In this week’s episode we are joined by director Ash Avildsen and star Emily Bett Rickards from the movie Queen of the Ring, available in select UK cinemas from 19th September 2015 and OnDemand from 13th October 2025. Queen of the Ring is a Sumerian Pictures Production, written and directed by Ash Avildsen (Paradise City).
The film tells the remarkable true story of Mildred Burke, the first million-dollar female athlete in world history and the longest reigning champion of female wrestling. Based on the book by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jeff Leen, the film follows ‘Millie,’ a young single mother from a small town who defies societal norms by becoming a female pro-wrestler at a time when the sport was illegal across most of the United States.
Despite her success throughout the 40s and 50s, Millie’s journey is marked by personal struggles, including raising her son on the road, the tragic death of her wrestling protégé in the ring and a tumultuous relationship with her manager and ex-husband, Billy Wolfe.
Her story highlights triumphs such as being the first woman to headline over men, bringing women of colour into the sport, and participating in the first female “shoot match” i.e. real combat without a script for a title fight. Millie’s remarkable tale shattered the limitations of what a girl could become in entertainment and sports and is an unforgettable slice of post-war Americana.
Queen of the Ring has an all-star line-up including Emily Bett Rickards (Arrow), Josh Lucas (Ford V Ferrari), Tyler Posey (Teen Wolf), Francesca Eastwood (Juror #2), Cara Buono (Stranger Things), Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood), Damaris Lewis (BlackKkKlansman), with Gavin Casalegno (Noah) and Walton Goggins (The White Lotus) completing the card.
Queen of the Ring captures the golden age of female pro-wrestling when one gritty, glamorous woman risked everything in her life to change culture forever.
The Grapple Of Your Eye Show 
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