10 Things We Learned From VICE’s Dark Side Of The Ring: New Jack
Prepare to be disturbed.
Editor's note: This article from 2020 has been republished for those wanting to know more about New Jack after his sad passing.
VICE's 'Dark Side Of The Ring' episode on New Jack is hard to pin down.
There's discussion about extreme violence, mental health, difficult (to say the least) childhood experiences, heavy drug use, legal action, attempted murder and everything in between. This isn't the kind of documentary that's going to make you smile, nor is it the type that paints the subject in a positive light, but it will shock you.
Jack, whether he was ripping his predominantly white audience a new one in Smoky Mountain Wrestling or literally carving a niche for himself in the already-vicious ECW, is hardly a sympathetic figure. Often, the way he gleefully glamourises brutality is hard to stomach, especially when a wild stare and sick smile crosses his face as he recalls his wildest moments.
VICE managed to tap into his psyche, and left no stone unturned; they sat down with New Jack as he enjoyed some vodka and orange juice, and he became more visibly animated about things the more he drank. It's...compelling if nothing else, and it gives some insight into the mind of a man who was more likely to stab than wrestle.
Here's everything you need to know from 45 scarring minutes...