Ivan Markov

The most large-scale film ever made about Russian wrestling. The 20-year history of the Independent Wrestling Federation, the stories of its participants, archival footage, and much more.

A Russian wrestler enchanted by the United States plays the ultimate villain as the stars and stripes-clad character "American Hope” in Moscow's underground wrestling ring. It’s a Kremlin-run world far from the pageantry of USA pay-per-view popularity where the star-spangled red, white, and blue means the evil enemy and wrestlers slam into decrepit mats located in dingy basements. But Tim Maltser still dreams of becoming an American wrestling star like the larger-than-life WWF heroes of his childhood – and now he finally has his chance to gain notoriety by performing in a critical match for the coveted Moscow Championship Belt.