Backyard Wrestling: The Sincerest Form of Flattery

Abstract…………………………………………………………………………….Page 3

Introduction...............................................................................................................Page 4

-Description of Participants

-Types of Backyard Wrestling

-Thesis

Methodology........................................................................................................….Page 9

Theory.......................................................................................................................Page 10

-Violence in Athletics

-Athletics as Spectacle

Analysis.....................................................................................................................Page 14

-Backyard Wrestling Vs. Professional Wrestling

-The Emergence of Backyard Wrestling and the Role of the Media

-Backyard Wrestling as Violence

-Backyard Wrestling as Athletics

-Backyard Wrestling as Spectacle

The importance of video

The role of the Internet

Discussion.................................................................................................................Page 31

-Legal considerations

-The future of Backyard Wrestling

Conclusion................................................................................................................Page 35

Works Cited..............................................................................................................Page 36

Appendix...................................................................................................................Page 38

-Appendix A: Glossary of terms

-Appendix B: Acknowledgements

Abstract

Backyard Wrestling is a new and still-emerging form of youth entertainment. Groups of primarily young boys, aged 12-17, and in rural settings, form their own private wrestling leagues in their basements or backyards. There has been some concern about the danger that some of the stunts and maneuvers present to the untrained wrestlers, and about the legitimacy of the violence that can and does occasionally erupt during the course of the matches.

Backyard wrestling occupies a unique position in the spectrum of sports because it contains elements of athleticism, occasional street-brawl violence, and the play-acting of a stage performance. In this way, it is similar to its parent "sport", professional wrestling. In order to fully understand the mentality of Backyard wrestling, it must be examined from each of the above viewpoints.

Since many of the maneuvers that Backyard wrestlers perform require better than average physical strength, it is inherently necessary for the participants to subscribe to at least a marginal amount of athletic prowess. However, since Backyard wrestlers of all sizes and shapes exist, including very young children (10-12 years), and often the winners of such matches are decided beforehand, superior athleticism is not a requirement for success.

The issue of violence is an important one, because Backyard wrestlers report frequent instance of injury. When considering the violence in Backyard wrestling, it is important to note whether it is legitimate or illegitimate. The definition of illegitimate sports violence includes using objects not initially meant to cause injury and perpetrating violence that is unnecessary to the goals of winning the game. Since the "goals" of Backyard wrestling are orientated toward creating an impressive and entertaining spectacle much more so than winning (based again on the preponderance of matches that are decided beforehand), the violence that is used becomes a legitimate means of reaching their goals.

Most accurately, Backyard wrestling embodies the description of a spectacle. The wrestlers create a narrative story upon which their wrestler personae take on the archetypes of myth. Their stories contain figures (antagonist and protagonist characters), a journey (the win-lose histories of the wrestlers), stages (the various parts of a single match), and tools (signature moves, weapons). Additionally, political and social concerns can play out within Backyard matches that may indicate a greater social consciousness.

It is the conclusion of this study that Backyard wrestling, while containing the occasional fringe group exception, is an activity which generally embodies the classic definition of spectacle. Though the danger of violent injury is real, the intent to wound each other is not a primary goal of Backyard wrestling. Given that this activity also contains within it elements of athleticism, creativity, theatrics, and narrative fiction, Backyard wrestling offers young men an opportunity to develop the aforementioned skills in an enjoyable, constructive, and non-institutionalized setting.

Introduction

Backyard Wrestling is the imitation, by amateurs, of televised violent sport. The most influential of these is Professional Wrestling, from which is taken a large portion of the doctrine and creative structure of Backyard Wrestling, but the influence of other so-called “bloodsports” is also evident. There are elements of Boxing, Ultimate Fighting, and gymnastics also woven into the framework of some Backyard Wrestling.

Additionally, there are other components that are unique to the sport, such as the inventive use of various weapons and tournament conditions not found elsewhere. It is these unique stylistic variables that set Backyard Wrestling apart from simply being imitations of more prominent athletic events. However, it is the similarities with established spectacle “bloodsports” that give the greatest clues toward motivation for engaging in such a brutal, dangerous activity.

Backyard Wrestling is generally accomplished in small (3-10 participants) groups. The reason for this hinges on the fact that Backyard Wrestling generally takes place in a suburban or rural environment, where organization of large numbers of adolescent males may be impractical. Also, the “Federations” (the preferred name for groups of Backyard Wrestlers, modeled after the Professional Wrestling Federations) are often organized around friendship groups and kinship ties. It is not uncommon to see one or two sets of brothers within a single Federation.

The competitions contain, as a rule, many of the “stock” moves and maneuvers found in televised Professional Wrestling. Each Backyard Wrestler takes on a ring persona (or multiple independent personae) for the duration of the match, which includes a variety of individual moves and maneuvers unique to that wrestler. Other similarities to Professional Wrestling include the addition of a referee, surprise “guest” wrestlers, and variations of match (ie: tag team, ladder match, cage match, etc.). The degree to which a Backyard Wrestling Federation imitates Professional wrestling is dictated partially by preference and partially by if the Federation is capable of pulling off things like complicated technical stunts or storylines.

The purpose of this study it three-fold. First, to explain the nature of Backyard wrestling as an activity and point out the important elements that it incorporates into its narrative. Second, to examine Backyard wrestling's similarities and differences with professional wrestling. Finally, to examine Backyard wrestling in the context of violence, athletics, and spectacle, and evaluate how heavily it subscribes to each.

