Luke Hadley Classic DVLH wrestling http://www.lukehadley.com Backyard wrestling is a title applied to home filmed and produced professional wrestling shows, videos, or events carried out by untrained athletes, mostly comprised of American males between the ages of 16 and 30. In the years since its formation, Backyard wrestling has developed into an underground scene, where federations often produce, trade and distribute their videos via Internet, and other wrestling publications. Though backyard wrestling was not unheard of prior to the 1990s, the modern backyard wrestling "craze" lasted from roughly 1996 to 2001, during a time when televised professional wrestling was enjoying a period of unparalleled popularity. Many of those who practice it embrace a style that emphasizes risky high spots (which can involve diving or taking bumps from rooftops or ladders) and the liberal use of weapons in matches. These may include thumbtacks, barbed wire, tables, plywood, fire, glass, and fluorescent lamps. Even among participants who shy away from this, there still is a considerable level of inherent risk involved. Many professional wrestling holds require extensive training to perform correctly and safely, which few backyard wrestlers have received. These and other concerns are at the heart of the controversy surrounding the practice. Backyard wrestling is so-called because it is often literally performed in yards, though most any location can host a backyard wrestling match, including parks, garages, playgrounds, vacant lots, warehouses, barns, and school gyms. It is common for backyard professional wrestling promotions, or "feds," to construct their own homemade wrestling rings. Wrestling on trampolines is also common, which allows for visually impressive moves to be performed with a minimal risk of injury. Others opt to simply perform matches on the bare ground which, in most cases, is more dangerous than performing in home-made rings. Backyard wrestling promotions can be highly organized, and many tape their shows and maintain websites where media is available for download. The internet proved instrumental in popularizing backyard wrestling during its initial boom period. In its history, backyard wrestling has changed significantly in terms of its professionalism, safety provisions, popularity, and hardcore style. Backyard wrestling tends to follow the trends of professional wrestling and changes in accordance with what are the fads and trends in the major promotions such as World Wrestling Entertainment or Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Although backyard wrestling has been often associated with a Mick Foley home video in which Foley jumps off the roof of a house onto his opponent who is lying on a pile of mattresses, backyard wrestling most likely began in the 1950s emulating such stars as Gorgeous George, and later Bruno Sammartino, and Superstar Billy Graham [citation needed]. The earliest listed "official" backyarder is Shawn "Crusher" Crossen who wrestled from March 1984 until early 1990 in his own promotion known as NWF Kids Pro Wrestling.[1]Twin Cities based promoter and trainer Eddie Sharkey actually co-promoted a sold-out wrestling event that featured matches from both Pro Wrestling America (PWA) and NWF Kids Pro Wrestling at the American Legion Hall in Champlin, MN back on November 1986. [2] . In August of 1997 the now defunct CWF a backyard promotion originating from Vallejo, California began filming the television show CWF Devastation. "Devastation" aired between 1997-2000 on California public access stations, and has often been cited as the inspiration for the legendary West Coast backyard movement of the late 1990's Backyard wrestling became infamous for its out-of-control and unregulated dangerous stunts. Many people, most commonly male teenagers, frequently risked their lives in attempted dives, jumps, falls, and bumps. Many others would use sharp and harmful weapons, performing matches with flaming tables, barbed wire, lighttubes, thumbtacks and sharp metal tools such as cheese graters. While these violent practices carry a more extensive legacy in Japanese wrestling promotions such as Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling, many attribute their stateside popularity to the rise of Extreme Championship Wrestling and wrestlers like New Jack, Tommy Dreamer, and the Sandman. These activities, which were also closely linked to the reckless nature of other teen-centered shows such as Jackass, were part of the "hardcore" phase of American professional wrestling, ushered in by the extreme style of promotions such as ECW, Xtreme Pro Wrestling, and Combat Zone Wrestling. However, when these promotions closed and/or toned down their extreme nature, backyard wrestling followed suit, leading to less dangerous activity. Because of this, the heavy bleeding and use of dangerous weaponry in backyard wrestling has now faded from popularity. The "backyard wrestling craze," as it was, began to slow down between 1999 and 2000 . Increased media attention[4] and reforms within the professional wrestling promotions themselves led to a generally unpopular view of wrestling and unprofessional stunts, leading to a decline in the popularity of backyard wrestling. This did not, however, lead to a total abolishment, as several popular internet wrestling communities still feature active message boards dedicated to the practice of backyard wrestling. Independent circuit After 2000, many individuals changed and realized that the dangerous stunts they were doing had grave consequences. The internet and television[5] was more supportive in that it led to the distribution of information on professional wrestling which helped many individuals discover the proper way to perform certain moves, for example. More professional wrestling schools and small independent wrestling promotions formed at this time as well, accepting particularly skilled backyard wrestlers. As a result, more of the younger independent wrestlers admit to having backyard wrestling experience, some claiming it is a hobby that they pursue while performing professionally. This does not reflect the majority of professional wrestlers, however, as backyard wrestling is often drastically different from that shown on television. Nonetheless, some independent wrestlers claim they continue backyarding because, whereas wrestling professionally means being told how, who, and where to wrestle by a booker or promoter, backyarders are their own bookers and promoters and can enjoy the freedom of wrestling their friends however they like for their own recreation. However, training in a "backyard wrestling environment" is often frowned upon by professionals, and the sport has a strongly negative connotation. Controversy Many backyard wrestlers cite Mick Foley as their inspiration, as a video of Foley's backyard wrestling exploits with his friends in college gained widespread attention after portions of it were shown on WWF television which glorified it as his entrance into the company. However, Foley himself discourages the practice of backyard wrestling. While he made a career by distributing a video of himself doing dangerous stunts such as jumping off a rooftop onto a mattress, he downplays what he did and says it is too dangerous. In his book Foley Is Good, Mick Foley recalls an instance where he was interviewed for a television piece about the growing trend for backyard wrestling. He claims that comments he made having viewed footage of a legitimate professional hardcore match were deliberately misrepresented and applied by the production company to a backyard vignette. Some professional wrestlers and most, if not all, professional wrestling promotions discourage backyard wrestling in public comments, because it involves legal risk to the promotions in the form of lawsuits by individuals. Several lawsuits have been brought against wrestling promotions, most prominently 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 urges fans, "Don't try this at home." Some professional wrestlers have admitted to practicing it themselves during their younger years. Those who have done so include the Hardy Boyz and Shannon Moore, among others. While many backyard wrestlers believe that backyard wrestling is good preparation for future exploits in professional wrestling given Mick Foley's career, 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." One book that supports these matches is Backyard Empire, a backyard wrestling novel inspired by a true story. It argues that many of its backyard wrestlers used their local show as a springboard to become professionals.[7] Another book about backyard wrestling is Wrestling in the Backyard by "Maniac" Mike Elias. Other backyard organizations attempted more impromptu or "real" formats. The A.W.F., The American Wrestling Federation, founded in 1987 by Anthony Tech and Tim Balderramos, reportedly did not have predetermined high spots or booked endings in their early years, even though they employed a standard professional wrestling format. The A.W.F. later attempted a style called "Freestyle-Professional" in the early 2000's, which used a scoring system and a five-minute period like what is seen in Olympic wrestling while allowing limited pro wrestling maneuvers like body slams (for takedown points) as well as submission holds. While decidedly safer and more challenging for the participant, it proved too boring for the spectator. The change in format is cited by some as the cause for the A.W.F. ceasing active operations in 2005. Media attention In the earliest recorded media coverage from 1984 and 1985 that covered Backyard wrestling, the message and stories being told were nothing short of "positive" from well respected news outlets such as the Minneapolis StarTibune and KSTP Eyewitness News.[8][9] Between the 1980s and 1990s, the style of Backyard wrestling evolved to a much more violent form, focussing more on the "high risk" maneuvers and "dangerous" stunts which triggered a much different view from the media. Backyard wrestling, and its forefather, professional wrestling, both reached greater popularity during the late 1990s and were the subject of disdain from the media.[10][11] It was a frequent topic for documentaries and televised news programs, often serving as an indication that the MTV Generation, as it had been dubbed, was among the most reckless, least guided, and most immoral of all teen generations. Although the implications of backyard wrestling on teen culture and on society as a whole compose a far more complicated debate, most media attention (and adults) in the United States feared that backyard wrestling was a degradation of society and of youth. However, since the loss in mainstream popularity of professional wrestling, media interest surrounding backyard wrestling has calmed down. Videos Backyard wrestling videos are produced by the wrestlers of the federation. They are readily available on the internet at any website, and some federations have ordering information about VHS and DVD copies of their matches and exploits. These videos are commonly filmed on camcorders with the cameraman occasionally providing the commentary on the matches. On the internet, most times the matches are shown in montage clips with heavy metal music in the background. There is also a Documentary called The Backyard about backyard wrestling featuring Rob Van Dam. No-Rope Barbed Wire match with Terry Funk One of Sabu's most infamous matches was the No-Rope Barbed-Wire match with Terry Funk at Born To Be Wired, a match which was promoted as being "too extreme even for ECW" - and with good reason: both men bled profusely. In one of the most memorable moments in ECW history, Sabu attempted the "Air Sabu" corner splash on Terry Funk. Funk moved and Sabu ended up colliding violently into the wire which tore open his biceps. He then asked his manager Bill Alfonso for some tape and after Alfonso went to get some Sabu began to tape the gash up, which was about twelve inches long. To this day, Terry Funk has stated that he has never seen anything like what Sabu did that night. The match ended with both men so badly tangled up together in the barbed wire that it took several ring technicians armed with wire cutters to free them from the predicament (on the DVD Bloodsport ECW: The Most Extreme Matches released by World Wrestling Entertainment, Paul Heyman said that the match was "so gruesome, I never ever dared to schedule another one like it", and that they never had another Barbed-Wire match in ECW because "no one could top that one -- and in good conscience, I never wanted anyone to try.").
