Barry Blaustein, the filmmaker behind the acclaimed wrestling documentary “Beyond the Mat,” has died at the age of 72 following battles with pancreatic cancer and Parkinson’s disease.

Blaustein’s passing was confirmed on Tuesday. He was best known in the wrestling world for writing, directing, producing, and narrating “Beyond the Mat,” the 1999 documentary that offered fans a rare behind the scenes look at the wrestling industry during the peak of the Attitude Era.

Before entering the wrestling world, Blaustein built a successful career in comedy, working on “Saturday Night Live” and alongside Eddie Murphy on several projects. That background helped shape “Beyond the Mat” into a documentary that mixed humor with emotional storytelling while also presenting the harsh physical and personal realities wrestlers faced behind the curtain.

The film centered around several notable wrestling figures including Mick Foley, Terry Funk, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, and New Jack. While ECW and WWE allowed Blaustein access for filming, WCW declined involvement. Vince McMahon later reportedly regretted approving WWE’s participation and chose not to support promotion of the documentary after its release.

One of the documentary’s most memorable moments focused on Foley’s brutal “I Quit” Match against The Rock at Royal Rumble 1999. The film showed Foley enduring repeated chair shots to the head while his wife and children watched from ringside. Later scenes captured Foley reflecting on the footage and admitting he felt guilty for putting his family through the experience.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Blaustein once called “Beyond the Mat” “the favorite thing he had ever done.” Although the documentary did not secure an Academy Award nomination, it was selected as one of the final 12 contenders for Best Documentary.

Blaustein revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017. Last month, he reportedly learned he was battling stage four pancreatic cancer.