Wrestling Movies

O

OCEagle

Well-known member
There have been several wrestling movies made, with the most well known and popular probably being Vision Quest - although Foxcatcher may be a better movie based on real life. Win-win wasn't bad and there are others including a couple documentaries.

Just looked to see the status of the Dwayne Johnson movie about Mark Kerr (former state champ from Toledo at Waite High, Syracuse national champ and US Olympic Trials runner up in 1996 to gold medalist Kurt Angle) called "The Smashing Machine" about his time in MMA "Pride" fighting. Still scheduled to be released soon, but can't find a date. Kerr was also the subject of an HBO documentary of the same name. Attached a link below of an interview with Kerr from 2021. Still don't see a release date or know the status of the film.


Another movie is in progress based on the life of Cam Tessari. Saw an interview he did where he talked about what happened at OSU that led to his scholarship being pulled. Had heard it was because of a fight. He talks about it being drinking and drugs. Left OSU for Lehigh - which he described as being only 15 minutes from New York City - and his temptations and problems with abuse continued there. Ended up at NAIA Lindsay Wilson College where he took a second place finish, then a national championship in NAIA as a senior. Sounds like a good story to tell. Don't have a name of the movie - and it doesn't sound like it is in production yet. May not get picked up. The interview was in 2021. No name assigned to the project. Anyone else hear of this before?
 
 
OCEagle said:
There have been several wrestling movies made, with the most well known and popular probably being Vision Quest - although Foxcatcher may be a better movie based on real life. Win-win wasn't bad and there are others including a couple documentaries.

Just looked to see the status of the Dwayne Johnson movie about Mark Kerr (former state champ from Toledo at Waite High, Syracuse national champ and US Olympic Trials runner up in 1996 to gold medalist Kurt Angle) called "The Smashing Machine" about his time in MMA "Pride" fighting. Still scheduled to be released soon, but can't find a date. Kerr was also the subject of an HBO documentary of the same name. Attached a link below of an interview with Kerr from 2021. Still don't see a release date or know the status of the film.


Another movie is in progress based on the life of Cam Tessari. Saw an interview he did where he talked about what happened at OSU that led to his scholarship being pulled. Had heard it was because of a fight. He talks about it being drinking and drugs. Left OSU for Lehigh - which he described as being only 15 minutes from New York City - and his temptations and problems with abuse continued there. Ended up at NAIA Lindsay Wilson College where he took a second place finish, then a national championship in NAIA as a senior. Sounds like a good story to tell. Don't have a name of the movie - and it doesn't sound like it is in production yet. May not get picked up. The interview was in 2021. No name assigned to the project. Anyone else hear of this before?
Click to expand...
He must have taken some awful stuff over the years, because Lehigh is MUCH further than 15 mins away from NYC.
 
Boro Fan said:
He must have taken some awful stuff over the years, because Lehigh is MUCH further than 15 mins away from NYC.
Click to expand...
First season on the Hofstra Wrestling roster…Transferred to Hofstra after two years at Ohio State University…NCAA All-American at 149 pounds as a Buckeye freshman in 2011-12.
 
CoachPeck said:
First season on the Hofstra Wrestling roster…Transferred to Hofstra after two years at Ohio State University…NCAA All-American at 149 pounds as a Buckeye freshman in 2011-12.
Click to expand...
Still a little further than 15 mins, but this makes much more sense. I completely forgot about him transferring to Hofstra. He was incredible in his two years at OSU (especially his freshman year), I wish they could have kept him for two more.
 
Last edited:
Rumor has it there will be an upcoming documentary on the Walsh Jesuit / St Ed's rivalry 1990's-2000 era, involving some of their best teams/wrestlers all time, not only each schools, but NATIONALLY All time best. St Ed's regaining superiority in 1997 with some outstanding incoming freshman ranked tops in the nation and the story behind the rivalry. The dual in 1997 where the tide turned back to St Ed's although Walsh barely winning that dual with 2 Ed's superstars were out with injury that would have easily swung the dual to St Ed's.
 
Boro Fan said:
Still a little further than 15 mins, but this makes much more sense. I completely forgot about him transferring to Hofstra. He was incredible in his two years at OSU (especially his freshman year), I wish they could have kept him for two more.
Click to expand...
must have been the guy writing the note above mixed up Lehigh with Hofstra...
 
