BY JO-ANN BARNAS
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
Think wrestling on TV, and many baby boomers conjure up images of another era — the Iron Sheik and his dreaded camel clutch; Rowdy Roddy Piper and his infamous sleeper hold.
But these days, the past is no longer the future — thanks to Sunday’s debut of Real Pro Wrestling, a made-for-TV tournament featuring athletes who are as real as the competition.
And, they actually wrestle.
The TV series debuts at 4 p.m. Sunday on PAX (and continues each Sunday through May 15), and also will be shown at 3 p.m. every Wednesday, next week through May 25 on Fox Sports Net.
The league, which will showcase combined freestyle and Greco-Roman elements and techniques, consists of eight teams made up of seven different weight classes.
The hour-long weekly episodes, which were filmed last fall and features several 2004 Olympians, will be comprised of three matches of up to 10 minutes each in length and will highlight other matches.
Four athletes with Michigan ties are involved in the tournament. Caro’s Mike Ellsorth, the only Greco-Roman competitor in his division, is a member of the Pennsylvania Hammer. The others are: Andy Hrovat of Ann Arbor (Chicago Groove); U-M alum Joe Warren of Grand Rapids (Oklahoma Slam); and Eastern Michigan grad Ramico Blackmon (New York Outrage).
Real Pro had been slated to begin Feb. 13, but the start was pushed back after a fire destroyed the home — and the post-production facilities — of the co-founder and CEO, Toby Willis.
To get the complete schedule of Real Pro Wrestling’s first season, visit www.realprowrestling.com.
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