun, yet riveting examination of the late 1990s wrestling scene and the larger-than-life characters inside it.

ESPN 30 for 30: Nature Boy

Just when you thought you knew everything there was to know about the G.O.A.T., Rory Karpf educates you on Richard Fliehr, from his childhood and college days to his struggles with fatherhood. My dad and I were both tearing up as the Nature Boy opened up about his youngest son Reid’s tragic death.

“It’s easy to say you want to be thought of as the best father that ever lived, but I wasn’t. And I certainly wasn’t the best husband. So I guess I’ll just have to settle for wanting to be thought of as the greatest wrestler and the most entertaining wrestler that ever lived.”

Dark Side of the Ring: Benoit

Buckle up for an emotional roller coaster as the darkest weekend in wrestling history and everything that led up to it is covered in vivid detail. I also learned about Kevin Sullivan’s alleged history of domestic abuse, which makes Nancy Benoit’s story all the more depressing.

Dark Side of the Ring: The Final Days of Owen Hart

We finally got Martha Hart’s side of the story, opening many fans’ eyes as to why she refuses to let Owen Hart in the WWE Hall of Fame. While her work with the Owen Hart Foundation was a commendable silver lining ending, I still finished this choked up and despondent over such a tragic, senseless ending to her husband’s life.

Undertaker: The Last Ride

WWE’s version of The Last Dance was riveting, especially because Undertaker had never been so candid before. I can see why critics thought it was repetitive, but that’s the whole point. The Deadman was addicted to chasing the perfect ending for an iconic career, and hopefully, he has finally achieved it.

Jack Goodwillie’s Top 5 Wrestling Documentaries

Dark Side of the Ring

What can I add about Dark Side of the Ring that hasn’t already been said? It’s a phenomenal program, and one that can have appeal beyond the conventional wrestling audience (trust me, I have the receipts). It’s so good, I opted to include the overall show as one of my top 5 wrestling documentaries, although I will say that my three favorite episodes are the two-parter on Chris Benoit, The Last of the Von Erichs, and Herb Abrams and the UWF, which by the way may not have been possible without the recommendation of Kayfabe Commentaries’ Sean Oliver! (Be sure to listen to Sean Oliver’s Kayfabe podcast for more about that.) I really hope to see this series continue and that we get more two-part episodes, as if I have any criticism to offer it would be that the made-for-TV episodes don’t offer quite enough time for the producers to dive deep enough on some of the subject matter.

CM Punk: Best in the World

The CM Punk documentary, which can be found on the WWE Network, is probably the best WWE-produced wrestler profiles you’ll find. It’s clear that Punk was given a good deal of creative control with the project, as it pulls no punches on his upbringing and humble beginnings and goes deep on very un-WWE-like subject matter, such as his relationship with Colt Cabana, his time in Ring of Honor, his time in OVW and the struggles he had once he got to the main roster on becoming a more established name. The honesty was a breath of fresh air, and this is another documentary you can show to literally anybody and have them get something out of it, whether they’re a wrestling fan or not.

Forever Hardcore

This ECW documentary can be found on YouTube and was brought to us by TNA’s Jeremy Borash back in 2005. It has the feel of more of an oral history of ECW and is extremely interview heavy with WWE owning the lions’ share of footage. It doesn’t have all the names you’d want to see in a documentary on ECW. There’s no Paul Heyman, Taz, Tommy Dreamer, Mick Foley or Rob Van Dam, but that’s to be expected with everybody under WWE contract at the time. In spite of that, the documentary does a great job of going deep on some of ECW’s highest and lowest moments, such as the main event at Barely Legal, the Kurt Angle crucifixion incident and Mass Transit. Plus, I believe this was the first time on camera that New Jack admitted to attempting to kill Vic Grimes in their scaffold match.

HBO’s Andre the Giant

Some of the best documentaries are the ones that cover untouched subject matter, and prior to HBO’s Andre the Giant doc in 2018, there had not been a grand film exploring the life of one of wrestling’s most unique figures. Where Andre the Giant shines most though is putting in perspective just how tough it was to be the Eighth Wonder of the World, as well as some insight into the person Andre was outside the ring, which we never really got due to his condition later in life. It’s crazy how Vince McMahon never reconciled with Andre at the end of his life and as much as he says he has a facility to get rid of negatives quickly, you can easily see just how much Vince carries around the weight of it. On a side note, the documentary features a photo of Andre taken the night he allegedly drank 127 beers. What is not as known is that the photo from the night in question was taken at a Reading, PA hotel bar, which also happens to be my hometown. The more you know!

ESPN 30 for 30: Nature Boy

Everybody and their mother knew that ESPN’s 30 for 30 series was going to knock it out of the park once it began to dip its toes into pro wrestling. And Ric Flair happened to be the perfect subject. Like Andre, while Flair had been featured in his own WWE DVD set, there had not been a full-scale documentary covering the highs and lows of his life. And to the surprise of no one, this documentary leaves no stone unturned. The emotional tone of the movie, however, did catch me a little bit by surprise. As the documentary begins to move, you begin to realize you’re not just getting the perspective of Ric Flair, arguably the greatest to ever do it, but also Richard Fliehr, the man. The movie showed, in a nutshell, that neither the filmmakers nor the subject were afraid to present a man still struggling with the realities and consequences of his own fame. It’s honest, but not in the same way that documentaries like Beyond the Mat and Wrestling with Shadows are, which while I know will make some lists but feel more like hit pieces and exposés on the wrestling business conducted by those on the inside. Nature Boy rather champions its star for who he became while also letting the fans in on a cautionary tale for those who strive to be the best at what they do.