Large as Life

Unlike televised heavyweights WWE and TNA, the stars of South Florida's own Division 1 Pro Wrestling aren't untouchable celebrities. Sure, they've each got their own signature moves and crowd-pleasing chants, but these furious athletes are closer to life than any big wrestling star. For starters, the ring isn't 20-feet away...

By John Linn

March 19, 2009

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Unlike televised heavyweights WWE and TNA, the stars of South Florida's own Division 1 Pro Wrestling aren't untouchable celebrities. Sure, they've each got their own signature moves and crowd-pleasing chants, but these furious athletes are closer to life than any big wrestling star. For starters, the ring isn't 20-feet away from the crowd, behind barricades and bouncers — it's within arms' reach. So when an aerial maneuver goes awry, sending one of the wrestlers tumbling from the top rope into the seats, you know it's for real. Secondly, there are no spectators at a D1PW show. The action is coming from all angles, and it's not uncommon to see a wrestler reach into the crowd and borrow a kid's skateboard to put a pounding on his opponent.

Get caught up in the fracas tonight as D1PW presents its latest full-scale wrestling attack, "Yes We Can." The story so far: Tommy Vandal will take on Lou Cypher, who stepped in the middle of an ass-kicking between Vandal and his devious younger brother Johnny during the last match. (Johnny, in turn, has been ordered by Commissioner Bobby Rogers to fight the ever-imposing 600-pound Goliath, Maximum Capacity.) Plus, cocky tag team champions Heartbreak Express will defend their title against crowd favorites Jon Davis and Kory Chavis, better known as the Dark City Fight Club, while "best new wrestler" Maxx Stardom defends himself against corrupt manager Rico Casanova and his crony du jour, Jerrelle Clark.

Bring $12 ($5 for kids) and an appetite for destruction to the Boulevard Heights Community Center, found at 6770 Garfield St. in Hollywood. The first bell rings tonight at 7:30 sharp. Visit d1pw.com.
Fri., March 20, 7 p.m., 2009

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