Posted in: Preview, Starz, Trailer, TV | Tagged: Alexander Ludwig, cm punk, DWL, heels, preview, starz, stephen amell, trailer

Heels Season 1 Episode 3 Preview: CM Punk Makes Early In-Ring Return

Heading into the third episode of STARZ's Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig-starring Heels, the Spade brothers find themselves at personal and professional crossroads. For Ace (Ludwig), it's about how he handles his first match back (and the crowd) since his in-ring meltdown. Meanwhile, Jack (Amell) is looking to stay one step ahead of the competition (and keep the DWL afloat), which means it's time for CM Punk's Ricky Rabies to make his debut (along with Bonnie Somerville's Vicky Rabies, Ricky's valet). Thankfully, the fine folks at STARZ knew viewers might want a small sample of Punk's on-screen, in-ring work.

Now here's a first-look at Punk in action in the "Cheap Heat" promo as well as an episode over and a sneak preview showing some folks the hard way why it's never a good idea to insult a wrestler by telling pro-wrestling is fake:

Heels Season 1 Episode 3: "Cheap Heat": In an attempt to drum up more heat, Jack enlists the help of wrestling veteran Ricky Rabies, setting Ace up with a full house for his comeback match against Bobby Pin.

"Got to know [CM Punk] pretty well over the past year. Finally cracked after a few months and asked him if he was ever getting back in the ring. He gave me nothing," Amell revealed in a tweet last weekend after Punk's AEW debut. Still, Amell made it pretty clear that he was as impressed as everyone else, finishing with, "What a moment last night. Seriously… what a fucking MOMENT!" Here's a look at Amell's tweet, clearly written by his inner wrestling fanboy (hey, we're not judging- not when we watched the clip of Punk's return six times already):

For a look behind the scenes at the folks that make up the world of the Duffy Wrestling League and the community that's built around them over the years, check out the following clip:

Now here's a look at what's ahead for STARZ's pro-wrestling drama in the following season trailer:

In Heels, the focus is on the men and women who chase their dreams in the world of small-town pro wrestling. Set in a close-knit Georgia community, it follows a family-owned wrestling promotion as two brothers and rivals — Jack Spade (Amell) and Ace Spade (Ludwig) — war over their late father's legacy. In the ring, somebody must play the good guy and somebody must play their nemesis, the heel. But in the real world, those characters can be hard to live up to — or hard to leave behind.

In the ring, Amell's Jack Spade is the charismatic villain, or heel, of the Duffy Wrestling League (DWL). In the real world, he's its hard-working owner, a husband, and father trying to make ends meet while fighting to realize his impossible dreams. He has the mind of an artist in the body of a warrior, and a Steve Jobs-ian need for perfection — and for control. He says he'll do whatever it takes to build the DWL into an empire. Will he go so far as to risk his marriage – or his relationship with his brother, Ace?

Ludwig's Ace Spade is the beloved hero and star of the DWL. Things are more difficult in the real world, where he struggles to reconcile his town idol status with his insecurities and demons. He's brash, cocky, and self-destructive — yet so damn charming and good-looking that you can almost forgive him. If he can keep it together, he'll have a ticket out of Duffy and to the big time. But that's a big if…

Written by Michael Waldron (Loki), directed by Peter Segal (Shameless), and with Mike O'Malley serving as showrunner, Heels stars Stephen Amell as Jack Spade, Alexander Ludwig as Ace Spade, Mary McCormack (The Kids Are Alright) as Willie, Chris Bauer (For All Mankind) as Wild Bill Hancock, Kelli Berglund (Animal Kingdom) as Crystal Tyler, Alison Luff (New Amsterdam) as Staci Spade, Allen Maldonado (The Last O.G.) as Rooster Robbins, James Harrison (NFL star) as Apocalypse, Trey Tucker (What Lies Below) as Bobby Pin, Robby Ramos (Snowfall) as Diego, Alice Barrett as Carol Spade, series showrunner Mike O'Malley as Charlie Gully, Duke Davis Roberts as Big Jim Kitchen, CM Punk as Ricky Rabies, and Bonnie Somerville (Blue Bloods) as Vicky Rabies. Waldron and O'Malley are also set to executive produce, alongside LBI Entertainment's Julie Yorn, Chris Donnelly, and Patrick Walmsley. STARZ and Lionsgate TV produce.

Bleeding Cool TV on Instagram: For all of the stuff too random and bizarre to make the site, make sure to follow us on Instagram: Bleeding Cool TV (@bleedingcooltv).

BCTV Daily Dispatch: For a look at what's going on across the television and streaming landscape, sign up for Bleeding Cool's daily email round-up of the news you need to know here.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!