Dark Side of the Ring

After losing his leg to cancer as a child, Zach Gowen chased wrestling stardom, rising in the WWE before a dramatic fall.

With her trademark Gucci purse, Missy Hyatt revolutionized the role of women in wrestling but her story out of the ring was rife with scandal, emotional turmoil and addiction.

A top heel with a perfect physique, Paul Orndorff helped define the WWF, but after his career, his son is forced to save him from abuse and neglect.

An exotic dancer with dreams of wrestling stardom, Rick Wilson's brief rise as an Ultimate Warrior knock-off dubbed 'The Renegade' quickly unraveled and led to tragedy.

From prison guard to WWF star, Ray Traylor became the Big Boss Man, while behind the persona he battled pain and addiction.

In 2005, hardcore brawler Necro Butcher faced powerhouse Samoa Joe in a brutally savage match that became one of indie wrestling's most infamous.

Exiled from the company he built, Jeff Jarrett battles alcoholism, enters rehab, and fights for redemption.

Born into wrestling, Jeff Jarrett builds Total Nonstop Action Wrestling from scratch, battling the WWE through a decade of success and controversy.

As Total Nonstop Action Wrestling grows, Jeff Jarrett faces internal chaos, power struggles, and scandal.

Just three years post-9/11, Marc Copani sees the highs and lows of wrestling when he's given the chance to portray Muhammad Hassan, a villainous Arab-American character for the WWE.

With her piercing scream, Shannon Spruill became a cult star as Daffney in the squared circle. Outside the ring, Daffney fought a much more punishing battle with bipolar disorder.

One of the most hated heels in wrestling history; The Sheik, whose violent career spanned 50 years is revealed by his family and the few who survived his hardcore bloodbaths.

An 80's wrestling star, Billy Jack Haynes' life of violence and mystery has led to his current situation--behind bars and charged with the second degree murder of his wife.

Skilled as a performer in the ring and as a booker, who created storylines behind the scenes. 'Hot Stuff' Eddie Gilbert was a ticking timebomb of talent and self-destruction.

Often imitated, never duplicated, Superstar Billy Graham broke the mold for what a wrestler could be but steroid abuse and battles with the McMahons kept Graham from the spotlight.

With the physique of an Adonis and endless charisma, Tony Atlas made his mark as one of wrestling's first Black stars but racism, addiction and ego kept Mr. USA from the top.

With an iconic look and skills few of his size could match, Big Van Vader stood out as a wrestling monster but controlling his anger became a bigger battle in and out of the ring.

A Finnish wrestling bad guy turned real-life racist politician, Tony Halme's time in the WWF as Ludvig Borga is only the start of his chaotic and destructive life.

From the first terrifying fall off the cage to the impact he still feels today, Mick Foley relives one of wrestling's most iconic matches, Hell in a Cell '98 moment by moment.

The day that has gone down in infamy as the launch of Vince McMahon's absolute takeover of the professional wrestling industry, Black Saturday changed wrestling forever.

A legend of hardcore wrestling, The Sandman made his mark in ECW as the ultimate beer-chugging dirtbag--but lines are blurred when his real family is brought into the ring.

An icon of the 80s and 90s as the 'Sensational' manager of top wrestling stars, Sherri Martel left her family behind to pursue her dreams in the ring.

'Gentleman' Chris Adams had the charm, prowess and instinct to become a wrestling sensation, but a violent relationship with alcohol led to a tragic end at the hands of a friend.

The wildest wrestler never to break through, Chris Colt's life took him from LSD trips in the ring to the world of porn but his self-destructive ways kept him from becoming a star.

Harley Race achieved near mythical status for wrestling fans as the ultimate tough guy, but behind closed doors his life was haunted by violence and unimaginable personal tragedy.

Brutus 'The Barber' Beefcake's path in the wrestling world was defined by his decades-long friendship with Hulk Hogan and a horrifying accident that almost took his life.

Already a wrestling star as a teenager, Terry Gordy's time with the renowned Fabulous Freebirds made him a living legend until an accidental overdose robbed him of everything.

Marcus "Buff" Bagwell's brash persona in the ring was easily matched by his wild antics outside of it, made even wilder by the eccentric family he brought along for the ride.

John Tenta couldn't be further from the monstrous 'Earthquake' WWF fans loved to hate. As his career faded, a health battle would threaten to take him from the family he loved.

Known for their raw athleticism and sex appeal, Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty's run as The Rockers was eclipsed by Marty's excess, drug abuse, and possible murder.

At the end of the '90s, WCW's greatest battles played out backstage between scheming executives and writers, until one off-script rant against Hulk Hogan changed everything.

Convict. Bounty Hunter. Flame-skulled wrestling legend. Addict. The lore of Bam Bam Bigelow has only grown since his death. His family tells his improbable tale for the first time.

Infamous for his in-ring bloodbaths, Abdullah the Butcher was a money-making phenomenon. But after fifty years of pushing boundaries, one cut cost him everything.

A real life street fighter turned flamboyant wrestling heel, Adrian Adonis' life was cut short in an horrific accident that has been shrouded in mystery for the past thirty years.