Description of participants

The typical Backyard Wrestler is a young, white, male between the ages of 12 and 17. There is very little variation of this description. The youth element is the simplest to explain. Media giants like the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling, or WWF and WCW (heretofore simply referred to as Professional Wrestling), are the most widely available form of tournament competition that is televised.

While the fan-base for Professional Wrestling is wide and encompassing of all ages and races, the subject material and subsequent broadcasts are intended to target white, adolescent, males. This is easily evidenced by the classic marketing tools of such a target audience (ie: Scantily clad women, pyrotechnics, overly-aggressive behavior, foul language, and stereotype male characterization).

Professional Wrestling occasionally makes an effort to appeal to women as an audience as well. The inclusion of Valets and female wrestlers was not, however, largely imitated by Backyard Wrestlers. Possible reasons for this include the fact that adolescent women are generally not a target audience for Professional Wrestling. Also, while parental influence for rough-and-tumble contact sport may be strongly prohibitive for adolescent girls, the same is not necessarily true for boys of the same age. Thus, Backyard Wrestling is almost exclusively male-participant.

The majority of Backyard Wrestlers are white, non-Hispanic. The reasons for this are somewhat less clear. Professional Wrestling is, and always has been to some extent, racially diverse. The earliest days of true Professional Wrestling contained token minority wrestlers from all over the globe. More importantly, spin-offs of Professional Wrestling have been seen globally. The Spanish equivalent of Professional Wrestling is called “Lucha”. This is a well-established and culturally-valued form of entertainment. It is considered a valid athletic event and art form, perhaps even more so than Professional Wrestling. Nonetheless, Backyard Wrestling rarely includes more than the occasional exception to the all-white trend.

The most likely reason for this is tied to the organization of a Backyard Wrestling competition. Among these is a location in which to compete. Generally, matches are held outdoors in a homemade “ring” (as similar in size, shape, and function to Professional rings as the competitors could build). As the name implies, this often takes place in someone’s back yard or basement. This does not lend itself well to urban living arrangements, where the families of Backyard wrestlers may not have basements or backyards adjacent to their apartments or houses. As such, suburban and rural living arrangements are favored.

The disparity between white and non-white male adolescents in suburban and rural communities may influence the participant pool toward white exclusivity. As in Professional Wrestling, non-white wrestlers are the exception rather than the rule. Such is true to a slightly heavier degree with Backyard Wrestling.

Types of Backyard Wrestling.

Backyard Wrestling consists of two crucial factors that determine where in the spectrum of the activity that a particular Federation falls. Based on these two criteria, it is possible to delineate between Federations which are "Hardcore" and those which are not. The first factor is how the "winner" of a match is determined. Rather than simply beg the question "Is there intent to injure the other person?" it is more accurate to look at a match in terms of how the victor will be decided. If a victor is predetermined (by whatever means) then it can be assumed that there is meaning intrinsic to the match other than simply who is the better or more physically capable wrestler.

Even if there is not intent to deliberately injure another wrestler, the lack of a set "winner" and "loser" to be determined beforehand presents a situation of potential chaos, within which even unintentional accidents are facilitated. In a situation of predestined victory or loss, the focus of the match is instead to effect a "production" of their character's plight as opposed to actually determining their character's fate through their own real expertise. If the winner is determined beforehand, it is less likely (but not impossible) that a Federation is of the "Hardcore" variety.

The second criterion is the level of hazard versus the level of safety perpetrated by the Federation. Some Federations are completely unskilled and ignorant of how to protect their own safety, and in such cases even the most basic maneuvers can be considered hazardous. In other cases, Backyard wrestlers can be both experienced and conscious of their own safety, and effect high-flying and spectacular stunts with a minimum of risk. Again, neither condition presents itself as necessarily "Hardcore", but those to whom safety is a priority are generally not considered "Hardcore" in the truest sense.

Of the possible permutations of these four possible conditions, only one represents "Hardcore" wrestling. A Federation which does not practice sufficient safety in their stunts (inasmuch as they incur significant bodily injury on a routine basis), and which neglects to determine the victor of the match beforehand, deserves the "Hardcore" title. It is this minority that sensational and critical attention has unfortunately been given to, as opposed to the remaining bulk of Federations who's events do not embody a "Hardcore" or deliberately violent nature.

Statement of Thesis.

My thesis for this project is as follows;

Backyard Wrestling, while containing the elements of athleticism and violent “bloodsport” competition, is not truly either of the aforementioned. Instead, it is most purely described as a creative spectacle based on the conglomeration of several other media spectacles and the unique ideas of the Backyard wrestlers.

Methodology

Due to the fact that Backyard wrestling is such a new phenomenon, there has been very little critical analysis of it as athleticism, violence, or spectacle. Even more lacking is theoretical information concerning exactly how or why Backyard wrestling fits into any of the categories above. As such, the vast majority of my research concerning Backyard wrestling was conducted working with primary source material.

My primary source of informational material consisted of internet homepages, which contain various retellings of Backyard matches, wrestler information, and various multimedia including video and photographs. I also ordered approximately six hours of Backyard wrestling footage to supplement my analysis. This project is the culmination of approximately eighteen months of research in the subject. Much of my most fundamental information was gained through a series of interviews conducted by me in the spring of 2000.