Don't forget The Hammer. Its about Loveland HS alum Matt Hammill. If you are not familiar Hamill has been deaf from birth and was a 3X DIII national champ at Rochester Institute of Technology. Eventually went on to fight in several different MMA promotions. Nice biopic about an Ohio kid and the acceptance of the wrestling community.
 
With all respect to any attempt to truly replicate the rigors of real wrestling...No sports movie ever made more truly portrays the dreams, trials, tribulations & joy of growing up in a sport and intertwined with every nuance and distraction ( good & bad) that Louden Swain endured in Vision Quest...
From the pain of a broken family, to the dream of "being something/someone," to the values, dedication and hardship. To the lessons of team, loyalty, empathy for others, to the risks of probable failure, to the realistic sacrifices of cutting weight, to the over-the-top rigors of training and all that entails...and then to meeting the babe you'd never dream of "getting" in anybody's wildest world and then actually getting her" all while this is going on... Then having her "dump" you at exactly the worst time possible and yet retreat/withdrawl was never an option. As Kuch so properly said..."Nothing will ever be the same...yer out there now, it's gonna happen and the answers will be found whether you like it or not..." Beautiful movie! That it happened to be about wrestling throws it directly across the bow of any & every wrestler that ever stepped onto the mat to face his destiny, or his demons...
 
Last edited:
My favorite wrestling movie.
The story is outrageous. Some cringe scenes. The scoring is bad. Madonna debut. Great soundtrack. Not sure how well it holds up in 2023...
Still my favorite.
 
Gardens35 said:
Anyway, that's why I'm getting dressed up and giving up a nights pay for this function.

Click to expand...
I would have chosen Secretariat's Belmont, but the analogy ticks the same boxes. The acting & soundtrack were outstanding. Read a great article recently about Frank Jasper (Schute) and the story of how he got the part. They wanted a "monster" for that role and Frank, a non-actor, delivered.
 
nooks said:
I would have chosen Secretariat's Belmont, but the analogy ticks the same boxes. The acting & soundtrack were outstanding. Read a great article recently about Frank Jasper (Schute) and the story of how he got the part. They wanted a "monster" for that role and Frank, a non-actor, delivered.
Click to expand...
Thumbs up x2! I've read that piece AND every year around Triple Crown time I watch Secretariat "moving like a tremendous machine". One of sports greatest calls in my opinion.
 
1687916817754.png

Louden, Why don't you take her down to Ferguson's and buy her a hamburger.
 
MitSulHer said:
I like this movie.

www.imdb.com

Win Win (2011) ⭐ 7.1 | Comedy, Drama, Sport

1h 46m | 15
www.imdb.com www.imdb.com
Click to expand...
I had mentioned this above. The kid in the movie was an actual state champ from New Jersey as a junior in HS (Alex Shafer) Then he did some damage to his neck and had to give up wrestling his senior year. He was pursuing an acting career and has credits in three other movies, with Win-Win still be the highest rated of the four. Shafer played the part of the phenom wrestler and it was at his first wrestling practice when the coaches (Paul Giamati and Bobby Cannavale) found out how good he was. They looked him up and found some videos of him having wrestled before and was a champion - but in the movie they made his hometown be Ohio instead of New Jersey. Don't remember it word for word, but I think it was Giamati who said, this kid was a star in Ohio. Cannavale says "yeah, and Ohio wrestlers are tough"
 
OCEagle said:
I had mentioned this above. The kid in the movie was an actual state champ from New Jersey as a junior in HS (Alex Shafer) Then he did some damage to his neck and had to give up wrestling his senior year. He was pursuing an acting career and has credits in three other movies, with Win-Win still be the highest rated of the four. Shafer played the part of the phenom wrestler and it was at his first wrestling practice when the coaches (Paul Giamati and Bobby Cannavale) found out how good he was. They looked him up and found some videos of him having wrestled before and was a champion - but in the movie they made his hometown be Ohio instead of New Jersey. Don't remember it word for word, but I think it was Giamati who said, this kid was a star in Ohio. Cannavale says "yeah, and Ohio wrestlers are tough"
Click to expand...
Saw your post and decided to watch it. Pretty good movie, I enjoyed it. You can tell the kid was a decent wrestler, just that odd ball quirk that wrestlers have. I had to chuckle at that, especially when my wife made the same comment that kid had to be a wrestler.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top