Viceland’s New Docuseries ‘Dark Side of the Ring’ Will Cure Your ‘WrestleMania’ Hangover

Look, I get it. Wrestling fans are in desperate need of a break. After NXT TakeOver, WrestleMania, Monday Night Raw, and SmackDown Live, we’ve absorbed roughly 15 hours of pro wrestling content over the past five days — and that’s not including Ring of Honor, the Hall of Fame, and if you’re like me, rewatching the Johnny Gargano documentary for the fifth time. But sometimes the best cure is the hair of the dog that bit ya.

Premiering tonight on Viceland, Dark Side of the Ring is an absorbing six-episode docuseries that explores the enigmatic world of pro wrestling. The most compelling WWE storylines are the ones that deliberately blur the line between fantasy and reality. We’re obsessed with the backstage machinations of the sport, endlessly fascinated with seeing something we’re not meant to see. The wins and losses are secondary to the enticing allure of the reality hidden within the larger story. Dark Side of the Ring offers fans that intriguing peek behind the curtain. Featuring interviews with legendary industry stalwarts like Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Bruce Pritchard, Mick Foley, Scott Hall, Jim Cornette, Eric Bischoff, and Dutch Mantell (who also serves as narrator), each episode delves into a different pro wrestling mystery.

Tonight’s premiere episode, “The Match Made in Heaven,” centers on the explosive on and off screen relationship between Randy “Macho Man” Savage and the “First Lady of the World Wrestling Federation,” Miss Elizabeth. Even if you have vivid memories of Savage’s on-air marriage proposal and the couple’s SummerSlam 91 wedding (and memorable reception), the episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at Randy and Elizabeth’s real-life relationship.

The documentary doesn’t lionize its subjects but instead highlights their best and worst qualities before delving into the inevitable tragedy surrounding the end of their lives. But it’s not all doom and gloom, as Dark Side of the Ring finds little ways to inject a bit of levity into the series.

New episodes will air Wednesday nights on Viceland, but the network has made Episode 3, “The Killing of Bruiser Brody,” available to stream for free on both YouTube and the Viceland.com. Next week’s installment is also a must-see episode for modern wrestling fans as it centers on the infamous “Montreal Screwjob.” While much of that episode is well-trod terrain for most of us (especially if you’ve seen Wrestling with Shadows), it does offer a hilarious back and forth between the Tom and Jerry of pointless internet wrestling squabbling: Jim Cornette and Vince Russo.

Future episodes explore the legendary Von Erich wrestling dynasty, the mysterious death of Gorgeous Gino, and the controversial legacy of The Fabulous Moolah.

Even if you don’t know John Cena from Duke “The Dumpster” Droese, Dark Side of the Ring is a captivating docuseries. It’s entertaining for everyone but essential viewing for wrestling fans.

Dark Side of the Ring’s “The Match Made in Heaven” premieres tonight at 9:00 p.m. ET on Viceland.

Where to stream Dark Side of the Ring