Since Backyard wrestling contains elements of violence, athleticism, and spectacle, I chose to break down my analysis into those categories. I included various theoretical material to support my definitions of the above categories, and then isolated each to show their interdependence upon each other. Additionally, comparison was drawn at times to professional wrestling to show similarities and inconsistencies, as professional wrestling is the closest mainstream activity that even vaguely resembles Backyard wrestling. Fortunately, the research on professional wrestling was adequate to produce a thorough analysis.

This piece is intended to be a comprehensive study of Backyard wrestling, in which I will examine the various facets of the activity and how they relate to each other. Also, this piece will provide future researchers with the information needed to find and contact the young participants of Backyard wrestling and conduct further research.

Theory

Backyard wrestling occupies a precarious and only vaguely-defined niche between the respective domains of athletics, violence, and spectacle. Before judgment may be made about the merit of such an activity, it is vital to understand how these three elements interact in the context of other sports. Equally important is identifying the motivating forces that exist within the overlapping territory of these domains, and the opportunity that such a crossing of boundaries presents. It also bears mention that "sport" refers to a variety of activities, not all of which are necessarily as competitive as others. Sport is defined by Ball as "An institutionalized type of competitive activity located on a continuum between play and work." (Ball, 12) Though in this paper Backyard wrestling is referred to as a "sport" for simplicity's sake, it is perhaps best categorized as a type of play-acting that occasionally satisfies the postulates of a sport. It is this transitory nature that bestows on Backyard wrestling its particular uniqueness.

Athletics as Violence

The very nature of athletics, the interaction of human bodies in competitive environments, includes an inextricable element of violence. Even in sports where there is no physical contact between the competitors, there exists proxy forms of violence. In a tennis match, the ball becomes a site of rapid and deliberate physical exchange. In long-distance running, the runner perpetrates a form of violence against him or herself by pushing their body to the point of muscle pain and carbohydrate exhaustion.

The pivotal element of sports violence is the concept of legitimacy. If violence is defined as non-natural bodily harm, athleticism breaks down even the basest definition of violence into the legitimate and the illegitimate use of force.

An example of this dichotomy would be the difference between a boxer using his fists to batter an opponent and a base runner using the spikes of his cleats to injure a second baseman. The boxer's punches are legitimate violence because the context of the competition demands that the contest be one of fists and battering, and is not necessarily the idea or perogative of the contestants. The opposite of this would be a runner spiking a baseman. This is considered an illegitimate use of violence for two reasons; first, there is really no necessity to conduct a violent exchange in order to successfully overcome the opponent. Second, and more importantly, the spikes on the soles of running cleats are not intended for use as weapons or means to conduct violence. Thus, it requires the perogative of the athlete to utilize them in a way that is unintended and unnecessary. (Guttmann, 7)

Unfortunately, this is not as simple a distinction as it may seem. It can be said that boxers engage in a contest of bodies where they try to batter each other into submission with no real intent to harm the other person. However, most boxers will admit a preference for winning a bout by knockout (incapacitating their opponent) or at least technical knockout (causing their opponent to fall in the ring in such a way that the fight is called for the referee to avoid imminent serious injury), rather than the judges decision on who was the better fighter. This could be construed as a crossing of the line from legitimate to illegitimate violence, but since the rules include provisos for such violence, the distinction becomes unclear. (McCormick, in Gerber, 258)

Another way of looking at sports violence is to categorize it as either expressive or instrumental. Instrumental violence is used to achieve an identifiable goal within the context of a sport. Expressive violence is used to communicate the thoughts or intent of an individual, and need not embody the ultimate goals of the contest. (Guttmann, 8)

Athletics as Spectacle

There are several paradigms of athleticism as a spectacle. The first is centered around the athlete's physical presence. The athlete's body becomes a site of attention, idealism, and eventually, power. The benefits of a healthy and athletic body are unquestioned, but those who train their bodies for a specific athletic purpose are, in effect, exerting discipline over the natural existence of their own bodies. The difficulty this presents is that fitness becomes idealized, and as soon as a body becomes the site of ideals, it becomes an arena of power struggle. As such, the body ceases to be the property of the individual and becomes a site of ideological transfer for the sociological superstructure (ie: coaches, other athletes, and the sport's spectators). (Alter, 91)

Another way of looking at the inclusion of spectators in athleticism is the concept of reiteration of a culture's myth base. Sports contain within them the archetypes (recurring themes) of human storytelling. Among these archetypes are figures, journeys, stages, and tools. From the point of view of a spectator, there are antagonistic and protagonistic characters, there is a set progression of events from beginning to end of the event, there are certain stages that represent the development of the athletes, and there are specific tools that the athlete uses to obtain their goals. (Williams, 41-42)

From this point the actual progression of events is unimportant, the inclusion of these archetypes represents a context and progression that the spectator can identify as akin to storytelling, and therefore, feel as though they can vicariously enjoy the action.

A theory that incorporates both of the above paradigms states that, since the body is a site of ideals and bodily competition is a representation of the host culture, bodily competition then becomes a site for inter-cultural exchange and furthering of policy ideals. An example of this from professional wrestling would be the creation of antagonist characters modeled after Russian (Khrusher Khruschev), Japanese (Mr. Fuji), and Middle Eastern (The Iron Sheik) foreigners, and of heavily Westernized protagonist characters (Sergeant Slaughter, The Ultimate Warrior, Hulk Hogan). (Rickard, 3) The model of international relationships is superimposed upon sporting events in order to provide the spectator with an embodiment of their cultural direction.

