As Dark Side of the Ring returns for its seventh season, co-creator Evan Husney spoke with The Knockturnal about how the acclaimed wrestling documentary series continues to evolve, the challenge of telling TNA Wrestling’s story, and why some of the most requested episodes have never made it into production.
Season 7 opened this week with one of the series’ most anticipated subjects: the history of TNA Wrestling under Jeff Jarrett.
According to Husney, the project originally began as an ambitious six-hour standalone documentary titled Six Sides of TNA. As development continued, however, the filmmakers realized the story fit naturally within the Dark Side of the Ring format.
Condensing more than two decades of company history into a limited runtime proved to be one of the production’s biggest creative challenges. Husney explained that centering the story around Jeff Jarrett helped provide the documentary with a clear narrative throughline, although the team ultimately requested an additional hour from the network to ensure key moments weren’t left behind.
One notable absence from the documentary is Hulk Hogan, whose arrival marked a major chapter in TNA’s history. Husney explained that production of the TNA episodes started shortly after Hogan’s passing. Though Hogan was contacted for Vice’s Who Killed WCW documentary series, but never responded.
Looking back on the series’ journey, Husney said one of the biggest changes has been learning to trust a larger creative team.
Reflecting on the evolution of Dark Side of the Ring since its inception, Husney discussed the transition from a small, under-budgeted operation to a well-oiled production machine. Regarding the challenges of those early days and the subsequent growth of the team, Husney shared the following insight:
“I think this is kind of one of the things that I would say I’ve learned over the process is being able to be comfortable letting go in a way of letting others kind of come in, other great talents and great minds, and then trust in other people,” said Husney in regards of its growing staff.
That evolution has allowed the team to maintain the quality fans expect while taking on increasingly ambitious stories.
Husney also addressed two of the most frequently requested episodes from wrestling fans: Test and Hardbody Harrison.
Although both names regularly appear in fan discussions, he explained that Dark Side of the Ring has always been driven by firsthand accounts rather than simply recounting events.
In Hardbody Harrison’s case, the team have been unable to secure enough victim-centered interviews to tell the story responsibly. For those not in the know, Hardbody Harrison was a former professional wrestler who competed in WCW until 2001. He was convicted in 2008 on multiple federal charges related to sex trafficking and forced labor. He is currently serving a life sentence in federal prison.
“It just doesn’t feel like there’s an importance to it if you’re not able to kind of pair it with like a victim story who can really bring the emotional weight to it and the reason to tell the story,” said Husney
The same challenge exists with former WWE superstar Test. Husney said the production has struggled to find family members or close friends willing to participate, making it difficult to produce the type of intimate documentary the series is known for.
Rather than relying on public records or secondhand reporting, Dark Side of the Ring continues to prioritize firsthand storytelling. For Husney, every episode depends on the people willing to share their experiences, ensuring the series remains focused on the human stories behind professional wrestling’s biggest names.
