“GLOW,” a series from Netflix that ran for three seasons in the late 2010s — before, frustratingly, seeing its announced fourth season canceled during the pandemic — showed that women’s professional wrestling could be a colorful backdrop for storytelling.

Now comes “Queen of the Ring,” an uneven but relatively entertaining film in theaters this week trafficking in that same world, albeit at a different time. Whereas ‘GLOW” was set during the 1980s, “Queen of the Ring” takes us from the 1930s through the 1940s and into the ’50s, getting into what is considered pro wrestling’s first golden age.

Based on Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jeff Leen’s nonfiction book “The Queen of the Ring: Sex, Muscles, Diamonds, and the Making of an American Legend,” the Ash Avildsen-penned and -directed movie primarily is a biopic about Mildred Burke, a longtime champ who is considered to be the first female athlete to earn $1 million. However, Avildsen populates the story with so many secondary characters that the narrative can get a little lost while venturing down side streets that rarely lead to anywhere meaningful.

“Queen of the Ring” is anchored by the rock-solid performance as the determined and dedicated Mildred by Emily Bett Rickards, best known for portraying Felicity Smoak/Overwatch on “Arrow” and other Arrowverse series.

After being introduced to Mildred during a championship match in 1954, to which Avildsen will return us in the film’s climactic stretch, we begin in Ernest with a teenage Mildred waitressing in her mom’s restaurant. She yearns for a more exciting life, and she’s sure she knows what that life will look like after attending a pro wrestling match.

Soon, she’s begging a wrestler she saw at the show, Billy Wolfe (Josh Lucas), to train her. He resists but, of course, soon relents and quickly becomes impressed. Billy’s a promoter, too, and he sees a payday in Mildred — she’s talented AND beautiful — even if two women aren’t allowed to wrestle each other in public in many states.

Josh Lucas’ Billy Wolf works to convince Emily Bett Rickards’ Mildred Burke they should be business and romantic partners in a scene from “Queen of the Ring.” (Courtesy of Sumerian Pictures)

As a romance blossoms, they start out on the traveling-carnival circuit, with Millie wrestling men for 25 cents. If a man bests her, he scores $25. However, best her he will not.

Emily Bett Rickards and Josh Lucas appear in a scene from “Queen of the Ring.” (Submitted)

Thanks to her ability and showmanship, Mildred, aka “The Kansas Cyclone,” draws enthusiastic responses from crowds, as well as women who want to be just like her, these wrestling hopefuls traveling many miles in the hope of impressing Billy. He is only too happy to train them in the very intimate way we’d seen him interact with Mildred, and his behavior with them threatens both the personal and business relationships between Mildred and him.

As the years pass, the popularity of the scripted sport grows, and women are allowed to wrestle each other in more states. More women join Billy and Mildred’s business — among them are Francesca Eastwood’s Mae Young, Deborah Ann Woll’s Gladys Gillem and Damaris Lewis’ Babs Wingo, who leads a trio of Black women grapplers — and Mildred grows closer to Billy’s son, George William “G. Bill” Wolfe (Tyler Posey).

Along the way, Mildred develops rivalries with wrestlers Clara Mortensen (Toni Storm), who had been dominating out in “Clarafornia”; Nell Stewart (Kelli Berglund), younger and prettier at this point and Billy’s new favorite; and the bigger, stronger and meaner June Byers (pro wrestler Kamille), whom she fights in the high-stakes 1954 match.

“Queen of the Ring” also features the dependable Walton Goggins (“Justified,” “The White Lotus”) as a wrestling promoter, but, as with several other supporting players, he doesn’t have enough to do here.

At more than two hours, “Queen of the Ring” is longer than it needs to be to tell a dramatized version of Burke’s story but not long enough to do justice to some of the other characters or to address the sexism and racism of the period.

Emily Bett Rickards portrays wrestling great Mildred Burke in “Queen of the Ring.” (Courtesy of Sumerian Pictures)

“Queen of the Ring” acknowledges that matches have a predetermined outcome while also wanting to wring out all the drama it can within the ropes. This movie makes sure we are aware of the concept of a “shoot” match — one NOT predetermined, as the big grudge match between Burke and Byers is said to have been.

This mostly works, as does the movie as a whole when it keeps the spotlight on Mildred. It’s far from perfect, but it does give off a certain glow.

(“Queen of the Ring” contains violence including domestic violence, strong language, suggestive material and smoking)

‘QUEEN OF THE RING’

At the AMC Boston Common, Causeway, South Bay Center and suburban theaters

Grade: B-