Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
After leaving the WWF with permanent injuries, “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff hoped his days of putting his body on the line were behind him. But after losing his life savings in a financial scheme, the wrestling legend found himself needing to return to the only business he knew.
Orndorff resurfaced in 1990, working for the UWF and independent promotions before joining Smoky Mountain Wrestling. Despite the nerve damage that had caused severe atrophy in his right arm, he found ways to conceal his injury and continued wrestling to provide for his family.
In 1993, Orndorff signed with WCW, where he was eventually given an unusual spin on his iconic “Mr. Wonderful” persona involving celebrity psychic Gary Spivey—a storyline his son Travis admits he hated.
By 1999, years of injuries and constant pain led Orndorff behind the scenes at WCW’s Power Plant, where he trained a new generation of wrestlers and hoped to pass on his legacy.
But when Orndorff stepped back into the ring at age 50 against some of his own trainees, an attempted piledriver on Mark Jindrak went disastrously wrong, leaving the wrestling legend unable to get back to his feet.
Featuring Travis Orndorff, Jim Cornette, Arn Anderson and B. Brian Blair, this is the story of the difficult final chapter of Paul Orndorff’s legendary in-ring career.
Watch Dark Side of the Ring: Saving Paul Orndorff.
About Dark Side of the Ring:
Professional wrestling is the only sport whose stars live in two worlds, balancing their in-ring characters with real life. Dark Side of the Ring examines the complex intersections of fantasy and reality while uncovering wrestling's dark, untold history. Season 7 goes deeper than ever with a three-part odyssey into TNA through the eyes of Jeff Jarrett, in-depth profiles of classic stars Paul Orndorff and Big Boss Man, and a gripping breakdown of the violent clash between Samoa Joe and Necro Butcher.
#wrestling #paulorndorff #wrestlinghistory
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Why Paul Orndorff Was Forced Back Into the Ring | Dark Side of the Ring
After leaving the WWF with permanent injuries, “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff hoped his days of putting his body on the line were behind him. But after losing his life savings in a financial scheme, the wrestling legend found himself needing to return to the only business he knew.
Orndorff resurfaced in 1990, working for the UWF and independent promotions before joining Smoky Mountain Wrestling. Despite the nerve damage that had caused severe atrophy in his right arm, he found ways to conceal his injury and continued wrestling to provide for his family.
In 1993, Orndorff signed with WCW, where he was eventually given an unusual spin on his iconic “Mr. Wonderful” persona involving celebrity psychic Gary Spivey—a storyline his son Travis admits he hated.
By 1999, years of injuries and constant pain led Orndorff behind the scenes at WCW’s Power Plant, where he trained a new generation of wrestlers and hoped to pass on his legacy.
But when Orndorff stepped back into the ring at age 50 against some of his own trainees, an attempted piledriver on Mark Jindrak went disastrously wrong, leaving the wrestling legend unable to get back to his feet.
Featuring Travis Orndorff, Jim Cornette, Arn Anderson and B. Brian Blair, this is the story of the difficult final chapter of Paul Orndorff’s legendary in-ring career.
Watch Dark Side of the Ring: Saving Paul Orndorff.
About Dark Side of the Ring:
Professional wrestling is the only sport whose stars live in two worlds, balancing their in-ring characters with real life. Dark Side of the Ring examines the complex intersections of fantasy and reality while uncovering wrestling's dark, untold history. Season 7 goes deeper than ever with a three-part odyssey into TNA through the eyes of Jeff Jarrett, in-depth profiles of classic stars Paul Orndorff and Big Boss Man, and a gripping breakdown of the violent clash between Samoa Joe and Necro Butcher.
#wrestling #paulorndorff #wrestlinghistory
Follow VICE TV:
Website | vicetv.com
Channel Finder | vicetv.com/en_us/channel-finder
Facebook | facebook.com/vicetv
Twitter | https://x.com/vicetv
Instagram | instagram.com/vicetv
TikTok | tiktok.com/@viceontv
Why Paul Orndorff Was Forced Back Into the Ring | Dark Side of the Ring
