Backyard wrestling

From Bywpedia

Revision as of 14:18, 9 August 2009

Backyard wrestling (BYW), is a recreational underground practice loosely connected to professional wrestling and is followed by critical and disputed perspection for its unsanctioned, unprofessional nature officially popularized during professional wrestling's height of success commonly known as the Monday Night Wars.

Practiced by predominantly males 12-30 with usually (but varies) lack of training, backyard wrestling sparked an immense trend, and attention among media and society during its early reckless modern hardcore period from roughly 1996 to early 2000's before a change in shift after it ended in 2001, switching in style and somewhat technical professionalism in accordance to the conclusion of the Wars.

Backyard wrestling is a loose term that can occur anywhere from a park, field to an actual backyard and has become completely reliant on spreading home-filmed events, matches and videos via public access television and internet which were both an upgrade from distributing videos person-to-person retrospectively. Many organizations identity themselves using a federation name, such so that, they can be recalled by followers. The largest standing community visited for the practice today is known quite commonly as Global Backyard Wrestling News (GBYWN). A few topflight practitioners include William Black, Shawn Matthews, Chris Cryptic, Matt Demorest, and AJ Badd.

At this time, the current top backyard wrestling federations is firstly the Australia-based In Your House Wrestling Alliance and the supremist federation alliance Global Wrestling Circuit which also includes top federations Breakthrough Wrestling Entertainment (BWE) and 2KW, both also independently on its own in Georgia and New York respectively.

History

Practice and similarities to pro wrestling

Between 1996 to 2001, the focus of matches rested on a reckless, uncoordinated style showcasing risky stunts and "high spots" (or falls) typically off rooftops and ladders and relied heavily on sharp or dangerous weaponry such as barbed wire, tables, plywood, fire, glass and fluorescent lamps following after xtreme wrestling companies, Xtreme Pro Wrestling (XPW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). About 2001 forward, the practice slowly and effectively lessened in that area becoming a little more organized, "booked" and planned like pro wrestling, and working to execute better technical and athetic professional wrestling skills using opinionated advise and regular practice, though, wrestling moves require years upon perfection to perform at a safe degree. Thus, it has still come to the controversial concerns and rebuttal of many, primarily professional wrestling reforms and personalities.

Backyard wrestling stands as an ambiguous and loose title because as it is often practiced in backyards or any location such as parks, fields, garages, playgrounds, vacant lots, warehouses, living rooms, barns, basements, and school gyms inexplicably. Commonly, professional wrestling promotions construct a professional wrestling ring to host their events in a backyard while other non-professional federations decide to build a professional or home-made ring. Trampolines, that minimize injury, as well as bases and mattresses are also utilized, but some choose to wrestle on bare ground heightening a big risk for such a injury liable practice.

Like in professional wrestling, backyard wrestling generates interest through creating storylines and gimmicks, some which slightly or fully follow inspirational favorites in professional wrestling or are of their own creation. In further noting, connoisseurs of the sport often criticize backyard wrestling for being more sloppy and not well-premeditated as professional wrestling due to such claimed absurd gimmicks and storylines it presents. With creativity and organization known as two key elements for achieving success in wrestling, backyard wrestling lacks a majority of it.

1980's to the 1990's Extreme hardcore era

Before the mid-90's hit, the earliest reports on backyard wrestling were referenced pleasantly as a friendly presentation and more notiably with NWF Kids Pro Wrestling, which amounted to a national cable viewed local promotion in Minnesota. Many a backyard wrestling organizations at the times were in the era where pro wrestling on television featured a PG-rated kid-friendly approach with characters like Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Ultimate Warrior and Sting.

Circa 1990's, there was an increased risk in wrestling with focus on "high risk" manuevers and dangerous stunts. By the time WWE (then WWF) implemented "The Attitude Era" in the Monday Night Wars against WCW, the underground sport fully launched into a drastic, violent form which negatively impacted media and society leading many to view backyard wrestling with disgust no more than professional wrestling.

Mostly male teenagers, frequently risked their lives in suicidal attempted dives, jumps, falls and bumps and used sharp and dangerous objects and weapons performing matches with flaming tables, lighttubes, thumbtacks, and sharp metal tools such as barbed wire and cheese graters in a reckless, blood-craven act in a growing competition of who had the strongest hardcore name, could be the most hardcore and could consistently conceive creative ways to be so, mostly influenced by the extreme pro wrestling companies XPW, ECW and CZW, seen as an aversion to many. Some of the more known federations at this time was the innovative CWF and Modesto Championship Wrestling (MCW), a federation featured in the backyard wrestling documentary, The Backyard. Parents who bystood, witnessed such events in horror and concern for their children who took part in it.

