The Wrestler is a 1974

1974 in film

The year 1974 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 7 - Blazing Saddles is released in the USA.*August 7 - Peter Wolf, lead singer of The J...

 independent film

Independent film

An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...

 produced by professional wrestler Verne Gagne

Verne Gagne

Laverne Clarence "Verne" Gagne , is a retired American professional wrestler, football player, and professional wrestling trainer and promoter. He was the former owner/promoter of the American Wrestling Association , based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which was the predominant promotion throughout...

 and starring Ed Asner

Ed Asner

Edward Asner , commonly known as Ed Asner, is an American film, television, stage, and voice actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild, primarily known for his Emmy Award-winning role as Lou Grant on both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off series, Lou Grant...

 as "Frank Bass", a wrestling promoter

Professional wrestling promotion

A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...

.

Verne Gagne also stars in the movie as Mike Bollar, the current wrestling champion

Championship (professional wrestling)

A Championship or "title" in professional wrestling is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations.Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in scripted rivalries...

 of his "league." Billy Robinson

Billy Robinson

Billy Robinson is a British professional wrestler and catch wrestling instructor. Robinson was well known in Japan where he has trained mixed martial arts fighters in catch wrestling...

 plays Bollar's latest challenger, Billy Taylor. After a long reign as champion, Bollar is getting older and feeling pressure from all sides, including his wife and wrestling promoters, to pass the championship to Taylor and retire. Bollar's resistance to their requests that he step aside is the central conflict in the film.

Gagne not only acts in the movie but also wrestles during a few of the wrestling scenes. He faces Larry Hennig

Larry Hennig

Larry "The Axe" Hennig is an American retired professional wrestler. He is the father of the late "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig, the grandfather of Joe Hennig, and is best known for his work in the American Wrestling Association, National Wrestling Alliance and World Wide Wrestling Federation...

 in the first match

Professional wrestling match types

Many types of matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, can be found in the form of performing art that is professional wrestling....

 at the Cow Palace

Cow Palace

Cow Palace is an indoor arena, in Daly City, California, situated on the city's border with neighboring San Francisco, notable as a sporting arena.-History:...

, located just outside San Francisco.

Appearances

Many American Wrestling Association

American Wrestling Association

The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...

 performers appear in the movie. Among them are "Superstar" Billy Graham, "Rick Flair"

Ric Flair

Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....

 (credited with that spelling in the credits), Dusty Rhodes

Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)

Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. , better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler currently working for WWE...

, Dick Murdoch

Dick Murdoch

Hoyt Richard "Dick" Murdoch was an American professional wrestler.-Professional wrestling career:A second-generation wrestler, the son of 1950s Texas wrestler Frankie Hill Murdoch, Dick Murdoch grew up with fellow second-generation wrestlers Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk, watching their fathers...

, Dick the Bruiser

William Afflis

William Fritz Afflis , best known as Dick the Bruiser, was an American football player and professional wrestler.-Early life:...

, Dory Funk, Jr.

Dory Funk, Jr.

Dory Ernest Funk Jr. known professionally as Dory Funk, Jr. is a professional wrestler and wrestling trainer. He is the son of Dory Funk Sr. and brother of Terry Funk. He is credited with the invention of the Texas cloverleaf submission hold and runs the Funking Conservatory, a professional...

, Ray Stevens

Ray Stevens (wrestler)

Carl Ray Stevens , better known as Ray "The Crippler" Stevens or Ray "Blond Bomber" Stevens, was an American professional wrestler. Stevens was a wrestling superstar since the early years of the television era until he retired during the early 1990s...

, Pedro Morales

Pedro Morales

Pedro Morales is a retired Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He began his wrestling career as a teenager in 1959 and continued through to the late 1980s...

, Ken Patera

Ken Patera

Ken Patera is a former professional wrestler, Olympic weightlifter, and Strongman competitor.-Weightlifting/Strongman career:Patera is a former Olympic weightlifter and American powerlifter...

, Nick Bockwinkel

Nick Bockwinkel

Nicholas Warren Francis "Nick" Bockwinkel is a retired American professional wrestler. He mainly competed in the American Wrestling Association in the United States...

, Dan Gable

Dan Gable

Dan Gable is an American amateur wrestler. He is famous for having only lost one match in his entire Iowa State University collegiate career—his last, and winning gold at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany while not giving up a single point...

, Eddie Graham

Eddie Graham

Edward Gossett was a professional wrestler. He was also the promoter and booker for Championship Wrestling from Florida and President of the NWA in the 1970s. His son, Mike Graham, was also a professional wrestler.-Career:Edward F...

, Jim Brunzell

James Brunzell

James "Jumping Jim" Brunzell is a retired professional wrestler. Best known for his successful tag teams, Brunzell performed for various wrestling promotions during his 21 year career.-American Wrestling Association:...

, and more. Some of the said wrestlers are simply featured in clips from wrestling shows without adding to the actual plot or having them on the set of the film in actual roles.

Former World Wrestling Federation

World Wrestling Entertainment

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...

 chairman, Vincent J. McMahon

Vincent J. McMahon

Vincent James "Vince" McMahon, better known as Vince McMahon, Sr. was an American professional wrestling promoter. He is best known for founding the American promotion, World Wide Wrestling Federation, which is now known as WWE.-Early life:Vincent James McMahon was born on July 6, 1914 in Harlem,...

, makes an appearance in an actual acting role and not a clip from a wrestling broadcast.