Injuries Sabu racked up an astounding catalogue of injuries during his ECW tenure, including broken ribs, broken jaw, and most infamously, breaking his neck twice (the first time was during a match with Chris Benoit on November 5, 1994 in which communication problems appeared to be to blame as Benoit lifted Sabu over for a flapjack, but Sabu assumed Benoit was going for a back body drop. This caused Sabu to land directly on his head; the other was during a match against Taz in December 1998, when Sabu took a Tazplex through a table and landed wrong). Sabu was able to recover from the neck injuries and return to wrestling, and he even wore a neck brace in his return match in the United States a month following the injury at Taz's hands; by Sabu's account, however, he started actively wrestling in Japan on a short tour a little over two weeks after that injury. Mainstream exposure In October 1993, Sabu contested in two WWF matches. He defeated Scott Taylor in a dark match before the October 18 Monday Night Raw tapings in Poughkeepsie, NY. The following night he was defeated by Owen Hart in Glens Falls, NY.
Sabu did get some more mainstream exposure in the year 1995. He debuted in World Championship Wrestling on September the 11th of that year for the WCW Monday Nitro program by picking up a victory over Alex Wright, only for it to be reversed by Referee Nick Patrick, following Sabu's behavior after the match (he put Alex Wright through a table outside the ring). He would then pick up two consecutive victories over Mr. JL (Jerry Lynn) on October 9 (on Nitro) and at WCW Halloween Havoc 1995. WCW did not like his violent style and unwillingness to lose a match, and thus did not offer Sabu a long-term contract. As a result, his last appearance in WCW was on the October 30 episode of Monday Nitro, defeating Disco Inferno in under two minutes. Following the match, Sabu threw a table at Inferno and was preparing to put Disco through it with a somersault over the top rope, but Disco moved off the table and Sabu landed on his back.
Sabu was the first wrestler to dive off the entrance sign during an episode of WWF RAW on February 24, 1997, while WWE and ECW were cross-promoting. He had actually lost his balance before diving off, but managed to reposition himself in mid-air to land on Team Taz. In addition, Sabu was featured in the Playstation Video game WCW vs. the World later on in the same year, under the pseudonym David Harley. WCW signed Sabu to a contract in 2000, but legal action threatened by ECW precluded Sabu from ever making an appearance before WCW's demise. From 2000 to 2001, he had a successful run in California's XPW, which catapulted him back into the national spotlight after Paul Heyman had tried to prevent him from working outside of ECW by actually suing him in court for breach of contract, when---as it turned out---Heyman was actually the one who had breached Sabu's contract. He won the XPW World Heavyweight Championship during his stay, and was managed by former Danzig bassist Josh Lazie. Sabu went on to wrestle on the independent circuit, appearing with promotions such as Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW), which is owned by the Insane Clown Posse. Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2002-2006)
Sabu debuted in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) on July 17 2002, defeating Malice in a ladder match. The next week he faced Ken Shamrock in a ladder match which was declared a No Contest when Malice interfered. Sabu returned briefly in 2003, along other ECW alumni. In 2004, Sabu teamed with Raven to defeat Raven's former "Gathering" protégés, CM Punk and Julio Dinero. In March he began feuding with Monty Brown and Abyss, who outnumbered him on several occasions after Raven failed to "watch his back". Eventually Raven challenged Sabu to an empty arena match to be held on June 9, but Sabu refused to wrestle him, claiming that he had promised his uncle, The Sheik, that he would never fight Raven. Raven then waged a campaign against Sabu, disrespecting the memory of his uncle and assaulting Sabu's friend Sonjay Dutt, until Sabu finally broke and attacked him on July 23. Raven defeated Sabu on August 4, and a scheduled return match on August 18 was cancelled after Sabu (legit) suffered a serious back injury. While injured, Sabu contracted a virus and was hospitalized, sidelining him for ten months. On December 12 a benefit show, A Night of Appreciation for Sabu was held to raise funds for him. The show was considered a success, raising enough money for Sabu to cover the costs of his medical care and he was able to make a full recovery. In his first match back from the injury, he defeated N8 Mattson. Sabu then appeared at Hardcore Homecoming, where he defeated Terry Funk and Shane Douglas in a three-way no-ropes barbed wire match, and (two days later) at ECW One Night Stand, where he defeated Rhyno. Sabu returned to TNA on July 29 2005. At TNA Sacrifice Sabu teamed with his old enemy, and then NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Raven to face Jeff Jarrett and Rhino. Rhino and Jarrett won the match after Rhino gored Raven through a table and pinned him. The match saw Abyss interfering and attacking Sabu, starting a feud between the two of them. They went on to have a match at Unbreakable in September which Abyss won after performing his Black Hole Slam finisher on to a pile of tacks in the ring. Sabu once again found himself squaring off against Rhino and Abyss, as well as Jeff Hardy, during Bound for Glory in the Monster's Ball 2 match. Rhino won the match. On the same night, Sabu competed in a 10-Man Gauntlet Match to decide a number one contender, which he also lost, once again to Rhino. In late October of 2005, Sabu signed a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment to be a part of its Legends program. Sabu continued his feud with Abyss, once again losing to him at Genesis after taking a Black Hole Slam onto a barbed wire steel chair. They met up again, in the promotions first ever Barbed Wire Massacre at Turning Point. Sabu finally got the better of Abyss, but following the match wasn't seen on TNA TV for several months. He made his return at Lockdown on April 28th, 2006 in a match against Samoa Joe for Joe's X Division Title despite Sabu having a broken forearm. Sabu was defeated in what would turn out to be his final TNA match. Following the match Samoa Joe reported on his MySpace page that Sabu's injuries from Lockdown were more serious than reported. Joe stated that part of Sabu's fingertip was severed, he had a broken arm, and he had been partially scalped at an undisclosed Mexican independent event. [edit] World Wrestling Entertainment (2006-2007) On April 24, 2006, Sabu's official website reported that he signed a one-year contract with World Wrestling Entertainment. This was soon confirmed by WWE.com, which stated that Sabu would become a part of WWE's ECW brand. At the One Night Stand pay-per-view, Sabu faced Rey Mysterio for the World Heavyweight Championship. At the end of the pay-per-view matchup, Mysterio found himself standing on a ringside table with Sabu flying at him. Sabu caught the champ in a front facelock and nailed him with a DDT which caused both men to crash through the table. At this point, the WWE medical staff rushed to the injured men and declared neither man could continue and ordered the match stopped, resulting in a No Contest in which Mysterio kept his title. On the June 13 premiere of ECW on Sci-Fi, Sabu won a 10 man Extreme Battle Royal (legalized weapons) with the stipulation that the winner face John Cena at Vengeance. Sabu further fueled the feud during the next week's RAW when he interfered in a Cena match and performed a Triple Jump Leg Drop on him, diving onto Cena and putting him through the announcers' table. Cena defeated Sabu in their "Extreme Lumberjack match" at Vengeance. On July 2 2006, Sabu, traveling with fellow ECW wrestler Rob Van Dam, was arrested and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, and nine Vicodin tablets following a traffic stop in Hanging Rock, Ohio.[1] On July 5 2006, WWE.com announced that Brunk was to be fined $1,000 based on the guidelines of WWE's Wellness Policy.[2] Meanwhile, he defeated Stevie Richards in an Extreme Rules match at Saturday Night's Main Event. Towards the end of July, Sabu began to talk on camera for himself - instead of using a go between - and demanded a shot at The Big Show's ECW World Championship which Paul Heyman refused to grant him in order to "protect" his champion. Instead he forced him into a match against the returning Kurt Angle to determine a #1 contender. When that match was interrupted by the returning Rob Van Dam another match was signed, Angle vs RVD vs. Sabu, for the number one contendership (Angle then became too injured to compete and was pulled from the match). Sabu beat Rob Van Dam in their ladder match to win a shot at Big Show at SummerSlam, a match which he ended up losing. On August 31, 2006 Sabu and Rob Van Dam appeared in court. Sabu was found guilty of possession of prescription medication nine tablets of testolactone (a steroid) not prescribed to him and was fined $500.[3] At Survivor Series 2006, Sabu teamed up with John Cena, Bobby Lashley, Rob Van Dam and Kane to face the team of The Big Show, Test, Montel Vontavious Porter, Finlay and Umaga. Sabu eliminated Test following a Tornado DDT, but he was later eliminated by Big Show via pinfall after receiving a chokeslam. In the end, Team Cena gained victory. At December to Dismember Sabu was originally to appear in the main event, an extreme elimination chamber match against The Big Show, Test, Rob Van Dam, CM Punk and Bobby Lashley, but was "taken out" and replaced by Hardcore Holly. Sabu made his Royal Rumble debut in the 2007 Royal Rumble where he was eliminated by Kane after receiving a chokeslam over the top rope and through a table. Sabu joined the ECW Originals along with Rob Van Dam, Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman. The ECW Originals began a feud with the New Breed (Elijah Burke, Kevin Thorn, Marcus Cor Von and Matt Striker). The two teams faced off in a match at WrestleMania 23 in which the ECW Originals won. On March 31, 2007 Sabu and Rob Van Dam inducted The Sheik into the WWE Hall of Fame. On May 16, 2007 WWE.com reported that Sabu had been released. [4] He was released with a 90-day no compete clause in his contract. Sabu is now confirmed playable character in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 after his release. Independent Circuit (2007) (AAA)
