Global Backyard Wrestling News
From Bywpedia
| Global Backyard Wrestling Nation | |
| |
| Details | |
| Acronym | GBYWN |
| Established | 2006 |
| Creator | Cam |
| Key People | Cam (Owner) D.Miller (Scout Chief) Jake Xinn (Music & Graphics Manager) |
| Type of site | Forum |
| Formerly | Global Backyard Wrestling News, Backyard Wrestling News |
| Advertising | YouTube BYWTube |
| Federations under banner | 200+ |
| Current status | Very Active |
| External links | GBYWN Website |
Global Backyard Wrestling News (GBYWN) is a globally outreaching, backyard wrestling social, media-sharing online forum community devised and owned by Cam in 2006 as well as an alliance of federations converged with Battle Born Wrestling (BBW) known as "Global Backyard Wrestling Nation" which is operated by Rad Hazard.
Through skepticism and effort contributed, the community rose from scratch to predominant popularity beginning in 2007 eventually surpassing top predecessor such as Backyard Wrestling Link. Attributed much to its early success was its 24/7 operation and attractive multi-featured urban-like community. Multiple backyard wrestling federations have been integrated varying in style and quality and given entitlement to promoting their videos within.
GBYWN is currently remains as the highest commercialized backyard wrestling site with over 1000+ registered members and generally seen by a handful to be the modern and preeminent backyard wrestling social online following.
Contents |
History
Origin
In early 2006, Shawn Kozone (only known by that name then) opened a wrestling site called Wrestlezone 4000 in which did news coverage on professional wrestling companies but the site would be hacked. Kozone became aware of backyard wrestling, but however, held no initial interest until Dreadvenom (The Frank) of Backyard Wrestling Association got his attention diverted to BWA which Kozone only knew of.
In March 2006, after creating a freewebs wrestling site entitled 321wrestling under the slogan "we got two words for you, suck it" borrowing a catchphrase from World Wrestling Entertainment's D-Generation X, while in competition with two of his friends' more successful 365wrestling site on freewebs, Kozone closed his site going on hiatus from freewebs, testing Tripod that met his disapproval, sending him back to freewebs in June to create new wrestling site, 500wrestling to allegedly overthrow 365wrestling.
His interest furthered in backyard wrestling at the discovery of backyard wrestling site National New Age Alliance (NNAA) operated by The Frank, that promoted several heard-of internet promotions, inspiring Kozone to form his own federation alongside his brother City Boy and friend, Wild Wyatt known as Brutal Backyard Wrestling (later turning into Carolina Xtreme Wrestling). In September, following the folding of 500wrestling, Kozone was prompted to adopt a nickname - Cam (later notorious in the backyard wrestling community), going under ownership of said biggest WWE and TNA news site ever on freewebs, 123pin.
Shortly, Cam formed a backyard wrestling-oriented freewebs subsite, Backyard Wrestling News (BYWN), incorporated to 123pin without expectation of exceeding. When the subsite began surpassing the status of his most successful wrestling site, he immediately terminated it for BYWN.
Backyard Wrestling News (2006-2007)
For starters, BYWN was a small site with mere visitation, thus fuelling the need to develop and mass advertise it virtually. Cam provided constant updates and promoted it across countless freeweb wrestling sites pulling in many backyard wrestlers as the guestbook began hosting frequent conversations. Interviews, ranking and competitive community features including "Federation of the Week" and "Federation of the Month" took implementation which assisted to grow interest in BYWN.
Not easily succeeding with a non-professional website receiving some accusations and criticism of being of "bland and unprofessional nature", BYWN underwent outlook modification for further attractiveness as changes to BYWN were made giving it an urban, hang-out-spot feeling, continuously offering a guestbook, the addition of forums (that were initially barely visited), embedded videos, and additional rap music themed in the background for a brief point.
The regulation then was to join the community and stay participated for promotional advantages as opposed to just only visit to promote, where applicants were granted full accessibility to promotional rights which was later for a time earned through a money system called "GBYWN Dollars" and federation qualifications. Subsequently, Cam realized the worldwide outreach to backyard wrestlers and federations and renamed Backyard Wrestling News as Global Backyard Wrestling News.
Global Backyard Wrestling News (2007-2009)
 Photo snapshot of the GBYWN Forum. |
In January 2007, GBYWN faced the arrival of a community known as World Backyard Wrestling (WBYW) attempting to rival and desparage them, but proceeded blossoming with its multiple assembled federations under banner, gaining fandom and favoritism and becoming a household name among all backyard wrestling communities taking the lead over a community once at its highest popularity, Backyard Wrestling Link.
In July, the community Breakfall.net (BFN) premiered online primarily focused with Australian backyard wrestling federations as GBYWN accomplished a rival relationship with them overtime, who criticized GBYWN's and once wrote gossip columns to ridicule their operation, most notiably, the "GBYWN Dollars" feature. Moreover, being the more active, commercialized and "global outreaching" of a community than the competitor, the opposition grew further stagnant. Soon, GBYWN gradually acquired a short URL address using bigbig.com and also, WBYW became non-existent towards the end of the year.
Late 2007 to early 2008, set grounds for a denigrating time for the growing forums after a disturbing series of misconducts on behalf of assigned moderators incensed with the "GBYWN Power 25" feature designed to rank backyard wrestlers and federations. Actions included deleting topics and later evolved to the postings of obscene pornographic material and other thought-provoking activities impressing with distrust and prompting near borderline closure of the site. After issues were finally resolved, it caused features that arose problems to be discontinued before the forum was redesigned with the addition of a portal, and chatbox, later defeating the purpose of having the main website.
