The Black Rasslin' Podcast returns for a healthy dose of rasslin'-flavored insight and entertainment! This week, Fam, Matth, Mimi, and khal return to talk John Cena and Randy Orton running their historic feud back at WWE Backlash, Jade Cargill taking on Tiffany Stratton, that banger of a TLC match on SmackDown, the Anoa'i family on Stephanie's Places, Ryan Coogler's Sinners, Nike's dirty Air Force 1s, and so much more!
You know the routine: you can stream and download this week's episode via SoundCloud, and subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify! We stream live every Thursday at 8:35PM ET on YouTube. We also encourage you to become a member of the BRPatreon, where you can get even MORE exclusive content (and merch discounts)! We'll catch you next week; tell a friend to tell their homies to LIKE, rate, comment, subscribe, and share!
Stepping into the ring with confidence, Queen of the Ring brings the compelling story of wrestling pioneer Mildred Burke to the big screen. Directed by Ash Avildsen, the biographical sports drama makes its entrance into theaters this Friday, March 7, 2025, starring Emily Bett Rickards as Burke; a single mother who defied the odds to become the first million-dollar female athlete in a male-dominated sport.
At the heart of the film is Burke’s complicated and toxic relationship with her husband, promoter Billy Wolfe, played by Josh Lucas. Wolfe’s domineering grip on Burke’s career serves as one of the movie’s primary conflicts, painting him as the ultimate philandering pariah both in and out of the ring. However, Burke is never truly alone in her struggle. The film shines in moments where she leans on her team and fellow female wrestlers, whose support and solidarity prove instrumental in helping her rise above adversity.
The ensemble cast delivers standout performances, bringing wrestling’s golden era to life. Francesca Eastwood plays Mae Young, Kamille reprises June Byers, Walton Goggins (a personal favorite of mine) embodies the infamous promoter Jack Pfefer, and Toni Storm steps into the role of Clara Mortensen. Most notably, WWE’s own Trinity Fatu (aka Naomi) portrays Ethel Johnson, and Damaris Lewis takes on the role of Babs Wingo; both groundbreaking Black women in professional wrestling. These two figures played a crucial role in the sport’s evolution, breaking racial and gender barriers in an era when opportunities for women of color were scarce. While Queen of the Ring packs a punch with its depiction of Burke’s journey, it unfortunately fumbles when it comes to fully exploring Johnson and Wingo’s contributions to the wrestling world, missing an opportunity to provide a deeper look into their professional journeys and their relationship with Burke. A more layered exploration of their roles would have added much-needed depth to the narrative, giving the audience a broader perspective on the history of women’s wrestling. Despite this shortfall, the performances remain strong. Rickards delivers a powerhouse portrayal of Burke, perfectly capturing her grit and vulnerability. Lucas is convincingly detestable as Wolfe, making Burke’s eventual triumph all the more satisfying. Fatu and Lewis command attention in their limited screen time, leaving viewers wanting more of their stories. (For those interested, Chris Bournea’s 2020 documentary Lady Wrestler sheds more light on the groundwork Johnson, Wingo, and Marva Scott laid for women in wrestling.)
In the end, Queen of the Ring is a solid biopic that successfully highlights Mildred Burke’s groundbreaking achievements but doesn’t quite go the distance in telling the full story of women’s wrestling, which would have been an added bonus for wrestling fans. Wrestling fans and lovers of inspirational sports dramas will find plenty to enjoy, but for those hoping for a deeper dive into wrestling’s forgotten pioneers, especially Black founding contributors, the film falls just short of the expectation.
That said, this is still a film worth seeing. Wrestling fans, history buffs and those who appreciate a good underdog story should absolutely head to theaters—again this Friday, March 7, 2025—for a slice of wrestling history on the big screen. Even with its missed opportunities, Queen of the Ring delivers an inspiring and entertaining look at a woman who changed the game forever.
Catch Mimi, also known as #TheWrestlingChic, co-hosting #TheBuckle: #TurnbuckleTalk, every Tuesday at 6:35PM ET on X Spaces and Thursday at 8:35PM ET w/the rest of the crew on The Black Rasslin' Podcast on YouTube.
The Black Rasslin' Podcast returns for a healthy dose of rasslin'-flavored insight and entertainment! This week, Fam, Matth, DDm, and khal talks to Darius Carter about becoming ASÉ Men's Champion and his 2024
before recapping Saturday Night's Main Event, the fallout on Raw and
WWE's road to Netflix, and much more!
You know the routine: you can stream and download this week's episode via SoundCloud, and subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify! We stream live every Thursday at 8:35PM ET on YouTube. We also encourage you to become a member of the BRPatreon,
where you can get even MORE exclusive content (and merch discounts)!
We'll catch you next week; tell a friend to tell their homies to LIKE,
rate, comment, subscribe, and
share!
The Black Rasslin' Podcast returns for a healthy dose of rasslin'-flavored insight and entertainment! This week, Fam, Mimi, DDm and khal preview NXT Battleground, talk the WWE-TNA-NXT relationship, Mark Henry's post-AEW future, WWE having interest in Penta el Zero Miedo, and much more! (NOTE: Pardon the slight audio issues early on in the cold open. Blame khal.)