On July 13, 2007, it was announced that Sabu would be working in Mexico's AAA promotion in Mexico for their Triplemania 15 Event. Sabu came out during the main event and put La Parka (AAA version) through a table joining forces with the heels X-Pac, Ron "the Truth" Killings, and Konnan. Sabu wrestling CW Anderson at the ECW Arena in June 2006.Sabu's wrestling style is unorthodox, consisting mainly of aerial moves performed with the aid of tables (which he is famous for smashing opponents through) and chairs, which he uses as weapons and as launching pads for some of his more death-defying moves. He is also famous for the invention of his triple-jump techniques, which involve jumping from a set-up chair onto the ring ropes and then springing off onto an opponent with a flying attack of some sort. Sabu is also notorious for continuing to wrestle matches even though he has suffered serious injuries that require medical attention. An example of this was during the Stairway to Hell match with The Sandman where Sabu's jawbone was broken when he landed face-first on the steel guardrail outside the ring. Rather than ending the match early, Sabu actually duct-taped his jaw shut and continued to wrestle the match to its scheduled conclusion. During the aforementioned "Born To Be Wired" match with Terry Funk, Sabu legitimately tore open his biceps on the barbed wire. He taped it up on the spot and continued the match. Afterwards, he super-glued himself together to drive to the hospital where it took more than 100 stitches to close the wound. He refused to miss any matches because of that injury. Sabu's famous signature gesture, Magician of Arabia, is pointing to the sky while looking upwards, especially when entering or exiting the ring, or before performing an especially dangerous move (the gesture is often referred to as Sabu pointing to the heavens in tribute to his uncle The Sheik, even though he had been using the gesture while the Sheik was still alive)Wrestler: Times: Date: Location: Notes: Ken Shamrock 1 June 19, 2002 Huntsville, AL Defeated Malice in the finals of a Gauntlet for the Gold. Ron Killings 1 August 7, 2002 Nashville, TN Jeff Jarrett 1 November 20, 2002 Nashville, TN Unified the title with the WWA World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Sting on May 25, 2003 in Auckland, New Zealand. A.J. Styles 1 June 11, 2003 Nashville, TN This was a three-way match, also involving Raven. Jeff Jarrett 2 October 22, 2003 Nashville, TN [12]
A.J. Styles 2 April 21, 2004 Nashville, TN This was a Steel Cage match.[12]
Ron Killings 2 May 19, 2004 Nashville, TN This was a four-way match, also involving Raven and Chris Harris. Jeff Jarrett 3 June 2, 2004 Nashville, TN This was a King of the Mountain match, also involving A.J. Styles, Raven, and Chris Harris. A.J. Styles 3 May 15, 2005 Orlando, FL Won the title at Hard Justice. Raven 1 June 19, 2005 Orlando, FL This was a King of the Mountain match at Slammiversary, also involving Abyss, Monty Brown, and Sean Waltman.[12]
Jeff Jarrett 4 September 15, 2005 Oldcastle, Ontario Won the title at a Border City Wrestling event.
Rhino 1 October 23, 2005 Orlando, FL Won the title at Bound for Glory. Jeff Jarrett 5 October 25, 2005 Orlando, FL Aired November 3 on iMPACT!. Christian Cage 1 February 12, 2006 Orlando, FL Won the title at Against All Odds. Jeff Jarrett 6 June 18, 2006 Orlando, FL This was a King of the Mountain match at Slammiversary. Jarrett won due to interference by referee Earl Hebner. Jim Cornette stripped Jarrett of the belt later that week, then returned it to him the following week on the condition that he face the winner of a #1 contender match being held at Victory Road on July 16, 2006. Sting 1 October 22, 2006 Plymouth, MI Won the title at Bound for Glory. Sting is the only wresle to win the title both in NWA and TNA. Abyss 1 November 19, 2006 Orlando, FL Won the title at Genesis. Christian Cage 2 January 14, 2007 Orlando, FL This was a Three-Way Elimination match at Final Resolution, also involving Sting.[12] Jackass: The Movie, is an American film directed by Jeff Tremaine and was released on October 25, 2002 with the tagline "Do not attempt this at home." It is a riskier continuation of the stunts and pranks by the various characters of the MTV television series Jackass, which had completed its series run by this time. The film was produced by MTV Films and released by Paramount Pictures. The show features all of the original Jackass cast, including Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Dave England, Bam Margera, Preston Lacy, Ryan Dunn, Ehren McGhehey, and Jason "Wee Man" Acuña. Brandon DiCamillo appears but is not a main cast member like in the show. Other regular Jackass personalities who made appearances include Rake Yohn, Manny Puig, Phil Margera, April Margera . In addition, Rip Taylor, Henry Rollins, Spike Jonze, boxing star Butterbean, Mat Hoffman, and Tony Hawk make cameo appearances.Uncensored version of the TV show
Because of the nature of the film, everyone involved knew they could get away with doing stunts that would never get past television network censors. To that end, they included skits that involved profanity (such as April Says Fuck, which she screams after seeing an alligator in her kitchen), extreme stunts (such as Rocket Skates, which was filmed for the television show but wasn't allowed to air due to the network censors), and extremely crude humor (such as Butt X-Ray, which involves inserting a toy car wrapped in a condom into Ryan Dunn's rectum and getting X-rays of his rear end or Dave defecating in a display toilet in a plumbing store showroom) "We just killed Johnny Knoxville" Because of the extreme nature of some of the stunts, as well as unforeseen accidents, the possibility of serious injury or death was always present. The first stunt of the movie outside of the opening credits, Rent-A-Car Crash-Up Derby, clearly shows how dangerous these stunts could be. In the skit, Johnny dresses in a long coat and dark glasses and rents a car, which he then has outfitted to be used in a demolition derby. Towards the end, one of the other participating cars backs into the hood of Johnny's Ford Contour and cracks the windshield with the tire. As director Jeff Tremaine explained on the commentary track of the movie, this was the first time (though not the last) that he thought, "Wow, we just killed Johnny Knoxville." Other skits, such as Golf Cart Antics, ended with an accident that could have resulted in the death of a performer (in this case again, Johnny was affected — suffering from a concussion and nearly breaking his neck as the result of a flipped golf cart). The "Failed Ending" In the ending of the film, Johnny Knoxville is launched from a catapult into a pond, where Rip Taylor sits in a boat, announcing that "this is the end." This is followed with the credits being shown over outtakes from the movie. The original ending for the movie was supposed to be a Rube Goldberg-type contraption, with each of the cast members performing a stunt that either has something to do with what they did on the show (for example, the first stunt would have Preston as 'The Human Wrecking Ball', knocking him into a Port-A-Potty), or simply for a sight gag (such as Ehren being knocked over in the Port-A-Potty and landing on a bed of toilet paper rolls), ending with Johnny being launched off the catapult next to Rip Taylor. However, as the entire contraption didn't work together the way they wanted it to, the producers of the movie decided to try filming an alternate ending, which is how they came to film the "Son Of Jackass" skit. The Son Of Jackass skit involves dressing all the performers in 'old man' clothing and having them run around exploding buildings and sheds, with only Steve-O surviving to proclaim "Yeah, dude." Some bits of the failed ending were incorporated into the end credits montage, like the penis skateboarder and the giant Plinko machine. Also, stunt double John Henry was supposed to place his head into an alligator's mouth as the movie ended. The entire skit was included on the dvd release in the deleted scenes section. Cut out Because of the sensitive nature of some of the stunts, as well as the possibility of legal action, some parts of the movie had to be edited out. One example of this is in the Riot Control Test skit. In this skit, Johnny Knoxville puts on a chest protector and is shot at with a beanbag projectile from a pump-action shotgun. The first time Knoxville is shot at, the shot goes wide, which makes him extremely nervous. The scene was later edited out as, while the "Jackass" crew could waive civil liability, they could not waive criminal liability. Hence should Johnny or any cast member have been killed or grievously injured as a result of a stunt, the producers of the movie could possibly be held liable on the grounds of negligent or reckless homicide or battery. While Knoxville and other Jackass participants are clearly aware of the risks involved in their stunts, the threat of criminal liability was significant enough that the Los Angeles law firm Irell & Manella advised cutting out segments which could potentially be used as evidence in such a case. In addition, the final skit in the movie called "Butt X-Ray" was edited to remove the insertion of the toy car into Ryan Dunn's anus, the reason being that displaying the insertion might have been considered pornographic or otherwise highly objectionable by the MPAA, and could have earned the film an NC-17 rating, severely limiting its distribution. The Japanese version Since some scenes of the movie were shot in Tokyo, Japan, a special edited version was made and screened for Japanese audiences. Some bits were edited out for legal reasons (especially scenes showing people's faces without their consent); however, they were placed back in for the special DVD version. A reason for filming extensively in Japan is that laws requiring non-consenting participants to have their faces censored do not apply in Japan. Box office performance The film had a budget of US$5 million[1] and was the #1 movie at the U.S. box office when it opened, grossing $22.7 million in 2,509 theaters.[1] The film went on to gross $64.2 million in the United States and $15.2 million in other countries, for a worldwide gross of $79.4 million. Reception The film received mixed reviews from critics. As of September 2007 on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, 49% of critics gave the film positive reviews based on 83 reviews, and among the "cream of the crop" reviews, 31% were favorable.