The upcoming docu-series onNetflixaboutVince McMahonpromises to deliver an exposé on one of the most controversial and once-powerful figures ever to be associated with theworld of professional wrestling. McMahon built an empire and marketed a product to millions, and while the wrestling business would never be as mainstream as it is today without him, he did so on the backs of others and inadvertently caused death and damage to those who brought him his wealth. In 1999, when wrestling was enjoying something of a renaissance in what’s now referred to as the WWE Attitude Era, a documentary entitledBeyond the Matshowcased the damage done to many of the industry’s most prominent performers and showed light on many of the secrets of the industry that for many years were kept hidden from public viewing.
The allegations of grooming and sexual assault that have led to McMahon’s fall from grace are part of a broader topic about the darker side of a business once thought of as family-friendly and entertaining. Before shows likeDark Side of the Ringdepicted the seedy underbelly of professional wrestling,Beyond the Mattook audiences behind the bright lights of the squared circle and taught the world that the entertainment so many loved came to them at a price.
The Secret World of Kayfabe
Modern audiences are well aware of the fact that professional wrestling is a pre-determined and organized form of entertainment. However, for many decades, this was a closely guarded secret known as “Kayfabe.” While matches were pre-determined and “worked” in the ring between two performers, the secrets were kept from public knowledge. By 1999, the secrets had been more or less compromised due to multiple storylines on television that had been more based in reality, and terminology used by insiders was now out of the bag and well-known.Beyond the Matgoes far beyond the exposed secrets of Kayfabe and delves into the lives of the performers who have been afflicted through years of work in the ring and have suffered the perils of substance abuse.
At the height of his power and grip on the world of professional wrestling, McMahon’s billionaire lifestyle is comfortably seated in his offices in Connecticut. It’s a stark contrast to the lives of established veteran Terry Funk, whose body has begun to break down following years of physical abuse in the ring andJake “The Snake” Roberts, whose glory days have dissipated in a world of drug addiction.Beyond the Matdeconstructs the larger-than-life characters that the wrestling fan is used to seeing on television and humanizes them, making their experiences relatable and more understandable.The illusion is dismantled, and the veil is lifted as the audience is taken on a dark and intimate journey into the world of matchmaking and choreography.
Beyond the Matthoroughly examines multiple aspects that Kayfabe kept hidden for many years. The wrestling business is one where terminology is used to describe certain aspects that take place in a match. Terms such as “selling” and “working,” used to describe the illusion of violence and staged confrontation to entertain the crowd, are out in the open.With the illusion gone, the audience is allowed to gauge the full scope of the wrestling industry,the people who put on the show, and the puppet masters behind the scenes who orchestrate the grandiose spectacle.
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Years Off of One’s Life for the Sake of Entertainment
There’s certainly no denying that professional wrestling is an organized and scripted event. However, because of the intense action that takes place during a match,injuries still occur, and the stress and aggravation of life on the road can take its toll on a wrestler’s emotional well-being.Beyond the Mat, while lifting the veil of Kayfabe and exposing the secrets to the audience, also does a wonderful job of illustrating the damage inflicted on those who put their bodies on the line for the sake of entertaining a paying audience.Terry Funk, one of the biggest starsin wrestling history, is shown needing multiple surgeries yet still refusing to contemplate slowing down in the violent style of wrestling he helped pioneer.
Perhaps no other story is more intrinsically linked toBeyond the Matthan that of Jake “The Snake” Roberts, who would go on to be a major aspect of The Wrestler years later. Roberts, the son of wrestler Grizzly Smith, tells the story of being a product of rape and openly admits his addiction to crack cocaine. Fortunately, Jake Roberts would eventually get clean and sober, with the help of fellow wrestler Diamond Dallas Page.The ordeal and experience of Jake Robers is a very grim reminder that the larger-than-life characters who we see on our television screens are humanand are subject to the same pitfalls and dangers that anyone else is.
The violence that occurs inside the ring and the damage it can cause isn’t limited to just the performers in the ring.Beyond the Matexplores a match between Mick Foley and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. To describe the match as violent would be an understatement. After suffering a multitude of unprotected chair shots to the head, Foley’s children, who are seated in the front row, are subjected to the trauma of watching their father be subjected to extreme violence, one that would lead to a concussion and multiple stitches following its conclusion.The scene illustrates that professional realism, which is certainly scripted, can appear violent and incur an emotional response that’s unpleasant.
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The First Real Dark Side of the Ring
Ever sinceBeyond the Matwas released, a series of documentaries and programs have been produced that have done an exceptional job of pulling back the curtain even more to remind us of the price that some pay for entertaining the public at large. With the upcomingdocu-series on Vince McMahon,Beyond the Matis a grim reminder of one man’s empire and the damage it caused so many.
