Queen of the Ring

I used to be a wrestling fan, especially women's wrestling-until I found out it was all scripted. But this movie completely changed my perspective.

The film is incredibly well done. The writing, acting, and pacing are top-notch-there were no boring moments. The story kept moving, and it beautifully introduced all the key characters. I loved that it was based on a true story-that always gets me. To my surprise, I found myself genuinely cheering by the end.

The movie is both inspiring and educational, blending history and sports in a powerful way. It tells the story of Mildred Burke, the first million-dollar female athlete and a true pioneer in wrestling. Her journey is captivating, and the film does justice to her incredible legacy.

If you're a female wrestling fan, or just someone who loves real stories of grit and glory, this movie is a must-watch. It's a brilliant production, and honestly, it might just win you over again-like it did for me.

Queen of the Ring brings a winning combination of biopic, sports drama, and period piece with such precision and warmth, you feel you could step into Millie Burke's (Emily Bett Rickards) wrestling ring, take the blows, and be happy to experience history as it was lived. It's early 20th century, and Millie Burke, waitress, longs to entertain by wrestling men and women.

As the record has it, she becomes women's world wrestling champion three times while suffering the slings of ambition, from making a fortune, losing it, and wrestling personal relations with the same mixed results. Rickards invests herself physically and mentally in Burke's checkered career, with a fierce ambition and beauty that seems to set the standard for women's liberation.

Her tumultuous relationship with her manager and then husband, Billy Wolf (Josh Lucas), parallels the give and take of the business that grows in front of us from mid-west home style to east-coast complicated, from scripted matches to shoot events with no script. Millie's dogged ambition, which laudably always includes her son, Joe (Gavin Casalegno), is not only remarkably intrepid, but it is also inspirational, rooted as it is in historical fact.

Millie Burke, first million-dollar female athlete in history, is initially seen as a Kansas diner waitress always under the protection of her mother (Cara Buono) but longing to leave and become an entertainer. Given that she can't sing or dance, her muscles show her the way to liberation-wrestling, even if women's wrestling is outlawed in many states.

Despite the sometimes-incoherent, episodic telling, Millie's arc is much like fictional sports stories as she loses everything she's built to Billy but wins back heroically. The Queen of the Ring is a rousing biopic, mostly true, yet faithful to the chronicle of women on the ascendent in the last century. And then there's Rickards' breakout performance . . . .

Greetings again from the darkness. Even among sports fans and women's activists, Mildred Burke is not a household name. Writer-director Ash Avildsen and co-writer Alston Ramsay set out to correct this by adapting Ms. Burke's own writing and the 2010 book "The Queen of the Ring: Sex, Muscles, Diamonds and the Making of an American Legend" by Jeff Leen. Avildsen is the son of Oscar winning director John Avildsen (ROCKY, 1976; THE KARATE KID, 1982).

Mildred Burke was a three-time World Champion in Women's Wrestling, and the first million dollar female athlete. Her career spanned the 1930's into the 1950's, and the film opens in the ring during the brutal 1954 Women's World Championship match. Rather than finish that match, filmmaker Avildsen holds that until the finale and instead flashes back to Burke's early obsession with her desire to wrestle. Emily Bett Rickards ("Arrow") stars as Mildred, and she possesses the physicality and charm to pull off what we'd expect from a pioneer in women's sports. She displays toughness, determination, and talent in the ring - plus the savvy needed for marketing herself and the sport.

There are some issues with the movie. At times it's difficult to follow the timeline and it is uncomfortably choppy in its storytelling approach. However, the dynamics of this woman and her true story are such that we focus on the good stuff and appreciate her accomplishments. Additionally, there are some strong supporting performances. Josh Lucas plays wrestler Billy Wolfe, who recognizes Mildred's potential and becomes her promoter, her loving husband, her cheating husband, and her business partner. Walton Goggins plays legendary promoter Jack Pfefer, Tyler Posey plays Wolfe's son and Mildred love interest G Bill, Francesca Eastwood (yes, Clint's daughter) plays wrestler Mae Young, Adam Demos plays Mildred's friend and popular wrestler Gorgeous George, and Gavin Casalengo portrays Mildred's son.

We learn her story dates back to a time when many laws prohibited women from wrestling, and Mildred's early opportunities took place at traveling carnivals. Her motivation led to her pledge to her toddler son that they would not live an ordinary life ... and wrestling got her out of the apron at her mom's café. There is an obligatory training montage, and there is even a moment when Mildred's impact is compared to Jackie Robinson breaking the race barrier in baseball. The terrific soundtrack (not quite to the level of AMERICAN GRAFFITTI) helps offset some of the cheesy posing and strutting, even though these were keys in Mildred gaining popularity. Filmmaker Avildsen ends the film with photos and bio profiles on each of the characters as the closing credits begin. It's a fitting end and tribute for those who drove the early days of Women's wrestling.

The film opens in theaters on March 7, 2025.

Fantastic movie! Incredibly moving and great to watch with the whole family! Highly recommend!

Outstanding performances from the cast and an amazing script!

Great for fans of wrestling and and history alike!

Incredibly well produced as well. Is truly an inspiring performance and message.

Incredible casting with Emily Bett Rickards as the leading role of Mildred Burke. Josh Lucas shines in this as well.

As a wrestling fan, I would highly recommend learning about the queen of the ring herself. Amazing cinematic adaptation of the novel as well.

Praise for cast and crew through the whole film!

Too many modern movies today dig right into the dark and gritty side of things for shock value. I feel this is a weak technique in the same way some modern wrestling companies go right for the shock value rather than story. Don't be fooled, Millie's story could have done that easily, but Ash and Alston dug into the heart of the inspiring side of Mildred's story and made it complete movie that can be enjoyed by an entire family without having to cover eyes or ears. Determination, hard work, and following your dream is what this story is about. It's about seeing your goals and realizing it without loosing yourself and your values in the process.

With a period pieced setting which looks and feels authentic without being obvious I think the cinematography was done very well. Also with the writing and Ash's directorial style there is thus feeling like this could have been a long lost movie from the 80s that could stand side by side with his legendary father John Avildsen's movies, which I grew up on. I could see myself playing in the arcade then heading into watch a back to back matinee at my local mall theater.

This movie was a breath of fresh air that made you think, invest, and ultimately feel good after watching it. First movie in a while I've wanted to watch multiple times because it does what movies are supposed to do. Take me out of my life's challenges for a second and inspire me to want to get right back into them swinging afterwards.