This Sunday, February 5, the REELZ network will premiere three new pro wrestling documentaries.
“Chyna: Wrestling with Demons” will premiere at 9 p.m. ET and will feature a look at WWE Hall of Famer Chyna. According to PWInsider, AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill, WWE Hall of Famers Tammy Sytch and Diamond Dallas Page, and others will appear in the one-hour documentary.
The following is a synopsis of “Chyna: Wrestling with Demons”:
“Dubbed “The Ninth Wonder of the World” by the WWF, Joanie Lauer, aka: Chyna, enjoyed a ground-breaking career until her controversial exit from the organization in 2001. But Chyna became more famous for her mental struggles, substance abuse and her untimely death than for the four, short years she performed on wrestling’s biggest stage. From the moment she exploded onto the wrestling scene in 1997, Chyna was a pioneer. No one had ever seen a 5’ 10”, muscular, woman pummel the most seasoned, male wrestlers in the ring, And Chyna relished the accouterments that came with the limelight – fur coats, fancy cars, Playboy centerfolds and the legions of wrestling fans who showered her with accolades. For the first time in her life, the mammoth, physical specimen felt accepted, beautiful and loved. But almost immediately after leaving the WWE, Chyna’s life began a 14-year spiral peppered with arrests, porn films, reality shows, suicide attempts and videos on TMZ. It seems that mainstream celebrity ultimately didn’t know what to do with Chyna; a larger-than-life woman who was the queen of one world, but adrift in Hollywood where large women were not revered. Chyna desperately missed the adoration that came with wrestling. In part, because she never really had it. Wrestling fan or not, this riveting special will appeal to everyone. This is a tale of a woman with an insatiable hunger to stay relevant; who wanted to be loved – even by strangers. We’ll peel back the layers of Chyna’s tough exterior and reveal why she’s really a survivor. Those who Joanie Lauer best, say she was a loving, sweet, gentle soul – who just couldn’t overcome her demons.”
The one-hour documentary “Autopsy: The Last Hours of Owen Hart” will air at 10 p.m. ET and will examine Owen Hart’s tragic death on May 23, 1999, during WWE Over The Edge. Interviews with Owen’s widow Martha Hart, Owen’s son Oje Hart, brothers Bruce and Ross Hart, WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett, former WWE writer Kevin Eck, forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Hunter, and others will be included in the documentary.
The following is the synopsis for Hart’s “Autopsy” episode:
“On May 23rd 1999, world renowned wrestler Owen Hart, fell to his death plummeting 78 feet from the ceiling of an arena during a live television broadcast. He had been due to make a spectacular entrance, flying into the ring from the rafters as his superhero character, ‘The Blue Blazer’, but something went drastically wrong. At the age of just 34 years old, Owen left behind a devastated wife and two young children, who could not understand why their dad was never going to come home to them again. As the youngest child of Canadian wrestling legend, Stu Hart, and younger brother of World Wrestling Federation superstar, Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart’, Owen grew up within the industry. Despite attempts to follow other careers, his natural talent and flair for wrestling led him to the WWF stage at the age of 23. Within five years he had become one of the promotion’s top stars. But how did one of the world’s most talented wrestlers, working for a multi-million-dollar company fall from such a great height? Using information from Owen Hart’s Autopsy Report, the Police Investigation, and firsthand accounts from Owen’s wife and family, Forensic Pathologist Dr. Michael Hunter uncovers how this tragic accident occurred.”
Finally, at 11 p.m. ET, the one-hour documentary “Autopsy: The Last Hours of Roddy Piper” will premiere, focusing on WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and his tragic death on July 31, 2015. Dr. Hunter, Eck, the late Lanny Poffo, and writer Evan Ginzberg will all appear in the documentary.
The following is the synopsis for the Piper documentary “Autopsy”:
“Roddy overcame a tough childhood to rise through the ranks to become a household name alongside Hulk Hogan in the days of WrestleMania. But his wrestling world was ruthless and like many of his fraternity, Roddy relied on a toxic cocktail of steroids, painkillers, alcohol and cocaine to maintain his status as the main event and medicate for the pain that had been dealt to him. Famously, Roddy was on record predicting his early death, stating that he would not survive past the age of 65 but was his wrestling lifestyle the only reason for his premature demise? Or were there other hidden factors at play? World renowned forensic pathologist, Dr. Michael Hunter analyses every detail of Roddy Piper’s life to piece together what exactly was going on in his body to find the answers.”
