TALES FROM THE TERRITORIES
It seems someone at VICE Media Group loves professional wrestling. The edgy outlet certainly pays close attention to our favorite sporty spectacle—not so much through coverage of current trends and stars, but with fare that is decidedly more offbeat.
Dark Side of the Ring is, of course, VICE’s best-known wrestling-themed venture to date, if for no other reason than because some of the episodes caused fans to rethink the infamous antics of some of their longtime favorites. Tales from the Territories is a bit more lighthearted. And it comes to fans with a seal of approval from co-producer Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Tales from the Territories is largely a firsthand account of an age in which a confederation of promoters and top talent shaped wrestling as both a business and a subculture. Roundtable storytelling by some of the greats of the era—including Jerry Lawler, Jeff Jarrett, Madusa, Greg Gagne, and Bret Hart—sets the narrative for each episode, supplemented by archival footage and reenactments.
The series is, all told, unmistakably a VICE production, with gritty imagery and realism as the foundation of every episode. While most of the yarn-spinning is goodnatured, there’s an inevitable dark side (or three) lurking in every episode of , as well, including accounts of attempted murder, missing body parts, and one story about the late Mad Dog Vachon that shouldn’t be recounted
