By Banner
Hemweigh
In laymen’s terms, the job is
hard. Annually the HWE produces 12 three hour-long high impact Pay Per
Views. Once a week they stage a mid to high impact two hour long
televised showing. When there is not a pay per view within the week they
host at least 3, but never more than 6, two to three hour long low to mid
impact non televised ‘House shows’ for limited live audiences. Since the
HWE is international, the schedule also includes exclusive high volume showings
in other countries besides America. The shows have professional guild writers,
medical staff on hand, hair and makeup crews, top notch pyrotechnics and prop
guys, film editing savants able to do it on the fly with only a few hours lead
in, and more runners than you can shake a stick at. It is in essence a traveling
stage show. All of these components are necessary to set the stage for the main
attraction, the performers.
As I learned quickly, the main
focus is entertainment through athleticism. The impact of the job itself
bears heavy weight. The level of stunt work that is done, while safe in
increments, can lead to long-term health complications. Without proper
conditioning, training, and a trusted medical professional, some of the more
unfortunate performers can sustain lifelong disabilities like any other
athletic endeavor.
The best of the best combine a
signature style of ring performance with basic improvisational and script based
acting. As with all things, some are better at it than others. According
to retired legendary ring technician and current HWE trainer Teddy ’Wildman’
Rogers, professional wrestling is a tribute to what came before.
“You’ll be
hard pressed to find any live TV anymore. Even the news is tapped ahead
of time. In the ring is a mix of acting, athleticism, and passion. For
the Ancient Greeks theatre was over the top everything. Costumes,
staging, props, sights, sounds, and antics.”
Were the Ancient Greeks watching
they would most likely recognize the flair for the flamboyant that most of the
performers embody. An average match is anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes of
almost constant motion. This requires focusing on timing, story, and technique
all at once. A few of the performers are able to pull off an ironman
match. An ironman match lasts from anywhere between 30 minutes to an
hour. The conditioning for such a feat is most likely found only in
Broadway performers, professional dancers, and opera singers. Very few
sports professions leave men out on the field of play for longer than 30
minutes. The men who can and do are superstars of their field, much like
professional wrestling.
Then there are the gimmick
matches which have gained popularity over the years. The HWE has put on
matches that have involved everything from axes to zambonis. These
matches are usually referred to by the extra prop that will be used, or simply
as a ‘hardcore’ match up. During these matches stunts are higher
impact. The risk of injury is higher, but so is the entertainment level.
Some performers have established themselves by signature performances in one of
these memorable standout matches.
No one becomes a top tier
performer by having just a great look, being great just in matches, or just on
a mic. The idea is to be good to great at all. In order to be
successful the performer has to be able to do it all, have a viable image, a
great persona, and nearly flawless ring technique.
From Make Mine a Heel by Suenammi Richards
"I liked this story. I'm not a big romance fan, but first this writer knows her stuff about football, Texas culture, and pro-wrestling. Second, the romance sucked me in. I wanted these two to get together because I genuinely liked them. This story is a Powerslam for any romance/sports fan!"
@alchemyofscrawl - Coral Russell
"I have to say I am a professional wrestling fan so this book really caught my interest as soon as I read the description. I very much enjoyed this book and definitely most likely will be reading it again at a late date."
"This isn't a garden variety romance novel featuring sports or wrestling. Ms. Richards has provided the reader with plenty of colorful characters that are dealing with sad, if not tragic, circumstances (racism, child abandonment, ethnic prejudice, drug abuse, etc.). I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book."
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