Everybody knows about the theatrics of the WWE. Real wrestling has gone to great lengths to distance ourselves from the staged drama and rehearsed matches. In fact, real wrestling has even gone to great lengths to distance ourselves from the glitz and huge production of the WWE.
But RPW is changing some of this. We are embracing the glitz and production side with lights, music, big projection screens. We also spend a lot of time and money to get the staging just right.
But at the core, when it comes to real wrestling, we stay true to real competition. No match is predetermined and there is real money on the line for each match and each point. For the wrestlers, coaches, and referees involved, there is no acting here.
While this is obvious to fans who know real wrestling and know how intense the wrestlers and coaches get, this might seem surprising to the uninformed WWE fan or general sports fan who is encountering real wrestling for the first time. Wrestling is an emotional sport. It is not uncommon to see grandmas and mothers yelling for their son or grandson to tear the other guy apart.
This leads to some very humorous moments. Fans sometimes fall out of their seats. Even if they manage to not fall out of their seat, they strain and find themselves contorting their bodies without realizing it. For fans and coaches on the sidelines routing for their favorite wrestler, they have no outlet for their emotion and energy and can shake and sweat.
RPW wants to capture this true emotion. Expect to see a lot more of it in future episodes. When a coach is yelling at the referee, or two wrestlers look like they are ready to fight, this is reality television, real drama playing out with real people in real situations.
For example in episode one, when Brandon Slay got tossed, this is what really happened. It was not planned or rehearsed. Did Slay deserve it? It was the referee’s call. They know how hot the coaches and wrestlers can get and many referees and coaches have had past encounters. Whether this factored in here is unknown.
RPW does give the referees much leeway in cautions and warnings. We also permit our coaches to go ahead and get emotional. We know how they feel and know that it makes for good drama for television. We don’t have to make up drama because we have real drama.
Our policy is that if a coach gets ejected, it is only for the remainder of the match. Getting ejected is an acceptable form of protest for a coach in RPW. It does not carry quite the stigma associated to it that other sports normally have. All coaches and referees were told this fact before the wrestling began. In fact RPW even hoped it would happen because we know it makes for good drama. Again we are not forcing it to happen, just enjoying the moment when it does.
Now on the other hand, if a wrestler gets ejected, that is a huge, huge deal. Our goal is to allow the wrestlers to go all out but stay within the rules. Wrestlers are held to a higher code of conduct and while they can get emotional, they can also get booted for disrespect or swearing.
While the referees have the ability to eject a wrestler if they want, they also want to let the wrestlers decide the outcome of the match through wrestling. It is almost unheard of for a wrestler to get disqualified. That is because it is almost unheard of for a wrestler to do something worthy of getting disqualified.
In the wrestling practice room across the nation, it is not uncommon for fights to break out between even the best of friends on the mat. The funny thing is since wrestling is the dominant martial art, the fight quickly becomes a wrestling match again within seconds.
In fact, most wrestlers consider it a big victory to push their opponent to step over the line of violence. It is proof they are frustrating the other wrestler and are beating him pretty badly. If a wrestler throws a punch, they are admitting that they are getting beat physically and mentally.
On the other hand, wrestlers many hit pretty hard, and it is legal. Most people wonder where the cauliflower ear comes from but don’t realize a wrestler gets hit almost as hard as boxers. The secret is in the follow through. If the wrestler swings and then pulls his hand back right away, it will probably be ruled a punch and illegal. If he follows through with his whole body attacking it is usually acceptable.
Also, it is always illegal for wrestlers to attack the face. When a wrestler hits hard it is usually to areas that are not soft tissue. Accidents happen and blood is sometimes drawn but usually never as a result of a purposeful attack.
It is unheard of for a wrestler to get head or brain damage. Even broken bones are extremely rare after factoring in the amount of contact wrestlers have on the match. Cuts and bruises are common though, as are infections. Wrestlers usually get skin checks each time they weigh in.
Unfortunately knee injuries are very common in wrestling. Most top wrestlers have had knee surgery. Thankfully today doctors and medical science patch things up pretty good. This is also one of the reasons why only wrestling upper body, like in Greco-Roman wrestling, is popular in many places. Having people attack the legs leads to damaged knees.
RPW has a zero tolerance policy on drugs and violence. But when it comes to tough physical attacks, the amount of contact allowed is as high as we can allow without serious injury.
As people see the toughness of wrestling, they will better understand why so many wrestlers have crossed over into and dominate the mixed martial arts. It is not that big of an adjustment. Learning to punch is easy. For the strikers, learning the grapple is very hard.
We hope you enjoy the toughness of the matches and the drama that occurs. If you find the emotions high and things are getting intense, just remember – what you are watching is not staged, not rehearsed. This is as real as it gets. This is RealProWrestling.
Story By Staff Writer at the RPW Home Office
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