Backyard Wrestling

Bryan Patrick

Sacramento Bee

Backyard wrestling is not for the faint of heart. In the era of 'Jackass, and extreme sports, they’re packed with obscene language and gestures, neck-twisting stunts, a drug-laced story line and, occasionally, oodles of blood. Their style of backyard wrestling amateurs imitating the pros on World Wrestling Entertainment - has been popular nationwide for many years, and this group is one of the more popular of the backyard federations with their show being aired on public access television. Much of the wrestling is choreographed but the stunts are bone crushing with many of them leaving scars, broken bones and many with stitches. With all the violence they portray they remain a close nit group. And for many of the young wrestlers it’s a way of escaping the troubles of their past. Jason Wagner 20, (Joey Balls) screams out as he puts Ryan Crozier 15, in a leg lock as referee Juan Bermudez steps in. The WWF-like wrestlers tape the fights to show on two weekly TV shows on community access cable.

Bryan Patrick, "Backyard Wrestling," in POYi Archive, Item #34446, http://archive.poy.org/items/show/34446 (accessed November 23, 2024).