Is Queen of the Ring based on a true story? Details explored

The biographical sports drama movie Queen of the Ring was released in theatres across the United States on March 7, 2025. Starring Emily Bett Rickards as Mildred Burke, the film explored Burke's real life story of her rise to popularity as a wrestler.

Mildred Burke (August 5, 1915 - February 18, 1989) was a trailblazing female wrestler in a male-dominated sport. She became a two-time Women's World Champion and left a lasting legacy.

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Queen of the Ring is based on the true story of wrestler Mildred Burke

Queen of the Ring is an autobiographical movie about the life of renowned wrestler Mildred Burke. The screenplay for the movie is written by Ash Avildsen, who also serves as director. Avildsen adapted the screenplay from a book by Jeff Leen titled The Queen of the Ring: Se*, Muscles, Diamonds, and the Making of an American Legend.

Queen of the Ring follows Mildred Burke's rise in wrestling, highlighting the social barriers she overcame in a male-dominated sport. Her success made her presence even more significant.

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About Mildred Burke's rise to fame and her personal battles

Mildred Burke (full name: Mildred Bliss) was born on August 5, 1915, in Coffeyville, Kansas City, Missouri. Burke is believed to have put a stop to her school education at the age of 15 when she started working as a waitress at the Zuni Indian Reservation in Gallup, New Mexico.

However, she soon lost interest in her work and decided to marry one of her previous boyfriends. She also decided to move to California with him. While the couple was there, they found it difficult to make ends meet. This is why they soon shifted back to Kansas City. Mildred was soon pregnant, but the couple's marital troubles escalated, resulting in her husband leaving her sometime around 1923.

While working at her mother's diner, Mildred met professional wrestling promoter Billy Wolfe. Although she expressed interest in entering the wrestling profession, Wolfe was reluctant to train her at first. However, when he saw her defeating a man in wrestling by using a smart technique, he decided to give her a shot.

The cast of Queen Of The Ring (Image via Getty)

Billy and Mildred worked together throughout the initial years of her career. She defeated approximately 199 men among the 200 she wrestled at the time.

On the personal front, Mildred and Billy fell in love and married. However, a few years into the marriage, the two started experiencing problems, especially due to Wolfe's growing infidelity.

The two finalized their separation in 1952, however, the period leading up to that and the following was extremely tricky, especially for Mildred. She experienced pushback from Wolfe and other members of the wrestling community, mostly Wolfe's associates.

Some of Burke's accomplishments:

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
• Women's World Championship (Twice in 1937)
• WWWA World Heavyweight Champion (1937)
• NWA World Women's Championship (1950)
• Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (Class of 2002)
• Women's Wrestling Hall of Fame (Class of 2023)

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About Queen of the Rin

Queen of the Ring is produced by Sumerian Pictures and Intrinsic Value Films. The official logline for the film reads:

"An extraordinary, true-life tale that follows Mildred Burke, the legendary professional wrestler and single mom who defied incredible odds to become the first million-dollar female athlete and longest reigning champion at a time when the sport was banned across most of America."

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Queen of the Ring is currently running in US theatres.