Dark Side Of The Ring Co-Creator Reveals The Series Was Nearly Given A Completely Different Name

Dark Side of the Ring has become one of the most recognizable documentary brands in professional wrestling, but according to co-creator and executive producer Evan Husney, the series nearly debuted under a completely different title.

Speaking on Talk Is Jericho, Husney recalled the early stages of developing the series, revealing that the production team considered several names before ultimately settling on Dark Side of the Ring.

“We had a lot of different titles that were floating around.

One of them was ‘Ring of Pain.’

We went back and forth on it quite a bit before finally landing on ‘Dark Side of the Ring.’”

While Husney admitted the title has become synonymous with the series, he also acknowledged that it has created challenges over the years, with some wrestlers assuming the show is designed to expose or attack the business.

“It’s the worst thing slash the best thing.

It’s become the brand, and it’s spawned all these other ‘Dark Side’ shows.

But when people hear ‘Dark Side,’ they immediately think it’s an exposé or that we’re trying to exploit the business.

That’s never really been our goal.

We’re interested in telling human, emotional stories in wrestling and helping people understand the people behind these careers.”

Chris Jericho agreed that the title continues to carry a stigma, noting that it can still make some wrestling personalities hesitant to participate in the series despite its success.

Ultimately, Husney said the name has become inseparable from the show’s identity, even if it wasn’t the only option considered during its development.

If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit Talk Is Jericho with a h/t to WrestlingHeadlines.com for the transcription.