REVIEW: WRESTLERS ON NETFLIX
I haven’t been a wrestling fan since Wrestlemania 1. And yet Wrestlers on Netflix was fabulous.
It centers on an “off-off Broadway” wrestling organization called Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). It’s one of the last independent wrestling organizations.
Al Snow runs OVW and is a former wrestler. He used to bring a mannequin head into the ring with him that he interacted with making him a fan favorite.
There is a group of about 20 wrestlers in OVW, the series focuses on about 10 of them. This is why I find the series so compelling.
Netflix has figured out a niche that is SO effective. Series like Cheer, Last Chance U and now Wrestlers have cracked a code of compelling storytelling.
In all 3 series I never heard of any of them and in the case of Cheer and Wrestlers I am utterly uninterested in the sports.
They’ve learned how to follow individuals with depth and emotional richness that has me wanting to keep going to find out what happens.
I got invested in almost every wrestler and the organization.
The most compelling wrestler is a young, good looking, charismatic, big dreaming wrestler named Hollywood Haley J. She has the most potential to get to the next level in wrestling.
She grew up surrounded by trauma and has a young child. Her mom is also a wrestler and she’s dating a fellow wrestler who is…not the healthiest of fellows.
It’s captivating to feel her struggle and so desperately want to come to terms with her upbringing. It’s such a relatable story.
Speaking of story, it was fascinating to learn how wrestling execs think about “story”. Al Snow lets us all the way inside to learn how story drives the success of the business.
It is terrific to see it play out as one of the core “stories” is Haley J has conflict with her mom, The Amazing Maria James. It feels so real and in fact it is because of the feelings even if the match is pre determined.
The series includes a fascinating storyline wherein Matt Jones, a popular sports talk show host invests in OVW. It creates an incredible amount of conflict and a redemptive storyline for him that is quite touching.
It’s worth noting that the OVW is lucky if it gets 100-300 people at their events. And I was… moved to see how the attendees were REALLY invested in hating or loving whoever they wanted to win.
It’s BECAUSE they were invested in the story not necessarily just the wrestler.
The tickets are very affordable of course. I have this very soft spot in my heart for audience, including families, that love things like this even if it’s a very big cut below the heavily produced gigantic bit time wrestling.
It makes me so happy that they get that experience regardless of what the quality of it. I feel the same way sometimes when I see a family at a chain restaurant and think “this might be a very special evening for them going out like this”.
These wrestlers give their ALL to this, sometimes to their physical and emotional detriment.
It reminds me of people who do local stand up or theater, it’s a pure passion play.
And yet, they do it all. Haley and Maria have an “anything goes” match that is breathtaking. They put themselves through physical pain that is almost difficult to watch.
The series however was not hard to watch.
It got to my heart. The final scene which is a reception for the group was quite emotional to watch and not surprisingly I shed a few tears.
Who would’ve thought wrestling could do that?
Comments