10 Wrestling Documentaries That Accidentally Uncovered Major Scoops

In which we learn the sheer depths of Vince McMahon's cruelty - and his incompetence...

Rise And Fall Of Wcw
WWE.com

Millennial fans will remember purchasing WWE's multi-disc DVD chronicles of various megastar acts and dead territories under the proviso that much of what was said was complete bullsh*t.

It was something that those of us inquisitive future lifers just expected and traded in exchange for easily digestible footage, much of it unseen from the territories we had only read about in magazines, of beloved pro wrestling royalty. The 2006 'American Dream' documentary, for example, didn't even make one mention of the fact that Dusty Rhodes innovated the WarGames match, instead focusing on Bruce Prichard's insistence that the polka dots weren't a rib. It was fluff, but the old Florida footage was electrifying.

The most acclaimed WWE release of this era was The Rise & Fall of ECW, which was, by WWE standards, an insightful and favourable portrayal of a promotion it had stolen rather a lot from. The Rise & Fall of WCW in contrast was a smug and pissy hatchet-job that more or less reckoned the nWo was good for a month or two before it was over-exposed.

When the Network launched, WWE required a lot of new, original content, and set cameras rolling in front of virtually every act.

In a monumental self-own of a paradigm shift, WWE could no longer obscure the truth it always denied....

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!