Real Pro Wrestling Illustrated Entertaining Side of Wrestlers
Everybody knows Muhammed Lawal is immensely talented on the wrestling mat.
Most people also know Lawal is a bit of a showman.
He has been known to do the “Ali Shuffle” while a match is still going on, run around the mat and jump high into the air before a match and throw on a pair of gold shoes before a big match.
He certainly adds a little spice to his bouts.
Lawal was among the wrestlers who were big hits during the first season of RealProWrestling, advancing to the 184-pound finals by putting his explosive wrestling talents on full display. The athleticism he brings to the mat also is nothing short of entertaining.
“We told guys just to be themselves out there and Mo didn’t seem to be too nervous,” said Matt Case, vice president and co-founder of RealProWrestling along with Toby Willis. “He loved the cameras and the lights and the music. He was real comfortable and his personality definitely came out.”
Lawal has been on a roll, winning the U.S. Nationals in freestyle and clinching the No. 1 seed for the World Team Trials.
“
Wrestling is fun for me,” said Lawal, a 2003 All-American at Oklahoma State. “Some people eat, breathe and sleep wrestling; it’s like a job. Don’t get me wrong, I work hard at this sport and want to be the best, but I keep things in perspective. I am about having fun, letting loose, being me. Wrestling is an outlet for me, something I do that let’s me be a kid.”Lawal said he wants to help wrestling’s new professional league grow.
“It’s a blessing to have this opportunity to compete in RealProWrestling,” he said. “I am just thankful I can perform and help wrestling grow. It’s cool to be on TV. It was cool to be a part of everything they are doing.”
Brad Vering, the guy Lawal will meet in the 184-pound finals, also turned in a strong debut in RealProWrestling, which is a combination of folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling which seemed to be perfectly suited for Vering.
Vering, the native of Howells, Neb., won a Junior Nationals title in freestyle, won an NCAA title for Nebraska in folkstyle and was a 2004 Olympian in Greco. Vering recently won the U.S. Nationals at 84 kilos in Greco.
“Obviously, there are some good things about having experience in all three styles,” Vering said. “I can turn and lift guys in the bonus situation, and I feel like I am good on my feet. But I don’t train the RealPro style, so it is kind of hard to say that style fits me when the freestyle guys are basically training this style 24/7, and I am training Greco the whole time.”
The finals in all seven weight classes are scheduled to be aired May 15 at 4 p.m. Eastern time on PAX. The first season of RealProWrestling was taped in a Los Angeles studio last September. The RPW season has been shown on Sunday afternoons on PAX and then re-aired on Wednesdays on Fox Sports Net.
“We think this first season has gone very well. We are very pleased,” Case said. “We feel like we lit a spark and now we need to capitalize on that. The goal of our first season was to introduce RealProWrestling to people and show them the product. The feedback we got from the athletes was great. Nobody said they had a bad experience. And they felt like they were being rewarded for all their hard work.”
Willis and Case already are working on season 2 of RealProWrestling, talking with various television networks about promoting what they think is a very good product.
“We are by no means satisfied,” Case said. “We are always shooting higher and looking for feedback where we can improve. We want to bring RealProWrestling to live events and take it to arenas where people can see it locally and regionally. We want to continue to grow.”
RealProWrestling emphasizes a style where wrestlers stay in the center of the mat and wrestle an aggressive, attacking style. Points are awarded for pushing your opponent out of bounds. The athletes compete on a raised mat that is elevated on a platform.
“The push-out rule keeps guys in the center more,” Case said. “We want to keep the action going and keep the intensity high. We want to keep it entertaining for the fans.”
Count Tolly Thompson, the U.S. Nationals freestyle champ at heavyweight, among the fans of RPW. Thompson also reached the final round in his debut in RealProWrestling.
“I love it,” Thompson said. “I would definitely do it again. I think if ESPN or Spike TV picks it up for next year they could do really well. I think RealProWrestling has the potential to take off and really catch on. It is an entertaining style for the fans to watch. There is a lot of action.”
Making a little money didn’t hurt either. Thompson earned several thousand dollars for wrestling four matches, plus his expenses were paid for as he and his wife were flown to Los Angeles for the first season taping.
Case said the champion at each weight received $7,500, plus wrestlers received bonus money based on points they scored in each match.
Even though RPW embraces a guy who shows some personality like Lawal, it does stop well short of becoming too much like World Wrestling Entertainment, where matches are scripted.
“You can’t taunt an opponent or anything like that,” Case said. “You treat him with respect and you compete with class. That’s what we are all about. Wrestling is a great sport and that is what we are trying to emphasize with what we are doing.”
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