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Tanvir Raquib

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ON THE FENCE

I've been torn apart about many issues. It seems that I'm the kind of person who can stick to one opinion - I'm usually "on the fence" about many things. Like backyard wrestling.

I should know a little about backyard wrestling. One of my somewhat close friends has his own backyard wrestling fed. I wanted to try out, but he suggested I do something else.

Anyhow, I torn apart on the issue: Should I support backyard wrestling or not?

I've heard both sides of the argument.

Wrestlers who say theat backyard wrestling is dangerous and should not be performed. They're untrained and they're liabile to get themselves hurt. Go to a school and LEARN that way.

Pubescent teenage boys who say this is what they love to do; just like the kids who play baseball or basketball or soccer. We like chairing ourselves to death - the WWF guys do it, why the fuck can't we?

I've seen some crazy backyard wrestling footage on the Internet and on ABCNews. It's some wild shit. I know for sure I would NEVER do some of the crazy shit that they do. But I've been known to give a mean frogsplash from my bunkbed. :) Some of the things these kids are doing scares the shit out of me. I'd like to stay away from it and I definitely understand why wrestlers would be opposed to it.

But I can understand why some kid would love backyard wrestling. My friend loves it. I remember him telling me where they were going to perform. I could tell he really liked it. I could see that he was just following his athletic heroes. It's just that these particular athletic heroes happen to be professional wrestlers, not football or basketball or soccer players. Instead of a full head-on tackle, they're having chicken wire and burning mattress matches.

What has bothered me recently are the annoying PSA's with professional wrestlers telling the viewer that professional wrestling should stick to the wrestlers. I don't really give a shit what Buff Bagwell tells me. That dude hasn't taken a bump in how long?

And then there's that WWF PSA with various performers telling us how many years they've been in the game. 2 prominent athletes shine in this PSA.

Jeff Hardy and Mick Foley.

I can't believe 2 of the biggest WWF bumptakers in the last 5 years are going to preach to me to leave the wrestling to them. Jeff Hardy was wrestling in backyard matches - that's how he started. And Mick Foley - surely we've all seen that infamous fall from the top of his friend's house. Talk about being hypocritical, but who gives a shit when Boss Vince wants your ass to do a PSA?

I'm still on the fence about backyard wrestling.

I can legitimately understand the social concern of the athletes.

I can legitimately understand the monetary concern of the promoters.

I can legitimately understand why some kid would wanna fly his scrawny ass into chicken wire.

So I'm not taking sides. I'll leave that up to you.

Tanvir Raquib
Too Lazy to Recap Worldwide
Too Scrawny to defend myself
But I can STILL be an Oracle, damnit!
[slash] wrestling


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