Topic: This is not Backyard Wrestling
By: Mike Rispoli
Welcome all to the first ever addition of Rispoli Rants. I'm Rispoli, and I'll be your guide through the mind of an avid wrestling fan, and I'm not just a fan of wrestling, but the business in general. This weeks topic is on backyard wrestling, and why I consider us, the EJW, a step up from other backyard feds.
We have all seen the specials on 20/20, and we all have seen the "wrestlers" jumping off their roofs and using cheese graters on their friends' head. That's all fine and dandy, but I have one problem... it's not wrestling! Sorry fellas, if you're reading this, but to be quite honest, in my eyes, you are not wrestlers. I am not saying I disapprove of what you do, or that I have no respect for you. I do, and I love hardcore stuff. But what you do is not gonna help you become better wrestlers. We all love Foley and you guys seem to be imitating him. It's not helping you become any closer to stepping into a real ring. I just don't see the sense in what you guys do. Why must you jump off your house and squash your friend onto a flaming table, or take a pizza cutter and slit your buddy's head open? I've heard them say, "It's fun". It's fun? Are you kidding me? But whatever, if it makes you sleep better at night knowing that you could have sent your friend to the hospital, then godspeed to you.
Onto EJW. We are not your typical "backyard" fed. I consider us to be what I call "underground" wrestling. This type of wrestling consists of putting on a show, interviews, giving characters angles, and taking certain safety pre-cautions. Now, I'm not saying we are the only fed. I have seen plenty. One of the most well-known backyard feds is the BackYard Wrestling Federation (BYWF). They put on great shows, have good interviews, and it seems that they are careful NOT to kill their friends. And they have fun! I'm not one to say that you have to be EXTRA careful and not do big stunts, but we and the BYWF are sensible enough not to injure our fellow wrestlers. I can honestly say that we are closer to becoming actual future sports entertainers than anyone in those "hardcore" backyard feds. This may not happen, but it's a better chance that you will see Jimmy Sweetness headlining a big show in 10 years than some sh!tty cheese-grater happy wrestler at the same show... just my opinion.
This, hopefully, is one of many columns that I will write for the site, and I hope you liked it. Of course, I know that I might have pissed off a few people, and all mail, good or bad, can be sent to:
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Thanks for viewing... see you next time.
-- Rispoli