I have given WWE much flak for their lame attempts at comedy. Well, I’m eating my words today as they released on YouTube a four-part mockumentary of 80’s southern territorial wrestling called Southpaw Regional Wrestling.
Those who watched regional wrestling will enjoy seeing various WWE stars in a creatively comedic light. Some aspects are aggregated while others are hilariously accurate. The VCR filter, events at the county fairgrounds and autographs from the wrestlers at the local KFC augments the old school aesthetic.
This comedic homage is a matchless, promo filled odyssey that builds towards SRW’s big event, Lethal Leap Year. John Cena channels Gordon Solie and Ron Burgundy to anchor this hilarious ensemble as lead commentator Lance Catamaran, along with inebriated co-host, Chet Chetterfield played by Fandango.
While WWE scripts everything under the sun, it wouldn’t be surprising if they gave the boys $400, a video camera and said go! Fans will realize how talents such as Tyler Breeze are ridiculously underutilized as all the performances are better than anything on Raw and SmackDown.
Half the fun is discovering which WWE wrestlers are playing these over the top characters. Luke Gallows returns to his popular internet persona Sex Ferguson, now called Tex.
There’s a rumor that these videos are Vince McMahon’s way of making fun of regional wrestling, which he loathes. Insulting intentions fall by the wayside as sleazy backstage correspondent Clint Bobski and good ol’ country boy Big Bartholomew help craft a humorous love letter to grappling’s days of yore.
If you were ever going to believe anything I’ve written on this blog, please, go watch Southpaw Regional Wrestling. This is easily the most wrestling thing WWE has done in a while. I don’t want to say anything else because this is truly wrestling hilarity at its finest.
Southpaw Regional Wrestling could be the hit show that the WWE Network has been waiting for. Netflix skyrocketed the popularity of their streaming service with the show Orange is the New Black and Amazon did the same with The Man in the High Castle.
They don’t have to go too far outside of the box on this one. The subject matter is their specialty and the content is already there for WWE to cultivate this old school wrestling parody that is the more entertaining than their contemporary product.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get to work on my online petition to bring Chad 2 Badd to the main roster.
Ringside Logic 