TV series Wrestlers went down a storm with viewers – and critics rated it . Now the Ohio Valley Wrestling crew are awaiting news on a second season.
legend and OVW boss Al Snow – who will be in on March 3 and 4 as part of the For The Love Of Wrestling convention – is hopeful after fans and newcomers alike loved seeing how the business works behind the scenes.
Speaking exclusively to Metro.co.uk about the show, he said: ‘We’re waiting patiently for Netflix to give us the word as to whether or not they’re gonna have a second season. All things indicate that we should, more than likely.
‘But we’re just waiting and keeping our fingers crossed. That’s all we can do. And even if we don’t, gosh, what a blessing it was just to even get the one, you know? Just amazing. Just to even have one season – absolutely thrilled!’
After decades in the business as a wrestler, a producer and a coach, the man behind OVW’s resurgence had some reservations about the whole project when it came to giving fans another peek behind the curtain.
‘I was a bit reticent,’ he admitted. ‘I had to trust in [director] Greg Whiteley that he pulled the curtain back enough, but not so far back, that it would destroy the magic.’
The former Hardcore Champion warned people in wrestling of the dangers with ‘pulling the curtain back too far’, comparing it to the Wizard of Oz.
He explained: ‘The movie starts and it’s black and white, and the world’s grey, everyday work doldrums. And then you go to go to Oz, and it’s colourful, and it’s exciting and everything’s possible.
‘And it’s magical – until you get to the end of the movie where you pull the curtain all the way back. You realise all it is, it’s just a little old man, twisting knobs and pushing buttons and pulling cords, orchestrating the whole thing.
‘All the magic goes away. And it just becomes black and white again.’
Another fear was that Wrestlers might not connect with viewers, whether it was those already aware of the artform, or the uninitiated being introduced for the first time.
‘My biggest concern was that we would put this project out and it wouldn’t register, it wouldn’t resonate, nobody would care that it even existed,’ Al said. ‘Not only was I thrilled that people did care and acknowledged it, I was thrilled, even more so, that it was universally positive.’
Through its seven episodes, the series showcased OVW – which counts, Randy Orton, Shelton Benjamin, Dave Bautista and Cody Rhodes among its alumni – in the present day, with all the highs and lows that entails.
However, Al proudly pointed out: ‘I think we’re able to show some of the integrity in wrestling that usually most ignore, and try to find more of the salacious, darker side of things.’
There’s also a big sense of pride for the 60-year-old veteran as he watches the current crop of stars rise their way through the ranks in OVW, with Jack Vaughn, The Overmen, Manny Domingo, Kai Herro and Leila Grey among the company’s current champions.
‘One of the most rewarding things is watching talent come in, and watching them develop in such a short amount of time,’ he said. ‘They go from literally just any other wrestler to becoming some kind of a star or attraction by putting in the hard work.’
When it comes to the impact of the Netflix documentary itself – which came months before with the streamer – Al is grateful, while shining a light on the hard work that had already been done.
‘It’s been a big boom to OVW,’ he acknowledged. ‘The thing is though, we were on the trajectory that we’re on right now, to do what we’re doing right now.
‘It’s just that the Netflix exposure ramped all that up to 1,000. [It] really helped us circumnavigate a lot of ground we would have had to have covered over this year.’
Next weekend, Al Snow will be back in the UK, reuniting with old friends and meeting fans at For The Love Of Wrestling, and admitted the wrestlers almost get ‘more’ out of these events than their supporters.
He said: ‘It’s like a big family reunion, you get to reconnect with people that, basically, you were spending more time with than you were with your actual families.
‘You were on the road anywhere from 200 to nearly 300 days a year with these people. You get to come back and see each other, and then you also get to interact with the fans as well, and talk to them and share memories.’
For The Love Of Wrestling returns to Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester on March 3 and 4. Head for more details.