A final paradigm, and the one that is perhaps the most relevant context for Backyard wrestling, is that spectators can sometimes unwittingly participate in and actively shape the outcome of athletic events, even without being physical participants. As a responsive body in a close-quarters setting with the athletes, the behavior of the spectators can be influential of the behavior of the competitors. The environment in which soccer players can adjourn to a field in a moment of free time and test their skills against each other encourages a very different attitude toward competition than participating in a national soccer tournament at which a riot may erupt and people may die if there is dissatisfaction with the athletes' performance. Because of the potential to inspire tension and drama in spectators, athleticism takes on a context greater than the simple and superficial outcome of the competition of teams or individuals. (Goldstein *in Umphlett*, 172.)

In the aforementioned greater context, victory becomes a central facet of athleticism not simply as a personal benchmark of achievement for the teams and individuals involved but also as a demand of the spectators. This is exceedingly important when making decisions about the legitimacy of the violence that takes place in the context of the sport.

Analysis

Backyard Wrestling Vs. Professional Wrestling.

In order to understand the legitimacy of Backyard wrestling as a sport, it is necessary to compare its proceedings with that of professional televised wrestling. Professional wrestling follows a very predictable and regular pattern, as does Backyard wrestling. For a professional wrestling match, that pattern is as follows;

A commentator briefly explains the history behind the match, who the defender and the challenger are (if a belt is to be won), and what the conditions of the match are to be (steel cage, tag-team, etc.). Each wrestler enters the ring area from outside the arena, walking (or occasionally driving, flying, being carried, etc.) through the crowd to the sound of music that signifies that wrestler-character. They meet in the ring and taunt each other briefly, often including taunts and minor antics by their valet characters. If the taunts in the ring do not result in an altercation, the match is begun by the referee.

The wrestlers perform a series of stunts (pre-determined) and effect simulated beatings of each other that are distributed relatively evenly between wrestlers. Few professional wrestling matches are truly one-sided, and both characters generally make a strong showing in the ring unless the script calls specifically for an embarrassing loss. The winning wrestler effects his or her signature moves, and, after a series of unsuccessful attempts, succeeds in pinning their opponent. The winner often proceeds to celebrate on the spot and taunt the losing wrestler and his or her valet. During the entire proceedings, the commentator gives a move-by-move description of the action, and the referee is generally ignored as he or she tries to maintain the strict rules of the match which are supposedly based on Olympic wrestling.

Backyard wrestling offers a very similar approach to a match setting, with a few slight differences. Again, commentators (ie: whoever happens to be holding the video camera) talk briefly about the match history and format, and then the wrestlers are introduced. Instead of entering spectacularly from the back of the arena, often backyard wrestlers will enter the staging area from a house, behind a wall, or just off-camera. Generally, Backyard wrestlers do maintain a strong character acting personae, and this includes their own theme music as well.

Some Backyard Federations have valet characters like the professional wrestlers, but often, a signature set of antics are employed in place of the valet for the pre-match taunting. For example, the "Rambo" character in the Appleton Wrestling Federation arrives from off-camera, and often is seen when the match is supposed to contain other wrestlers. He appears to simply show up and start a match wherever he is. When he arrives in the staging area, he proceeds to taunt, strike, and humiliate the other wrestlers by opening a small box of props and using them on the other wrestlers. As is the general trend, props include items that are easy to obtain from an average household (shaving cream, condiments, toothpaste, etc.). Generally in Backyard wrestling, the referee doesn't need to signal the start of the match, the wrestlers usually taunt each other into altercation before the referee gets the chance.

From this point, the match proceeds very much like that of a professional wrestling match. The wrestlers execute a set of previously-determined moves. Backyard wrestling tends to contain even more of the acrobatic-type moves than professional wrestling, and less of the hitting, kicking, and clothesline-ing moves that fill the space between stunts at a professional match. The end of Backyard matches are different because generally pinning isn't a goal. In fact, Backyard wrestling matches usually end in what may be more accurately described as a "knockout" situation. A match is often won by climbing a ladder or cage or structure to retrieve a prize belt, or by being thrown from the ring. The venue of the match determines how and under what circumstances the match is won.

Similarly to professional wrestling, Backyard commentators provide a move-by-move analysis of the match, and are an integral part of the performance. The referee is also generally ignored as a figure of authority, and may actually participate as a fighting character during portions of the match. Any resemblance that Backyard wrestling may have with Olympic wrestling is purely coincidental.

The details of Backyard wrestling that coincide with those of professional wrestling are clear. The match winner and moves are pre-determined based on who is wrestling, the commentators and wrestlers play an active role in the narration, the referee does not occupy a position of authority, and ultimate authority resides in the narrative itself as a determining force. The differences that Backyard wrestling displays are generally based on practical concerns. Commentators are the actual camera personnel, valet characters are only used if enough people are available to play them, and props are substituted for complex entrance gimmicks.

The end of Backyard wrestling matches is usually a result of the fact that Backyard wrestling matches rarely take on the simple and straightforward one-on-one match format that is seen so regularly in professional wrestling. Instead of bothering with a long and unproductive series of attempted pins, Backyard wrestlers end their matches with short and brutal unpredictability. The apparent winner of a match can change in the blink of an eye. This offers a breakneck pace that is unequaled in professional wrestling.

The emergence of Backyard Wrestling, and the role of the Media.

