Barry W. Blaustein’s landmark documentary Beyond the Mat will be 21 years old this month. When it released, the film shed new light on the secretive pro wrestling industry and the lives of its performers. Suffice to say, it painted an unfavourable picture. Since then, WWE has gone to great lengths to mend public perception of their business (decades of controversy didn’t leave them much choice, mind). And because of this, there will no doubt be younger wrestling fans unaware of the industry’s darker and harsher nature pre-2008.
These days, pro wrestling’s popularity is arguably at an all-time low. After more than 12 years of PG-rated sports entertainment, WWE sits atop their Disney-esque empire receiving little criticism or mainstream coverage. But in 1999, business was booming and interest was at its peak. It’s noted in Beyond the Mat that WWF was one of the top two selling licenses (alongside South Park) in the United States. With merchandise money flowing in and mega stars like The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin pulling in mega ratings, everything seemed golden. This film told a not-quite so glossy story.
If you haven’t seen it, Beyond the Mat is an essential watch for any wrestling fan. Surprisingly, the film was made in agreement with WWF and features interviews with its wrestlers and executives, including Vince McMahon himself (who was infamously unhappy with the finished product and distanced the company from it). This gives it a ‘never-before-seen’ (and never-seen-again) edge over virtually every other wrestling documentary. Having recently been added to Netflix, I re-watched Beyond the Mat this week and decided to look at how things have changed for WWE and some of the film’s central participants.
Family-friendly WWE
WWE’s transition to a more family-friendly presentation was a gradual process that began in 2001 at the end of the Attitude Era. This culminated in 2008 with the move to a PG rating for all its television shows and pay-per-views. In subsequent years, WWE has occasionally flirted with the idea of moving in an edgier direction but appears to remain committed to its catch-all vision for its audience. With this outlook has come the company’s over-reliance and insistence on branding, catchphrases, and nicknames.
It’s apparent when watching Beyond the Mat just how far removed this is from what helped the company reach its late-90s height. Rabid fans packed arenas, genuine stars were on every show, and they seemed less concerned with the appeasement of sponsors. The squeaky-clean look of WWE’s modern shows was nowhere to be seen – this was gritty, cool, and different. Creatively, things appeared more fluid and there is an apparent sense of freedom with characters and storylines that’s non-existent today.
On the flip side, present-day WWE certainly seems like a safer and friendlier environment to work in. Obviously, this is subjective and entirely my own opinion. However, it’s difficult to watch Mick Foley take those infamous Hell in a Cell falls and repeated chair shots to the head without wincing and being glad those days are behind us. The images of his children crying at ringside are really depressing. As is the moment Mick’s wife asks him what time their flight is to check his memory after his brutal “I Quit” match with The Rock – particularly when you consider everything we now know about concussions.
Jake “The Snake” Roberts’ transformation
Perhaps the grimmest part of the documentary is its deep dive into the private life of Jake Roberts. At the time of filming, Jake had long since left WWF. He was now appearing on small independent shows as a headline act, often in a far from ideal state. Jake’s portion of Beyond the Mat makes for difficult viewing – mostly due to the lengthy discussions about his mental health, addiction, and family issues. A few scenes of his stand out. The moment he reunites with his estranged daughter after four years apart, immediately afterwards in his hotel room when he smokes crack and rambles to the camera, and his accusations of pedophilia and rape levelled against his father.
Roberts continued to struggle after the film’s release, and things weren’t looking good for a long time. Despite this, he turned his life around in 2012 with the help of Diamond Dallas Page (documented in 2015’s The Resurrection of Jake the Snake) – he even showed up on Raw for the first time in years in January 2014. He made his first appearance for AEW in 2019, before officially debuting in March 2020 by confronting Cody Rhodes and cutting a scathing promo to warn of his client’s imminent arrival. Ultimately, Lance Archer was revealed to be Jake’s mystery client, and he remains a fixture on AEW’s weekly show Dynamite to this day.
Terry Funk’s multiple retirements
With Mick Foley featured as the film’s rising star and Jake Roberts as the former big-league performer in decline, Terry Funk is profiled as the living legend preparing to retire. He’s shown at home with his family, all of whom express their desire for him to finally walk away from professional wrestling.
His battered body has suffered greatly over the years and he is in desperate need of knee surgery or faces a life of chronic pain. His doctor even remarks that the state of his knees should be “disabling” – but somehow Terry still manages to perform for ECW at Barely Legal (their first ever pay-per-view). Unsurprisingly, his family finds it difficult to watch as their patriarch takes ridiculous risks (including a nasty looking moonsault off a ladder) and ends up a bloody mess. He’s still able to enjoy a beer while getting patched up afterwards, though.
Finally, he faces Bret Hart in his ‘retirement’ match at WrestleFest 1997 in Amarillo, Texas. Despite his insistence in the film that this match genuinely is the end for him, it’s revealed that Funk was wrestling again after three short months. As most fans know, he’s retired countless times since then. He confirmed his last retirement in 2016 but returned one year later to team with The Rock N’ Roll Express. At the age of 76, I’ve got to believe he’s finally finished – but given his track record, he’s probably got a couple of matches left in him.
Watching Beyond the May in 2020 makes you realise just how far wrestling has come in the decades since it first hit our screens. But it also serves as a stark reminder of the work that still needs to be done to ensure the safety and wellbeing of talent. And considering all the recent issues around WWE’s murky ban on third party ventures, you have to wonder if this is an organisation that truly values their performers and their lives outside sports entertainment? Maybe we just haven’t progressed far enough yet, and perhaps the industry never will.
Beyond the Mat is now streaming on Netflix.
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Featured Image Credit: Universal Pictures/Netflix (fair use)
