The actor and writer/director tell the story of the first million dollar female athlete in history. Emily Bett Rickards and Ash Avildsen on Bringing Wrestling Pioneer Mildred Burke to Life in Queen of

Queen of the Ring uses the story of Mildred Burke to expertly explore women's pro wrestling in a time when they weren't allowed in the sport.

Emily Bett Rickards knew very little about professional wrestling before signing on to play one of its most important female trailblazers, Mildred Burke, in the biopic Queen of the Ring. But after immersing herself in its history and transforming her body for the role,

Queen of the Ring is now officially in theaters and the story of Mildred Burke is finally mainstream. At the end of the day, that reality was the goal for direc

The same can’t be said about the big screen. With scattered exceptions – “ . . . All the Marbles” (1981), “Fighting with My Family” (2019), “Racket Girls” (1951), and “Below the Belt” (1980), which features an extended cameo by then-retired wrestler Mildred Burke as a trainer — there’s generally been a dearth of films featuring women wrestlers.

Wrestling biopics, while rare, are not new. Late 2023 saw the release of The Iron Claw, about the famed Von Erich family. That story is beyond tragic, but although Queen of the Ring does have some sad moments, it's also a story of unwavering passion. As the final credits roll, you're going to feel a renewed strength thanks to such a powerful icon.

Ash Avildsen, son of 'Rocky' director John G. Avildsen, helms 'Queen of the Ring,' an overly earnest biopic about trailblazing wrestler Mildred Burke.

GLOW,” a series from Netflix that ran for three seasons in the late 2010s — before, frustratingly, seeing its announced fourth season canceled during the pandemic — showed that women’s

"I can't sing and I can't dance," Mildred Burke tells her future manager, husband, business partner (and later ex-husband and rival) Billy Wolfe. "But I can tell a story and beat some ass." What a story,