Backyard wrestling

From Bywpedia

Revision as of 10:38, 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 spawned by 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. 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, however, not completely phasing out weapons except most sharp ones. Also community, Backyard Revolution and Backyard Wrestling Link (BYWL) about the time were sites that presented many federations.

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.

Backyard wrestling history

Hundreds of videos are uploaded to the YouTube server on a monthly basis over all other video-sharing sites. Very selected amounts of videos have connected with a heavy audience and on a positive level as well. Some of the most viewed content, however, contain rep-damaging, reckless, untrained and often unbecoming backyard wrestling which only deepens the abomination surrounding the activity. Moreover, In 2006 since applying for an account, Australian-based In Your House Wrestling Alliance impacted and became the highest subscribed backyard wrestling channel on the service, professionally delivering their talent in a professional ring for popularity amongst millions of online audience sparking inspiration to foundation of new leagues. Lesser known now defunct trampoline federations Extreme Wrestling Alliance, Trampoline Championship Wrestling, and Steve and Ross Wrestling also were influences.

Steve and Ross Wrestling added furthermore to the history of the practice appealing to many with a semi-professional product of their own presenting their lookable area with colored curtains, a less bouncy trampoline ring and using a multi-camera set-up. They also ushered in the use of live video streaming to host profited supercard events, later selling them on DVD for extra revenue mostly required to maintain the needs of their establishment. As a result, federations have emerged trying to emulate them. A privately held federation XBW Wrestling, which spanned a longevity of a decade, was well-known in its prime and accumulated over 100 active fan members on their boards, even despite regularly promoting. Several alternate federation members were mainly XBW fans.

The biggest known community formerly was known as Backyard Wrestling Link until Global Backyard Wrestling News had surfaced and changed the face of that fact, attracting and playing home to over hundreds of federations that join the community. GBYWN is a household name in backyard wrestling, running all day and visited every day by predominantly backyard wrestlers. On YouTube, the largest assembled body of organizations on the Action 10 Network channel is the Georgia Wrestling Circuit, dubbed the "leading force in backyard wrestling", promoting and uploading various videos deriving from federations.

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