WWE 30 for 30

[suave]

Watching some of the 30 for 30 ESPN documentaries, and it got me thinking:what if WWE were to do this? What are some documentaries that could be made about wrestling?

[Deleted]

Somewhat related:

Bill Simmons said that they wanted to do a full 30 on 30 about Andre the Giant but couldn't get WWE to give them the footage needed.

[BRV]

If I'm not mistaken, Bill Simmons said that one of the first ideas he had for season one of "30 for 30" was a documentary on Andre the Giant. If memory serves me correctly (and I may be wrong here) I recall reading that Simmons said it would have been impossible because WWE would have wanted to have total control of the documentary.

Found it, from his November 2009 mailbag:

Q: What is the "30 for 30" documentary you wish was made that wasn't?
-- Tyler, Seattle

SG: Andre the Giant. Hands down. It never got past the discussion stage because the WWE owns the key footage and would have wanted to produce it; we would have wanted an elite filmmaker. So that was a nonstarter.

But if ESPN did one day decide to do a wrestling-related 30 for 30 and say f*** it to having no footage, I mean, I hate to say it, but it'd have to be about Chris Benoit, right?

[hossfan]

Simmons again mentions the idea of an Andre the Giant "30 for 30" in his most recent podcast, which features Grantland's Wrestling writer (The Masked Man?).

[rybackrulez]

The one about scott hall was wwe endorsed

[Chainsaw]

It would be great to see, but the amount of meddling with history WWE would do with this would make it not much better than the stuff they do now.

[BRV]

Nov 10, 2013 20:56:57 GMT -5 rybackrulez said:

The one about scott hall was wwe endorsed

True, as was the E:60 documentary that followed Vince McMahon around in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania 25.

The more I think about it, the more I believe that WWE might have enough trust in ESPN that they would sign off on a 30 for 30 documentary, provided the subject matter was something they endorsed. Obviously they wouldn't give the green light to something on Chris Benoit or the steroid trial, but if ESPN wanted to do their own "History of WrestleMania" documentary, I think they'd be all for it. Especially considering how disappointing WWE's own "True Story of WrestleMania" documentary was.

[Vice honcho room temperature]

Nov 10, 2013 21:01:06 GMT -5 BRV said:

Nov 10, 2013 20:56:57 GMT -5 rybackrulez said:

The one about scott hall was wwe endorsed

True, as was the E:60 documentary that followed Vince McMahon around in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania 25.

The more I think about it, the more I believe that WWE might have enough trust in ESPN that they would sign off on a 30 for 30 documentary, provided the subject matter was something they endorsed. Obviously they wouldn't give the green light to something on Chris Benoit or the steroid trial, but if ESPN wanted to do their own "History of WrestleMania" documentary, I think they'd be all for it. Especially considering how disappointing WWE's own "True Story of WrestleMania" documentary was.

I think because those were segments on a TV show and not a whole hour plus documentary that they view it differently

[saintpat]

I'd like to see WWE do 30-for-30 style documentaries on:

1) The Kliq

2) The Von Erichs

3) Gorgeous George and the rise of wrestling on TV

[molson5]

Nov 10, 2013 21:19:55 GMT -5 saintpat said:

3) Gorgeous George and the rise of wrestling on TV

That's the only one I could maybe see happening. Everything else is really in the WWE's wheelhouse, and they'd probably just rather do it themselves.

Edit: Though, timeline-wise, I don't think they've gone back close to that far, but instead of focused exclusively on the ESPN era.

[Urfarkendarf]

WWE will never do anything like it b/c they produce everything they do in house so they can control the content. I'd love to see 30 for 30 style stuff b/c typically they are excellent filmmakers making the piece, but ESPN gives them leeway to create the best possible program, plus they dont own the trademarks of the stories they're producing 99.9% of the time.

Andre is a WWE icon even to this day, there's no way they'd let someone outside do it and present him unvarnished. They'd just do it themselves.

That said, WWE usually does a fantastic job on their retrospective documentaries. I'm really interested to see how they spin the History of WWE one thats out later this month.

[Urfarkendarf]

Nov 10, 2013 21:37:01 GMT -5 molson5 said:

Nov 10, 2013 21:19:55 GMT -5 saintpat said:

3) Gorgeous George and the rise of wrestling on TV

Edit: Though, timeline-wise, I don't think they've gone back close to that far, but instead of focused exclusively on the ESPN era.

