Real Pro Wrestling is going to be on cable in August

[JDenz]

INDIANAPOLIS, JUNE 23 -- As the multitudes from the wrestling community who came to Indianapolis for the 2003 World Team Trials packed up and prepared to return home Monday morning, news of a major breakthrough for wrestling coverage on U.S. television was confirmed by Toby Willis, founder of RealProWrestling.

This group filmed a demonstration event last October in Los Angeles that drew universal praise from those both inside and outside of wrestling circles that witnessed it. That event featured real wrestling matches with the aim of establishing a professional league of real wrestling. Among those who wrestled in that event were Rulon Gardner and many other elite wrestlers who just competed here in the World Team Trials.

'The next step is to get on television and show not only the wrestling audience but also the general population what wrestling is all about and what RealProWrestling is all about,' said Willis, the group's founder. RealProWrestling was also one of the main sponsors of the World Team Trials.

He revealed that the group has been in talks with Fox Sports Net about putting on three shows this August based on the showcase event of last year. 'Things look pretty good to be on national television come August,' he said, adding that the formal signing of the deal and the issuing of a press release should come in the next week.

'It looks like we'll be on August 10, 17, and 24, as the primary showing,' he explained. The first two shows will be one hour each, with the third show running two hours. The time slot will be Sunday afternoon to evening, probably next to the 'Sunday Night Fights' boxing show. The actual schedule on each regional Fox Sports Net also may vary because of local sports programming airing in those times.

'Then after that we'll probably have more events after the World Championships in New York in September. So say, probably October, and looking to be back on television on a regular basis, not just a trial basis, come the end of this year or early next year. That will lead us into 2004 and the Olympic year, and a lot of promotions there,' he also said.

For the future, he has a general plan, but more specifics need to be determined. 'It's hard for us to look past a year down the road,' said Willis, 'but ideally we'd love to see maybe right after the Olympics the formation of a pro league.'

We will have more about RealProWrestling, and the World Team Trials, in days to come right here.

 

[arnisador]

There's been a lot in the news recently about wrestling--including women's.

 

[JDenz]

about time

 

[JDenz]

At the 2003 World Team Trials, completed this past Sunday in Indianapolis, a rather large crew from RealProWrestling was busy taking photos and videos, and interviewing wrestlers both near the mat right after their matches and separately in a special area outside the halls used for the competition. Ace photographer Bill Curry, also shooting the event for an upcoming feature on the World Team Trials in Grappling, was busy taking both candid and posed shots of many of the wrestlers.

'We came here for a lot of different reasons,' explained Toby Willis, founder of RealProWrestling, which also sponsored the World Team Trials. 'One is promotion, to let people know about RealProWrestling, to show them that we are out here, to be able to show videos of what we're about, be able to talk to the athletes, talk to the coaches, talk to the fans, talk to the media, also. And the other thing is for promotional reasons. Wrestling needs to promote ourselves through video, through photographs, through writing. So we came out here to get all those, too.' The best footage will be used in both promotional material as well as the planned television debut for RealProWrestling, which is very likely this August on Fox Sports Net, as reported here yesterday.

Beyond the three-show television series in August, the next steps for RealProWrestling have not been finalized.

'We've got two options,' continued Willis. 'One is to go back in the studio, probably late October, and maybe for a whole week not just shoot one event like we did in our showcase -- we did one freestyle and Greco -- but we'd shoot a whole week's worth of events. And then we'd edit those down and show them once a week.'

Live shows are always preferable to taped ones, but more difficult to organize. That is option two.

'Our second option that we're also seriously looking at and already taking to people is to actually have live events in cities around the nation,' he stated. 'Obviously that takes a lot of coordination with the wrestling community, a lot of which their schedules are not set in stone right now. And so it's hard for us to plan. We obviously want to plan events with and around, not in conflict with the college events, for example, and a lot of the kids' tournaments. So that's a tough issue for us, because we'd like to bring it to arenas. But everybody's doing their schedule right now. It's hard for us to do our schedule. So it's kind of a chicken and egg problem, who's going to do it first, and work around each other. But we are in talks with major wrestling hotbeds in major metropolitan cities on where to have these events, on what dates.'

The response in the wrestling community to RealProWrestling's pilot event last October was universally positive. Even more encouraging has been the response from non-wrestling people in the television industry.

'They've been, particularly production companies, been very, very favorable,' said Willis. 'We've had guys with big credentials, Emmys, and successful television shows look at us and say that this is the next big thing to hit. When it comes to television broadcast, we've had some closed doors, we fight, and the next thing we find the doors are open. There are many doors into these broadcast companies and a different doorkeeper who has different opinions on what they like and don't like. It's just a matter of finding that open door, the one who likes what we're doing.'

A major selling point has been the wrestlers themselves. 'For example, with Fox, they looked at the wrestlers, they see the physiques, and they're just kind of overwhelmed,' he went on. 'To quote them, they said that these guys are 'freaks of nature,' how big they are, and the fact that they're not on steroids. Plus, they obviously work hard, and they're not getting paid money for doing it. That goes against everything they know about sports today, about big money, big business. I think it's hard for them to comprehend that there are guys who do it out there because they love it, and work harder than the other guys. Their response is, 'We want to know more about these guys.' It looks good, the wrestling, the way we packaged it. They love the look. They think there's something there.' And, he also stressed, 'I think there's also curiosity that, 'what makes these guys tick?''

When the RealProWrestling television shows come on, Willis encouraged the wrestling community and wrestling fans to 'Watch it. Second of all, tell their friends to watch it.'