[4] On Metacritic, the film had an average score of 42 out of 100, based on 14 reviews. New York Post film critic Lou Lumenick said "[this] plotless collection of moronic stunts is by far the worst movie of the year."[6] Ethan Alter of Film Journal International admitted to having never seen an episode the TV show, said he couldn't say he enjoyed watching it, and said "it would be easy for me to hold Jackass: The Movie up as a leading example of the decline of Western civilization." Alter said he was disturbed by "the film's, and by extension the audience's, cavalier attitude towards pain." Alter went on to say the film "deliberately defies any and all cinematic conventions", "there's no story or characters to analyze", and said "simply put, there's no movie to review here, just a series of blackout scenes you're either going to find supremely funny or incredibly idiotic." Ethan Alter also said the film "may be the most experimental feature ever released by a major Hollywood studio" and also that it "appears to be hailing the birth of a new reality genre: Call it America's Most Sadistic Home-Videos."[7] Chicago Tribune movie reporter Mark Caro gave the film 1 star out of 4 and called it "willful idiocy for idiocy's sake." Caro also said "there's one stunt that I bet none of these moronic daredevils would tackle: trying to say something intelligent about Jackass: The Movie." Mark Caro also remarked, "Maybe the best way to look at Jackass: The Movie is as a piece of conceptual art. How far and low will these guys go? What's the pinnacle of pointlessness?" then concluded "I don't like conceptual art."[8] Jeff Vice of the Deseret Morning News gave the film 1 1/2 stars and said the 80 minute runtime was too much. Vice said the movie should have been rated NC-17 and said that many people will find the film to be "possibly the most irresponsible picture ever released by a major film studio."[9] A.O. Scott of The New York Times said the film "is essentially an extended episode of the popular Jackass MTV series" and that "some of the undertakings, amateurishly recorded on video, are like demented science experiments." Scott said "Jackass the Movie is like a documentary version of Fight Club, shorn of social insight, intellectual pretension and cinematic interest" and also remarked, "Occasionally, there is a flicker of Candid Camera-style conceptual inventiveness, especially in the bits filmed in Japan."[10] Rene Rodriguez of The Miami Herald gave the film 2 1/2 stars out of 4 and said "Johnny Knoxville and his merry band of anarchists ran around performing the sort of suicidal stunts parental warnings were invented for" and "the gang also likes to train their sights on the unsuspecting public, Candid Camera style." Rodriguez also said "It is not at all sexist to suggest most women will find Jackass: The Movie as further evidence they are the more intelligent sex" and "As much as I laughed throughout the movie, I cannot mount a cogent defense of the film as entertainment, or even performance art, although the movie does leave you marveling at these guys' superhuman capacity to withstand pain (and their even stranger eagerness to suffer it)." LA Weekly film critic Paul Malcolm listed Jackass: The Movie as one of the 10 best films of 2002 and also called it the most underrated film of 2002.[12] On the television show Ebert & Roeper, Richard Roeper called it the "feel-sick movie of the year" and said the film is "a disgusting, repulsive, grotesque spectacle, but it's also hilarious and provocative."[13] Pete Vonder Haar of Film Threat said the results of "essentially transplanting the show to the big screen" are "incredibly funny and often too disgusting for words." Vonder Haar said "the masochists of Jackass aren't hurting anyone but themselves", "no one is exploiting these guys", and "Knoxville and Co. joyfully sacrifice their bodies for our amusement, and it works." Vonder Haar also remarked "the end result is a collection of some of the best physical comedy since Moe first smacked Curly on the head" and called it "one of the funniest films I've seen all year."[14] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a "B" and said the film "provokes a suspense halfway between comedy and horror. I'm not sure if I enjoyed myself, exactly, but I could hardly wait to see what I'd be appalled by next." Gleiberman also said "In the movie version of the show that might just as well have been called America's Funniest Frat-House Hazing Rituals, the boys engage in infantile Candid Camera grossouts...but mostly, the happy masochistic stunts just keep coming", and also remarked, "it's difficult to reprimand Johnny Knoxville and his crew of merry sick pranksters when their principal pastime consists of dreaming up elaborate new ways to punish themselves."[15] Ed Halter of The Village Voice said "their feature debut plays like a longer episode of the show" and said "it's funny, as the old saying goes, because it's true." Halter wrote "the structure is ruthlessly efficient: no plot, no characters, no sets, and no downtime—just one sight-gag right after another."[16] Kimberly Jones of The Austin Chronicle gave the film 3 stars and said the film is the "feature-length rendering of jackass the MTV show, meaning no plot, no script, just wall-to-wall idiocy." Jones said "It's silly, often stomach-churning, but also awfully addictive, inspiring the same kind of vicarious adrenaline rush as Fight Club, with its 'I bleed, therefore I am'; he-man mentality." Jones also remarked, "Consisting of a steady clip of barely minutes-long gags...this piece of outré performance art defies typical movie conventions...but that shouldn't surprise, or even disappoint, anyone lining up for a ticket." Jones wrote "the query 'can I have one for jackass the movie please?' sort of implies you know what you're getting yourself into" and "all told, either you get it or you don't." Critics disagreed on how to categorize the film. Scott Foundas of Variety referred to Jackass: The Movie as the first reality film when reviewing The Real Cancun in April 2003.[18] In a film critic roundup of 2002 films in The Village Voice, film critic Armond White said "Best Documentary: Jackass, far and away."[19] Ed Halter of The Village Voice wrote, "MTV would surely love to claim Jackass as a mutant by-product of its Real World franchise, but its roots lie elsewhere", saying "their self-destructive brand of docu-comedy emerged as a bizarrely elaborate version of a skateboard-video mainstay: slam sections..."[16] Jennie Punter of The Globe and Mail said the film "belongs in the too-hot-for-TV direct-to-video/DVD category". The sequels Main article: Jackass: Number Two Jackass: The Movie was filmed with a modest budget of approximately $5 million, but earned more than $22 million during its opening weekend, effectively managing to secure the top spot at the box office for its debut. It eventually grossed more than $64 million in North America alone.As a result, although the cast and crew said many times that a sequel to Jackass: the Movie would never be made, Paramount Pictures filmed a sequel to the movie. The sequel titled Jackass Number Two was released on September 22, 2006.According to Rip Taylor, the sequel was to be called "Son of Jackass." This was a joke, of course, but Knoxville replied, "To answer all the questions from the first film?"Another Jackass movie will be released sometime around 2008, with the tentative title Jackass 3Death Vs. Luke Hadley volume 1 Classic Luke Hadley DVLH Wrestling DVD http://www.lukehadley.com for full DVD ... Backyard wrestling is a loose term used to describe Classic Luke Hadley DVLH Wrestling DVD (see the 1st 8 minutes here for free). Backyard wrestling is a loose term used to describe the controversial practice of professional wrestling as performed by untrained fans in an unsanctioned, non-professional environment. Backyard wrestling is a title applied to home filmed and produced professional wrestling shows, videos, or events carried out by untrained athletes, mostly comprised of American males between the ages of 16 and 30. In the years since its formation, Backyard wrestling has developed into an underground scene, where federations often produce, trade and distribute their videos via Internet, and other wrestling publications. Though backyard wrestling was not unheard of prior to the 1990s, the modern backyard wrestling "craze" lasted from roughly 1996 to 2001, during a time when televised professional wrestling was enjoying a period of unparalleled popularity Hardcore phaseLuke Hadley Classic DVLH wrestling http://www.lukehadley.com Backyard wrestling is a title applied to home filmed and produced professional...all »Luke Hadley Classic DVLH wrestling http://www.lukehadley.com Backyard wrestling is a title applied to home filmed and produced professional wrestling shows, videos, or events carried out by untrained athletes, mostly comprised of American males between the ages of 16 and 30. In the years since its formation, Backyard wrestling has developed into an underground scene, where federations often produce, trade and distribute their videos via Internet, and other wrestling publications. Though backyard wrestling was not unheard of prior to the 1990s, the modern backyard wrestling "craze" lasted from roughly 1996 to 2001, during a time when televised professional wrestling was enjoying a period of unparalleled popularity. Many of those who practice it embrace a style that emphasizes risky high spots (which can involve diving or taking bumps from rooftops or ladders) and the liberal use of weapons in matches. These may include thumbtacks, barbed wire, tables, plywood, fire, glass, and fluorescent lamps. Even among participants who shy away from this, there still is a considerable level of inherent risk involved. Many professional wrestling holds require extensive training to perform correctly and safely, which few backyard wrestlers have received. These and other concerns are at the heart of the controversy surrounding the practice. Backyard wrestling is so-called because it is often literally performed in yards, though most any location can host a backyard wrestling match, including parks, garages, playgrounds, vacant lots, warehouses, barns, and school gyms. It is common for backyard professional wrestling promotions, or "feds," to construct their own homemade wrestling rings. Wrestling on trampolines is also common, which allows for visually impressive moves to be performed with a minimal risk of injury. Others opt to simply perform matches on the bare ground which, in most cases, is more dangerous than performing in home-made rings. Backyard wrestling promotions can be highly organized, and many tape their shows and maintain websites where media is available for download. The internet proved instrumental in popularizing backyard wrestling during its initial boom period. In its history, backyard wrestling has changed significantly in terms of its professionalism, safety provisions, popularity, and hardcore style. Backyard wrestling tends to follow the trends of professional wrestling and changes in accordance with what are the fads and trends in the major promotions such as World Wrestling Entertainment or Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Although backyard wrestling has been often associated with a Mick Foley home video in which Foley jumps off the roof of a house onto his opponent who is lying on a pile of mattresses, backyard wrestling most likely began in the 1950s emulating such stars as Gorgeous George, and later Bruno Sammartino, and Superstar Billy Graham [citation needed]. The earliest listed "official" backyarder is Shawn "Crusher" Crossen who wrestled from March 1984 until early 1990 in his own promotion known as NWF Kids Pro Wrestling.