Follow the evolution of the ladder match and how it has come to be one of the most popular professional wrestling events today. From the earliest ladder matches through TLC and the 6-man Money in the Bank WrestleMania tradition, some of the craziest and most violent ladder matches are included.
This retrospective program takes a look back on the most dramatic and memorable professional wrestling moments of the 1990s, with profiles on some of the greatest wrestling stars of the decade, and an account of the feud between WCW and the WWE.
Driven by tragedy, billionaire Bruce Wayne dedicates his life to uncovering and defeating the corruption that plagues his home, Gotham City. Unable to work within the system, he instead creates a new identity, a symbol of fear for the criminal underworld - The Batman.
A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events—in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. But despite all he has achieved, his one true love eludes him.
A ticking-time-bomb insomniac and a slippery soap salesman channel primal male aggression into a shocking new form of therapy. Their concept catches on, with underground "fight clubs" forming in every town, until an eccentric gets in the way and ignites an out-of-control spiral toward oblivion.
A young girl, Chihiro, becomes trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free her family.
While the Civil War rages on between the Union and the Confederacy, three men – a quiet loner, a ruthless hitman, and a Mexican bandit – comb the American Southwest in search of a strongbox containing $200,000 in stolen gold.
Newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane is taken from his mother as a boy and made the ward of a rich industrialist. As a result, every well-meaning, tyrannical or self-destructive move he makes for the rest of his life appears in some way to be a reaction to that deeply wounding event.
A wealthy New York investment banking executive hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he escalates deeper into his illogical, gratuitous fantasies.
Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge.
The Grand Budapest Hotel tells of a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars and his friendship with a young employee who becomes his trusted protégé. The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting, the battle for an enormous family fortune and the slow and then sudden upheavals that transformed Europe during the first half of the 20th century.
The true story of Henry Hill, a half-Irish, half-Sicilian Brooklyn kid who is adopted by neighbourhood gangsters at an early age and climbs the ranks of a Mafia family under the guidance of Jimmy Conway.
In the smog-choked dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, blade runner Rick Deckard is called out of retirement to terminate a quartet of replicants who have escaped to Earth seeking their creator for a way to extend their short life spans.
All unemployed, Ki-taek's family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident.
A chaotic Bridget Jones meets a snobbish lawyer, and he soon enters her world of imperfections.
Five high school students from different walks of life endure a Saturday detention under a power-hungry principal. The disparate group includes rebel John, princess Claire, outcast Allison, brainy Brian and Andrew, the jock. Each has a chance to tell his or her story, making the others see them a little differently -- and when the day ends, they question whether school will ever be the same.
The epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker, in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda. But Darth Vader is more determined than ever to capture Luke. Meanwhile, rebel leader Princess Leia, cocky Han Solo, Chewbacca, and droids C-3PO and R2-D2 are thrown into various stages of capture, betrayal and despair.
In the year 2035, convict James Cole reluctantly volunteers to be sent back in time to discover the origin of a deadly virus that wiped out nearly all of the earth's population and forced the survivors into underground communities. But when Cole is mistakenly sent to 1990 instead of 1996, he's arrested and locked up in a mental hospital. There he meets psychiatrist Dr. Kathryn Railly, and patient Jeffrey Goines, the son of a famous virus expert, who may hold the key to the mysterious rogue group, the Army of the 12 Monkeys, thought to be responsible for unleashing the killer disease.
A petty criminal fakes insanity to serve his sentence in a mental ward rather than prison. He soon finds himself as a leader to the other patients—and an enemy to the cruel, domineering nurse who runs the ward.
A supernatural tale set on death row in a Southern prison, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the cell block's head guard, Paul Edgecomb, recognizes Coffey's miraculous gift, he tries desperately to help stave off the condemned man's execution.
A burger-loving hit man, his philosophical partner, a drug-addled gangster's moll and a washed-up boxer converge in this sprawling, comedic crime caper. Their adventures unfurl in three stories that ingeniously trip back and forth in time.
Tobi and Achim, the pride of the local crew club, have been the best of friends for years and are convinced that nothing will ever stand in the way of their friendship. They look forward to the upcoming summer camp and the crew competition. Then the gay team from Berlin arrives and Tobi is totally confused. The evening before the races begin, the storm that breaks out is more than meteor-logical.
Jess Bhamra, the daughter of a strict Indian couple in London, is not permitted to play organized soccer, even though she is 18. When Jess is playing for fun one day, her impressive skills are seen by Jules Paxton, who then convinces Jess to play for her semi-pro team. Jess uses elaborate excuses to hide her matches from her family while also dealing with her romantic feelings for her coach, Joe.
