Promoted to the Front Page By Anton Tabuena

I thought that now would be a good time to share this video of Mo Lawal wrestling in the short lived "professional" actual wrestling league: Real Pro Wrestling

Real Pro Wrestling only existed for one season (it ran out of funding during shooting of season 2) in 2005. It was an attempt to create a commercially appealing form of real wrestling. It was essentially freestyle with some Greco elements used for tie-breaking purposes and incentives for controlling the central zone of the mat.

Much like the IFL, wrestlers were assigned to regionally affiliated teams. Assignment was theoretically based on some regional tie, but was often capricious. The season was formatted around a tournament to determine the weight class champion.

Wrestlers were offered a "choice" of garb: bike shorts, board shorts, or singlets. I put choice in quotes because I am under the impression that the producers pushed the tight shorts on everyone who was not a heavy. The heavyweights all wore singlets (if I remember correctly).

I wanted so badly for the whole thing to succeed. It had awesome moments, but overall its execution was way too hokey. You got the feeling while watching it that at any moment Poochie may appear and start wailing on a guitar.

The most impressive part of the whole thing is that the top American guy in almost every weight at the time actually participated. Mo won his weight, as did Cormier who infamously spanked his opponent. Tommy Rowlands, as time expired in his final match.

The field also included future mixed martial artists Joe Warren, Pat Cummins, and Eric Larkin.

Just a weird relic from the past that I figured was now topical. Enjoy.