Wrestlers Episode Two Recap: Butts in Seats

[Ed. Note: You bet KSR is recapping Wrestlers, Netflix’s documentary on OVW featuring our own Matt Jones. Click here for a recap of Episode 1.]

If you have not watched Wrestlers on Netflix yet, but you’ve been on social media or KSBoard, there is no way you’ve missed this picture from Episode Two:

That’s right, it’s Mia’s husband, Vince Farrow. Look, mistakes happen, but what wasn’t a mistake was that overhand chop Big Dog landed on Drew in the middle of the ring. Okay, we’ll get back to the context of that clip in a minute.

We open the episode in Al Snow’s house, where he and his wife are joined by OVW wrestlers “Immaculate” Joe Mack and Kal Herro (my zero research says no relation to Tyler). They’re chatting over the current WWE product, which gives Al a chance to put the guys under the learning tree.

“The problem is too many of these guys sell what they do, not why they do it.”

You can get people excited to see an attraction, but if it doesn’t have meaning or story, it’s not going to keep fans long-term. This is foreshadowing for an event later in the episode.

If you don’t know anything about Al Snow before Wrestlers, we get a look into his career and some of his failed gimmicks. It was only after he found a styrofoam head, which he named “Head,” that his career took off. During his run as Al Snow, he would talk to this mannequin head, as though it could talk back to him, an idea he got from reading a psychology book on schizophrenia and transference disorder. He even had a match once against the mannequin head. Snow makes the point, “If you make the mistake of thinking fame equals success, then you’re an idiot. They are not one and the same.”

This leads us to a look at Haley (age 22) and Darkstorm’s (age 36) relationship. Haley’s looking to make it as a huge star, while Darkstorm notes that he’s glad he didn’t have the fame and success that Haley’s having now at that age because looking back he wouldn’t have been able to handle it. 

We also get insight into building of a “card,” or show lineup, leading into a Pay-Per-View event for OVW. Al wants to build off the success of Haley/Maria’s feud but also wants it to progress logically. We do get a montage later in the episode of wrestlers coming to Al to pitch ideas and angles to make themselves look great, most of which Al just looks dumbfounded. All matches before a PPV should tell a story with a big payoff so that the viewers will want to pay to see what happens. This leads to a hair-vs-hair match idea for Haley vs. Leila. OVW’s goal for the PPV is to sell 500 “buys.” The company can make a profit at 500 purchases, anything less the company is working at a loss.

Back in the office Matt and Craig Greenberg continue to go over finances. Every time OVW goes on the air, OVW loses money. Matt notes that they can’t sell ads because “we’re on the TV, but barely.” He also stresses how the summer tour is a great opportunity for the company to make a little money when they normally wouldn’t.

To the tune of “Come Sail Away” by Styx (the soundtrack to this show has been great), we get our first summer tour show at Country Boy Brewing. Matt’s walking around pre-show, chatting with fans and talent. Mr. Pectacular notes he rides his hoverboard because “my body’s a temple and a machine” and “I’m done walking,” which I thought was hilarious. Matt tells some people to move things outside and Amon tells him to “Chill.” Probably not advisable, but sets up tension between the two.

Matt discusses the need to bring in UK celebrities to help get fans out to the show but Al hates the idea. He calls it “cheap heat,” and harkens back to his opening statement in the episode. It will bring people in, but won’t keep them around. Tell the Big Dog that…

One of the big angles of the episode is that of Brian Kennison, OVW Lead Announcer and all-around jack of all trades. He was a former wrestling podcaster, who offered to help Al Snow and OVW, and Al took him up on it. He announces, films pre-taped segments, does graphics, and anything else needed. Craig and Matt have a sit down with Brian to essentially tell him that the success of the summer tour is going to determine whether they can justify paying his salary. He needs to, as Craig says, put “butts in seats.” This leads to maybe one of the saddest shots of the series. 

We get to see a bit of the silliness of the KSR Golf Scramble with the OVW wrestlers there. Ca$h Flo is giving shirtless golfers chops. Ryan von Rockit is driving golf carts across the tee box. (I’ll be honest, when Matt was yelling at “Ryan” to stop driving a golf cart like a maniac, I thought he was talking to Ryan Lemond). But Brian drives up from Louisville to drop off equipment and misses hanging out with his son before he has to go back with his mom. Brian on the phone apologizing to his son, in tears, while Matt tees off is pretty heartbreaking in that shot. Matt does show genuine concern for Bryan, but it does build on Matt’s villain arc in the first couple of episodes as we’ve previously discussed.

OVW’s PPV rolls around and it’s not without technical difficulties. WBNA can’t get the live feed moments before the show, Al has trouble with the walkie-talkies, the audience is about half empty, just chaos. With moments to spare, the gang gets everything together and puts on an outstanding show. The excitement includes a ladder match, a cinematic turned into a live “Hell House of Horrors” match, Hollyhood Haley J vs. Leila Gray Hair vs. Hair match, and more.

Al looks absolutely exhausted from putting on the show live, and all of the wrestlers are very proud of how the show went. But…did it draw the numbers that they were looking for in Pay-Per-View buys? We catch up with Brian at his house as he’s having a conference call with FiteTV (a pay-per-view) provider on how many shows they sold. The goal was 500 buys, and he’s gutted to hear that they only did 74. Reality starts to sink in for Brian that he’s really going to need to do something to save his job.

Bonding that Bridge (Bonus KSR Notes)

• If you’d like to go back to listen to the KSR Golf Scramble Podcast from this episode, you’ll need to go back to June 18, 2021.
• OVW should run a pay-per-view from Country Boy (I know it’s fiscally irresponsible in the setting of the show) but they made that place look amazing for a wrestling show.
• Of all the opportunities to get Ryan with his shirt off, a real opportunity was missed at the KSR Golf Scramble. One bare-chested chop from Ca$h Flo to Ryan would have been trailer-worthy.

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