Ready to Rumble

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This article is about the 2000 film. For the video game, see Ready 2 Rumble Boxing.
Ready to Rumble
Directed by Brian Robbins
Produced by Bobby Newmyer,
Jeffrey Silver
Written by Steven Brill
based on WCW
Starring David Arquette,
Scott Caan,
Oliver Platt,
Bill Goldberg,
Rose McGowan,
Diamond Dallas Page,
Joe Pantoliano,
Martin Landau,
Steve "Sting" Borden
Music by George S. Clinton
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date(s) April 7, 2000
Running time 107 min.
Language English
Budget $24,000,000 (estimated)
IMDb profile

Ready to Rumble is a 2000 comedy film directed by Brian Robbins and written by Steven Brill, which is based on the now defunct professional wrestling promotion, World Championship Wrestling. The movie draws its title from Michael Buffer's trademarked catchphrase, "Let's get ready to rumble!"

Contents

[edit] Plot

Sewage workers Gordie Boggs (David Arquette) and Sean Dawkins (Scott Caan) watch their favorite wrestler, WCW World Champion Jimmy King (Oliver Platt) get cheated out of the title by Diamond Dallas Page (playing himself) and an evil WCW promoter Titus Sinclair (Joe Pantoliano). The dimwitted duo embark on a quest to help their fallen hero regain his title and his honor. The last scene is where Jimmy King has to battle Dallas Page, he is again outnumbered but receives help by Goldberg, Booker T, Billy Kidman, the Disco Inferno, Sting, and of course Gordie. Later Goldberg asks King to be his partner but King says his new partner will be Gordie and his manager will be Sean.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Actors

[edit] Wrestlers

[edit] Aftermath

Following the release of the movie, WCW bookers decided to promote the movie by running a storyline in which David Arquette, a legitimate wrestling fan, became WCW World Champion. The storyline was reviled by wrestling fans, and Arquette himself reportedly believed it was a bad idea, as he felt that it would damage the value of the belt he held in such high regard. While in WCW, he aligned himself with Diamond Dallas Page (despite Page being the movie's villain) and agreed in storyline to drop the title to him. He eventually lost the title in a match involving the three-tiered cage seen in Ready to Rumble, pitting himself against Page and Jeff Jarrett, which ended when he turned on Page and allowed Jarrett to win. Arquette later donated all the money WCW paid him to the families of deceased pro wrestlers Brian Pillman and Owen Hart and deceased referee Brian Hildebrand.

The movie itself was a critical and box office failure, grossing $12,394,327 domestically [1], yet was considered a cult classic in the U.K. despite a limited cinema release.[citation needed]

A main criticism of the film[citation needed] is that many wrestling fans felt the movie was trying hard to portray wrestling storylines as real (kayfabe), even though the internet wrestling community was ending kayfabe's influence in wrestling at the time of the film's release.

[edit] Trivia

 Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
  • The character of Sal Bandini is based on wrestlers Lou Thesz and Stu Hart.
  • The "What Would King Do" bracelets are parodies of the "What Would Jesus Do" bracelets in pop culture.
  • The Triple Cage was used by the WCW only twice: First, at Slamboree 2000, Jeff Jarrett beat Diamond Dallas Page and David Arquette (defending the WCW World Heavyweight Championship) to win the title. In this match, Chris Kanyon was thrown from the roof of one of the cages, "paralyzing" him. The other, taking place on the September 4, 2000 episode of WCW Monday Nitro, was the 2000 edition of the WarGames match.
  • At the time of this film's relases, the parent company of distributor Warner Bros., Time Warner, owned WCW as well - it was sold to World Wrestling Entertainment a year later.
  • During Arquette's WCW Championship reign a silver replica of the "Big Gold Belt" was used.
  • At the time of the movie's release, Perry Saturn was already a superstar in the WWE.
  • Oliver Platt accidentally struck Randy Savage in the face during the filming of a fantasy scene. The footage of the incident, which was shot over Savage's shoulder, can be seen in the blooper reel shown during the closing credits.
  • Chris Kanyon was Oliver Platt's stunt double
  • Shane Helms (now known as Gregory Helms and previously known as The Hurricane in WWE) was David Arquette's stunt double

[edit] External links