[1]Twin Cities based promoter and trainer Eddie Sharkey actually co-promoted a sold-out wrestling event that featured matches from both Pro Wrestling America (PWA) and NWF Kids Pro Wrestling at the American Legion Hall in Champlin, MN back on November 1986. [2] . In August of 1997 the now defunct CWF a backyard promotion originating from Vallejo, California began filming the television show CWF Devastation. "Devastation" aired between 1997-2000 on California public access stations, and has often been cited as the inspiration for the legendary West Coast backyard movement of the late 1990's Backyard wrestling became infamous for its out-of-control and unregulated dangerous stunts. Many people, most commonly male teenagers, frequently risked their lives in attempted dives, jumps, falls, and bumps. Many others would use sharp and harmful weapons, performing matches with flaming tables, barbed wire, lighttubes, thumbtacks and sharp metal tools such as cheese graters. While these violent practices carry a more extensive legacy in Japanese wrestling promotions such as Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling, many attribute their stateside popularity to the rise of Extreme Championship Wrestling and wrestlers like New Jack, Tommy Dreamer, and the Sandman. These activities, which were also closely linked to the reckless nature of other teen-centered shows such as Jackass, were part of the "hardcore" phase of American professional wrestling, ushered in by the extreme style of promotions such as ECW, Xtreme Pro Wrestling, and Combat Zone Wrestling. However, when these promotions closed and/or toned down their extreme nature, backyard wrestling followed suit, leading to less dangerous activity. Because of this, the heavy bleeding and use of dangerous weaponry in backyard wrestling has now faded from popularity. The "backyard wrestling craze," as it was, began to slow down between 1999 and 2000 . Increased media attention[4] and reforms within the professional wrestling promotions themselves led to a generally unpopular view of wrestling and unprofessional stunts, leading to a decline in the popularity of backyard wrestling. This did not, however, lead to a total abolishment, as several popular internet wrestling communities still feature active message boards dedicated to the practice of backyard wrestling. Independent circuit After 2000, many individuals changed and realized that the dangerous stunts they were doing had grave consequences. The internet and television[5] was more supportive in that it led to the distribution of information on professional wrestling which helped many individuals discover the proper way to perform certain moves, for example. More professional wrestling schools and small independent wrestling promotions formed at this time as well, accepting particularly skilled backyard wrestlers. As a result, more of the younger independent wrestlers admit to having backyard wrestling experience, some claiming it is a hobby that they pursue while performing professionally. This does not reflect the majority of professional wrestlers, however, as backyard wrestling is often drastically different from that shown on television. Nonetheless, some independent wrestlers claim they continue backyarding because, whereas wrestling professionally means being told how, who, and where to wrestle by a booker or promoter, backyarders are their own bookers and promoters and can enjoy the freedom of wrestling their friends however they like for their own recreation. However, training in a "backyard wrestling environment" is often frowned upon by professionals, and the sport has a strongly negative connotation. Controversy Many backyard wrestlers cite Mick Foley as their inspiration, as a video of Foley's backyard wrestling exploits with his friends in college gained widespread attention after portions of it were shown on WWF television which glorified it as his entrance into the company. However, Foley himself discourages the practice of backyard wrestling. While he made a career by distributing a video of himself doing dangerous stunts such as jumping off a rooftop onto a mattress, he downplays what he did and says it is too dangerous. In his book Foley Is Good, Mick Foley recalls an instance where he was interviewed for a television piece about the growing trend for backyard wrestling. He claims that comments he made having viewed footage of a legitimate professional hardcore match were deliberately misrepresented and applied by the production company to a backyard vignette. Some professional wrestlers and most, if not all, professional wrestling promotions discourage backyard wrestling in public comments, because it involves legal risk to the promotions in the form of lawsuits by individuals. Several lawsuits have been brought against wrestling promotions, most prominently 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 urges fans, "Don't try this at home." Some professional wrestlers have admitted to practicing it themselves during their younger years. Those who have done so include the Hardy Boyz and Shannon Moore, among others. While many backyard wrestlers believe that backyard wrestling is good preparation for future exploits in professional wrestling given Mick Foley's career, 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." One book that supports these matches is Backyard Empire, a backyard wrestling novel inspired by a true story. It argues that many of its backyard wrestlers used their local show as a springboard to become professionals.[7] Another book about backyard wrestling is Wrestling in the Backyard by "Maniac" Mike Elias. Other backyard organizations attempted more impromptu or "real" formats. The A.W.F., The American Wrestling Federation, founded in 1987 by Anthony Tech and Tim Balderramos, reportedly did not have predetermined high spots or booked endings in their early years, even though they employed a standard professional wrestling format. The A.W.F. later attempted a style called "Freestyle-Professional" in the early 2000's, which used a scoring system and a five-minute period like what is seen in Olympic wrestling while allowing limited pro wrestling maneuvers like body slams (for takedown points) as well as submission holds. While decidedly safer and more challenging for the participant, it proved too boring for the spectator. The change in format is cited by some as the cause for the A.W.F. ceasing active operations in 2005. Media attention In the earliest recorded media coverage from 1984 and 1985 that covered Backyard wrestling, the message and stories being told were nothing short of "positive" from well respected news outlets such as the Minneapolis StarTibune and KSTP Eyewitness News.[8][9] Between the 1980s and 1990s, the style of Backyard wrestling evolved to a much more violent form, focussing more on the "high risk" maneuvers and "dangerous" stunts which triggered a much different view from the media. Backyard wrestling, and its forefather, professional wrestling, both reached greater popularity during the late 1990s and were the subject of disdain from the media.[10][11] It was a frequent topic for documentaries and televised news programs, often serving as an indication that the MTV Generation, as it had been dubbed, was among the most reckless, least guided, and most immoral of all teen generations. Although the implications of backyard wrestling on teen culture and on society as a whole compose a far more complicated debate, most media attention (and adults) in the United States feared that backyard wrestling was a degradation of society and of youth. However, since the loss in mainstream popularity of professional wrestling, media interest surrounding backyard wrestling has calmed down. Videos Backyard wrestling videos are produced by the wrestlers of the federation. They are readily available on the internet at any website, and some federations have ordering information about VHS and DVD copies of their matches and exploits. These videos are commonly filmed on camcorders with the cameraman occasionally providing the commentary on the matches. On the internet, most times the matches are shown in montage clips with heavy metal music in the background. There is also a Documentary called The Backyard about backyard wrestling featuring Rob Van Dam. No-Rope Barbed Wire match with Terry Funk One of Sabu's most infamous matches was the No-Rope Barbed-Wire match with Terry Funk at Born To Be Wired, a match which was promoted as being "too extreme even for ECW" - and with good reason: both men bled profusely. In one of the most memorable moments in ECW history, Sabu attempted the "Air Sabu" corner splash on Terry Funk. Funk moved and Sabu ended up colliding violently into the wire which tore open his biceps. He then asked his manager Bill Alfonso for some tape and after Alfonso went to get some Sabu began to tape the gash up, which was about twelve inches long. To this day, Terry Funk has stated that he has never seen anything like what Sabu did that night. The match ended with both men so badly tangled up together in the barbed wire that it took several ring technicians armed with wire cutters to free them from the predicament (on the DVD Bloodsport ECW: The Most Extreme Matches released by World Wrestling Entertainment, Paul Heyman said that the match was "so gruesome, I never ever dared to schedule another one like it", and that they never had another Barbed-Wire match in ECW because "no one could top that one -- and in good conscience, I never wanted anyone to try.").