Beyond their own marketing, which includes appearing at events like the World Team Trials, playing videos of the matches filmed in October, and distributing brochures and videos, along with using their web site, Willis did acknowledge that there are still some obstacles to be overcome on the marketing and promotion ends.

'There's some great wrestling out here at the World Team Trials. I sure enjoyed it,' he said. 'I think there's some people we had out here that we talked to, and they're like, 'We can't figure out how this has NOT been marketed. It's just awesome wrestlers, awesome wrestling.'' He thus said the job of RealProWrestling is to 'step up to the plate and take advantage, to step in where we see a need, and do a good job of filling that need.'

The RealProWrestling web site is at:

http://realprowrestling.com/

 

[ace]

Originally posted by JDenz
At the 2003 World Team Trials, completed this past Sunday in Indianapolis, a rather large crew from RealProWrestling was busy taking photos and videos, and interviewing wrestlers both near the mat right after their matches and separately in a special area outside the halls used for the competition. Ace photographer Bill Curry, also shooting the event for an upcoming feature on the World Team Trials in Grappling, was busy taking both candid and posed shots of many of the wrestlers.

'We came here for a lot of different reasons,' explained Toby Willis, founder of RealProWrestling, which also sponsored the World Team Trials. 'One is promotion, to let people know about RealProWrestling, to show them that we are out here, to be able to show videos of what we're about, be able to talk to the athletes, talk to the coaches, talk to the fans, talk to the media, also. And the other thing is for promotional reasons. Wrestling needs to promote ourselves through video, through photographs, through writing. So we came out here to get all those, too.' The best footage will be used in both promotional material as well as the planned television debut for RealProWrestling, which is very likely this August on Fox Sports Net, as reported here yesterday.

Beyond the three-show television series in August, the next steps for RealProWrestling have not been finalized.

'We've got two options,' continued Willis. 'One is to go back in the studio, probably late October, and maybe for a whole week not just shoot one event like we did in our showcase -- we did one freestyle and Greco -- but we'd shoot a whole week's worth of events. And then we'd edit those down and show them once a week.'

Live shows are always preferable to taped ones, but more difficult to organize. That is option two.

'Our second option that we're also seriously looking at and already taking to people is to actually have live events in cities around the nation,' he stated. 'Obviously that takes a lot of coordination with the wrestling community, a lot of which their schedules are not set in stone right now. And so it's hard for us to plan. We obviously want to plan events with and around, not in conflict with the college events, for example, and a lot of the kids' tournaments. So that's a tough issue for us, because we'd like to bring it to arenas. But everybody's doing their schedule right now. It's hard for us to do our schedule. So it's kind of a chicken and egg problem, who's going to do it first, and work around each other. But we are in talks with major wrestling hotbeds in major metropolitan cities on where to have these events, on what dates.'

The response in the wrestling community to RealProWrestling's pilot event last October was universally positive. Even more encouraging has been the response from non-wrestling people in the television industry.

'They've been, particularly production companies, been very, very favorable,' said Willis. 'We've had guys with big credentials, Emmys, and successful television shows look at us and say that this is the next big thing to hit. When it comes to television broadcast, we've had some closed doors, we fight, and the next thing we find the doors are open. There are many doors into these broadcast companies and a different doorkeeper who has different opinions on what they like and don't like. It's just a matter of finding that open door, the one who likes what we're doing.'

A major selling point has been the wrestlers themselves. 'For example, with Fox, they looked at the wrestlers, they see the physiques, and they're just kind of overwhelmed,' he went on. 'To quote them, they said that these guys are 'freaks of nature,' how big they are, and the fact that they're not on steroids. Plus, they obviously work hard, and they're not getting paid money for doing it. That goes against everything they know about sports today, about big money, big business. I think it's hard for them to comprehend that there are guys who do it out there because they love it, and work harder than the other guys. Their response is, 'We want to know more about these guys.' It looks good, the wrestling, the way we packaged it. They love the look. They think there's something there.' And, he also stressed, 'I think there's also curiosity that, 'what makes these guys tick?''

When the RealProWrestling television shows come on, Willis encouraged the wrestling community and wrestling fans to 'Watch it. Second of all, tell their friends to watch it.'

Beyond their own marketing, which includes appearing at events like the World Team Trials, playing videos of the matches filmed in October, and distributing brochures and videos, along with using their web site, Willis did acknowledge that there are still some obstacles to be overcome on the marketing and promotion ends.

'There's some great wrestling out here at the World Team Trials. I sure enjoyed it,' he said. 'I think there's some people we had out here that we talked to, and they're like, 'We can't figure out how this has NOT been marketed. It's just awesome wrestlers, awesome wrestling.'' He thus said the job of RealProWrestling is to 'step up to the plate and take advantage, to step in where we see a need, and do a good job of filling that need.'

The RealProWrestling web site is at:

http://realprowrestling.com/

 

[jfarnsworth]

Finally.

 

[Elfan]

They really need a better name. The moment I hear "pro wrestling" I asume its a piece of crap and ignore it.

 

[JDenz]

lol I need to get a dish so I can watch it before we have a party lol.

 

[arnisador]

http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/3/052033-5053-036.html

Former Pendleton Heights wrestler has become nation's top female at her weight.
[...]
Downing took up wrestling to help with judo. She had participated in that sport since the third grade and has a black belt. But judo is not what made her a conversation piece.

http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/1/052719-1281-036.html

Diana Downing said she realized just how serious her daughter was about wrestling when she made it through her freshman year at Pendleton Heights wrestling with the boys team.

"I had seen her practicing with boys in judo since the third grade, so I wasn't totally nervous," Diana said. "She's had more male friends around her entire life than female friends.
"Whatever she does, she's intense."