Fighting With My Family (2019)
Biographical drama from WWE Studios and Dwayne Johnson's Seven Bucks Productions about the rise to fame of 2 time WWE Divas Champion Paige.
The film shows The Anti-Diva wrestling on the UK independent scene, in NXT and on the WWE main roster with Impact Wrestling’s first female world champion Tessa Blanchard often doubling as Paige in wrestling scenes. There are lots of training sequences that not only show in ring segments but also promo work and boot camp style cardio work.
The Rock appears as himself in a number of scenes portraying a mentor to the aspiring diva.
WWE wrestler Zelina Vega portrays then WWE Divas champion AJ Lee in the movie's finale; Paige's debut WWE match.
Clips from a number of WWE shows are played throughout the movie including King of the Ring 2001, Wrestlemania XXX and Monday Night Raw.
There are a number of high profile wrestling cameos the most significant of which are by The Miz, The Big Show and Sheamus. Former World of Sport champion Dave Mastiff also cameos alongside someone portraying inaugural NXT UK Champion Pete Dunn as fellow applicants in her WWE tryout scene. Clips of from the Channel 4 documentary The Wrestlers: Fighting With My Family that inspired the movie featuring Paige and her wrestling family play over the end credits of the movie.
Featured Wrestlers:
Zelina Vega as AJ Lee
Tessa Blanchard as Paige (wrestling sequences)
JD Knight as Pete Dunn
Actors portraying wrestlers
Nick Frost as Ricky Knight
Lena Headey as Julia Knight (Sweet Saraya)
Florence Pugh as Paige
Tory Ellen Ross as Young Paige
Jack Lowden as Zak Zodiac
Thomas Whilley as Young Zak
James Burrows as Roy Bevis
As themselves and/or archive footage
The Rock
The Miz
Big Show
Sheamus
Michael Cole
Jerry Lawler
Steve Austin
Paige
Zak Zodiac
Sweet Saraya
Roy Bevis
Ricky Knight
John Cena
As wrestlers:
Jody Fleisch
Darrell Allen
Nina Samuels
James Mason
Joey Knight
Rishi Ghosh
Nathan Cruz
Kip Sabian
Voodoo Queen Amarah
Robin Lekime
Erin Angel
Flex Maxted
Dave Mastiff
Ligero
Paul Robinson
Lory
Justin Sysum
Scarlett Bordeaux
Wrestle Rating:
5 out of 5 receipts
A heartwarming story that is genuinely laugh out loud funny in places. Its refreshing to see a wrestling movie made by people who understand wrestling so when coupled with some high profile wrestler cameos Fighting With My Family is a must see film for fans of the squared circle.
