Those who have been to Universal Studios in Hollywood
understand the acrobatic and daredevil skills required of these
young Energizer Bunny wrestlers, often resulting in scratches,
bumps, bruises and always a red-skinned torso from all the clutches,
holds, scrapes, skids and landings, not to mention the rope burns.
The peaked ceiling at the Legion Hall offers room for their flips
and leaps off the ropes, albeit it was noticed that one of the
acoustic tiles was knocked haywire on one occasion.
Tag-team matches, featuring one-on-one with a backup ready to
jump in when tagged by his partner, frequently get out of hand when
the partners make their unwanted appearance, with the referee doing
everything he can to prevent it.
Once, the buxom blond gal manager of her wrestling husband got
into the fracas and didn't completely duck in time, resulting in a
"cold-cocking," sustaining some unplanned shock and brute force. She
reported afterward, "I'm OK."
The contestants occasionally bound outside the ropes into the
seating area, with the onlookers scurrying for cover, spilling their
colas and beers along the way. It's even more fun when the wrestlers
banter and shout back and forth with the rooters, usually forcing
them to choose sides and yell louder.
Toward the end, one of the tag-team wrestlers welcomed all the
kids up into the ring for a close inspection of their regulated area
of combat and of themselves as well.
Yep, there's always mopping up afterward.
[By PHIL BERTONI] |
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