If pro wrestling is life, and more and more it's looking like it is, "Queen of the Ring" is strictly a midcard affair.

This biopic of pioneering female wrestler Mildred Burke, known to fans as the Kansas Cyclone, has a distinct Lifetime movie quality to its execution. It paints in the broadest strokes possible, leaving little room for emotional subtlety, in its depictions of babyfaces and heels both inside and outside the squared circle.

Emily Bett Rickards plays Burke, a single mother who took to the world of "lady wrestling" in the 1930s — when it was still illegal in several states — and helped put it on the map, and make herself the first million dollar earner in women's sports.

She teams up with promoter Billy Wolfe, played as a villainous cad by Josh Lucas, who if he had a mustache he'd be twisting it constantly. Their relationship is topsy-turvy, to say the least: They marry, then become rivals due to his womanizing ways, but stay married as a business arrangement, even as Burke falls for Wolfe's son, George (Tyler Posey).

Burke starts out wrestling on the carnival circuit, graduating to indoor venues and eventually arenas as she chases championships and mainstream acceptance. She is joined by a stable of fellow grapplers whom she empowers and brings up with her, including Mae Young (Francesca Eastwood), Elvira Snodgrass (Marie Avgeropoulos) and June Byers (Kailey Farmer), played by both wrestlers and non-wrestlers alike. In-ring stars Toni Storm (as Clara Mortensen), Trinity "Naomi" Fatu (as Ethel Johnson) and Kamille (as Byers) also appear.

The rivalry between Burke and Wolfe takes center stage, even as various other promoters enter the fray, including Jack Pfefer (Walton Goggins) and Al Haft (Martin Kove). Writer and director Ash Avildsen, meanwhile, gives himself a cameo as Vince McMahon Sr., one of several moments designed to stoke recognition from modern fans. (To that end, pro wrestling personality Jim Cornette also appears in the film, playing the commissioner of the National Wrestling Alliance.)

"Queen of the Ring" is standard issue biopic fare, held back by a choppy narrative and a bloated running time that spills over the two-hour mark. Burke is an inspirational figure, to be sure, but she's reduced here to a virtuous presence constantly facing uphill battles and always coming out on top. The movie's in-ring action is so-so, never quite convincing but not so staged as to be unbelievable.

Recent years have seen several pro wrestling stories hit the big screen, including the emotionally wrenching "The Iron Claw" and the crowd-pleasing underdog tale "Fighting with My Family." "Queen of the Ring" doesn't measure up; it plays like a soap opera given the ESPN Classic treatment, fine for a career overview, but not quite ready for a title shot.

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'QUEEN OF THE RING'

Grade: C

MPA rating: PG-13 (for violence including domestic violence, strong language, suggestive material and smoking)

Running time: 2:10

How to watch: In theaters March 7

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