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Young Rock, Heels, Big Show & More: Wrestling TV Shows Get Personal

With all the hype for Dwayne Johnson's new show about his life and experiences, I thought it would be fun to look back at all the other pro-wrestlers who threw their hats in the ring for a different type of television. It may surprise you, but his show is not the first show about the life of a pro-wrestler. Now, I could be here all day listing guest appearances or parts WWE favorites have played in beloved shows (John Cena as Juliet's brother in Psych is a favorite), but we don't have all day. So instead, here's a look at some shows featuring pro-wrestlers outside of the ring in fictional TV show versions of their lives. And no, as much as I love 80s cheese and whoring oneself out for reality TV, I am not counting the television legacy of Hulk Hogan (or any other reality wrestling shows for that matter).

The Big Show Show is about recently retired wrestler Big Show learning how to be retired and raise his three daughters full time. It's a cheesy "#girlDad" sitcom that is ending after its Christmas special airing later this year, but it has heart. The show itself resembles Big Show's real life with his three daughters, though obviously in fictionalized situations. The Big Show Show only got one season, but it is all available to stream on Netflix.

Of course, in case you've been living under a rock and not paying attention to The Rock news, his new NBC comedy about his adolescence is called Young Rock. Production is underway and will be released sometime next year. From what has been shared about the series already, it's a look into the surreal upbringing that shaped Johnson's character and career. There's more info on the show over here, and all those vintage haircuts look sweet. And while I was writing this and you were reading this, Stephen Amell and STARZ have been at work on Heels, a fictional accounting of the early days of professional wrestling as seen through the eyes of two brothers growing up in a business that's slowly growing beyond its local territory roots.

Now, this one may be a bold and controversial one to talk about, but I'm including it anyway because of the wrestling threads that have run throughout his life (and because it's my article). Jackass star Johnny Knoxville had a television pilot for a show about his life growing up, but fictionalized. Think of it as a Young Sheldon or a vibe similar to what The Rock is doing with his new show. I've read the script, and though little else of it is out there, it did make it to a pilot presentation before ultimately being passed on and forgotten. RIP, though I do still wish we could get a series about the iconic stuntman's formative years. Spoiler alert: he was a very rambunctious and poorly-behaved child.

Regardless of if you prefer your wrestling shows realistic or more sitcom-like, the self-insert pro-wrestler "vanity project" shows are pretty interesting – regardless if we've actually seen them or not.

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