Injuries Sabu racked up an astounding catalogue of injuries during his ECW tenure, including broken ribs, broken jaw, and most infamously, breaking his neck twice (the first time was during a match with Chris Benoit on November 5, 1994 in which communication problems appeared to be to blame as Benoit lifted Sabu over for a flapjack, but Sabu assumed Benoit was going for a back body drop. This caused Sabu to land directly on his head; the other was during a match against Taz in December 1998, when Sabu took a Tazplex through a table and landed wrong). Sabu was able to recover from the neck injuries and return to wrestling, and he even wore a neck brace in his return match in the United States a month following the injury at Taz's hands; by Sabu's account, however, he started actively wrestling in Japan on a short tour a little over two weeks after that injury. Mainstream exposure In October 1993, Sabu contested in two WWF matches. He defeated Scott Taylor in a dark match before the October 18 Monday Night Raw tapings in Poughkeepsie, NY. The following night he was defeated by Owen Hart in Glens Falls, NY.
Sabu did get some more mainstream exposure in the year 1995. He debuted in World Championship Wrestling on September the 11th of that year for the WCW Monday Nitro program by picking up a victory over Alex Wright, only for it to be reversed by Referee Nick Patrick, following Sabu's behavior after the match (he put Alex Wright through a table outside the ring). He would then pick up two consecutive victories over Mr. JL (Jerry Lynn) on October 9 (on Nitro) and at WCW Halloween Havoc 1995. WCW did not like his violent style and unwillingness to lose a match, and thus did not offer Sabu a long-term contract. As a result, his last appearance in WCW was on the October 30 episode of Monday Nitro, defeating Disco Inferno in under two minutes. Following the match, Sabu threw a table at Inferno and was preparing to put Disco through it with a somersault over the top rope, but Disco moved off the table and Sabu landed on his back.
Sabu was the first wrestler to dive off the entrance sign during an episode of WWF RAW on February 24, 1997, while WWE and ECW were cross-promoting. He had actually lost his balance before diving off, but managed to reposition himself in mid-air to land on Team Taz. In addition, Sabu was featured in the Playstation Video game WCW vs. the World later on in the same year, under the pseudonym David Harley. WCW signed Sabu to a contract in 2000, but legal action threatened by ECW precluded Sabu from ever making an appearance before WCW's demise. From 2000 to 2001, he had a successful run in California's XPW, which catapulted him back into the national spotlight after Paul Heyman had tried to prevent him from working outside of ECW by actually suing him in court for breach of contract, when---as it turned out---Heyman was actually the one who had breached Sabu's contract. He won the XPW World Heavyweight Championship during his stay, and was managed by former Danzig bassist Josh Lazie. Sabu went on to wrestle on the independent circuit, appearing with promotions such as Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW), which is owned by the Insane Clown Posse. Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2002-2006)
Sabu debuted in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) on July 17 2002, defeating Malice in a ladder match. The next week he faced Ken Shamrock in a ladder match which was declared a No Contest when Malice interfered. Sabu returned briefly in 2003, along other ECW alumni. In 2004, Sabu teamed with Raven to defeat Raven's former "Gathering" protégés, CM Punk and Julio Dinero. In March he began feuding with Monty Brown and Abyss, who outnumbered him on several occasions after Raven failed to "watch his back". Eventually Raven challenged Sabu to an empty arena match to be held on June 9, but Sabu refused to wrestle him, claiming that he had promised his uncle, The Sheik, that he would never fight Raven. Raven then waged a campaign against Sabu, disrespecting the memory of his uncle and assaulting Sabu's friend Sonjay Dutt, until Sabu finally broke and attacked him on July 23. Raven defeated Sabu on August 4, and a scheduled return match on August 18 was cancelled after Sabu (legit) suffered a serious back injury. While injured, Sabu contracted a virus and was hospitalized, sidelining him for ten months. On December 12 a benefit show, A Night of Appreciation for Sabu was held to raise funds for him. The show was considered a success, raising enough money for Sabu to cover the costs of his medical care and he was able to make a full recovery. In his first match back from the injury, he defeated N8 Mattson. Sabu then appeared at Hardcore Homecoming, where he defeated Terry Funk and Shane Douglas in a three-way no-ropes barbed wire match, and (two days later) at ECW One Night Stand, where he defeated Rhyno. Sabu returned to TNA on July 29 2005. At TNA Sacrifice Sabu teamed with his old enemy, and then NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Raven to face Jeff Jarrett and Rhino. Rhino and Jarrett won the match after Rhino gored Raven through a table and pinned him. The match saw Abyss interfering and attacking Sabu, starting a feud between the two of them. They went on to have a match at Unbreakable in September which Abyss won after performing his Black Hole Slam finisher on to a pile of tacks in the ring. Sabu once again found himself squaring off against Rhino and Abyss, as well as Jeff Hardy, during Bound for Glory in the Monster's Ball 2 match. Rhino won the match. On the same night, Sabu competed in a 10-Man Gauntlet Match to decide a number one contender, which he also lost, once again to Rhino. In late October of 2005, Sabu signed a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment to be a part of its Legends program. Sabu continued his feud with Abyss, once again losing to him at Genesis after taking a Black Hole Slam onto a barbed wire steel chair. They met up again, in the promotions first ever Barbed Wire Massacre at Turning Point. Sabu finally got the better of Abyss, but following the match wasn't seen on TNA TV for several months. He made his return at Lockdown on April 28th, 2006 in a match against Samoa Joe for Joe's X Division Title despite Sabu having a broken forearm. Sabu was defeated in what would turn out to be his final TNA match. Following the match Samoa Joe reported on his MySpace page that Sabu's injuries from Lockdown were more serious than reported. Joe stated that part of Sabu's fingertip was severed, he had a broken arm, and he had been partially scalped at an undisclosed Mexican independent event. [edit] World Wrestling Entertainment (2006-2007) On April 24, 2006, Sabu's official website reported that he signed a one-year contract with World Wrestling Entertainment. This was soon confirmed by WWE.com, which stated that Sabu would become a part of WWE's ECW brand. At the One Night Stand pay-per-view, Sabu faced Rey Mysterio for the World Heavyweight Championship. At the end of the pay-per-view matchup, Mysterio found himself standing on a ringside table with Sabu flying at him. Sabu caught the champ in a front facelock and nailed him with a DDT which caused both men to crash through the table. At this point, the WWE medical staff rushed to the injured men and declared neither man could continue and ordered the match stopped, resulting in a No Contest in which Mysterio kept his title. On the June 13 premiere of ECW on Sci-Fi, Sabu won a 10 man Extreme Battle Royal (legalized weapons) with the stipulation that the winner face John Cena at Vengeance. Sabu further fueled the feud during the next week's RAW when he interfered in a Cena match and performed a Triple Jump Leg Drop on him, diving onto Cena and putting him through the announcers' table. Cena defeated Sabu in their "Extreme Lumberjack match" at Vengeance. On July 2 2006, Sabu, traveling with fellow ECW wrestler Rob Van Dam, was arrested and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, and nine Vicodin tablets following a traffic stop in Hanging Rock, Ohio.[1] On July 5 2006, WWE.com announced that Brunk was to be fined $1,000 based on the guidelines of WWE's Wellness Policy.[2] Meanwhile, he defeated Stevie Richards in an Extreme Rules match at Saturday Night's Main Event. Towards the end of July, Sabu began to talk on camera for himself - instead of using a go between - and demanded a shot at The Big Show's ECW World Championship which Paul Heyman refused to grant him in order to "protect" his champion. Instead he forced him into a match against the returning Kurt Angle to determine a #1 contender. When that match was interrupted by the returning Rob Van Dam another match was signed, Angle vs RVD vs. Sabu, for the number one contendership (Angle then became too injured to compete and was pulled from the match). Sabu beat Rob Van Dam in their ladder match to win a shot at Big Show at SummerSlam, a match which he ended up losing. On August 31, 2006 Sabu and Rob Van Dam appeared in court. Sabu was found guilty of possession of prescription medication nine tablets of testolactone (a steroid) not prescribed to him and was fined $500.[3] At Survivor Series 2006, Sabu teamed up with John Cena, Bobby Lashley, Rob Van Dam and Kane to face the team of The Big Show, Test, Montel Vontavious Porter, Finlay and Umaga. Sabu eliminated Test following a Tornado DDT, but he was later eliminated by Big Show via pinfall after receiving a chokeslam. In the end, Team Cena gained victory. At December to Dismember Sabu was originally to appear in the main event, an extreme elimination chamber match against The Big Show, Test, Rob Van Dam, CM Punk and Bobby Lashley, but was "taken out" and replaced by Hardcore Holly. Sabu made his Royal Rumble debut in the 2007 Royal Rumble where he was eliminated by Kane after receiving a chokeslam over the top rope and through a table. Sabu joined the ECW Originals along with Rob Van Dam, Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman. The ECW Originals began a feud with the New Breed (Elijah Burke, Kevin Thorn, Marcus Cor Von and Matt Striker). The two teams faced off in a match at WrestleMania 23 in which the ECW Originals won. On March 31, 2007 Sabu and Rob Van Dam inducted The Sheik into the WWE Hall of Fame. On May 16, 2007 WWE.com reported that Sabu had been released. [4] He was released with a 90-day no compete clause in his contract. Sabu is now confirmed playable character in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 after his release. Independent Circuit (2007) (AAA)