When a Jamaican sprinter is disqualified from the Olympic Games, he enlists the help of a dishonored coach to start the first Jamaican bobsled team.
The story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige, the legendary pitcher, from his barnstorming days in the 1920s, hoping to break into organized "negro" baseball, to his emergence at age 43 in the major leagues with the Cleveland Indians the year after Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier.
Three families struggle to find their true selves and their soulmates in a world full of expectations, pressure and obstacles. Inspired by real events, this film shows how they pursue their dreams and potential without losing themselves.
Beach Blast 1993 took place on July 18, 1993 and emanated from the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi. The main event was Sting & Davey Boy Smith versus Sid Vicious & Big Van Vader. Barry Windham defended the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Rick Flair and a 30 minute Iron Man Challenge was held between Rick Rude and Dustin Rhodes for the vacant WCW United States Championship belt. Two other title matches took place as well with The Hollywood Blondes defended the WCW World Tag Team Championships against Paul Roma & Arn Anderson and Paul Orndorff defending the WCW World TV Championship against Ron Simmons.
The Great American Bash (1991) took place on July 14, 1991 at the Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. The card was originally to be highlighted by a Steel cage match between Ric Flair and Lex Luger for the WCW World title. Two weeks before the show, WCW Executive VP Jim Herd fired Flair over a contract dispute, stripping him of the title. Flair took possession of the WCW World title and brought it to the World Wrestling Federation with him. A new belt could not be readied in time for the event, so the company was forced to improvise. A Championship Wrestling title belt that was in the possession of Dusty Rhodes was used and a metal plate with "WCW World Heavyweight Champion" was attached to the front. The main event ended up being WCW US Champ Lex Luger vs Varry Windham for the WCW World Title. On the undercard was a match featuring Steve Austin & Terry Taylor versus Bobby Eaton & P.N. News in a Capture-The-Flag scaffold match, which was Austin's first PPV match.
WCW Halloween Havoc '91 took place on October 27, 1991 from the UTC Arena in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The main event was Lex Luger defending the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in a two out of three falls match against Ron Simmons. Other matches included The Enforcers defending the WCW World Tag Titles against The Patriots, the WCW Halloween Phantom vs Tom Zenk, Brian Pillman vs Richard Morton for the first WCW Light Heavyweight Championship, WCW TV Champ Steve Austin defending his title against Dustin Rhodes, and El Gigante, Sting, the Steiner Brothers, versus Abdullah the Butcher, The Diamond Studd, Cactus Jack, and Big Van Vader in a Chamber of Horrors match.
Starrcade '91: Battlebowl: The Lethal Lottery was the ninth annual Starrcade professional wrestling pay-per-view event. It was the fourth Starrcade event produced by WCW, and it took place on December 29, 1991 from the Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, Virginia. The event solely featured the Battlebowl battle royal and its qualifying matches. Forty wrestlers were chosen at random to form ten pairs of tag teams. Each pair competed in a match, and the winning team advanced to Battlebowl. This was the first Starrcade event to not feature Ric Flair.
WCW/New Japan Supershow II (known as Starrcade 1992 in Tokyo Dome in Japan) took place on January 4, 1992 from the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. The main event was the Steiner Brothers versus Sting & The Great Muta. Other matches included Tatsumi Fujinami defending the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Riki Choshu, Lex Luger defending the WCW World heavyweight Championship against Masahiro Chono, Big Van Vader vs El Gigante, Dusty and Dustin Rhodes vs Masa Saito and Kim Duk, The Enforcers vs Michiyoshi Ohara & Shiro Koshinaka, and Jushin Liger, Masashi Aoyagi, and Akira Nogami vs Hiro Saito, Super Strong Machine, & Kantaro Hoshino.
WCW/New Japan Supershow III (known as Fantastic Story in Tokyo Dome in Japan) took place on January 4, 1993 from the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. Events included Sting vs Hiroshi Hase, Ron Simmons vs Tony Halme, Ultimo Dragon vs Jushin Liger for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, Dustin Rhodes & Scott Norton vs Masa Saito & Shinya Hashimoto, and IWGP Heavyweight Champion The Great Muta defending his title against Masahiro Chono.
Sting challenges "The Total Package" Lex Luger for The WCW World Championship. "Ravishing" Rick Rude defends the WCW United States Championship against Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. "Stunning" Steve Austin & Larry Zbyszko face Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes. Jushin "Thunder" Lyger battles "Flyin" Brian Pillman for the WCW Light Heavyweight Championship. and much more.
