Dwayne Johnson is partnering up with Vice TV for a new docuseries titled Who Killed WCW? which will explore the rise and fall of World Championship Wrestling.
Johnson and Dany Garcia, founders of Seven Bucks Productions, are exec producing the series, which will explore the “complex factors that led to the promotion’s downfall, including management challenges, creative decisions, and the intense competition during the infamous Monday Night Wars.”
It will also feature exclusive, in-depth interviews with wrestlers, executives, and insiders and “will shed light never seen before on the personal stories and struggles of those who lived through the rise and fall of WCW.”
WCW was founded in 1988 by Ted Turner after his Turner Broadcasting System acquired the assets of National Wrestling Alliance territory Jim Crockett Productions. “It competed aggressively with the then-titled WWF (now WWE), regularly beating it in the ratings on Monday nights where its Monday Nitro outrated Monday Night Raw. However, it endured significant losses and suffered from the merger between Turner parent Tim Warner and AOL and was shut down in 2001.”
Johnson said in a statement: “The iconic rise and fall of WCW is one of professional wrestling’s most captivating stories – full of big dreams, massive successes, painful failures, and the harsh realities of the pro wrestling business.”
He added: “With wrestling viewership and fan engagement at an ultimate high, there has never been a more perfect time to tell top-quality wrestling stories, and there’s no better one to start with than a one-of-a-kind, behind-the-scenes look at this epic saga, known as The Rise and Fall of WCW and personally, the rise of WCW, not the fall, inspired me greatly early in my career where I would eventually become, the Final Boss.”
Garcia said in a statement: “Diving into the saga of WCW is not just another project for us; it is an opportunity to highlight our talents as documentary storytellers in a world where we have historical credibility and knowledge: professional wrestling.”
He continued: “This project allows us to build a bridge between the passionate global wrestling audience and those curious about an often-misunderstood industry, strengthened by our partnership with a dedicated storyteller in Vice TV.”
Peter Gaffney, interim president of Vice TV, added, “Vice TV has always been at the forefront of telling stories from which others shy away. We’re lucky to join forces again with Dwayne, Dany of the Seven Bucks team. We have unparalleled access to one of the great stories of modern professional wrestling, and we can’t wait for our audience to see it come to life.”
The series will premiere on June 4.
Source: Deadline