It is important to remember that very little research has been done on the subject of Backyard Wrestling, and that which has emerged is based on the sensationalism of the national news media (Including several pieces from CNN, Dateline, and the Learning Channel). Following the tragedy of Columbine and the subsequent flurry of school shootings, the eyes of the news media have been keenly trained on the adolescent population, searching for signs of violence and rage. In addition to targeting violence in television and music, journalistic media discovered the earliest groups of adolescent males who were engaged in what they dubbed “Backyard Wrestling”.

At that time, Backyard Wrestling had no comprehensive definition of itself. Several isolated groups of men (at that time not necessarily limited to adolescents, but inclusive of college students as well) began simultaneously creating their own versions of Professional Wrestling. Many of these groups did it simply for fun, imitating their favorite Professional Wrestlers by performing the high-flying stunts and complex maneuvers, and subsequently videotaping it for later amusement. As is to be expected, some groups took this to the extreme.

Occasionally, a group of older Backyard Wrestlers would take the simulation to the edge. These groups created videos of themselves wrestling in whatever conditions they could conceive of, not limiting themselves to the necessarily-censored content of Professional Wrestling. Influenced perhaps by the violence hinted at in Professional Wrestling by the use of the occasional folding steel chair (Stone Cold Steve Austin) or two-by-four (The Hacksaw Bros.), these groups began experimenting with so-called “Hardcore” wrestling material. This saw the emergence of the use of barbed wire, broken glass, fire, and plastic baseball bats with tacks driven through them. The imagination was the limit. Predictably, it was not long before these extremes found themselves the subject of national media attention.

(Wrestler executes a table slam against an opponent who is on fire.)

This was a crucial turning point in the progression of Backyard Wrestling. Made apparently of sterner stuff than other fringe activities (remember “Moshing”?), Backyard Wrestling held up beneath media scrutiny by dividing into two camps. The first was the typical Backyard Wrestling Federation. These were the non-violent wrestlers who decided beforehand who would win and lose, and took steps to perform the stunts with grace and caution so as to avoid unnecessary injury. The second camp was the “Hardcore” wrestling Federations. These were groups who insisted on continuing use of the brutal and bloody implements mentioned above.

In an ironic twist, it was actually the media coverage of the earliest Backyard Wrestling Federations (who were completely independent and largely ignorant of each other) that provided the impetus for the massive proliferation of what is now almost a unifying subculture. There are now Backyard Wrestling Federations in all parts of the United States and much of Canada, including both Eastern and Western seaboard States and much of the Midwest.

The main difference between the early and “modern” Backyard Federations is that today, the Federations have a keen sense of Backyard Wrestling as a national, even international community. This was accomplished by another advance that had not been available a decade earlier, the Internet.

The attention paid to Backyard Wrestling, at a stage when the activity itself was only a rare and isolated phenomenon, by the sensationalism of the media (over what was in actuality only a violent minority within a minority) served only to create a conduit through which others could learn about Backyard Wrestling and begin Federations of their own.

Naturally, the attention paid to the most violent Federations had an effect on the composition and structure of typical Backyard Wrestling. The first and most obvious effect was the decline in age of the typical participant. As “Hardcore” Federations (composed, predictably, of older wrestlers) were driven underground or disbanded, younger groups whose focus was on technical skill and stunt rose to the forefront. Interestingly, while few live up to the violence perpetrated by the earliest groups of older wrestlers, the newer Federations all claim to be at least somewhat “Hardcore”, as if extreme violence sets them apart from simply being imitators or “playing wrestler”.

Backyard Wrestling as Violence.

One facet that sets Backyard wrestling forever apart from professional wrestling is that Backyard wrestling can, and does regularly, embody any kind of violence without significantly changing the roles of the participants. In terms of the legitimacy and purpose of their respective violence, professional wrestling must stay largely within the legitimate and instrumental uses of force. This is largely due to the commodfication of the wrestlers themselves. Because there is time and money invested in the bodies of professional wrestlers, the potential danger and unpredictability of illegitimate and expressive violence must be kept to a carefully-controlled minimum.

The same is not necessarily true of Backyard wrestlers, who have sovereignty over their bodies in a way that professional wrestlers do not. Backyard wrestling owes some of its popularity and much of its uniqueness to the fact that Backyard wrestlers are more free to experiment with the uses of violence than professional wrestlers.

That said, the role of uncontrolled violence in Backyard Wrestling, despite the tough-guy image that most Federations wish to convey, is limited. The role of the media cannot be ignored here. Since the first true exposure of any kind of Backyard Wrestling was constructed in a negative manner toward Federations who were the violent “Hardcore” anomalies, naturally those who followed sought to gain further notoriety and publicity through construing themselves as “Hardcore”.

The similarity generally ends there. Many normal, legitimately-violent Federations give themselves intimidating names like “Ass Whomping Federation” or “Super Extreme Wrestling Federation” in the hope of appearing tough and as worthy of notice as those who were discovered by the news media for wrapping barbed wire around themselves and wrestling on concrete and broken glass. In reality, these newer Federations have more in common with the actual Professional Wrestling Federations.

The first and most basic difference between true “Hardcore” and garden-variety Federations is that the winner of each match is decided before the match begins. The moves to be attempted are discussed, and the wrestlers engage in a brief period of practice as if rehearsing. This is not always the case with “Hardcore” Federations, whose matches may end when one fighter (I hesitate to use the word “wrestler”) is incapacitated.

