Beyond the Mat is a very sobering look at the world of Professional Wrestling. Rasslin' to you folks that wouldn't call oneself a fan. I think this 90 minute documentary is going to appeal to those that actually grew up with the wrestlers presented within this DVD. This is a look behind the scenes, following the footsteps of mega superstars like Mick Foley (best segment in the doc) and The Rock. But it also shines a spotlight on those that have been toiling away looking to get their big break and bust into the exclusive club that is the WWF (now WWE). But the most harrowing and definitely most depressing look are the segments tracking Terry Funk, who should have retired 20 years priror to the making of this doc. There is just no way a man should be allowed to do the things he does at that age, all for a paycheck.

The lowest of the low is the segment that chronicles the rise and fall of Jake "The Snake" Roberts and his estrangement to his daughter. This guy was HUGE when I first got into wrestling. So to see him basically reduced to performing to "sold out" High School Gym's is both sad and embarrassing. It just goes to show that no one is immune. Father time as well as drugs (his chosen vice being Crack) will take its toll and ruin any promising career. With all these Stars getting their due in the doc, it all circles back to Vince McMahon, He is both admired and hated at the same time, usually by the same wrestler for what he has brought to the world of Sports Entertainment.

Getting back to Mick Foley. The doc does focus primarily on two of his most controversial and epic matches in the WWF. Both the Hell in the Cell match with The Undertaker and the 'I Quit' match with The Rock get a good deal of airtime. It's just a shame that Mick chose to have his two little kids in attendance to witness the brutality of the 'I Quit' match. It was so brutal that both kids as well as Mick's wife were screaming and crying during the match as the cameras caught it all on tape. It got to be too much that she had to take the kids from ringside to spare them any more trauma of what was happening to their father.

I do think the doc will appeal to fans as I already mentioned earlier, but there is a lot going on here that even the non-fans will finds this both fascinating and disturbing to watch at the same time. Definitely worth a Rent.