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There arent many things out there which give a valuable insight into the professional wrestling world than documentaries. Centered on a superstar, an incident or a promotion, wrestling documentaries are usually designed for people who have a tough time dealing with wrestling books. The Destruction of shield documentaries recently made headlines in the wrestling world but it is not the only great documentary out there.On paper, it might sound like a good idea to couch up and see all the documentaries ever made in one go, but not all the documentaries out there are top notch and well produced.So basically, there is a dilemma of knowing what to see and what not to see. To ease up the pressure and make matters simpler, here is a look at some of the must see wrestling documentaries for fans of all sizes and ages
#7 Honorable Mention: Ladies and Gentlemen, My Name is Paul Heyman
Want to know about determination and hard work? Just watch this Paul Heyman documentary. It gives an In-depth look into Heyman’s journey to become one of WWE’s greatest managers. It is an inspiring piece as Heyman does everything including lying, cheating and stealing to reach where he is today.
#6 Honorable mention: The Wrestlers: Fighting with my Family
The Wrestlers is a documentary that tells us about the Paige and her family. The film captures the family turmoil during Paige’s try out with the WWE and her eventually departure to the States from UK. It is more of a family story than a wrestling one but since it gives a personal close up on Paige, the film would be thoroughly entertaining for the current crop of fans.
#5 Wrestling Road Diaries
The exclusive WWE fans might only know Daniel Bryan as a wrestler who came into NXT and made his way into top of the mountain. But this documentary throws some light into the much respected independent run of Bryan.
It follows the lives of Bryan, Colt Cabana and their friend Sal Rinauro. All three superstars take a light heart approach into the independent wrestling scene and it gives a clear differentiation between the live of WWE superstars and Indy wrestlers.
It is probably the most hilarious documentary on the list and is informative at the same time. There is a lot of spotlight on Bryan in particular and it is always great to know about the hardships he went through to achieve his dream.
#4 CM Punk: Best in the World
There have been a lot of superstar documentaries from WWE, but this stands out from the rest for its uniqueness. Released in 2012, the documentaries take us through the paths that Punk travelled.
What makes it stand out from the rest is WWE’s acknowledgement of Punk’s previous promotions. The film captures his matches from IWA and also tells about his backyard wrestling days; both would have been considered taboo before the release of this document.
And surprisingly, this WWE documentary is critical about the company’s developmental process. The biggest take away from the DVD in the end might be the reveal of why Paul Heyman guys are considered as big deals.
#3 Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows
Wrestling with Shadows is a documentary after which you will be faced with the question of whether Montreal Screw Job was real or not. The film captures Bret’s last few months in the WWE and concludes with the Montreal Screwjob.
Initially, it tells us about the seriousness with which Bret Hart sees the business but as we head forward, the conspiracy of Montreal is dissected. There are pre – match and post-match conversations involving Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon and there is also a scene when Bret’s wife blasts Triple H for what happened.
This is a must watch documentary for all the wrestling fans out there and if you are a Bret Hart fan, then it is sure to boil the blood beyond expectations.
#2 Beyond The Mat
Beyond the Mat is not exactly an entertaining piece of art, it’s an eye opener for everyone who think about professional wrestling as a paradise. It is personal and revealing and since the makers had full access to the WWE Headquarters, we also get to see how WWE recruits wrestlers.
The documentaries take us into the life of three superstars. Jake Roberts, who is struggling after his WWE career, Mick Foley, who is split between his family and his business and Terry Funk, who continuous to wrestle despite a lot of pressure from peers and family.
It is an emotional ride through these lives and there are moments which are sure to make everyone cry. But then again, it is not a documentary for everyone since the entertainment quotient is pretty low.
#1 The Rise and Fall of ECW
ECW was and still is synonymous with cult in the professional wrestling business. Paul Heyman’s Philadelphia based promotion built up a rabid fan following during their stay in the business and left an ever lasting legacy.
The Rise and Fall of ECW is produced by WWE so there are certain things that will be left off. Despite this, it is a must watch documentary. It gives an in depth look into the superstars of ECW and how Heyman molded the likes of Chris Benoit, Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, Taz and many more.
Also, we get to know how ECW influence WWE to start running the Attitude Era. ECW was still going strong when they were financially folded and once you sit through this one, the obvious question would be: What would have happened if ECW didn’t die?
