Barry Blaustein, the filmmaker behind the acclaimed wrestling documentary Beyond the Mat, has died at the age of 71.
Barry Blaustein’s death was announced on Tuesday following battles with Parkinson’s disease and stage four pancreatic cancer. According to reports, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2017 before learning last month that he also had pancreatic cancer.
Released in 1999, during wrestling’s Attitude Era, Beyond the Mat became one of the most respected documentaries ever produced about the professional wrestling industry. Blaustein served as the film’s writer, director, producer and narrator.
Prior to entering the wrestling world, Blaustein built a successful career in comedy writing, including work on Saturday Night Live and several projects involving Eddie Murphy. His approach to Beyond the Mat blended humour with a serious look at the physical and emotional realities of wrestling.
The documentary focused heavily on the lives and careers of performers, including Mick Foley, Terry Funk, Jake Roberts and New Jack.
While ECW and WWE initially cooperated with the project, WCW reportedly declined to participate. Vince McMahon later distanced WWE from the film and refused to promote it following its completion.
One of the documentary’s most memorable and difficult scenes centred around Foley’s “I Quit” match against The Rock at the 1999 Royal Rumble, where Foley absorbed repeated chair shots to the head in front of his visibly distressed family. Later in the film, Foley watches the footage himself and admits he felt guilty for putting his family through the experience.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Barry Blaustein once described Beyond the Mat as “the favourite thing he had ever done.” Although the documentary did not receive an Academy Award nomination, it was reportedly shortlisted as a final contender for Best Documentary.