You know the routine: you can stream and download this week's episode via SoundCloud, and subscribe via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We also stream live every Thursday at 8:35PM ET on YouTube. We also encourage you to become a member of the BRPatreon,
where you can get even MORE exclusive content (and merch discounts)!
We'll catch you next week; tell a friend to tell their homies to LIKE,
rate, comment, subscribe, and
share!
WWE Superstar Ettore "Big E" Ewen, journalist Andreas Hale, and graphic artist Jonathan Davenport had a chance encounter in 2020 that led to something special. At the time, Ewen's creative partners were simultaneously stranded by the COVID-19 pandemic and deeply affected by the murder of George Floyd. Faced with racial unrest around the world, they knew they had to do something. In order to find inspiration and solace for themselves and their community, the three creatives turned to each other and their creativity. Their coping culminated in Our Heroes Rock!. One of their chief influences was Schoolhouse Rock!, an animated series of educational short films (and later music videos) aired on the ABC network as part of its Saturday morning children's programming. Various topics were covered, including grammar, science, economics, history, mathematics, and civics. Its original run lasted from 1973 to 1985. Ewen, Hale, and Davenport designed Our Heroes Rock! to showcase unsung Heroes of Color in Black History in a similar (but enhanced) format.
Through the fusion of Hip-Hop music with stunning 3D animation and a family-friendly sci-fi feel, the result was to create fascinating short films with the hopes of educating audiences of all ages about important historical Black figures with an engaging approach. After cooking the concept in the kitchen, Ewen, Hale, and Davenport ran an overly successful crowdfunding campaign, which allowed them to grind for three years before partnering with animation studio Something's Awry and Grammy-nominated Hip-Hop artist Rapsody to create their first of hopefully many animated short film series installments, Bridges.
In October 2023, Big E announced that Bridges would be making its world premiere at the UrbanWorld Film Festival, which is an annual five-day festival based in New York City showcasing narrative and documentary features, short films, web originals, music videos, spotlight screenings and conversations, and live staged screenplay readings. Bridges was featured in the 7 Shorts: What Is Mine category, which showcased films from around the world highlighting characters with societal reflections, historical echoes, and personal reckonings, and the films featured moments of introspection, inspiration, conflict, and resilience.
Bridges follows the story of Maya, a lonely 12-year-old girl who struggles with social anxiety and is unable to connect with her peers. One day, Maya takes a virtual field trip to a futuristic Black History museum, The Hall of Heroes. With the help of E-Tour (voiced by Big E), the film explores the heroes of Black History. Maya joins a group of virtual students to discover the story of Ruby Bridges, an American civil rights activist who made history at six. In 1960, when the federal government ordered the New Orleans school system to integrate, Bridges became the first African-American student to attend a once-whites-only school. Many whites opposed to integration reacted with hostility and racism toward Bridges. Since only one teacher would teach her, Ruby was in a class of one, escorted to and from school by federal marshals. Though it was a struggle, Ruby demonstrated courage and perseverance despite the challenges. To this day, she represents racial equality in education.
By the film's end, Maya overcomes her fears and has gained the inspiration she needs to escape her shell—resilience, bravery, and acceptance for who you are bled through the story. Bridges celebrates diversity, courage, and friendship, inspiring the audience to embrace their authentic selves and overcome any obstacles. After the screening, the audience enjoyed a short panel discussion with the creators and stars of each film. Davenport, Ewen, and Hale shared the vision for this project, their passion for sharing history infused with music, and an ambition to make more films down the road.
Be sure to check out BRP's content on our website, and check out our Black Rasslin' Podcast Patreon for exclusive pro wrestling content.
Mimi aka #TheWrestlingChic co-hosts #TurnbuckleTalk every Tuesday at 6:35pm ET and contributes to the Black Rasslin' Podcast.
On June 2, 1989, the World Wrestling Federation embarked on a new path: releasing feature films. The first, obviously starring Hulk Hogan, was No Holds Barred, a trash classic featuring Tommy 'Tiny' Lister portraying the unforgettable Zeus. Here's the trailer for those who might not remember.
With the film's 30th anniversary recently passing, it reminded us that we actually reviewed this trashy wrestling-based flick back in July of 2018, prompted by a conversation regarding The Rock's status as a Hollywood megastar. For those of you who might want more from the squad after we dropped our Super ShowDown preview episode earlier than normal, we figured we'd hit you with this 30-minute excerpt from that episode.
We'd suggest going back and watching No Holds Barred before digging into this; and if you rock with the Black Rasslin Podcast, be sure to subscribe to us via iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, or wherever else you snag podcasts.
And as a bonus, here's Lister talking about how he became Zeus.
Hit the jump for The Fight Network's documentary on Bret Hart, focusing on "the rise of Hart, his split with the WWE in 1997 and his road back to the company in January 2010. The documentary features interviews with Bret, members of the family, Carl DeMarco, former sports agent Gord Kirke, producer of 'Wrestling with Shadows' Paul Jay and more". This premiered last night at 11PM; it's on YouTube in four parts. Continue Reading
This five part series features Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, Lex Luger, "Diamond" Dallas Page, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, & Greg "The Hammer" Valentine speaking on this critically-acclaimed flick:
