10 Binge-Watch Worthy Wrestling Stories

Netflix’s GLOW has received rave reviews from wrestling diehards and non-fans alike. Created by Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch with Orange Is the New Black’s Jenji Kohan as executive producer, the hilarious drama uses the 1980s cult hit Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling as the backdrop for a story about feminism, friendship, family and redemption. Starring Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin, and Marc Maron, the 10-episode series was devoured by most viewers within the first weekend it premiered.

GLOW’s best attribute is the respect it shows to pro wrestling: it’s one of the rare instances in pop culture where our beloved pastime isn’t ridiculed as a phony charade for mouth breathers. Many viewers have taken to social media to profess their newfound interest in suplexes and chairshots, and the burning desire for more credible women’s wrestling has prompted WWE to take notice. The company slotted their female performers in the main event of Raw, SmackDown and NXT the week after GLOW debuted – the first time in company history.

The enormous success of the series could inspire more dramas centered on pro wrestling’s rich and storied past, tackling events, stars and eras ripe for the Netflix treatment.

In the wake of Smith Hart’s recent passing, wrestlers and fans alike have been reminiscing about Canada’s royal family. A television series could focus on the family during the heyday of Stampede Wrestling, a Calgary-based promotion owned and operated by patriarch Stu Hart. Bret Hart’s autobiography Hitman would be the best source for covering the time period, as the eighth child of the dozen Harts recounts growing up in the circus-like environment, befriending monsters, midgets and wrestling bears along the way.

Although the later years may be more compelling for television, with the tragic passing of Owen and the family splintering as a result, the series could be more PG-friendly by taking The Wonder Years’ coming-of-age approach. Any scenes in the infamous Dungeon would probably require parental supervision, though.

Perhaps the finale could show Bret, Jim Neidhart, Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid boarding the plane for New York, embarking on a whirlwind journey with WWE?