The Wrestling Road Diaries (2009) (2025)

Popular reviews

• Review by Nathan Rabin ★★★★ 2

  Really fascinating exploration of the nitty gritty existences of wrestlers grinding it out on the road, one match at time. And made me really appreciate Daniel Bryan. He is a heck of an interesting dude. Probably doesn't need to be nearly three hours long, but I enjoyed the crap out of it.

• Review by Willow Maclay ★★★★

  It's too long and it sprawls probably way too much to be of any interest to anyone outside of pro wrestling fans, but for that niche audience this is just about perfect. It helps that the wrestlers being profiled are very down to earth and get across their passion for professional wrestling in almost every scene. It's a grueling process to make it as an independent wrestler being that you have to wrestle in different locations each night so in order to actually do this you have to love it unconditionally and in the case of these three men they absolutely do.

  Even more interesting in hindsight due to Daniel Bryan's massive success years later in WWE since the narrative…

• Review by AkabaneRowsdowe ★★

  CURTAIN CALL

  They stood, but not to cheer
  Without the joy and hopeful pleadings
  They felt the resolution cresting;
  The combatants desperate efforts finally unwinding to a solemn halt
  They rose up slowly, to their feet, watching with honor to the moment’s end
  They’d count along with downward, swinging strikes
  The winding thuds and creaking ropes
  They’d move to see the final shout
  A spin, A strike
  Then cold collapse
  They’d choke upon their instinct’s plea
  They’d gasp and mumble to themselves, instead
  Just loud enough to for all their voices to be rounded into the punching decibels
  Their ears still ringing from the bell
  Applause, but only applause
  They stood, but only because they knew the time was coming to an end

• Review by brooks ★★★½

  really nice look into the indy scene, at least as it existed in the US in the late 2000s. too long, but a nice time! i'm trying to write about how shitty labor conditions are in wrestling without being so uniformly maudlin about it because this is much closer to how a lot of the guys in the industry seem to feel about it. interesting to see who made it and who you don't recognize at all. some hysterical nut shots in this

• Review by Fin Bergin ★★★★

  I watch the wrestling Roundtable!

• Review by howsthepie ★★★★★

  Shane Hagadorn cameo. 5 stars

• Review by Ben May ★★★

  Shoutout to Colt Cabana for offering this for free during these weird times. Support indie wrestling always.

• Review by Erin Provolone

  Bryan Danielson health issues: one of pro wrestling's constants :(

  I guess El Generico was off helping the orphans every time that camera came around?

  (I can't rate this. Watch if you're a fan.)

• Review by john lichman ★★★

  For the era it is fine considering a lot of these guys had no clue what the future would bring and folks would assume who'd pay money for a handicam HD tape/digital release. But instrumental for showing the grind of a form of entertainment that remained guarded and even still, as Bryan Danielson prepped for his big WWE entrance, equally mind-boggling (their doctors continuously told him he was a chronic drinker due to his liver enzymes and he was nearly as straight edge as they came, leading to his iconic "green" character and vegan lifestyle). Perhaps the best aged reference here is Eddie Kingston in an Old Navy sweatshirt shouting defiantly "I make anything look gangster!"

• Review by Chris ★★★½

  I just sold this for $5 on eBay and I decided to watch it again before I mail it out. It hasn’t aged all that great, and it works more as a home movie than a documentary, as there isn’t really a narrative structure. Still, it’s enjoyable for what it is even if the 2 hour and 40 minute run-time kinda overstays its welcome.

  Also, there is a scene where Colt repeatedly pesters an uncomfortable and annoyed girl (who looks to be barely 18, if that) for a kiss. CM Punk was right all along.

  I hope the guy in Iowa who bought this enjoys it.

• Review by Jason of Hey, Did You See This One? ★★★★

  Documentary about the final days of Bryan Danielson's Indy career before going to WWE. Colt Cabana was also coming back from time at WWE. Really interesting to see what life on the road for a wrestler is like. Brian Danielson, aka Daniel Bryan would go on to be one of the biggest names in wrestling. Colt to this day is one of the biggest stars of the independents. A lot has changed in wrestling since 2009 and this was sort of the beginning of a huge paradigm shift. I'm a huge wrestling fan so I could go on an on about this for ever. Great stuff. I'm going to track down the other 2 and all wrestling fans should watch them all.

  You can find more reviews over at @spiderhero9000 and @heydidyouseethisone on Instagram and our weekly show Hey, Did You See This One? every Wednesday night at 9:15 PM EST on Twitch (www.twitch.tv/heydidyouseethisone)

• Review by Matthew Essary ★★★

  This is a documentary that was unique at the time it was released. An unfiltered look at small-time independent wrestling with a performer who had just been cut from the “big time” (Colt Cabana) returning to his smaller stomping grounds,a performer about to leave that same small scene for his chance at the big leagues (Bryan Danielson), and finally one who remained a “lifer” of “Indies” (Sal Rinaruo). What this shaggy (it’s nearly 3 hours and full of things that could be easily condensed) yet charmingly candid documentary does is follow these three friends on a 10 day road trip of shows and appearances that will serve as the send off for Danielson before going to the largest wrestling company…