WWE's Road Dogg Discusses Realism Of The Iron Claw Movie

"The Iron Claw" was one of the last films released in 2023, and the wrestling biopic has been garnering positive reviews from both critics as well as the general audience. It's not uncommon for wrestling enthusiasts to be harsh with their critiques, but even fans and those within the industry have complimented the movie. Speaking on a recent episode of "Oh, You Didn't Know?" WWE's Brian "Road Dogg" James explained his feelings on "The Iron Claw" while also admitting he hasn't seen it for himself just yet.

"It's reality, right?" James said, pointing out that the movie addresses mental health and substance abuse in the wrestling industry. "With the father they had and the father I had, I would imagine they were cut from similar cloths, and you didn't talk about your God darn feelings, you know what I mean? Just recently have we learned — oh, dudes can do that? That's cool?"

James said that some older people might view that as "the wussification of America," but he disagreed, feeling that talking about your emotions is a healthy thing for an adult to do. According to the WWE Hall of Famer, talking through his feelings rather than releasing his anger is something that he's still working on.

Telling the story of the Von Erich family, "The Iron Claw" focuses on Kevin, portrayed by Zac Efron. Over the course of the movie, Kevin experiences the loss of his brothers one after one, with drug use and mental health issues both playing important roles in the family's history. Though the film omitted one of the brothers, and "The Iron Claw" features some other changes from real life, it largely does a good job of accurately telling the story of the Von Erichs.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Oh, You Didn't Know?" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.