On July 13, 2007, it was announced that Sabu would be working in Mexico's AAA promotion in Mexico for their Triplemania 15 Event. Sabu came out during the main event and put La Parka (AAA version) through a table joining forces with the heels X-Pac, Ron "the Truth" Killings, and Konnan. Sabu wrestling CW Anderson at the ECW Arena in June 2006.Sabu's wrestling style is unorthodox, consisting mainly of aerial moves performed with the aid of tables (which he is famous for smashing opponents through) and chairs, which he uses as weapons and as launching pads for some of his more death-defying moves. He is also famous for the invention of his triple-jump techniques, which involve jumping from a set-up chair onto the ring ropes and then springing off onto an opponent with a flying attack of some sort. Sabu is also notorious for continuing to wrestle matches even though he has suffered serious injuries that require medical attention. An example of this was during the Stairway to Hell match with The Sandman where Sabu's jawbone was broken when he landed face-first on the steel guardrail outside the ring. Rather than ending the match early, Sabu actually duct-taped his jaw shut and continued to wrestle the match to its scheduled conclusion. During the aforementioned "Born To Be Wired" match with Terry Funk, Sabu legitimately tore open his biceps on the barbed wire. He taped it up on the spot and continued the match. Afterwards, he super-glued himself together to drive to the hospital where it took more than 100 stitches to close the wound. He refused to miss any matches because of that injury. Sabu's famous signature gesture, Magician of Arabia, is pointing to the sky while looking upwards, especially when entering or exiting the ring, or before performing an especially dangerous move (the gesture is often referred to as Sabu pointing to the heavens in tribute to his uncle The Sheik, even though he had been using the gesture while the Sheik was still alive)Wrestler: Times: Date: Location: Notes: Ken Shamrock 1 June 19, 2002 Huntsville, AL Defeated Malice in the finals of a Gauntlet for the Gold. Ron Killings 1 August 7, 2002 Nashville, TN Jeff Jarrett 1 November 20, 2002 Nashville, TN Unified the title with the WWA World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Sting on May 25, 2003 in Auckland, New Zealand. A.J. Styles 1 June 11, 2003 Nashville, TN This was a three-way match, also involving Raven. Jeff Jarrett 2 October 22, 2003 Nashville, TN [12]
A.J. Styles 2 April 21, 2004 Nashville, TN This was a Steel Cage match.[12]
Ron Killings 2 May 19, 2004 Nashville, TN This was a four-way match, also involving Raven and Chris Harris. Jeff Jarrett 3 June 2, 2004 Nashville, TN This was a King of the Mountain match, also involving A.J. Styles, Raven, and Chris Harris. A.J. Styles 3 May 15, 2005 Orlando, FL Won the title at Hard Justice. Raven 1 June 19, 2005 Orlando, FL This was a King of the Mountain match at Slammiversary, also involving Abyss, Monty Brown, and Sean Waltman.[12]
Jeff Jarrett 4 September 15, 2005 Oldcastle, Ontario Won the title at a Border City Wrestling event.
Rhino 1 October 23, 2005 Orlando, FL Won the title at Bound for Glory. Jeff Jarrett 5 October 25, 2005 Orlando, FL Aired November 3 on iMPACT!. Christian Cage 1 February 12, 2006 Orlando, FL Won the title at Against All Odds. Jeff Jarrett 6 June 18, 2006 Orlando, FL This was a King of the Mountain match at Slammiversary. Jarrett won due to interference by referee Earl Hebner. Jim Cornette stripped Jarrett of the belt later that week, then returned it to him the following week on the condition that he face the winner of a #1 contender match being held at Victory Road on July 16, 2006. Sting 1 October 22, 2006 Plymouth, MI Won the title at Bound for Glory. Sting is the only wresle to win the title both in NWA and TNA. Abyss 1 November 19, 2006 Orlando, FL Won the title at Genesis. Christian Cage 2 January 14, 2007 Orlando, FL This was a Three-Way Elimination match at Final Resolution, also involving Sting.[12] Jackass: The Movie, is an American film directed by Jeff Tremaine and was released on October 25, 2002 with the tagline "Do not attempt this at home." It is a riskier continuation of the stunts and pranks by the various characters of the MTV television series Jackass, which had completed its series run by this time. The film was produced by MTV Films and released by Paramount Pictures. The show features all of the original Jackass cast, including Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Dave England, Bam Margera, Preston Lacy, Ryan Dunn, Ehren McGhehey, and Jason "Wee Man" Acuña. Brandon DiCamillo appears but is not a main cast member like in the show. Other regular Jackass personalities who made appearances include Rake Yohn, Manny Puig, Phil Margera, April Margera . In addition, Rip Taylor, Henry Rollins, Spike Jonze, boxing star Butterbean, Mat Hoffman, and Tony Hawk make cameo appearances.Uncensored version of the TV show
Because of the nature of the film, everyone involved knew they could get away with doing stunts that would never get past television network censors. To that end, they included skits that involved profanity (such as April Says Fuck, which she screams after seeing an alligator in her kitchen), extreme stunts (such as Rocket Skates, which was filmed for the television show but wasn't allowed to air due to the network censors), and extremely crude humor (such as Butt X-Ray, which involves inserting a toy car wrapped in a condom into Ryan Dunn's rectum and getting X-rays of his rear end or Dave defecating in a display toilet in a plumbing store showroom) "We just killed Johnny Knoxville" Because of the extreme nature of some of the stunts, as well as unforeseen accidents, the possibility of serious injury or death was always present. The first stunt of the movie outside of the opening credits, Rent-A-Car Crash-Up Derby, clearly shows how dangerous these stunts could be. In the skit, Johnny dresses in a long coat and dark glasses and rents a car, which he then has outfitted to be used in a demolition derby. Towards the end, one of the other participating cars backs into the hood of Johnny's Ford Contour and cracks the windshield with the tire. As director Jeff Tremaine explained on the commentary track of the movie, this was the first time (though not the last) that he thought, "Wow, we just killed Johnny Knoxville." Other skits, such as Golf Cart Antics, ended with an accident that could have resulted in the death of a performer (in this case again, Johnny was affected — suffering from a concussion and nearly breaking his neck as the result of a flipped golf cart). The "Failed Ending" In the ending of the film, Johnny Knoxville is launched from a catapult into a pond, where Rip Taylor sits in a boat, announcing that "this is the end." This is followed with the credits being shown over outtakes from the movie. The original ending for the movie was supposed to be a Rube Goldberg-type contraption, with each of the cast members performing a stunt that either has something to do with what they did on the show (for example, the first stunt would have Preston as 'The Human Wrecking Ball', knocking him into a Port-A-Potty), or simply for a sight gag (such as Ehren being knocked over in the Port-A-Potty and landing on a bed of toilet paper rolls), ending with Johnny being launched off the catapult next to Rip Taylor. However, as the entire contraption didn't work together the way they wanted it to, the producers of the movie decided to try filming an alternate ending, which is how they came to film the "Son Of Jackass" skit. The Son Of Jackass skit involves dressing all the performers in 'old man' clothing and having them run around exploding buildings and sheds, with only Steve-O surviving to proclaim "Yeah, dude." Some bits of the failed ending were incorporated into the end credits montage, like the penis skateboarder and the giant Plinko machine. Also, stunt double John Henry was supposed to place his head into an alligator's mouth as the movie ended. The entire skit was included on the dvd release in the deleted scenes section. Cut out Because of the sensitive nature of some of the stunts, as well as the possibility of legal action, some parts of the movie had to be edited out. One example of this is in the Riot Control Test skit. In this skit, Johnny Knoxville puts on a chest protector and is shot at with a beanbag projectile from a pump-action shotgun. The first time Knoxville is shot at, the shot goes wide, which makes him extremely nervous. The scene was later edited out as, while the "Jackass" crew could waive civil liability, they could not waive criminal liability. Hence should Johnny or any cast member have been killed or grievously injured as a result of a stunt, the producers of the movie could possibly be held liable on the grounds of negligent or reckless homicide or battery. While Knoxville and other Jackass participants are clearly aware of the risks involved in their stunts, the threat of criminal liability was significant enough that the Los Angeles law firm Irell & Manella advised cutting out segments which could potentially be used as evidence in such a case. In addition, the final skit in the movie called "Butt X-Ray" was edited to remove the insertion of the toy car into Ryan Dunn's anus, the reason being that displaying the insertion might have been considered pornographic or otherwise highly objectionable by the MPAA, and could have earned the film an NC-17 rating, severely limiting its distribution. The Japanese version Since some scenes of the movie were shot in Tokyo, Japan, a special edited version was made and screened for Japanese audiences. Some bits were edited out for legal reasons (especially scenes showing people's faces without their consent); however, they were placed back in for the special DVD version. A reason for filming extensively in Japan is that laws requiring non-consenting participants to have their faces censored do not apply in Japan. Box office performance The film had a budget of US$5 million[1] and was the #1 movie at the U.S. box office when it opened, grossing $22.7 million in 2,509 theaters.