Frederick Kroetsch Talks Directing 'Dangerous Breed,' Teddy Hart And His Cats, Samantha Fiddler's Disappearance, And More! - Exclusive

If you are looking for a pro wrestling version of "Tiger King" to binge (and really, who isn't), look no further than Frederick Kroetsch's new Peacock docuseries, "Dangerous Breed."

The premise of the project seemed simple enough in the beginning. Kroetsch had befriended the wild and colorful pro wrestler Teddy Hart, an eccentric member of the legendary Hart dynasty who was known by fans for his innovative moveset inside the ring and cat breeding business outside of it. He seemed like the perfect subject for Kroetsch to build a reality show around. As filming progressed, however, Kroetsch slowly start to uncover a significantly seedier side of Hart's life, including extremely questionable behavior with his multiple girlfriends and the eventual disappearance of one of them, Samantha Fiddler.

In this exclusive interview with Wrestling Inc. Senior News Editor Nick Hausman, Kroetsch opens up about the process of filming "Dangerous Breed," getting to know Teddy Hart, the disappearance of Samantha Fiddler, and more.

"Dangerous Breed" is now available to stream on Peacock.

Nick Hausman: How did you first meet Teddy Hart?

Frederick Kroetsch: It was many years ago that I first met Teddy — I think 10 or 11 years. I was filming a documentary about indie prairie wrestling promotions. Some of the wrestlers I met told me about a wild and unpredictable wrestler named Teddy. Since everyone was so damn nice in the prairie wrestling circuit, I decided I should meet Teddy and add an over-the-top character to my project. Eventually I decided to just follow Teddy, and frame the show around him and his unusual mansion menagerie.

When was the first time you realized Teddy might have a dangerous edge to him?

There were little moments where I would see a look in Teddy's eye, but usually I just chocked that up to marijuana. The people that hung around him said nice things about him. I didn't fully realize what was going on until The Calgary Sun published an article about his charges. Then my world caved in and I was forced to re-evaluate things.

Were you ever compelled to help the women or others around Teddy when they talked about his abusiveness?

I helped get Teddy on a plane and flew him to Canada, where he was arrested. At the time, I felt it was the best I could do for everyone. I asked everyone questions and listened to their stories.

Did you ever worry about the safety and health of Teddy's cats?

Yes I worried about his cats!!!! I still do!

At first I thought it was kind of cool, having so many cats. I didn't know that much about cats before I met Teddy. I started getting fascinated with them. I even wound up making a little TV series about cats. And then I slowly realized many of the cats at his mansion weren't living the greatest lives. By the time I fully realized this, most of the cats had been sent to shelters and Teddy was living in Texas. Some of his cats wound up with his parents. Those cats are living their best lives.

How did Teddy's demeanor change when you started confronting him about the allegations around Samantha Fiddler?

Teddy was always changing the subject.

Did you ever feel in danger while trying to confront Teddy with the facts?

I know Teddy is physically strong and unpredictable. Yet he was usually non-threatening to me.

Do you feel in danger now that the docuseries is out?

A reporter once told me, "Don't read the comments."

Why do you think Teddy does not want to help finding out what happened to Samantha Fiddler?

It's confusing. Sometimes he says he wants to help, other times he says he doesn't care. What is the truth? I guess, let the audience decide.

You note at the end of the series that you don't think Teddy probably killed Samantha. What do you think happened to her?

I don't know what happened to her. I have some theories. Everyone who worked on this project has theories. I hope that the police find some tangible leads soon.

Have you had any recent contact with Teddy? If so, what was that like?

We haven't had a long conversation since filming.

Were there any scenes that were shot that were too crazy for the docuseries?

Yup.

How has working on this project affected your perception of pro wrestling?

I met so many amazing people in the world of wrestling. I can't emphasize enough how many nice people I met. I didn't initially realize how damn hard wrestlers work at what they do, how much talent and persistence it takes, how much a bump can hurt.

However, like every subculture, it has its dark corners. I became fascinated by the concept of kayfabe. As a documentary filmmaker, I'm fascinated by the intersection of narrative and non-narrative elements, and Teddy was the ultimate act of Kayfabe. Who was the wrestler, who was the man behind the wrestler? It was a constantly shifting skein: What was fact and what was fiction?

What would be your advice to someone who wants to become a pro wrestler after this?

I'm not an expert on pro wrestling, but I know almost every community has some kind of wrestling community. Just be careful and do your research.

What is your next project? Do you have any plans to continue making pro wrestling content?

Weirdly enough, I'm making a behind-the-scenes documentary about a wrestling horror movie right this moment. So everyday I'm still surrounded by wrestlers and...horror.