Furthermore, around the time the promotions had shuttered or toned their extreme reputation down, backyard wrestling trailed behind allowing grounds for less danger, also leading to the inevitable event that the heavy bleeding and weapon use fell from popularity. Factually that the "craze" began in 1996 and started declining in 1999 and 2000, it decreased in popularity after heightened negative attention and general unpopular view by reforms and many others sinking its infamous status, but not completely wiping it out while few active messages boards and videos remain shared on the internet.

Move to Independent circuit in 2000's

Around 2000, realization surfaced that such dangerous activities in backyard wrestling had harsh physical realities as resourceful professional wrestling information became disclosed and many chose the way of a rain of opening professional wrestling schools which offered proper training for the particularly skilled.

More of the younger independent wrestlers concede to having experience in backyard wrestling, viewing it as a hobby while performing professionally, because whereas, wrestling professionally is under strict commands by a booker or promotor, but backyarders can host their very own recreation with their friends and/or family. Futhermore, training in a backyard wrestling environment carries a heavy negative perspective in the eyes of professionals.

Backyard wrestling: 2001 to present

2001 had marked the majority end of the sheer brutality on which backyard wrestling relied on, and from there, federations began to become more like professional wrestling in terms of "booking" and planning out wrestling matches to decide winners. Athletic and technical expression started to be heavily used as those frowned over the past and sought to commence showing that backyarders now have improved and have talent compared to then showcasing varyingly some quite talented content, however, weapons were not completely phased out except most sharp instruments. Also community, Backyard Revolution and Backyard Wrestling Link (BYWL) about this time were sites that presented many federations on it.

By 2005, federations like Championship Wrestling Association (CWA) debuted, a not exactly original but a highly talented group of performers as well as the premiere of In Your House Wrestling Alliance (IYHWA), an original aussie federation and one of the major milestones in the practice having being a top interest on the internet under the genre. In 2006, Global Backyard Wrestling News (GBYWN) was opened by Cam and till today has been the biggest community surpassing today's alternatives and although knowing pro wrestling companies deny the practice as any experience, backyard wrestlers continue to enjoy it as being fun, and all in the act of socialism, and also a pre-preparation for testing skill and dedication before financing pro careers.

Backyard wrestling history

The history of backyard wrestling depicts its change from reckless violence to a recreational pro wrestling similarity sport in accordance to what major companies WWE and TNA present on television today.

• Crossen and Charley "Luxury" Lane, both then backyard wrestlers, upstarted their own kids' professional league known as "Kids Quad Cities Pro Wrestling" in March 1984 which subsequently become NWF Kids Pro Wrestling and amounted to a national cable viewed promotion. Twin Cities based promoter and trainer Eddie Sharkey actually co-promoted a sold-out wrestling event that featured matches from both Pro Wrestling America (PWA) and NWF Kids Pro Wrestling at the American Legion Hall in Champlin, MN in November 1986.

• Australian-based In Your House Wrestling Alliance (IYHWA) premiering in 2006 became the highest subscribed backyard wrestling channel on YouTube as a topflight and quite fanned semi-pro-like federation and holds the distinction of having over a million views for their very first uploaded video.

• Steve and Ross Wrestling (SnR) based in Wisconsin once a WWE-imitating federation before going original, summed over 2,000,000 in total viewership of all their videos and were possibly the first to ever host live streamed backyard wrestling broadcasts on internet also making some profit with DVD sales.

• Backyard Wrestling Link (BYWL) was once the best known community site devoted to backyard wrestling, however in 2006, Global Backyard Wrestling News (BYWL) was devised shortly taking over as one of the most visited and interactive BYW sites going today.

Controversy and media

Communities

A line of unknown communities dedicated to the practice date back to the late 1990's, where message boards were utilized for communication before technology improved. One from 2002 was Backyard Revolution. In 2006, there was National New Age Alliance and National Backyard Wrestling. Those still remaining today are Global Backyard Wrestling News, Breakfall.net, Backyard Wrestling Link, Backyard Wrestling Talk, and Backyard Wrestling World.

Professional movies and media

Movies

• Backyard Dogs (1999)

Documentaries

• The Backyard (2002)
• Down and Dirty in the Yard: The UWA Story (2002)
• Lock Up Your Sons (2003)
• NWF Kids Pro Wrestling: The Untold Story (2005)
• Keryn Hunter'd: Backyard Battler (2007)
• XBW Blood, Sweat, and Egos (Not yet released)
• Inside The Backyard (Not yet released)

Television

• MTVs True Life: I'm A Backyard Wrestler
• The Ricki Lake Show episode entitled "Backyard Bloodbath!"

Video games

• Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home
• Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes the Neighborhood