Backyard wrestling

Backyard wrestling (or BYW) is the term for untrained wrestling fans copying professional wrestling; it is amateur "professional" wrestling ("amateur wrestling" refers to the Olympic sport). Usually taking place in rural areas, backyard wrestling is usually done by adolescent males. Often referred to as the offspring sport of professional wrestling, BYW has made a name for itself through selling videos via the Internet. In some cases backyard wrestling groups have attempted to make a name for themselves by incorporating nudity, extreme and weapon violence, and dangerous stunts into their "shows." These aspects of backyard wrestling are at the heart of the controversy surrounding the hobby.

Backyard wrestlers are sometimes called "backyarders."

Origin

Many groups of teens set up their own backyard wrestling organizations for fun and in some cases, show it on the Internet. Backyard wrestling is sometimes "real" or "shoot," but a lot of people who do backyard wrestling often stage and simulate it in their own unique way. Some even half-simulate it and half-"shoot" it. The props can range in danger from plywood and fake blood, to fire, barbed-wire and legitimate blood.

There are several reasons that wrestling fans decide to do backyard wrestling. The most common reason is fans who want to live their dreams in the ring decide to live out their dreams in the backyard. This can be done as a reason to prepare for a future in professional wrestling or simply a hobby along the lines of acting. Most backyard wrestlers are teenage males, as they comprise the majority of the professional wrestling fan base.

Two video games loosely based on the practice of backyard wrestling have been released: Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home and Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes the Neighborhood, both by Eidos. Both games were widely panned. [1] [2]

Controversy

Many backyard wrestlers cite Mick Foley as their inspiration, as a video of Foley's backyard wrestling exploits with his friends in high school gained widespread attention after portions of it were shown on WWF (now WWE) TV. However, Foley himself discourages the practice of backyard wrestling due to the high potential for serious injury, and is quick to point out that he did not attempt dangerous stunts (with the exception of a jump off a rooftop into cardboard boxes) or perform acts of extreme violence in his videos, events that often occur in backyard wrestling.

Most, if not all, professional wrestlers and wrestling organizations discourage backyard wrestling, because it involves the imitation of stunts that can cause serious injury by individuals who have not been trained to execute them. Several lawsuits have been brought against wrestling organizations, most prominently the WWE, alleging that people have caused serious injury to others by imitating professional wrestling moves they saw on TV. As a result of this pressure, WWE now features prominent disclaimers during its programming which tells fans, "Don't try this at home."

Many backyard wrestlers believe that backyard wrestling is good preparation for future exploits in professional wrestling, however prominent wrestling school operators have often stated their disdain for the practice. Harley Race, in particular, has said "I absolutely hate it" and "It's just absolute stupidity." [3].