Because the winner of the match is generally decided beforehand, and even the technical aspects of the match are discussed, it becomes unclear if average Backyard Wrestling could be called violence. The moves that the wrestlers execute are done so in a violent manner, and the fabricated attitudes that the wrestlers have toward one another are aggressive, but there is no intent to actually harm anyone. Thus on a microcosm level, Backyard Wrestling ceases to become violence, and takes on the characteristics of both acting, and gymnastics. Occasionally, the violence is kicked up a notch with the use of fire or thin aluminum trash cans in order to give the appearance of street-brawl intensity. However, as is evidenced by the non-wrestler waiting off-camera with a wet towel to douse the one that jumps through the flaming table, safety is a primary concern.

This is very similar to the kind of presentation that a circus Big Top show would try to effect. The ringmaster appears in danger from lions and elephants and fire and knife-throwers, but all the time he is safe and the routine has been decided beforehand. At various points in the show, the ringmaster elevates the intensity of the danger by bringing himself further into the grasp of personal injury. He sticks his head into the lion’s mouth, he puts a blindfold on the knife thrower. Still, though the danger is real and the perception of the crowd is real, the violent intent is absent and appears only in how proficient an actor that the ringmaster is.

Technically speaking, Professional Wrestling could take a few lessons in creativity from Backyard Wrestling Federations. Though obviously without the available budget that is afforded the Professional Federations, Backyard wrestlers still manage to put on an exciting and convincing show. Necessity, as always, is the mother of invention. The use of simple, semi-dangerous implements is a common theme. Federations will substitute thin plywood on chairs for a table, flexible cookie sheets for steel folding chairs, and cardboard boxes for broken glass. Fake blood can be manufactured or bought at any hobby store.

(Wrestler appears grisly and wounded with fake blood)

Many Federations fill one bout of their tournament with a “Hardcore” match, which is typically identical to a non-hardcore match with the exception of several stunts using one or all of the above implements. Care is taken when using these “weapons” so that no unnecessary injury results. In essence, it closely mimics the “Hardcore” or “Steel cage” match that Professional Wrestling occasionally adds to televised programs for sheer stunt and shock value.

(Thrown from a roof through a "Flaming Table")

Backyard Wrestling as Athletics.

It cannot be argued that professional wrestlers are necessarily also competent athletes. Since the very nature of their event requires them to participate in a level of controlled but unprotected violence against each other, this facilitates a necessity for exacting control over their bodies. The precision of the complex (and occasionally airborne) maneuvers is unparalleled in other athletics, especially since a misstep or bad timing could mean bone-crushing injury to one or more wrestlers.

Herein lies an interesting paradox. Consider that the average Backyard wrestler is an adolescent male between the ages of 12 and 17. These young men come in all shapes and sizes, as is common for adolescents. Many wrestlers are wiry and fast, while others are portly and strong. The range of body types and levels of athleticism varies as widely as the Federations themselves. This is far removed from the typical professional wrestler who generally is between 25-40 years of age, impressively muscled, and heavily athletic.

The paradox is this; when asked what the main motivation for engaging in Backyard Wrestling is, the wrestlers respond almost unanimously with “Athleticism.” Yet, clearly the prime age for participation in such an activity is older than the majority of the participants. While caught still in the unfriendly clutches of adolescence, Backyard wrestlers maintain that athleticism is a primary goal.

(Wrestler executes difficult airborne manuver.)

It is far more difficult to disassociate Backyard Wrestling with athleticism than to disassociate it from uncontrolled violence, but the connection that the wrestlers themselves reflect is perhaps not as strong as they might think. As evidenced by the wide variety of bodies that compete in Backyard rings, athleticism is not always a prerequisite for effective showmanship as a spectacle.

Unfortunately, this gives rise to a second and more concerning paradox. While Backyard wrestlers possess an unparalleled latitude for experimenting with the theatrical and drama-inducing capacity of different kinds of violence, the additional potential for participants who are not athletically proficient creates an environment of greater propensity for accidental injury.

(Wrestler leaps from twenty-foot playground slide to execute signature move.)

Backyard Wrestling as Spectacle

Backyard wrestling embodies much of the above theory concerning athletics and spectacle. On a lesser scale than its parent sport, pro wrestling, Backyard wrestling exhibits the narrative archetypes of figures, phases, journey, and tools. It also acts as the site of cultural exchange and commentary. The Appleton Wrestling Federation has on it's roster a character named The Jew and one named The Anal Intruder. Both of these are examples of the political being inscribed upon the figure archetypes, in this case, the struggle of minorities.

Most evident, however, is how directly that Backyard wrestling is influenced by its spectators. Curiously, Backyard wrestling departs from the typical mode of spectator influence through a physically close and responsive audience. Instead, Backyard wrestling's spectators exist at the other end of a media chain that may include video, still photography, or internet exposure. As such, the wrestlers act almost as their own spectators. Thus, their status among their audience (themselves, and other Federations who may try to upstage them), requires them to respond to spectator pressure. Generally, this takes the form of learning new and more demanding physical stunts, or becoming more creative or liberal in the level of violence that they are willing to employ.

The importance of video.

One aspect of Backyard wrestling that is almost universal across all variations of the sport is the inclusion of video recording. Within that media, the possibilities are limited only by the available resources of the Federation. More affluent or dedicated Federations can field more respectable and high-tech devices, but even the lowliest of rookie Federations can boast at least a borrowed hand-held camcorder. In fact, due to the younger age of most wrestlers, this is more the rule than the exception, to the extent that "promotions" (events) are often scheduled specifically around the availability of crucial pieces of technology (Camcorders, rings, etc).

