Ringside is a hard-hitting look at the reality of the professional wrestling industry through a comic book. Ringside, issue 4, shows 2 sides of the wrestling business as two wrestlers are at different points in their life. The first wrestler, Dan, is washed up and broke, but is addressing unfinished business involving his partner. The second wrestler is Reynolds who is at a wrestling expo and witnesses the effects that the wrestling business has upon some ones life, physically and mentally. Ringside, issue 4, which can be purchased here, shows two different wrestlers at different stages in their life and the choices they are making to move forward.
The Good:
Ringside, issue 4, is the strongest issue in the series so far. It explains the backstory of how Dan and Teddy met during a security job. The two men connect as Dan discovers that Teddy is involved in taking bribes to let people into a party, resulting in Teddy agreeing to buy Dan a beer after work. As Teddy and Dan are drinking, they are enjoying each other’s company, which results in them holding hands. This confirms that they have feelings for each other and is the first spark in their relationship. With this element of the backstory established it provides a reason and justification for why Dan is willing to go to an extreme for Teddy. Despite Dan’s feelings Terrence, Dan’s friend, comes up with a realistic, reasonable plan to help Dan. This plan includes paying the bartender $100 for information, confirming the information, then Terrence will take care of the rest. This is realistic as it does not put Dan in any harm and he is only scouting for information and not risking his life while recovering from injuries. The last element of the plan falls through as Dan choose not to wait for Terrence and beats up the gang, which shows how emotional Dan is when it comes to Teddy and his safety. While Dan’s problem is occurring Reynolds is exposed to the retired world of wrestling at a wrestling expo. In particular Reynolds see older, beat up, and washed up wrestlers selling autographs. He learns that they are not selling it only for the money but rather to relive the moments they had when they were wrestling as it helps these wrestlers cope with their lives. This is a wake up call to Reynolds as he is beginning to understand the harsh reality of the wrestling business as wrestlers do not last forever, nor does their glory.
The Bad:
The comic is the best issue so far in the series as it captures both Dan and Reynolds positions perfectly and their reactions to their situations. The comic’s only problem is that it shows the result of Dan standing tall over the gang that beat him up without showing how he did it. This feels awkward as we are programed to cause-action-result, yet we only see cause and result, which peaks curiosity for us as readers. Despite this being awkward this element of the comic does not affect the overall message that the comic conveys about the wrestling industry, the people in it, and the harsh reality of the business they face.
The Verdict:
Issue 4 of Ringside is the issue that fans of this comic have been waiting. The issue provides the correct amount of backstory that allows readers to connect and understand why Dan is willing to risk his life for Teddy. Furthermore, the comic captures why retired and washed up wrestlers go to wrestling cons and expos as it provides a coping method and an opportunity to relive their glory days. This comic portrays the reality of the wrestling business from 2 different angles, which provides an inside look into this industry. Ringside, issue 4, is an amazing comic and shows what happens behind the scenes in the professional wrestling business.
