Kid 'beaten up' at wrestling school, Austin Aries present

[Guest Danny Styles]

Waukesha - A Milwaukee mother wants a group of professional wrestlers charged with battery, saying her 17-year-old son, who went to a wrestling camp, met a nationally known competitor and came away so battered and bruised she took him to a hospital emergency room.

 

"You could still see the handprints on his chest the next day," said Deborah Reuteler-Smith.

 

Reuteler-Smith said her son, Versailles Smith, was a huge wrestling fan. When he learned about an area training session, he asked his mom if he could go. She drove him to the event Friday at AMF Lanes in Waukesha.

 

After paying his $75 fee, she left to take her other children to a nearby Chuck E. Cheese.

 

In an interview Wednesday, Reuteler-Smith said that in the first few hours, Smith was shown some wrestling moves and met wrestler Austin Aries. But toward the end of the five-hour session, Smith later told his mother, he sensed something bad was going to happen.

 

Smith tried to leave by making an excuse that he had to use the restroom, but a wrestler followed him and forced him back into the ring, she said. Some of the dozen professional wrestlers present took off the boy's shirt and held his hands behind his back while they took turns beating him on his chest as part of an "initiation," she said.

 

Smith told his mother he was screaming for them to stop. After it was over, they told him not to tell his parents what happened, he told his mother.

 

When he came out to his mother's car he told her he was sore, but she didn't think much of it. Smith is 6 feet tall, thin and wasn't used to that type of workout.

 

Later that night he had a fever, and the next day he showed his mother his bruised chest. She rushed him to Community Memorial Hospital in Menomonee Falls, where physicians suggested she call police.

 

He was treated and released and doesn't have serious injuries, she said. "But as a mother it killed me to know that this was happening to him while I was outside waiting in the car," Reuteler-Smith said.

 

Waukesha police Capt. Mike Babe said his department is investigating the incident.

 

The event was sponsored by Brew City Wrestling, the local chapter of the American Wrestling Association. Promoter Frankie DeFalco said Wednesday that Smith never appeared to be distressed during the five-hour session.

 

"In the first few sessions we let them know how tough it is," DeFalco said. "We let them know that it's not fake and not soft."

 

The first three hours of the camp are intense, DeFalco said. The trainees learn about conditioning their bodies, and they learn some moves, such as falling into the ropes and how to use a forearm to smash into another person's chest, he said.

 

Then at the end, the trainees may participate in the initiation, the promoter said. No one is pressured to participate, and DeFalco said he asked Smith three times if he wanted to do it, and every time Smith agreed.

 

DeFalco said Smith took his shirt off by himself, and he asked others to hold his hands behind his back because he wanted to show he could take it. During the initiation, trainees are "chopped" or hit with an open-handed slap across the chest.

 

Smith was slapped five or six times before DeFalco stopped it, DeFalco said. He stopped it because they were running short on time, he said.

 

DeFalco also denied that they were forcing Smith into the ring. He said he asked one of the wrestlers to follow Smith to the restroom because he looked pale, and DeFalco wanted to make sure he was OK. In the past, trainees have vomited after the session, he said.

 

DeFalco described Smith as a "skinny kid who probably never worked out a day in his life," but he did invite Smith back for another session.

 

Reuteler-Smith said her son is no longer interested in wrestling.

[/Quote]

 

sounds just like some kid bitching and moaning over nothing actually, pretty stupid if he volunteered aAND took his shirt off

 

then again shame of the wrestlers if they did that to him

 

what does TWO think? Who's guilty?

Edited April 20, 2006 by Danny Styles

[Guest Kanenite]

I think it's a load of crap. The kid more than likely got a bit banged up by not knowing the risks you take when Wrestling and the parent made up a load of bull****

[Guest Thirteen]

I don't know what to think.

I mean there are always two sides to every story.

 

One bit that did make me laugh though was this: "Reuteler-Smith said her son is no longer interested in wrestling."

 

I guess it's not so easy to become a profesional wrestler after all.:lol

[Paul 584]

You go to a wrestling school and belive me, you get a punishing your first time, not to show how 'real' it is but becouse youve never done it before, and belive me when I say that getting chopped to hell is normal. If you cant take it just say so, dont act hard. Know your limits guys

 

This is why I dislike backyarders, they dont know what its like to actually wrestle, just how to fall through glass, or off of roofs.