[1] The film went on to gross $64.2 million in the United States and $15.2 million in other countries, for a worldwide gross of $79.4 million. Reception The film received mixed reviews from critics. As of September 2007 on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, 49% of critics gave the film positive reviews based on 83 reviews, and among the "cream of the crop" reviews, 31% were favorable.[4] On Metacritic, the film had an average score of 42 out of 100, based on 14 reviews. New York Post film critic Lou Lumenick said "[this] plotless collection of moronic stunts is by far the worst movie of the year."[6] Ethan Alter of Film Journal International admitted to having never seen an episode the TV show, said he couldn't say he enjoyed watching it, and said "it would be easy for me to hold Jackass: The Movie up as a leading example of the decline of Western civilization." Alter said he was disturbed by "the film's, and by extension the audience's, cavalier attitude towards pain." Alter went on to say the film "deliberately defies any and all cinematic conventions", "there's no story or characters to analyze", and said "simply put, there's no movie to review here, just a series of blackout scenes you're either going to find supremely funny or incredibly idiotic." Ethan Alter also said the film "may be the most experimental feature ever released by a major Hollywood studio" and also that it "appears to be hailing the birth of a new reality genre: Call it America's Most Sadistic Home-Videos."[7] Chicago Tribune movie reporter Mark Caro gave the film 1 star out of 4 and called it "willful idiocy for idiocy's sake." Caro also said "there's one stunt that I bet none of these moronic daredevils would tackle: trying to say something intelligent about Jackass: The Movie." Mark Caro also remarked, "Maybe the best way to look at Jackass: The Movie is as a piece of conceptual art. How far and low will these guys go? What's the pinnacle of pointlessness?" then concluded "I don't like conceptual art."[8] Jeff Vice of the Deseret Morning News gave the film 1 1/2 stars and said the 80 minute runtime was too much. Vice said the movie should have been rated NC-17 and said that many people will find the film to be "possibly the most irresponsible picture ever released by a major film studio."[9] A.O. Scott of The New York Times said the film "is essentially an extended episode of the popular Jackass MTV series" and that "some of the undertakings, amateurishly recorded on video, are like demented science experiments." Scott said "Jackass the Movie is like a documentary version of Fight Club, shorn of social insight, intellectual pretension and cinematic interest" and also remarked, "Occasionally, there is a flicker of Candid Camera-style conceptual inventiveness, especially in the bits filmed in Japan."[10] Rene Rodriguez of The Miami Herald gave the film 2 1/2 stars out of 4 and said "Johnny Knoxville and his merry band of anarchists ran around performing the sort of suicidal stunts parental warnings were invented for" and "the gang also likes to train their sights on the unsuspecting public, Candid Camera style." Rodriguez also said "It is not at all sexist to suggest most women will find Jackass: The Movie as further evidence they are the more intelligent sex" and "As much as I laughed throughout the movie, I cannot mount a cogent defense of the film as entertainment, or even performance art, although the movie does leave you marveling at these guys' superhuman capacity to withstand pain (and their even stranger eagerness to suffer it)." LA Weekly film critic Paul Malcolm listed Jackass: The Movie as one of the 10 best films of 2002 and also called it the most underrated film of 2002.[12] On the television show Ebert & Roeper, Richard Roeper called it the "feel-sick movie of the year" and said the film is "a disgusting, repulsive, grotesque spectacle, but it's also hilarious and provocative."[13] Pete Vonder Haar of Film Threat said the results of "essentially transplanting the show to the big screen" are "incredibly funny and often too disgusting for words." Vonder Haar said "the masochists of Jackass aren't hurting anyone but themselves", "no one is exploiting these guys", and "Knoxville and Co. joyfully sacrifice their bodies for our amusement, and it works." Vonder Haar also remarked "the end result is a collection of some of the best physical comedy since Moe first smacked Curly on the head" and called it "one of the funniest films I've seen all year."[14] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a "B" and said the film "provokes a suspense halfway between comedy and horror. I'm not sure if I enjoyed myself, exactly, but I could hardly wait to see what I'd be appalled by next." Gleiberman also said "In the movie version of the show that might just as well have been called America's Funniest Frat-House Hazing Rituals, the boys engage in infantile Candid Camera grossouts...but mostly, the happy masochistic stunts just keep coming", and also remarked, "it's difficult to reprimand Johnny Knoxville and his crew of merry sick pranksters when their principal pastime consists of dreaming up elaborate new ways to punish themselves."[15] Ed Halter of The Village Voice said "their feature debut plays like a longer episode of the show" and said "it's funny, as the old saying goes, because it's true." Halter wrote "the structure is ruthlessly efficient: no plot, no characters, no sets, and no downtime—just one sight-gag right after another."[16] Kimberly Jones of The Austin Chronicle gave the film 3 stars and said the film is the "feature-length rendering of jackass the MTV show, meaning no plot, no script, just wall-to-wall idiocy." Jones said "It's silly, often stomach-churning, but also awfully addictive, inspiring the same kind of vicarious adrenaline rush as Fight Club, with its 'I bleed, therefore I am'; he-man mentality." Jones also remarked, "Consisting of a steady clip of barely minutes-long gags...this piece of outré performance art defies typical movie conventions...but that shouldn't surprise, or even disappoint, anyone lining up for a ticket." Jones wrote "the query 'can I have one for jackass the movie please?' sort of implies you know what you're getting yourself into" and "all told, either you get it or you don't." Critics disagreed on how to categorize the film. Scott Foundas of Variety referred to Jackass: The Movie as the first reality film when reviewing The Real Cancun in April 2003.[18] In a film critic roundup of 2002 films in The Village Voice, film critic Armond White said "Best Documentary: Jackass, far and away."[19] Ed Halter of The Village Voice wrote, "MTV would surely love to claim Jackass as a mutant by-product of its Real World franchise, but its roots lie elsewhere", saying "their self-destructive brand of docu-comedy emerged as a bizarrely elaborate version of a skateboard-video mainstay: slam sections..."[16] Jennie Punter of The Globe and Mail said the film "belongs in the too-hot-for-TV direct-to-video/DVD category". The sequels Main article: Jackass: Number Two Jackass: The Movie was filmed with a modest budget of approximately $5 million, but earned more than $22 million during its opening weekend, effectively managing to secure the top spot at the box office for its debut. It eventually grossed more than $64 million in North America alone.As a result, although the cast and crew said many times that a sequel to Jackass: the Movie would never be made, Paramount Pictures filmed a sequel to the movie. The sequel titled Jackass Number Two was released on September 22, 2006.According to Rip Taylor, the sequel was to be called "Son of Jackass." This was a joke, of course, but Knoxville replied, "To answer all the questions from the first film?"Another Jackass movie will be released sometime around 2008, with the tentative title Jackass 3Death Vs. Luke Hadley volume 1 Classic Luke Hadley DVLH Wrestling DVD http://www.lukehadley.com for full DVD ... Backyard wrestling is a loose term used to describe Classic Luke Hadley DVLH Wrestling DVD (see the 1st 8 minutes here for free). Backyard wrestling is a loose term used to describe the controversial practice of professional wrestling as performed by untrained fans in an unsanctioned, non-professional environment. Backyard wrestling is a title applied to home filmed and produced professional wrestling shows, videos, or events carried out by untrained athletes, mostly comprised of American males between the ages of 16 and 30. In the years since its formation, Backyard wrestling has developed into an underground scene, where federations often produce, trade and distribute their videos via Internet, and other wrestling publications. Though backyard wrestling was not unheard of prior to the 1990s, the modern backyard wrestling "craze" lasted from roughly 1996 to 2001, during a time when televised professional wrestling was enjoying a period of unparalleled popularity Hardcore phase«
Download is starting. Save file to your computer. If the download does not start automatically, right-click this link and choose "Save As". How to get videos onto the iPod or PSP.