Not at all the case.

Renee, The Real Rocky, Goose, Ghosts of Ole Miss, Legend of Eddie Aikau, and Bernie and Ernie are all "historical" in perspective and mostly "pre-ESPN". And then there are the shorts which are even more wide ranging.

[percymania]

I could definitely see one made about the Montreal Screwjob.

[Seth Drakin of Monster Crap]

1. Crashing Potential (Magnum TA Story)
2. The People vs. Vince McMahon (The Steroid Trial)
3. Creation of a Granddaddy (The Booking of WrestleMania 1)
4. The Night Saturday Went Black (Black Saturday)
5. The Real World's Heavyweight Champion (Ric Flair Brings The NWA Title To WWF)
6. Bunnies of Wrestling (The Relationship Between WWF & Playboy)
7. Hogan Turns His Back On The World (The Betrayal at Bash of the Beach 1997)
8. You Screwed Bret (The Montreal Screwjob)
9. Fabulous (Fabulous Moolah biography)
10. Reign Of The Italian Superman (The Seven Year WWF Title Reign Of Bruno Sammartino)

[Reflecto]

Getting back to the original topic:

Nov 10, 2013 20:47:32 GMT -5 suave said:

Watching some of the 30 for 30 ESPN documentaries, and it got me thinking:what if WWE were to do this? What are some documentaries that could be made about wrestling?

Isn't that what WWE already DOES with their 3-Disk DVD sets anyway? They already end up with "Documentary about a certain superstar/legend/promotion", followed by 2 disks of extras and matches.

[BayleyTiffyCodyCenaJudyHopps]

Now It Don't Do Nuthin': The True Story Of The Smackdown Technician Assaulted By Mark Henry

[Lancers]

Since Richie Incognito is in the news these days, I want ESPN to do a documentary on backstage ribbing in the WWE.

Zack Gowen: "One time Vince McMahon got drunk with the boys. He then gave the hotel clerk $500 for a card to get into my hotel room while I was sleeping. Then at about 3 a.m. he came in, grabbed my prosthetic leg and started clubbing me with it. He said "Stop kicking your own ass!!!" Then he put the top of the leg next to this crotch and said "Look at me! I'm hung like Hogan!!!" He pretended my leg was a penis for the next 30 minutes. Stroking it. Humping the air with it. Then he started crying in the corner talking about how his children hate him and stuff. Then he started beating me with my leg some more. I asked for my release the following morning."

[4real]

A documentary on Benoit would be an obvious one but of course WWE would have nothing to do with it.

A Regal doc would be very interesting I think. An Owen one as well.

[Friday Night SmackOwn]

No! Not The Tie!: The Saga of Daniel Bryan and The Tie

[tigermaskxxxvii]

Nov 10, 2013 20:50:43 GMT -5 BRV said:

If I'm not mistaken, Bill Simmons said that one of the first ideas he had for season one of "30 for 30" was a documentary on Andre the Giant. If memory serves me correctly (and I may be wrong here) I recall reading that Simmons said it would have been impossible because WWE would have wanted to have total control of the documentary.

Found it, from his November 2009 mailbag:

Q: What is the "30 for 30" documentary you wish was made that wasn't?
-- Tyler, Seattle

SG: Andre the Giant. Hands down. It never got past the discussion stage because the WWE owns the key footage and would have wanted to produce it; we would have wanted an elite filmmaker. So that was a nonstarter.

But if ESPN did one day decide to do a wrestling-related 30 for 30 and say f*** it to having no footage, I mean, I hate to say it, but it'd have to be about Chris Benoit, right?

Ken Burns has made plenty of documentaries without the benefit of footage thanks in part to him using what has been called "The Ken Burns Effect" which makes still images seem animated through panning and zooming. Also, if you watch American: The Bill Hicks Story they did a great thing in which they animated still photoes with a cut and paste type technique to make it look animated (I haven't seen The Kid Stays in The Picture, but I hear it's used in that film too). So I'm sure you could get plenty of photoes from the archives of Bill Apter and George Napolitano (and the magazines they've worked for) and do something like this. Along with interviews with people who knew Andre and his appearences on mainstream TV and in films and you could have a documentary.