During interviews with Backyard wrestlers, a sentiment repeatedly expressed was the interdependence Federations had upon each other. Economically, they face a disadvantage because of the general youth of their constituents. As such, whatever money they can compile must go as far as possible. One wrestler explained how professional-quality wrestling rings were harder to come by even than video equipment, and often networking with other Federations was necessary in order to split the rental fees for such facilities. While the vast majority of Backyard wrestling takes place in homemade rings that act as a relatively suitable substitute for the professional arena, it is important to note the goal that these Federations wish to constantly improve upon their stage performance and increase the grandeur and flash of their spectacle.

Very much in the entrepreneurial spirit, poverty proves to be the mother of invention. The methods that amateur Federations use to approach a reasonable facsimile of the prolifically over-hyped pro wrestling world are often quite clever examples of ingenuity. Aside from sharing the available resources (ring rental, video equipment, etc.), amateur Federations field a wide variety of impressive and cost-effective gimmicks.

The most common example of this are costumes. The degree of quality in costume is again generally congruent with the financial power of the Federation, but even the poorest Federations usually have a small wardrobe of costumes that can be as simple as T-shirts with hand-drawn names and symbols or as complicated as their budget allows. Common household outfits are the norm, as are cheaply-obtained uniforms for police, fire and military.

(Costume us is common for wrestler personae such as "Rambo" pictured above.)

In the spirit of their television idols, Backyard wrestlers also manage to effect intricate and detailed semblances to the broadcast incarnation. Backyard wrestlers dye their hair with Kool-Aid (a cheap and easily-reversible process), pierce their bodies, and substitute firecrackers for pyrotechnics. Again, based on their ability to buy or otherwise obtain such things, a table for judges and uniformed referees are also included.

(Fire is a popular, inexpensive, and dangerous gimmick.)

Perhaps the most positive outcome of this system is the encouragement of both creativity and cooperation among an age group normally associated with non-productive forms of entertainment. Coupled with the incentive for physical fitness, Backyard wrestling certainly has the intrinsic potential to be a healthy and teamwork-building activity.

The role of the Internet.

One cannot examine the success and proliferation of Backyard wrestling without in the same breath mentioning the vital importance of Backyard wrestling's online presence. A simple search query for the words "Backyard wrestling" on a popular web search engine returned over 20,000 tagged webpages that contained information about the sport. Naturally, not all of these are actual homepages for individual Federations, but there are also a variety of secondary pages that have sprung up (such as index sites and comparative fan sites) which indicate an even deeper level of patronage by fans.

In very much the same token as professional wrestling, Backyard wrestling lives and dies by its ability to reach its target audience. Since prime-time television is not an option for Backyard Federations, the next simplest and effective media, the internet, is adopted. The advantages to online communication, advertising, and promotion are two fold.

First, there are little or no limits on what can and cannot be placed online for all to see. Federations can post photographs, video, and audio of their exploits at little or no additional cost, and writing the computer code to post webpages is perhaps one of the simplest programming codes to learn. The cost of posting a viewable website with pictures links and multimedia is usually negligible. The cost of posting a first-rate site with streaming video, and extensive content uncluttered by advertising, is still within the economic means of most young people.

Second, the Internet reaches an audience already familiar with the context of Backyard wrestling, and Federations can link each other's pages to increase exposure. This is evidenced by the dozens of pages that simply list names and sites of other Backyard federations. While perhaps not as pervasive as the massive audience exposure of professional wrestling on network television, the Internet offers Backyard wrestlers and promoters an opportunity to present to their audience a suite of multimedia very comparable to Pro wrestling and without the limitations of money or airtime constraints.

Discussion

Legal considerations.

One question repeatedly asked by those learning more about Backyard wrestling is: "Don't the cops get involved?" This is a valid point, considering the potential for physical injury or property destruction, and the fact that many of the participants are minors.

In truth, the nature of Backyard wrestling lends itself to staying out of the immediate public eye. Matches are often conducted, as the name suggests, in a basement or backyard. The vast majority of Backyard wrestling matches are simply conducted in the spirit of play-acting, and though they contain violent maneuvers and questionable stunts (ie: flaming tables), there is generally no real public concern. Privately, wrestlers cite their parents and family as being very supportive of their activities. Again, given that the sport represents an athletic endeavor that takes place close to home (as opposed to simply "hanging out" or perpetrating typical juvenile crime), this is not surprising. Furthermore, since most Federations are not of the "hardcore" type, and construct their activity as a spectacle rather than a true violent competition, there is little worry for their well-being beyond the ever-present possibility for accidental injury that is the norm of adolescent athletics.

Following the inevitable negative publicity that Backyard Federations have generated, professional wrestling federations maintain publicly that they are averse to such imitation without proper training by accredited wrestling school. This is a particularly interesting stance to take, considering that every episode of premium network professional wrestling strives to outdo the last with an ever-increasing danger level in its own repertoire of stunts.

Since the late 1980's the high-flying antics of such legends as Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior, including the very occasional heart-stopping aerial maneuver, have given way to deliberately brutal matches between wrestlers such as Cactus Jack (aka "Mankind"), who's claim to fame was having a portion of his ear torn off during a match with a wrestler named Vader, and who's promotional photos almost unvaryingly display him covered in his own blood. The steel cage match is another manifestation of this drive toward more realistic and deliberate violence on the part of the professional leagues. Even the tragic and preventable death of Owen Hart (from harness failure during an entrance stunt) did little to assuage this progression from traditional wrestling to mortal combat.

