A new documentary premiering at the Cleveland International Film Festival on April 13 shines a light on the often-overlooked labor and community behind independent wrestling, telling the stories of performers who build careers outside the corporate entertainment industry's biggest stages.
"Slowburn Shoot: An Indie Wrestling Story," directed by Adam Wilde, president of TRG Multimedia, focuses on the independent wrestling industry by examining the lives of wrestlers who have performed in Absolute Intense Wrestling, or AIW. The film looks beyond the spectacle to reveal the working conditions, personal sacrifices, and tight-knit communities that sustain independent sports entertainment.
Behind the Spectacle
Wilde said, "We're taking you behind the spectacle and showing you the passion, the heart, the community that they've built," and added, "I think it really transcends into a human story more than just a wrestling story." The documentary features interviews with wrestlers including Kevin Owens, Britt Baker, and Cleveland native Johnny Gargano, all of whom performed in AIW before moving to larger promotions.
Absolute Intense Wrestling, based in Cleveland, was founded by John Thorne in 2005 and has hosted more than 300 events throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and beyond. The company has served as a stomping ground for wrestlers who later achieved wider recognition, illustrating how independent venues provide essential training grounds and employment for performers before they can access more lucrative corporate opportunities.
A Decade-Long Journey
Wilde's connection to AIW began 10 years ago in 2016 when he attended Gargano's final match before signing with WWE. Wilde said, "I've never seen so much emotion," and, "He did an hourlong match and it was amazing. I was just in awe of that." Wilde worked with Thorne to secure interviews with Gargano, Baker and others for the documentary.
The film was produced through TRG, which has a 160,000-square-foot production studio in Brooklyn that can accommodate Hollywood-level productions. Tyler Davidson, the producer of "Buddy," said, "A studio like TRG was the missing piece for filmmakers in Northeast Ohio," and, "Now we can host big studio films that would have otherwise been shot on stages in places like Atlanta or the U.K."
Local Infrastructure Matters
The existence of TRG's production facility represents an investment in regional creative infrastructure that keeps jobs and economic activity in Northeast Ohio rather than sending them to larger media markets. Wilde said the premiere of "Slowburn Shoot" is a big moment for both TRG and AIW, saying, "There couldn't be a better place for this film to land than the Cleveland International Film Festival."
The documentary's focus on AIW, which has operated for 21 years since its 2005 founding, highlights how independent organizations provide employment and creative opportunities in communities often bypassed by major entertainment corporations.
Why This Matters:
This documentary draws attention to workers in independent wrestling who perform physically demanding labor, often without the healthcare benefits, job security, or compensation available to performers in major corporate promotions. By documenting the lives of AIW wrestlers, the film reveals the economic realities facing performers in regional entertainment industries and the community networks that sustain them. The premiere also underscores the importance of local cultural infrastructure—both the wrestling organization that has operated for more than two decades and the production facility that allowed the film to be made in Northeast Ohio. These institutions provide employment and creative opportunities in regions that corporate consolidation in media and entertainment has often left behind, demonstrating the value of supporting independent cultural production.