WrestleWar 1992: WarGames took place on May 17, 1992 from the Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum in Jacksonville, Florida. The main event was Sting's Squadron (Sting, Barry Windham, Dustin Rhodes, Ricky Steamboat, and Nikita Koloff) versus The Dangerous Alliance (Steve Austin, Rick Rude, Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton, and Larry Zbyszko) in a WarGames match. Also on the card was Brian Pillman defending the WCW Light Heavyweight Championship against Tom Zenk, and the Steiner Brothers versus Tatsumi Fujinami & Takayuki Iizuka for #1 contendership for the IWGP Tag Team Championships. 5 other matches took place on the undercard.
WCW Beach Blast '92 took place on June 20, 1992 and emanated from The Mobile Civic Center in Mobile, Alabama. The main event was a WCW World Tag Team Championship match featuring the Steiner Brothers defending against the Miracle Violence Connection (Terry Gordy & Steve Williams). Other primary matches were Ricky Steamboat versus Rick Rude in a 30 minute Iron Man Challenge match, Sting vs Cactus Jack in a Falls Count Anywhere match, and Dustin Rhodes, Barry Windham & Nikita Koloff versus The Dangerous Alliance with Ole Anderson as the special guest referee. There were 3 undercard matches as well as a bikini contest between Missy Hyatt and Madusa.
The 1992 WCW Great American Bash took place on July 12, 1992 at the Albany Civic Center in Albany, Georgia. The main event was a tournament for the vacant NWA World Tag Team Championship between the teams of Steve Austin with Rick Rude, Dustin Rhodes with Barry Windham, Jushin Liger with Brian Pillman, The Fabulous Freebirds, Hiroshi Hase with Shinya Hashimoto, Nikita Koloff with Ricky Steamboat, and Terry Gordy with Steve Williams. A second main event was Sting defending the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against Big Van Vader.
WCW Halloween Havoc '92 took place on October 25, 1992 from the Philadelphia Civic Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The main event was Jake Roberts versus Sting in a Spin The Wheel...Make The Deal Match. A second main event was a title defense of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship by Ron Simmons against The Barbarian. Steve Williams and Terry Gordy were to challenge the NWA & WCW Wold Tag Team Champions, Barry Windham and Dustin Rhodes, however Gordy no-showed the event which led to Steve Austin subbing for him. Another substitution occured when Rick Rude chose not to wrestle twice and defend his WCW US Heavyweight Championship. This led to Big Van Vader defending Rude's title against Nikita Koloff.
Starrcade '92: Battle Bowl II: The Lethal Lottery took place on December 28, 1992 from The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia. The main event was the Battle Bowl Battle Royale for the Battle Bowl Ring. The final match for The King of Cable tournament was also held during this PPV featuring Sting vs Big Van Vader. Other matches included The Great Muta defending the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Masahiro Chono, Ron Simmons defending the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against Steve Williams, and Shane Douglas with Ricky Steamboat defending the NWA & WCW World Tag team Championships against Barry Windham and Brian Pillman.
SuperBrawl III took place on February 21, 1993 from the Asheville Civic Center in Asheville, North Carolina. This event marked the return of Ric Flair to WCW. The main event was Big Van Vader defending the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against Sting in a White Castle of Fear Strap match. The Great Muta defended the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Barry Windham and Dustin Rhodes defended the WCW U.S. Heavyweight Championship against Maxx Payne. Other matches include The Rock N' Roll Express vs The Heavenly Bodies (from Smokey Mountain Wrestling), Cactus Jack vs Paul Orndorff in a Falls-Count-Anywhere match, "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith vs "Wild" Bill irwin, and Chris Benoit vs. 2 Cold Scorpio.
Slamboree 1993: A Legends' Reunion was the first annual Slamboree professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by WCW. It took place on May 23, 1993 at The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia. A "Legends Ceremony" occurred at the event, and introduced several legends. The WCW Hall of Fame induction ceremony also occurred, and Lou Thesz, Mr. Wrestling II, Verne Gagne, and Eddie Graham were the inductees. The PPV also saw the reformation of the Four Horsemen, now consisting of Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson, and new member Paul Roma. The main event was Big Van Vader defending the WCW World Heavyweight Title against Davey Boy Smith. Barry Windham defended the NWA World Heavyweight Title against Arn Anderson and The Hollywood Blondes defended the NWA & WCW World Tag Team Championships against Dos Hombres in a steel cage match.
Nacho Libre is loosely based on the story of Fray Tormenta ("Friar Storm"), aka Rev. Sergio Gutierrez Benitez, a real-life Mexican Catholic priest who had a 23-year career as a masked luchador. He competed in order to support the orphanage he directed.