Before WWE swallowed the wrestling world, every city had its own king, its own villains, and its own brand of insanity.
Shout out to Nadine Smith for surfacing this one here: “Chronicling Kayfabe: How Pro Wrestling Documentaries (Attempt to) Separate Fact From Fiction”.
Trailer for “Tales From the Territories”
You Can’t Make This Sh!t Up
- Andy Kaufman, one of the biggest TV stars in America, regularly flew to Memphis to wrestle women in front of hostile crowds before his infamous feud with Jerry “The King” Lawler.
- Future WWE legends trained in the Hart family’s basement gym in Calgary, known as “The Dungeon,” where Stu Hart stretched, tortured, and pushed them to their limits.
- Texas promoter Fritz Von Erich turned all five of his sons into wrestling stars. The family’s success became one of wrestling’s greatest tragedies when multiple sons died young.
Watch “Tales From the Territories”
You can watch “Tales From the Territories” on Prime Video and Apple TV.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 91/100
- IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 90/100 (Users)
Release Date: October 2022
Director’s Note: This 10-episode docuseries was executive produced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, Brian Gewirtz, and WWE’s Seven Bucks Productions. It explores entire wrestling ecosystems that once ruled cities across North America.
Other Unique Stuff
- The territories treated each other like rival nations, constantly protecting their stars and trade secrets.
- Before social media, wrestlers often had to live their gimmicks 24/7. Fans weren’t supposed to know where the performance ended and real life began.
- Some of the biggest stories from wrestling’s golden age have been repeated so many times that even the people who were there can’t agree on what’s fact and what’s legend.
Wrap Up
If you love wrestling history, this is a great watch. The stories are funny, shocking, heartbreaking, and often completely unbelievable—which is exactly what made the territory era so special.
Thanks for reading!
Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc