No Holds Barred

No Holds Barred centers on Rip, a professional wrestling champion who is loyal both to his fans and to the television network that carries his matches. That loyalty is tested when Brell, the new head of a rival network, tries to lure him away. Rip turns the offer down, and the conflict shifts: Brell sets out to find or create a wrestler capable of ending Rip's career, a search that brings the imposing Zeus into the picture.

The film was directed by Thomas J. Wright, whose features include Torchlight (1984), this 1989 release, and Unspeakable (2003). Dennis Hackin wrote the screenplay, Michael I. Rachmil produced, and the cast is led by Hulk Hogan as Rip, Tommy Lister Jr. as Zeus, Joan Severance as Samantha Moore, Kurt Fuller as Brell, David Paymer as Unger, and Jesse Ventura as Commentator #1.

Produced by New Line Cinema on a budget of 8 million dollars, the film took in 16 million dollars worldwide, roughly doubling its production cost. Audience scores are low: on IMDb it holds 4.4/10 from around 7,600 votes, and on TMDB 4.7/10 from about 121 votes. A film critics' rating of 3/10 from 21 reviews places critical response below even those modest audience figures.