Queen of the Ring Review – Bio-Pic Delivers Strong, Unforgettable, Performances, A Must See
- Details
- Category: Haute This Issue
- Published on Wednesday, 17 September 2025 12:27
- Written by Janet Walker
Queen of the Ring, from Vertigo Releasing, presents the remarkable story of Mildred Burke, the first million dollar female athlete, her challenging and rebellious journey as a single mother to becoming the longest title holder in the sport.
The film begins with a teaser of the end of the story. We see Mildred Burke, played by Emily Bett Rickards, and her corner team, May Young, played by Francesca Eastwood, and her son, Joe, played by Gavin Casalegno telling her as she grimaces in pain, she must continue.
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We then return to her beginning in small town U.S.A., a single mom, working in her mother's diner slinging burgers, with a dream. We find out immediately that she has decided she wants to be lady wrestler. We see her at home and work, reading and studying the moves, and by the time she begins to attend live matches, she has all knowledge, the rules of the sport, the history, and the determination.
As fate would have it she attends a match with Billy Wolfe, played by Josh Lucas, and George, (before he became Gorgeous), played by Adam Demos and watches as the crowd goes wild over the match. She begins to talk to the man in front of her, G. Bill, played by Tyler Posey, Billy's son, who explains the theatrical dynamics of wrestling, heels and faces, the heel of course is the bad guy, which is Billy Wolfe, and the faces, are the good guys, which is George.
One day G. Bill and Billy Wolfe come into the diner, and what Billy lacks in charm and personality, G. Bill makes up in spades. We understand G. Bill is taken by Mildred from the beginning, and when she realizes Billy Wolfe is here, in the diner, she becomes star struck, tongue-tied, and lost as she sees her opportunity for her future.
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This meeting bombs, and as we see, time is passing, first we see the days of the week, then months all with a grandfather clock behind the months, with the pendulum swinging. It is clear the dream is dying. So, Mildred's mother, played by Cara Buono, taps her on the shoulder one night and says just the right words to cause Mildred to snap at her, and then she tells her, Billy Wolfe is sitting over and don't you let him leave here without giving you your shot.
Which moves the film into the second act and the transition of Millie Bliss, into Mildred Burke. Soon we see Mildred becoming everything she dreamed she would be, and more. Soon she was the draw and bringing in a higher gate than Billy. We also begin to see Billy's darker side, a little too much booze, high on his own celebrity status, and his decisions threaten the partnership that Mildred and he have begun to build. And we see, both he and Mildred repeat the same patterns, to the same results; he sees someone beautiful, and she becomes his new favorite thing, and Mildred knows the right words to say to push his buttons to the same results.
Walton Goggins plays promoter Jack Pfefer, and when Wolfe and Burke divorce, takes her into his territory and like he did with George, he added showtime, show business, and gave the people what they wanted big over-the-top characters, twists, plots, and good versus evil.
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The film is also about loyalty, and as we see in the end, when the men's pro wrestler "Gorgeous George," who was once nearly a has been in the leagues eye's, became resurrected simply by transforming himself into audacious. And he never forgot the diner waitress, who had been kind to him when he was down, and really called him what he became, "Gorgeous George." And when Mildred was down, divorced, and broke, he secured her a title defense shot, against her arch nemesis, and had her paid in advance, in full, as he said, "when you are the number one draw in television, you can get things done." And if you pay close attention, during this scene, you'll see how George did more than help a friend when she was down.
An engrossing, captivating and entertaining true life story, Queen of the Ring presents the birth of the Women's wrestling league through the life story of Mildred Burke, an undisputed star, and longest title holder of the NWA Women's World Championship.
Director Ash Avildsen has created a memorable and resonating film. His choices especially with the transitions to convey the passing of time as we see in the first act and also the use of a carousel transition in the second act to show not only the passing of time and aging, but also the years of work in the carnivals, building the wrestling career, are brilliant. As keeper of the story, he clearly articulated to his cast what he wanted, and they delivered flawless, perfect performances.
Riveting, and magnetic Queen of the Ring, a movie for the dreamers, the pursuers, the hopeful and determined, opens in theaters across the UK September 19, 2025. It is a must-see film. See it.
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Country: UK.
Language: English.
Runtime: 133 minutes.
Release date: September 19, 2025 (theatrical); October 13, 2025 (On Demand).
Director: Ash Avildsen.
Producer: Ash Avildsen, B.D. Gunnell, Isen Robbins, Aimee Schoof.
Executive Producer: Baron Bodnar, Kelly Koep, Brad LaFave, Jeff Leen, Paul Leighton, Anthony Mastromauro, Jim Ross, Angelene Tania, Elizabeth Patterson, Mike Patterson.
Writer: Ash Avildsen.
Cast: Emily Bett Rickards, Josh Lucas, Tyler Posey, Francesca Eastwood, Cara Buono, Deborah Ann Woll, Damaris Lewis, with Gavin Casalegno and Walton Goggins.
Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation's top stories, for more than a decade. A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Ms. Walker has completed five screenplays, "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She has completed the non-fiction narrative, "Unholy Alliances: A True Crime Story," and "Days, Times, Seasons, Events: A Collection of Poetry & Prose," are available on Amazon. She is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and a member of the International Federation of Journalists.