The future of Backyard Wrestling.

The future of Backyard wrestling is divergent. Both branches will have an eventual niche, but one will be polarized. The first branch, the non-hardcore wrestlers that make up the overwhelming majority of Backyard Federations, has a positive future in terms of allowing young people an arena to participate in creative and athletic activity, and at the same time pay homage to their on-screen heroes. So long as provisions for safety are included (which, in most standard Federations, is already the case), it is difficult to argue that this sport could possibly be any more dangerous than any other contact sport.

Backyard wrestling has the added bonus of being a form of performance art on top being an athletic activity as well, perhaps making it appeal to an even wider spectrum of adolescent. Though Backyard wrestling is at present an almost exclusively-male sport, it is not unheard of for women to wrestle or take other roles in the "production" of a Backyard match. Additionally, there are no regulations against men wrestling women in Backyard Federations, so the potential for cross-gender promotion is an even more easily-crossable boundary. It may set an interesting and unpredictable example for the rest of the athletic world, including varsity Olympic-style wrestling which has deteriorated as of late due to the confusion and uncertainty posed by the addition of women to a previously all-male sport.

The other branch of this polarization is that of the true Hardcore Federations. The key problem with the longevity of such a group is that in order to continue to attract such a devoted and bloodthirsty fan-base, the perpetrators of said violence must continually outdo themselves. The first video might be popular or sell based on a scene with a broken table, the next video might require the table to be on fire, the next, on fire with broken glass, and so on. Those Backyard wrestling organizations who pride themselves on extremity will inevitably draw unfavorable attention to themselves and be driven underground. Their exploits will remain in the context of a darker, more reserved clientele. Their video recordings distributed not to fans of the WWF and WCW but to fans of "shockudrama" video which peddles "caught-on-tape" moments of human suffering and terror. With luck, their limited fan-base and association with already-marginalized entertainment will force them largely out of the spotlight for young wrestling fans who otherwise might simply want to imitate their on-screen heroes without necessarily brutalizing each other.

Unfortunately, herein lies the dilemma. As mentioned above, the professional wrestling federations are caught in much the same cycle as Hardcore federations inevitably find themselves. In order to maintain their impressive, almost meteoric, stride in terms of dominating prime-time television, they must constantly outdo themselves and push the envelope further. The difference is that for professional wrestling, failing to outdo themselves has serious monetary and prestige consequences for what is, after all, essentially a multinational enterprise. Since the recreation of spectacle is the essence of Backyard wrestling, it is in the hands of professional federations how they will present themselves as a spectacle and thus be reinterpreted. In that sense, the concerns of various pro-censorship groups with regard to professional wrestling are not unfounded.

Conclusion

Though Backyard wrestling includes elements of violence and athleticism, it is most accurately viewed as an interpretive spectacle. More so than either violence or athleticism, backyard wrestling embodies the essential characteristics of play-acting. Without the intent to injure someone, the spirit of violence, though not necessarily the act, is undermined. Athleticism takes a back-seat to the perpetration of stunts in Backyard wrestling, and if the moves of their heroes are not practical in an athletic sense, the wrestlers generally have no compunction about making up their own. In practice, this is more the rule than the exception as it individualizes the wrestler and his or her character creation. The necessity for an audience, the tendency to take on fictitious identity, and the emphasis on creativity and ingenuity over authenticity indicate that the majority of Backyard wrestlers constructing their interpretation of professional wrestling as a spectacle rather than a purely violent or athletic event.

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Appendix A: Glossary of Terms

Baby-Face: This is a "good-guy" character in wrestling organizations, both professional and amateur, that use characterization and drama to supplement their ring activities. Not necessarily a protagonist. See also "Heel."

Backyard Wrestling: This is a general term for the practice of amateur "professional"-style wrestling conducted without formal training and without the limitations of a league. Also referred to as "Basement", "Barbwire", "Extreme", and "Hardcore" wrestling.

Card: The term used to describe a single contest within a greater series of contests which comprises a wrestling match. A card may include any number of wrestlers.

Federation: A term loosely used to describe any autonomous group of individual wrestlers. A Federation may include only a handful of individuals, or it may refer to an organization of several groups.

Hardcore: A term used to describe wrestling matches that take violence and shock-value antics to the limit. Can refer to matches fought by professional or Backyard Federations, or can refer to a type of Federation in which extreme violence is the norm. Rarely are Federations exclusively "Hardcore".

Heel: This is a "bad-guy" character in wrestling organizations, both professional and amateur, that use characterization and drama to supplement their ring activities. Not necessarily an antagonist. See also "Baby-Face."

Lucha: Lucha is the wildly-popular televised Spanish professional wrestling league. The participants wear masks and are considered among the best acrobat-wrestler-stuntmen in the world.

Promotion: Term used to describe a Backyard wrestling event, whether it be a single card, a series of cards, or even a series of different Federations on the same stage. Often includes more than one type of competition (ie: tag team, steel cage, etc.)

Signiature: A move, catch phrase, or accessory for which a wrestler persona is known.

WWF / WCW: (World Wrestling Federation, World Championship Wrestling) Acronyms for the two most popular professional wrestling Federations. Both have prime time network airplay and compete fiercely with each other for ratings and audience base.

Valet: A non-wrestler character who escorts a specific wrestler to and from matches and participates in pre-match antics to elevate drama. This character is often female, and does not necessarily (but usually does on a routine basis) participate in the actual wrestling.

Appendix B: Acknowledgements