As Fighting With My Family appears in theaters and Chris Hemsworth signs on for a Hulk Hogan biopic, it's clear pro-wrestling films may be on the rise. If that is indeed the case and there's a Hollywood producer or screenwriter looking for the next big wrestler to do a feature, then feel free to browse this list of wrestlers that led lives we think could make for a truly bonkers biopic.
Randy Savage
The Macho Man Randy Savage has become one of wrestling's most revered personalities thanks to his knack for high energy wrestling promos and flamboyant costumes. There was once a time where he could've been Hulk Hogan, but he largely played second banana to the wrestler as Hulkamania ran wild throughout the '80s. Is it finally time the Macho Man gets the recognition he deserves?
America would say so, but it stands to question whether or not the WWE would cooperate in such an endeavor without heavy oversight. Vince McMahon's relationship with Macho Man was incredibly strained throughout much of the wrestler's later years, and the reasons behind why aren't explicitly clear. Whatever those reasons were, it kept the WWE from inducting him into its Hall of Fame until several years after his death in 2011. Perhaps that's the story a film should cover.
Ric Flair
He's already got a pretty extensive documentary about him, but who's going to tell Ric Flair he doesn't deserve a biopic of his own? The Nature Boy's larger than life persona and antics have solidified him as one of the most iconic wrestlers of all-time. The question is, is there someone in Hollywood that can do enough justice to the way he says "Woo"?
That parts kind of important, but it's about embodying the swagger of the stylin', profilin', limousine-riding, jet-flying, kiss-stealing, wheelin' n' dealin' son of a gun. Luckily, Ric Flair is still around to give tons of insight on how to do that, which would make the process easier on the actor to portray him. Perhaps this is the role Chris Evans was destined to play post-Captain America.
Brock Lesnar
When it comes to the most mythical figures of WWE history, few measure up to the accolades of Brock Lesnar. His seemingly inhumane physique and monstrous persona have served him well in the wrestling world, and at one time made him a dominant force from within the world of the UFC as well. That's only further solidified his status as a dominant champion in the WWE, and made for some crazy story lines over the years.
Lesnar is such a high profile figure, yet quite the enigma in private. He's said he doesn't own a phone or computer, and only watches television to watch hunting and fishing shows. Wrestling is a big part of his life and has given him much fame over the years. Fame, it would appear, he doesn't care much for unless the appearance is getting him paid. What makes a guy like that tick? I'd love to know the answer.
Vince McMahon
If there was a biopic to be made about the evolution of pro-wrestling, it would have to revolve around Vince McMahon. McMahon took his father's business and turned a regional wrestling circuit into the most dominant wrestling organization in the USA. What he did was unheard of and seemed impossible, but with a little business savvy, Hulk Hogan and American pop stars, he ended up drawing enough attention to make the first Wrestlemania a huge success.
There's so much more to Vince McMahon as a person though, it's hard to highlight it all in even a film. A biopic would have to detail his whole life, or at least start at age 12, where he met his always busy father for the first time. The aversion to sneezing, painting himself to be a villain on national television, XFL run and wrestling feud with the President could all come after.
Stone Cold Steve Austin
An Attitude Era WWE film in general would be incredible, but why not focus on the man who ushered professional wrestling into its wildest and raunchiest era to date? Stone Cold Steve Austin was and still is a legend in the wrestling community, and his appearance at any wrestling event is still met with deafening cheers from fans of all ages. With a fanbase that wide, a biopic about him has huge box office potential.
Ironically, the best story to chronicle from Austin's career might revolve around his eventual falling out with the WWE. Stone Cold's relationship with Vince McMahon deteriorated to the point behind the scenes that it almost seemed as bad as the feuds they had for television. It all boiled over to the point that Austin walked out of live events, which was followed by Vince McMahon burying him on live television and announcing his firing.
Haku/Meng/King Tonga
Pro-wrestling is a performance art, and while the fighting is choreographed, that doesn't mean there aren't some tough guys who hang with the company. Of the many stories that have been shared over the years, there's one name that consistently comes up as one of the toughest of the tough outside the ring. Haku may have been a middling wrestler throughout his in-ring career, but by all accounts, no one should test him in a fight.
There's numerous stories of folks foolish enough to pick a fight with Haku in the real world, and most all end with the fighters wishing they never messed with him. That's likely due to the Tongan wrestler's large size, as well as his past experience as a sumo wrestler in Japan. It would all make for a great movie, as well as follow a wrestler who's been in a bulk of the major wrestling organizations of the past few decades.
Fighting With My Family is making a run in theaters, and CinemaBlend will be keeping tabs on Chris Hemsworth's Hulk Hogan biopic as more details come to light. For more wrestling related news, check out our review of Fighting With My Family, or check out what beloved game show John Cena just signed on for.
