Whatever happened to the Extreme Rising company?
A new documentary now in production will tell the behind-the-scenes story of the company that wanted to be the spiritual successor of Extreme Championship Wrestling.
The following is a press release from Pro Wrestling Library regarding the upcoming Extreme Rising documentary:
EXTREME WRESTLING DOCUMENTARY NOW IN PRODUCTION ON TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE CONTROVERSIAL EXTREME REUNION
Pittsburgh, PA – Joe Dombrowski, under his Pro Wrestling Library streaming brand, has announced he is in production of a yet-to-be-titled documentary feature designed to take an in-depth look at the pro wrestling company Extreme Rising.
The documentary aims to take a critical and objective look at all aspects of the short-lived company, as well as the stories, recollections, and ambitions of those behind the company, in-ring talent, the extreme wrestling diehard fan base, and the lasting legacy left behind by this extreme experiment.
The Extreme Rising brand (originally known as Extreme Reunion) launched on April 28, 2012 in an effort to fill the void in the marketplace that left many fans of wild, hardcore, violent, adult-oriented wrestling they grew up with, unsatisfied. With the goal to be the spiritual successor of the wildly popular Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), and on the heels of the success of similar reunion events such as WWE’s “One Night Stand” and “Hardcore Homecoming”, Extreme Rising hoped to use a combination of extreme legends and up-and-coming young talent that embodied the hardcore spirit to forge a new roster and develop a touring pro wrestling promotion. With a management team with big ideas at the helm, and a first event held in front of a sold out crowd (with hundreds being turned away), Extreme Rising seemed destined to become an overnight success. But almost immediately, setbacks, controversies, and conflicts cracked a would-be solid foundation and started a chain reaction that would become one of the wildest and most outlandish legacies of any pro wrestling start-up promotion.
This documentary will investigate the inner workings of what was often called an overly-ambitious pro wrestling company, as it examines the continued thirst for violence and bloodshed, the polarizing personalities and controversial decisions that often grabbed the largest headlines, and the fans’ enthusiasm and involvement. This film will trace the successes, the failures, the risks, the mistakes, and, ultimately, the untimely demise of the ironically named Extreme Rising brand.
Production began in early 2021, as broadcaster and producer Joe Dombrowski searched for a new challenge of a yet-to-be-uncovered story to be told, in the midst of a canceled travel schedule and halted wrestling industry during the Covid-19 pandemic. Pro Wrestling Library is in production, and filming, with a release date to be announced.
The concept behind Dombrowski’s vision is to produce a thought-provoking, entertaining, and cautionary presentation that could appeal to die-hard wrestling fans, and also those interested in a peek behind the curtain to the often frantic, chaotic and dysfunctional journey of operating a professional wrestling company. While many who have worked there have told portions of their story, there has never been a definitive recollection of the Extreme Reunion/Extreme Rising experience from every perspective of the important components involved until now.
Are you excited about the upcoming Extreme Rising documentary? What would you like to see it cover? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
