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Rey Mysterio: The Life of a Masked Man (2011)
Directed by Kevin  Dunn

NOTE: This review covers only the documentary portion of the Rey Mysterio: The Life of a Masked Man box set released by WWE in 2011. It in no way reflects the quality of the matches featured in the set, which are absolutely phenomenal.

If you’ve known me for any length of time, you know that I’m a huge Rey Mysterio mark. The work he did for WCW in 1996 and 1997 is some of the best wrestling you’re likely to ever see, but when I saw tapes of his 1995 ECW matches with Psicosis and Juventud Guerrera, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Seriously, these matches completely floored me, enough so that I went out and got a tattoo of his mask on my shoulder (the old one with the crown, before he changed it to a cross) a full six months before he did.

Unfortunately, this documentary falls well below what such a phenomenal talent deserves. First, the sit-down interview approach (conducted by Matt Striker with archival footage and photos weaved in for reference) weakens the impact of Rey’s many great accomplishments. Second, The Life of a Masked Man is a revisionist fluff piece that, for example, emphasizes the importance of masks in traditional Mexican wrestling (Lucha Libre) yet completely skips over Rey’s 1999 de-masking at the hands of Kevin Nash. I understand that Vince McMahon and WWE prefer to create their own unique versions of the characters they present, but omissions like this are insulting to us longtime fans. My advice: skip the interview and stick to the matches.

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The Triumph and Tragedy of World Class Championship Wrestling (2007)
Directed by Vince McMahon

Way back in 1999, I hopped a freight train from Poplar Bluff, Arkansas, to Dallas, Texas. From there, with my thumb in the air, I hit the highway headed for Austin. After a few hours of walking down that lonely interstate, I looked up and was startled by where I was standing: right in front of the legendary Sportatorium, the Dallas arena that held WCCW shows for nearly thirty years. I tried the door to no avail, but, despite the barred entrance, I still felt as if I was on hallowed ground. Years later, when Vince McMahon and the WWE released a documentary about the Von Erichs (the storied and tragic family who ran WCCW), I jumped at the opportunity to grab a copy. At the time of its release, I thought it an engaging and informative piece of work, but now, with both a Viceland Dark Side of the Ring episode covering the same ground with much more artistry and believable reverence and Sean Durkin’s fantastic feature film, The Iron Claw available, Triumph and Tragedy seems amateurish by comparison. It may go more in-depth about the other wrestlers and how the territory system worked, but its bland execution leaves it in the dust of its peers.

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101 Reasons Not to Be a Pro Wrestler (2005)
Directed by Michael Moody

Calling 101 Reasons Not to Be a Pro Wrestler a documentary would be an insult to documentaries, but it could be worse. Derived from a number of “shoot” interviews with former big names, 101 Reasons is a collection of mostly bitter wrestlers talking shit about why they were fired by one or more of the major promotions. Lacking any narrative cohesion, 101 Reasons mostly rambles through grievances about perceived slights and backstage politics while only managing to stay engaging for short periods of time. The roster of talent on board to lament about the good old days is impressive, though, with favorites like New Jack (R.I.P.), Vampiro, Diamond Dallas Page, Chyna (R.I.P.), Psicosis, Konnan, Rikishi, and others rounding out the card. However, much of the bitterness on display is off-putting and not doing anyone any favors. If learning about this wild business is something you find interesting, there are much better documentaries that I’d be happy to point you toward.