Popular Docuseries Spotlights The Tragic Life Of Idaho Wrestler

A troubled but groundbreaking professional wrestler from Idaho is getting his tragic story told nationally on the popular Vice docuseries Dark Side of the Ring.

The series, the most watched on the Vice Network, shares the controversial, tragic, and untold stories of professional wrestling. Currently, in its fifth season, Dark Side of the Ring has dove into subjects like the problematic relationship between Macho Man Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth, the death of Owen Hart, the murder-suicide of Chris Benoit and his family, and the infamous WWF airplane incident known as The Plane Ride from Hell.

The sixth episode of the current season features Orofino, Idaho-born wrestler Chris Colt, who was on the way to becoming one of the biggest stars in the industry. However, personal issues like substance abuse kept getting in his way and keeping him from attaining his full potential. His addiction to Colt is credited by some as being the first to use entrance music to enhance his character, which is done by all professional wrestlers today.  

He formed a tag team with fellow wrestler Ron Dupree, calling themselves The Hell's Angels. Known for their biker gang look, brawling style, and breaking the rules, the two also broke the mold by being openly gay at a time when it was stigmatized in America and even more so in sports.

Dupree unexpectedly passed away after having a heart attack in the ring, leaving Colt severely depressed. He found comfort in LSD, which he even used before matches, causing several incidents that put himself and other wrestlers at risk of severe injuries.  In one instance, he thought he saw giant spiders climbing into the ring during a match.  

After the wrestling industry collectively moved on from him, Chris Colt became a porn star.  Sadly, Colt passed away at age 48 in a Seattle homeless shelter in 1995. No autopsy was performed to get a proper cause of death. Still, it is widely believed to have been from an accidental overdose.  

The episode does a great job of telling the story without making him a hero or a villain, but rather a human man with struggles that began in childhood, took away his potential, and ultimately his life.

You can watch the entire episode here: