During a recent segment of the “Busted Open Radio” podcast, celebrated professional wrestler Mick Foley shared his candid views on the biographical film about Mildred Burke, titled ‘Queen of the Ring’. He expressed,
“I loved it. I really did. I was prepared to be dismissive, envisioning a typical low-budget movie… But within the first few minutes, I was astounded. The attention to detail in the costumes was striking. Each music selection worked perfectly to underline the scene. The set design and period pieces managed to recreate the 1930s carnival environment where Mildred’s journey began. The fight sequences were truly commendable.”
The movie narrates the defining role that Burke played in women’s wrestling during a period when the idea of ‘Girl Wrestling’ met with resistance from different quarters.
The lead character of Burke is played by Emily Bett Rickards of ‘Arrow’ fame. Prominent wrestlers such as Toni Storm, Britt Baker, Kamille and Naomi also grace the screen in various roles throughout the film.
During the podcast, Foley also commended Rickards for her performance, particularly her dedication to filming the physically straining scenes, despite not being a professional wrestler herself. He shared,
“Though she had a stunt double, she [Rickards] took on a lot of her own stunts. From what I’ve gathered, she was seen frequently at OVW. She seemed to connect on a deep level with Mildred Burke… In my opinion, her performance is certainly worthy of Oscar nomination.”
Watch the tense and thrilling trailer for ‘Queen of the Ring’ below. Its portrayal of a true history in wrestling is not to be missed.