One of the first Black megastars in wrestling, the Junkyard Dog's journey to the top of the business was marked by addiction and unrealized potential.

Matt Borne, the man behind Doink the Clown, lived a life of unhinged violence and substance abuse until his shocking death left his family questioning if it really was an accident.

Florida became a wrestling mecca for decades under patriarch Eddie Graham and his son Mike, but a series of shocking and unrelenting tragedies threatened to eclipse their legacy.

Wrestling hearththrob Terry "Magnum T.A." Allen was destined for worldwide stardom, but one rainy night altered his career and the future of wrestling forever.

The teenage romance of Chris Candido and Tammy "Sunny" Sytch is torn apart by addiction, infidelity, and mutual self-destruction.

In the mid 90s, wrestling was rocked by accusations of rampant steroid abuse. With star witness Hulk Hogan, prosecutors set out to prove that Vince McMahon was the one responsible.

XPW merged Rob Black's passions for hardcore porn and deathmatch wrestling, but after he waged a war with federal authorities his empire imploded.

A striking villain in the ring, Luna Vachon was a groundbreaking physical performer who battled mental illness and addiction while seeking to champion women's wrestling

Johnny K9 led a double life as an in-ring brute and the leader of a biker gang implicated in drug trafficking, the bombing of a police station, and a gruesome double murder.

After Japan's Atsushi Onita created FMW and its spectacular matches featuring explosions and gratuitous gore, his handpicked successor took his own life while drowning in debt.

In a culture that celebrates machismo and negative gay stereotypes, wrestling innovator Chris Kanyon kept his own sexuality a closely guarded secret for decades.

A private 757 flight descends into a nightmare as intoxicated wrestlers clash with their flight crew, erupting into one of wrestling's most infamous scandals.

The Dynamite Kid earned worldwide fame with a riveting, self-sacrificing style, but violent confrontations outside the ring would destroy his family, his body and his legacy.

Having survived familial abuse at the hands of their father and the mysterious abduction of their sister, Jake The Snake and his siblings struggle to reconcile with their past.

The Ultimate Warrior was a divisive force in and outside of the ring; his first wife reveals how an aspiring chiropractor morphed himself into wrestling's most polarizing figure.

In one of the most bizarre acts of political theatre ever conceived, professional wrestlers who were deployed to North Korea faced a terrifying ordeal that had them fighting for their lives.

Nick Gage is the self-proclaimed king of deathmatch wrestling, but his road to the top is marked with a six-year prison sentence for armed robbery and personal tragedies.

After enduring a horrific car wreck, Brian Pillman masks his injuries while pushing his body to the brink. His untimely death leaves his young family struggling to cope.

After enduring a horrific car wreck, Brian Pillman masks his injuries while pushing his body to the edge; his untimely death leaves his young family struggling to cope.

On May 23rd 1999, Owen Hart fell 80 feet to his death in a stunt that went tragically wrong. Bravely reliving his final day, his widow Martha reveals the mistakes that took his life.

The inside story of how wrestling's ultimate tag team partnership is undone when one half of the powerhouse duo slides into alcohol and substance abuse.

One man's fanatical attempt to build a wrestling empire to rival Vince McMahon's goes tragically haywire as his ego and cocaine addiction kills his dream — and him along with it.

The cautionary tale of David Schultz, set to become a superstar until his violent run-in with 20/20 reporter John Stossel saw him exiled from the business he'd sworn to protect.

30 years after Dino Bravo's brutal murder, family and friends relive his descent from Montreal's favorite wrestling son to mob enforcer, and the deadly consequences that followed.

Investigating the mysterious story of Jimmy Snuka, whose girlfriend Nancy Argentino died in their motel room in 1983, and revealing her family's 30-year struggle for justice.

It's known as the worst idea in the history of pro-wrestling — the legitimate boxing tournament that led to career-ending injuries and had audiences begging for the final bell.

One of the most feared and controversial wrestlers of all time, New Jack's career reads like a criminal rap sheet; revealing the man behind the monster and his hardcore legacy.

In 2007, wrestling superstar Chris Benoit murdered his wife Nancy and 7-year-old son Daniel, then ended his own life. Those closest to the tragedy have never spoken openly, until now.

The conclusion to wrestling's darkest hour, including startling revelations about the troubled mind of Chris Benoit before he killed his wife and son, and then took his own life.

The legacy of wrestling's biggest female star, The Fabulous Moolah, is re-examined after controversial allegations surface following her 2007 death.

New revelations about her son's death are revealed to the mother of wrestling star Gino Hernandez, whose 1986 death was believed to be a drug-related murder.

The last surviving brother of the legendary Von Erich wrestling dynasty revisits the tragedy that plagued his once iconic family.

Wrestlers relive the tragic evening in 1988 when they witnessed a locker room confrontation that resulted in the death of legendary wrestler Bruiser Brody.

In one of wrestling's most infamous off-script moments, wrestler Bret Hart is stripped of his championship title through a backstage plot of betrayal that forever changes the sport.

Art collides with real life when the mythical love story between wrestling icons Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth explodes beyond the ring with tragic consequences.