Remembering Ready To Rumble

[Liam O'Rourke]

So for this week's podcast we're going to review the cinematic classic that is Ready to Rumble, starring future WCW World Champion David Arquette, Scott Caan and Golden Globe nominee (not for this) Oliver Platt, and we'd like to get some thoughts from you on your personal perspective of the film.

What were your expectations going in?

What was your experience of watching and opinion of the film when you did see it?

What are your high/low points for the film?

As always the best responses will be read on the show and you'll be credited accordingly. So if you dare access the dark recesses of your brain and revisit your memories of this flick - what's your Ready to Rumble experience?


EDIT - I want to thank everybody for the contributions - the podcast discussing Ready To Rumble and taking your thoughts on the movie is now available at the following link: http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/web/k85in9/SCG_Radio_84_-_At_The_Movies_-_Ready_To_Rumble.mp3

[Nick Soapdish]

My expectation was that it was going to better then I thought it would. My expectations were quite low. 

 

But it wasn't great was it. I suppose there were some nice little insider nods. But overall just felt like a missed opportunity.

I missed the cinema release over here. I think Beyond the Mat got a better cinema release then this.

I think my outstanding memory though, in the age of EVERYTHING having a DVD and VHS releases (1998-2003) this never got released in the UK on DVD. 

[kidkris]

I loved this film as a kid, I think I was about 10 when it came out and I was just on the verge of being a wrestling fanatic.

 

So I got sat down one evening and watched it and in all seriousness through the eyes of a small child this film was funny and always stuck with me.

 

Fast forward to the now I'm a 25 year old with my son on the way and I think it's safe to say I won't be sitting down with him to watch it, awful acting the whole way through by top top stars, David arquette acting like he is putting 7 grams of cocaine on his corn flakes of a morning (seriously he looked like he was off his fucking nut the whole way through) too macho man's acting in general ......seriously why was he given the main role.

 

I love the idea but the execution was the same as when you get in from a night out, feel hungry and try to be a Michelin star chef in your kitchen, aka it was truly dredful and now when I watch it back I snigger at it not with it.

 

Doesn't Jimmy King aka the guy from lake placid do his finishing move on one of the lads from a bunk in his caravan??????

He was the champ....and he lives in a caravan...he must have been on cruiserweight pay in wcw at the time

[Alex Wright Mark]

I first saw Ready To Rumble on Sky Movies in 2002. I was really missing WCW at the time, since I didn't have the internet and no idea about CTX Videos (RIP). So I thought this would rekindle those memories I had watching Nitro episodes for about an hour before I'd switch it over to Raw.

 

I was expecting it to be awful insult to wrestling fans everywhere. And my assumptions were correct.

 

I had Sky hooked up into my room vua a cable, but the only way I could switch channels was through the main box in the living room. As this awful abomination of movie was happening, I was hoping and praying my mother would keep it on to Eastenders and Brookside, and not catch wind of me watching Ready To Rumble in fear that this is what all wrestling fans were like; men in their thirties still not giving up the ghost that pro wrestling was a pre-determined sport, and just acting like the type of clowns who have never had a night out in their lives (unless it was at the wrasslin). Kind of like when Raw was finished in the analogue days, and straight after the show would be a ten minute Freeview to some bongo channel.

 

When the film had finally finished, while it was good to see the likes of Disco Inferno, Sid, Mean Gene, I had questions. Was the last match a shoot, since Jimmy King was legitimately fired by that long haired bloke? Why didn't he just negotiate with Titan or do the Polaroid gimmick on the indies with Jake Roberts and Koko B Ware?

 

I've not seen the film in over 14 years, but now I really want to watch it again. I don't know if I'm going to cringe or just laugh at how bad it is like The Room or Run For Your Wife starring Danny Dyer and her off Girls Aloud.

 

If only to see Sal Bandori offer Sid and Saturn for a wrestle. What a shooter.

[Wrasslin]

DDP pisses charisma all over this film. 

[Wrasslin]

DDP pisses charisma all over this film. 

[chokeout]

Only WCW could make a film that has their champ living in a trailer and shows their fans as retarded hicks and wonder why it doesn't work

[simonworden]

I was going to write a long post about this movie but 2 things are all I feel necessary.

 

Didn't they have a scene with Sid and possibly Saturn fucking crying! What was that about and why, especially Sid who was about to be pushed by the company as a top guy if not already. Why would you want your fanbase to see the future champ as a crying little bitch?

 

On top of this recently my Girlfriend has been watching/ rewatching the witch based american TV series Charmed (which also had an episode with WCW wrestlers Steiner, Booker and Buff in far more credible roles than here) the girl who plays one of the main characters was the evil nitro girl Sasha in Ready to Rumble. My girlfriend is an extremely loyal and forgiving Vietnamese girl who has no concept really of the negative connotations of being a pro wrestling fan but I couldn't tell her that this actress was in Ready to Rumble based on the fear that she might decide to watch it and then that being acceptable grounds to leave me instantly.

[Alex Wright Mark]

Didn't they have a scene with Sid and possibly Saturn fucking crying! What was that about and why, especially Sid who was about to be pushed by the company as a top guy if not already. Why would you want your fanbase to see the future champ as a crying little bitch?

 

 

They went to Sal Bandini's house to batter him, but since he's such an old school shooter (or something), he battered both lads with ease.

 

Sid probably should have took scissors with him etc.

[Nick Soapdish]

Only WCW could make a film that has their champ living in a trailer and shows their fans as retarded hicks and wonder why it doesn't work

This.

The film focused on two "sterotypical" wrestling fans. When an industry is trying to enter the mainstream, you make those two leads cool. Working on the stocks, working as police, working as surgeons, not WORKING AS SEWAGE WORKERS! Make it look cool to like wrestling. Dont make the fans feel like their idiots.

Maybe its a good job I haven't re-watched this film in 15 years  

[Pinc]

Dont make the fans feel like their idiots.

[Porkchopcash]

Not trying to teach granny to suck eggs, but i think it'd be great if you done a podcast on wrestling films, instead of just Ready to Rumble, why not include Bodyslam and No Holds Barred.

[Wrasslin]

Not trying to teach granny to suck eggs, but i think it'd be great if you done a podcast on wrestling films, instead of just Ready to Rumble, why not include Bodyslam and No Holds Barred.

 

Don't forget Russell Madness!

[Bukamania]

Back when Rose McGowan was HOT! Love her in that film.

[Nick Soapdish]

 

Dont make the fans feel like their idiots.

 

Yes you're quite correct there, pointing out my incorrect grammar. In my haste of writing this I let this mistake slip.

 

Anyway, to show you I am not all bad, let me demonstrate this to you in the form of the next paragraph.

 

Nobody likes a grammar Nazi, I am sure that there are few people who like this. However, it is annoying and unfunny, especially to someone who is dyslexic. Which, makes you over there sir, a prick.