What to Watch: Dark Side Of The Ring
For those first getting into VICE’s Dark Side of the Ring, Bill gives you his recommendations.
Professional wrestling is a community of the most immoral, depraved, deviant, and delinquent humans on the face of this beautiful perfect planet. Everyone involved from the promoters to the fans and especially the wrestlers themselves are nothing but low class carnival workers that are lucky they are not in front of a fire squad in Guantanamo Bay for their previous, present, and future transgressions. There is nothing more deplorable than the wrestling industry and the people work in it and follow it. They are nothing more than scum, and praise God that us moral, just, and hardworking people are nowhere near their level. How could anyone be devoted to something that is so fake as wrestling, and not true like money, God, and democracy?
For those outside of the professional wrestling community this is a generalization of how they approach wrestling. In all honesty it’s tough to really dissuade them. When you think about it, the news or stories that those outside of the community hear are usually generated by something that came from Vince McMahon’s WWE, and he, his family, and co-operators/conspirators are nothing but the grossest forms of the American Dream. The average person only hears about something in wrestling when a wrestler dies (usually too early), sexual assault, a B List athlete or C List entertainer makes an appearance at an event, or true crime series about someone involving someone in wrestling makes its rounds. The general public’s perception, while inaccurate, still has some merits.
We as a community are even drawn to these stories. We are so enamored with these stories that we are some of the most vile rumor mills, and misery vampires in all of the internet. That is something to really consider. We cannot get enough of dirt sheets and their reporters, heavily disingenuous podcasts, and most importantly shoot interviews. A shoot interview is where a production company, sometimes lowest of low lifes, interviews a wrestler, promoter, or personality about their experience within the industry, and they are paid for these interviews. Sometimes these interviewees are in financial distress and will share some of their darkest thoughts or experiences, or possibly even make up or embellish these stories. The reason is purely financial on their end, the more “outrageous” the stories or the interviewees are the better of a chance getting more shoot interview bookings from other production companies, and convention appearances where they can sell merchandise and meet and greet opportunities.
It was inevitable that someone would create and produce a series of these outrageous and tragic stories, that have circled the shoot interview and internet circles for years into a television series. The market is certainly there, between us in the wrestling community, and those in the general public who have strong interest in the presumed depravity of professional wrestling; how could it not be a relative hit. Enter Vice Network’s Dark Side Of The Ring.
Dark Side Of The Ring has just entered its fourth season, and while the series certainly goes through some of the most tragic stories that have been told; they do it in a way that is actually sympathetic to those involved in or around the story. Through the previous three seasons Dark Side has been able to do something most shoot interviews, or internet reports/rumors has failed to do, consider the victims and saviors of these stories. In fact, most of the episode’s primary function is trying to get the viewer to actually do something that is missing in a lot of society, empathize. The creators, and producers of the show have figured out the formula to draw people in with the possible horrific, and degenerate story, and keep them there for actually showing that the people involved are actually humans. Dark Side, unlike the internet and shoot interviews, is not cynical or nihilistic. And it is not completely about someone trying to profit from the misery of others.
As it stands, I am a fan of the series and most of the episodes it has aired. Here are my recommendations for the previous episodes that can be watched on Amazon (links provided), HULU, on demand with certain providers, and if sometimes if you search hard enough on YouTube:
Season 1- Dark Side Of The Ring Amazon Link
Episode 2- “The Montreal Screwjob”
I figure I should throw my romantic description of what Dark Side has been able to do out the window right away. The Montreal Screwjob episode is perfect internet rumor mill, shoot interview style storytelling. For those who are uninitiated to Montreal it is a great peek into how petty, and snakelike the business can be. For those who are initiated, it gives you a rather pleasant version of Jim Cornette and his hatred for Jim Russo.
Episode 3- “The Killing of Bruiser Brody”
This episode is just important to the history of professional wrestling. Even if you know each and every detail of the story, the show goes to great lengths to humanize the other American wrestlers that were at the show where Brody was murdered. Tony Atlas, and Abdullah shine as good people and this episode will make you appreciate them even more.
Episode 4- “The Last of the Von Erichs”
This is by far my favorite episode of the entire series. This is what Dark Side Of The Ring does best. The episode was able to take the history of the Von Erichs, World Class Championship Wrestling, and the Von Erich curse making the viewer insanely sympathetic to Kevin Von Erich and the rest of his family. The story of the Von Erichs is heartbreaking to say the least, and the showrunners were able to present their story into an incredibly concise episode. If after watching this episode you would like to get a more detailed story of the Von Erichs and WCCW, I would suggest watching Heroes Of World Class: The Story of the Von Erichs and the Rise and Fall of World Class Championship Wrestling.
Episode 5- “The Mysterious Death of Gorgeous Gino”
This episode is a great followup of sorts to “Last of the Von Erichs” in that it still keeps us at the Sportatorium in Dallas, and World Class Championship Wrestling. In my opinion this is a lesser known story within the wrestling community, which might be why it makes it so compelling. Like so many stories in the industry Gino Hernandez really could have had it all, yet a little bit of fame brought out his demons.
