WWE is officially leaning into America’s 250th birthday celebration with a brand-new documentary special set to air later this month.
According to Variety, USA Network will premiere “WWE: Made in America” on May 29 immediately following a new episode of WWE SmackDown. The special will then continue airing throughout June and again on July 4 as part of the network’s patriotic programming push.
The documentary will focus on WWE’s rise from a regional wrestling territory into a global entertainment giant while connecting that growth to American culture and identity over the last five decades.
Per the official description, the special explores WWE’s evolution “from the patriotic heroes of the 1980s all the way through to the newest generation of superstars continuing to further WWE’s American legacy.”
Joe Tessitore will serve as host for the documentary, while longtime WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia is set to perform “America the Beautiful” from Nashville as part of the special.
The documentary also features interviews with several major WWE names past and present, including Triple H, Cody Rhodes, The Undertaker, Booker T, Sgt. Slaughter, Kane, Matt Cardona, Carmelo Hayes, Natalya, Je’Von Evans, and others.
In the trailer for the project, Triple H directly compared WWE’s worldwide reach to America’s influence globally.
“WWE and the USA go hand in hand because, in many ways, I feel like we are America’s greatest export.”
The documentary was directed by Matt Braine, while Triple H, Lee Fitting, and Ben Houser are attached as executive producers on behalf of WWE.
WWE has continued aggressively expanding its mainstream media footprint over the last several years, and this latest documentary appears designed to further position the company as part of America’s entertainment identity heading into the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.
Do you think WWE’s history fits naturally into a patriotic documentary like this, or is the company leaning too hard into the branding? Let us know your thoughts and leave your feedback in the comments.
