This weekend, WWE’s month-long tournaments to crown a brand new King and Queen of the Ring will attain their thrilling conclusion. The victorious contenders will every earn a crown and all of the royal trappings, with a future championship alternative doubtless on the horizon.
As grand as that sounds, neither can prime the prize that’s Hollywood’s monarch of mayhem.
In 2001, the animated movie Shrek debuted with the influence of a Bron Breakker spear. The story follows Shrek, a grumpy ogre whose swamp turns into overrun by fairy story creatures exiled by the corrupt Lord Farquaad. To reclaim his residence, Shrek units out to confront the diminutive ruler within the land of Duloc, accompanied by a chatty mule named Donkey, whom he rescued earlier within the flick.
In the meantime, Farquaad learns from a magic mirror that, to grow to be king, he should marry Princess Fiona, who’s imprisoned in a dragon-guarded citadel. As an alternative of rescuing her himself, Farquaad, in spectacular heel vogue, holds a match to seek out somebody to do the job for him. When Shrek and Donkey roll up, Farquaad declares that whoever kills the motley duo will probably be declared the winner.
What follows is a hilarious and entertaining struggle scene ripped straight from skilled wrestling, showcasing the cantankerous but lovable ogre as a powerful sports activities entertainer.
After dispatching of a bunch of knights with Donkey’s assist, Shrek finds himself in a horse pen that appears suspiciously like a wrestling ring. With out lacking a beat, Shrek rebounds off the ropes, almost decapitating two guards with a robust double clothesline. The scene unfolds with a tune acquainted to trendy wrestling followers, as Joan Jett & the Blackhearts’ “Unhealthy Fame” amplifies the depth of Shrek’s smackdown.
All through the scene, the not-so-jolly inexperienced large dominates his opponents with a rousing collection of strikes impressed by wrestling legends. A giant man forward of his time, Shrek reveals off a imply pair of dropkicks that will make Jim Brunzell or Jeff Jarrett jealous. Later, he ranges his foes with a Ricky Steamboat-inspired flying physique press, Kurt Angle’s ankle lock, and Rey Mysterio’s seated senton splash.
Because the motion unfolds, a second happens that ought to resonate with modern audiences who chant for furnishings. On this medieval setting, one spectator rises and calls for using a chair. Enjoying to the gang, Shrek gleefully obliges, smashing a chair over the again of one of many knights.
Nonetheless, regardless of his spectacular wrestling abilities, Shrek takes a darkish flip when he makes an attempt an Undertaker-style Tombstone Piledriver, aiming to drive a knight’s head into the bottom. The battle concludes with a modified airplane spin by Shrek, as Donkey delivers a remaining blow along with his model of a superkick.
As he exits the squared circle victorious, Shrek engages in a Hulk Hogan-style celebration earlier than returning his focus to Farquaad. Impressed, Farquaad presents to return Shrek’s land in trade for rescuing Fiona. Slightly than letting him know, “That doesn’t work for me, brother,” The Shrekster agrees and, with Donkey, units out to rescue the princess.
What unfolds subsequent is charming for audiences of all ages. However for wrestling buffs, Shrek’s exploits within the ring are a treasure trove of references to wrestling’s many icons. There’s additionally hypothesis that Shrek’s character attracts inspiration from “The French Angel” Maurice Tillet, who fascinated wrestling crowds along with his distinctive look within the Thirties and Nineteen Forties. Nonetheless, this connection was by no means formally confirmed by the film studio.
Nonetheless, the wrestling depicted within the movie is remarkably well-executed, significantly contemplating it’s animated. Very similar to Shrek’s story attracts from theatrical fight, one can solely hope that future winners of the King and Queen of the Ring will probably be as profitable (and entertaining) of their quest to slay dragons and declare land inside WWE.