Notable Mentions: Episode 6 “The Fabulous Moolah”
Season 2- Dark Side Of The Ring Amazon Link
Episode 4- “The Brawl for All”
I have truly fond memories of The Brawl for All when it took place. I thought it was a cool idea to see who the toughest wrestler in the WWF was, and a great way to showcase the prowess of the wrestlers. I was also sixteen, and had the mind of a non-born Christian again Vince Russo. This is one of those the most enjoyable episodes I had watched because it completely goes after Russo (and me at sixteen) for being a moron and not thinking of the bigger picture. Similar to “Screwjob” it also shows the pettiness of those who are in the office, and how that pettiness can completely hurt someone’s career.
Episode 5- “Jimmy Snuka and The Death of Nancy Argentino”
While there are a lot of true crime like episodes in this series (Bruiser Brody, Benoit, Gino Hernandez, Dino Bravo) this to me, is the most important story. There are multiple reasons why this episode stands out amongst many in this category. One is obviously the story of Nancy Argentino and her family, and how it eerily mimics Nancy Benoit’s early life in wrestling. It also goes above and beyond to highlight what the loss of Ms. Argentino was to her family and those around her. It also shows the immoral determination of Vince McMahon and his vision to own all of professional wrestling in the 1980s. This is an episode I still think about quite a bit from time to time.
Episode 8- “Cocaine & Cowboy Boots: The Herb Abrams Story”
I first heard about Herb Abrams and his United Wrestling Federation (UWF), like many others did, from Mick Foley’s first book, Have A Nice Day. Mick’s description was brief and quirky, as it was just a stop for Cactus Jack as he was making his way through the early 90s wrestling scene. In all honesty a quick stop is a great reference to the significance of the UWF. It was not a groundbreaking promotion, it did not revolutionize wrestling, in fact it was just a situation where the promoter, Abrams, could never appropriately focus on his vision, and keep himself together enough to build a product. This is a much lighter Dark Side when compared to rest, though it should also be viewed by anyone who has some money and wants to start a wrestling promotion.
Notable Mentions: Episode 1- “Benoit Part 1”, Episode 3- “The Life and Crimes of New Jack”, Episode 6- “The Assassination of Dino Bravo”, Episode 10- “The Final Days of Owen Hart”
Season 3- Dark Side Of The Ring Amazon Link
Episode 3- “The Ultra Violence of Nick Gage”
First thing, if you don’t know who Nick Gage is this is the perfect way to be introduced to him. Secondly, if you don’t fall in love with Nick Gage after this episode you are a monster who cannot show or feel emotions. Nick Gage, by all accounts should be the scariest man alive. His pure physical presence and demeanor is malevolent in the least. He has used this to his advantage over the years in wrestling and life, however this is not who he is as a complete human being. This episode does a fantastic job of not only introducing you to the leader of the Murder Death Kill (MDK) gang, but also the phenomenon that is death match wrestling. This is one of the best episodes in the series.
Episode 4- “Collision in Korea”
This is one of the most insane stories in all of professional wrestling, and yet is not as well known to the common or heavily “devoted” wrestling fan. This is the story of two promotions, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), combining forces in a cross promotional event held in Pyongyang North Korea, on the behest of Workers’ Party of Korea. While both companies should not have been there, you hear the stories from wrestlers who participated in what is the largest attended wrestling event in history.
Episode 9- “Chris Kanyon”
I like many others were introduced to Chris through his portrayal of Mortis in WCW. As Mortis, Kanyon was insanely entertaining, and almost every one of his matches were a must watch for me. Despite really enjoying Chris in my mid/late teens I never truly realized how truly innovative and ahead of his time he truly was. Dark Side Of the Ring really captured how important Chris was to the industry now, but they also presented the internal struggles that he had with depression, bi-polar disorder, and with how his sexuality would be perceived by wrestling in the 90s and 00s.
Episode 12- “Luna Vachon”
My feelings for this episode almost completely mirror that of the Chris Kanyon episode. The producers handled the overall story of Luna in the best way possible by not embellishing the negative side effects from her mental health struggles, and really made Luna a very sympathetic person. I believe that this episode really emphasized the struggles of being a female wrestler in the business during the 1980s and 90s. Luna’s inability to really be a wrestler at the time, and not just a valet, speaks volumes to the attitudes of those in power, but to the attitudes of many in those decades. And the segment that focuses on the history that Luna had with The Fabulous Moolah speaks volumes to the horrors Moolah put “her girls” through much better than the Moolah episode in Season 1.
Notable Mentions: Episode 1-“Brian Pillman Part One”, Episode 2-“Brian Pillman Part Two”, Episode 6- “In the Shadow of Grizzly Smith”, Episode 7- “The Dynamite Kid”, Episode 10 “Blood & Wire: Onita’s FMW”.
Season 4 of Dark Side started airing on VICE May 30th with the first episode being that of Chris Candido and Tammy Lynn Sytch. Doug, and I talked about it on “Episode 65, I Went to the ER”. As I mentioned before you can catch up on all previous and even this current season via on demand through your television provider, HULU, Amazon, or if you know how to look things in YouTube.
Bill
