10 Wrestling Documentaries That Accidentally Uncovered Major Scoops

7. Vince McMahon: Not Exactly Clever

Tom Magee Bret Hart Still
WWE

For years and years, message boards recounted an unseen tale, a myth, of a lost wrestling match that elevated Bret Hart in stature. It seemed impossible. Bret Hart was already Bret f*cking Hart. No match, surely, could have done more to solidify him as a great.

This 1986 squash match win over Tom Magee - the "holy grail" of tape-trading - was discovered in 2019 by photographer Mary-Kate Anthony. This was an accidental scoop in itself. She wasn't looking for it. The tape revealed that Hart was in fact even better than his most ardent fans knew. It also revealed that Vince McMahon was as as lucky as he was good even before he promoted WrestleMania III.

McMahon was overjoyed in the aftermath to have discovered his next Hulk Hogan when it is obvious to anybody else with a sliver of knowledge of how a pro wrestling match is crafted that Hart was exclusively behind its success. Not primarily, exclusively: Magee was a gifted gymnast, but he was beyond woeful when he had to do anything that collided into Hart's frame. Bret knew this and treated his lime-green opponent like a proximity mine, selling the notion of his attacks with lung-bursting panic and shaken fury. He had to sell for some of Magee's sh*t, and sh*t is the word. Exhibit A:

Tom Magee Bret Hart fist pump

Vince, distracted by Magee's incredible physique, didn't pay attention - and was revealed, after over 30 years, as a charlatan.

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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 current Undisputed WWE 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!