Poll Position: Beyond the Mat

As promised, we watch the other winner from last week’s wrestling themed poll and it is “Beyond the Mat”. I did confess I was a pretty big wrestling fan back when I was young. And now watching a documentary that was filmed during my peak of wrestling interest (1999) in the present day is awesome. Made me relive some of the fond memories I had, and maybe intrigue me to go watch a few matches now. But enough about me, after the jump I’ll explain why I liked this movie a lot.

This documentary was filmed by a wrestling fan just like me, Barry W. Blaustein, and he covered topics we all forget. He covers what happens behind the currents, gets to shows you what really happens in wrestling. Just like he said, most wrestling fans do know the fights are scripted, and it is a lot more drama than actual sport. But we really don’t care; it is just entertainment to us. But what isn’t fake is the true pain, both physical and emotional, that we don’t see on T.V.

Blaustein interviews a lot of big names, from the head of the WWE Vince McMahon to an old legend Terry Funk. And the interviews are interesting to say the least, but I don’t think that is what makes this movie appealing to me. What I really liked about this movie was the life of Mick Foley, A.K.A Cactus Jack A.K.A Mankind, A.K.A Dude Love, etc. I love Mick Foley, he was my second favourite wrestler, only second to Stone Cold Steve Austin. What is not to like about him, he is tough, does the craziest thing and just a funny guy.

Can't go a wrestling article without Austin 3:16!

So let me set this up for you, I was about 10 and it was the first “I Quit” match at Royal Rumble. It was Mankind vs. The Rock (Dwayne Johnson, love him as an actor, hated him as a wrestler). I remember watching this match and thinking, “No way in hell this is fake.” As I watched Mankind get his ass handed to him by The Rock. And when I saw those multiple chair hits to Mankind’s face, while being cuffed behind his back. As a ten year old, how can you not feel utterly depressed as your hero loses and quits wrestling to someone you hated all your young life? But when I saw the clips that Blaustein shot of his family watching their husband and father literally getting destroyed, that was pretty eye opening. His kids were crying, his wife was trying to consoled her kids while watching her husband, and making sure he was okay. Of course, behind the stage Foley was fine. Well if you can define fine as a man barely walking, with a 5 cm gash on his head and blood all down his face. That got to me pretty good.

The Foley family after the I Quit match.

And of course there was a lot more about the documentary, we see the amateur wrestlers trying to make it in WWF. And we see a few old men, holding on to the little of what is left in his wrestling career go through many vices. It is really neat to see what we usually don’t see.

I totally recommend this movie to anyone that has watched or has any interest in wrestling; it is just a cool perspective into wrestling. It was just an added bonus that I could name and recognized nearly everyone because it was filmed when I watched wrestling the most.