Indie Wrestlers Bleed for Cheers

Professional wrestling evokes prime-time TV spectacles featuring nationally known names like Triple H and The Undertaker. This match takes place nowhere near that world. It's held at the Golden Door Charter School in Jersey City, N.J. Mr. Lopez performs as "Dan Maff" for Jersey All-Pro Wrestling (JAPW), one of several small, independent organizations in the U.S. that offers work to those wrestling away from the sport's largest stages.

Comparing World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) to what Mr. Lopez does is like comparing Major League Baseball to the Cape Cod League. Everything is smaller, from the venues to the crowds to the paydays. No one expects TV coverage or health benefits. What little attention this sub-subculture has attracted lately comes largely on the heels of the release of "The Wrestler," a film about a fallen superstar wandering the indies...More?

source: the wall street journal