Considering this incident had done GBYWN all wrong, it factually somewhat strengthened the community and common unity and led to the beginning of a genesis forging forward as a sturdy, but still controversial site consistently renewing to retain interest. Successfully following years, GBYWN finally got a professional domain at thegbywn.com in 2009.
Global Backyard Wrestling Nation (2009-present)
A collaborative concept came between a discussion involving Battle Born Wrestling (BBW) Owner Rad Hazard and GBYWN Owner Cam. As an idea formed into a plan, Hazard exclusively broke on the premiere episode of his reincarnated Backyard Wrestling Weekly webcast in November 2009 that both alliances would converge for the result of Global Backyard Wrestling Nation which shortly took effect. With this agreement passing through, Hazard was made head honcho of the fused alliances and commenced in inducting federations into the GBYWN alliance on his show. Over a course of episodes for the first time ever, the GBYWN End Year Awards ( that was for 2009) was featured in a media presentation.
Because Hazard was against the alliance itself being connected with the community, and as well as Cam's decision, GBYWN reverted back to Global Backyard Wrestling News.
Features and Challenges
 The GBYWN Spring Challenge 2009 banner. |
GBYWN has utilized a number of features and challenges in maintaining a socially-attractive, virtually home-appealing mixed-age-group community filled with mostly backyard wrestlers allowing members to converse, share media and promote themselves. A chat box entitled the “GBYWN Shoutbox”, one of many other features formerly used on its website, is an applied addition to the forums which gives all personnel, interactive conversing privileges within the forum community.
Many of other competitive features incorporated into the community had only precipitated disputes between the backyard wrestlers, who cited some decisions as “unjust” and “inaccurate” leading to its disuse, coupled with the fact that it weighed in heavy on the hands of community owner, Cam, who was generally responsible for its updates that required to be alleviated to bring equilibrium between his life responsibilities.
With that, GBYWN retired features such as the GBYWN Power 25 which was a ranking board accused as being a biased system that rewarded backyard wrestlers for victories rather than skill. “GBYWN Dollars” which stood for a money system, that was once temporarily implemented to give those representing their federations who partook in community games, contests and activities such as the fantasy wrestling "GBYWN Backyard Simulation Game", unofficial dollars eligible for purchasing promotion for their federation, however, is now used as forum reward points that can be used towards things such as graphics. Cam had also retired "GBYWN Weekly" and "Monthly Awards", prior to abandoning in the use of the main site, now only serving as a redirect link.
Site features
- GBYWN Backyard Simulation Wrestling Game: Was a fantasy wrestling game which allows one to become a GM and manage bookings of events in their fantasy league that appear in typewritten results involving backyard wrestlers from various real-life backyard wrestling federations.
- GBYWN Dollars: Stands for a money system, which was once implemented to reward unofficial dollars to those representing their federations who partook in community games, contests and activities the eligibility to purchase promotion or a right. It has recently been brought back and is being used as a reputation scale, whereas, posts made by all in the community are approved or disapproved on a "+" or "-" vote that arise and decrease reputation within.
- GBYWN Music: An archive of royalty free music for backyard wrestlers composed by Jake Xinn and Fatality.
- GBYWN Pro Wrestling Game: Was a game that rewards points for casting predictions on pro wrestling bookings.
- GBYWN Cribz: A feature that allows members to record videos based on their personal living.
- GBYWN Columns: Was a blogging feature used for members to advertise and discuss feelings.
- GBYWN Power 25: Was a ranking system that promoted ascension on grounds of victories and popularity more than ability and eventually stirred controversy in the community leading to its discontinuation.
Challenges
- GBYWN Spring Challenge: This is the biggest aunnual competition in GBYWN occurring around spring, permitting any and everyone involved within to partake. The concept behind the competitive feature is that participants record and submit a match of any kind that must be full-length, which will be judged by special personnel of the community known as "Big Bros" upon review based on varying factors such as wrestling ability, psychology, match flow, and overall entertainment value. Previously, decisions were only made solely by Cam.
- GBYWN Tag Team Challenge: An annual challenge which bases on Tag team matches. The best tag match is rewarded.
- GBYWN Promo Challenge: An annual challenge that emphasizes competition on promo skills. The best promo is rewarded.
- GBYWN Talent Show: Was a contest that allowed participants to showcase any ability in or outside of backyard wrestling.
- GBYWN Head 2 Head (H2H): Was a weekly challenge which placed backyard wrestling federation videos against one another competitively for vote issued to the better video.
BYWTube
 BYWTube Logo. |
In wake of action taken by copyright owners requesting mutation and/or removal of videos containing infringement on YouTube, backyard wrestling videos have become victimized as a result for possessing unpermitted borrowed material from various bands and music artists. As a back-up source, Cam created Backyard Wrestling Tube (BYWTube) on a custom social media-sharing network, Ning, that is steadily gaining more members.
Federations
- Main article: GBYWN Federations
Over 200+ distinctive backyard wrestling federations have aligned themselves with GBYWN since 2006. With the fact that several promotions have shuttered, there are still a very abundant amount of organizations still running today with GBYWN including 2KW, Indiana Championship Wrestling, BWA/FWA, 2 Xtreme Wrestling Syndicate, Northeast Championship Wrestling, and several more.
Championships
These GBYWN championships are assigned to federations of different geographical territories and must be also regionally contested and defended within assigned location. The GBYWN World, Womens' World, and Tag Team Championships do however have no boundaries.
Awards
- Main article: Global Backyard Wrestling News awards
