Netflix Docuseries ‘Wrestlers’ Follows Up ‘Cheer’ With a (Body) Slam Dunk: TV Review
variety.comAlison Herman TV Critic Everyone loves an underdog, but it’s possible nobody loves one more than Greg Whiteley. With Netflix hits “Cheer” and “Last Chance U,” the documentarian trained his eye on undergraduate athletes whose programs lack the resources or respect of a Big Ten institution.
Each show made a compelling case for its subjects’ skill, tenacity and right to a bigger spotlight; “Cheer,” in particular, made stars of its protagonists, a charismatic squad of Texas students who performed death-defying stunts with a smile.
The second season of “Cheer” was forced to reckon with the fallout of its own success, taking some focus away from its namesake sport to address squad member Jerry Harris’ being sentenced to prison for soliciting sex from minors, as well as coach Monica Aldama’s stint on “Dancing With the Stars” and the uncomfortable transition from challenger to heavy favorite.
Thankfully, Whiteley’s latest effort offers a fresh start. “Wrestlers” trades the college campus for the Louisville, Kentucky headquarters of Ohio Valley Wrestling, a small and scrappy remnant of what was once a national network of regional wrestling circuits.
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