What Does BYW Mean?

Back yard wrestling (BYW) is an extreme form of wrestling that takes place in unsanctioned and often unsuitable arenas such as back yards. The majority of back yard wrestlers are young untrained men who are attempting to break into the professional sport.

History

• Wrestling is big business and is extremely popular as a spectator sport with World Wrestling Entertainment at the forefront. Since they first became popular in the late 1980s, shows like Smackdown, Raw and Hell in a Cell play to sell out audiences across America and Europe. Many young men try to join the highly paid professionals and earn superstar status.

Yarding More Dangerous

• Cheap recordings of fights drive BYW. dvd image by dinostock from Fotolia.com

  Unregulated wrestling in back yards can still be a lucrative business. Wrestlers take risks by jumping from windows or ladders in their attacks and often use weapons including barbed wire, glass and thumb tacks. Professional wrestlers are usually highly trained, but the back yard wrestlers have little training and are more likely to be seriously injured. DVDs of the fights are sold to fans.

Media Coverage

• Moving into mainstream entertainment black video games controler or games pad image by Warren Millar from Fotolia.com

  Back yard wrestling is a violent, unlicensed sport that has become more violent over the years. It has become better known in the mainstream through video games such as the Xbox and PlayStation game Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home.