[Guest Thirteen]

You go to a wrestling school and belive me, you get a punishing your first time, not to show how 'real' it is but becouse youve never done it before, and belive me when I say that getting chopped to hell is normal. If you cant take it just say so, dont act hard. Know your limits guys

 

This is why I dislike backyarders, they dont know what its like to actually wrestle, just how to fall through glass, or off of roofs.

Reminds me of a guy highly revered on TWO.:P

[Guest yoyo]

This sounds like fun. Does anybody know of any camps around the Columbus, Ohio area?

[Paul 584]

Reminds me of a guy highly revered on TWO.:P

 

 

Really? Obviously you dont mean Foley as he can work a match well and has a great grasp of psychology, which I have yet to see from ANY backyarder.

[Evil Gringo 279]

I've been to training school and been stetched and chopped and battered and beaten because it is hard, they make you know it is and thats with out being nasty to you.

 

They do it so they a) toughen you up to it, b) check if this is really for you and c) to welcome you to the world of 'fake wrestling' which although worked still has it's perials.

 

At any point you can say stop and they do, to say otherwise is bullsh*t and if you need a breather, water or whatever they help out and look after you.

 

But damn man anyone knows the initation is to get chopped the hell out of or to do like 50 bounces of the ropes until your ass and lat is numb. Just go for it and do as much as you can before you hit your limit and hurt yourself. That is all they ask, commitment and a sense of saftey. Thats what people want in wrestlers not bravado and stupid stunts.

[Guest Dickie Hyde]

Unless this camp is assaulting their clients, (which would have been shut down by now!) then the kid is lying because he couldn't take it. I'm going with the kid is full of rubbish, and the mother over-exaggerated it. Sounds like a bit of a mumsy anyway, my mother would make me make my own way there haha!

 

I've been to training school

 

Hey, just out of interest, on your first lesson at a training school, what do you actually have to do? How many people were in the session? Does it involve a lot of rolls and flips? Because i suck at even simple rolls, but i would be able to wrestle and take it to my limit everytime in anything i did.

 

Thanks for your help, just curious from someone i can actually ask questions too,

 

Dickie

 

DS Edit: The Edit button rocks.

Edited April 20, 2006 by Paul

[Paul 584]

First thing is you NEED to be able to bump and do a wrestlers roll....its simple safety. then you build up with simple lock ups and chops.

 

All after a lovely workout.

[Evil Gringo 279]

Hey, just out of interest, on your first lesson at a training school, what do you actually have to do? How many people were in the session? Does it involve a lot of rolls and flips? Because i suck at even simple rolls, but i would be able to wrestle and take it to my limit everytime in anything i did.

 

Thanks for your help, just curious from someone i can actually ask questions too,

 

Dickie

 

A bit of a fitness test like squats, press ups, push ups with spotters etc...

 

Then running the ropes for a bit of the cardio testing and to show they actually hurt...

 

Simple back bumps, first on padding, then on the mat itself... then rolls onto the mat to practise the shape of the body and the landing and then yes again on canvas...

 

Simple holds followed and then a little light chaining practise and how to use transistional holds and moves to build between the big guns and build up the matches story...

 

This though took a good few weeks before we where allowed a dummy match in an empty place (like the ultimate dark match) and whilst this went on me did ring boy duties and also had the moves we where learning demonstarted on us to prove to us that yes they hurt, they wind and brusie.... and thats after the bump training...

 

How backyarders don't die I don't know!

[Guest Inno]

Isn't it just a variation on the old hazing the rookies thing that JBL seems so damn keen on? Meh. Far as I know (from an interested outsideer's P.O.V.) it's always gone on, and probably always will.

[Guest Dickie Hyde]

That sounds awesome Gringo. What is a simple "wrestler's roll" ???

[Evil Gringo 279]

Start off with an actual roll but when you land you land in the proper bumped position...

 

After that try adding height to the roll so it's like a front flip and again make sure you land in a back bump position...

[Guest Inno]

How backyarders don't die I don't know!

 

Contracts with Satan (not McMahon)

[Evil Gringo 279]

Contracts with Satan (not McMahon)

 

Well to be honest I got in through a type of backyarding, but we wanted to put on actual matches, with nice sequences building to the big bombs ala NOAH and classic AJPW matches...

 

I was never a man for the glass and blood. I was a highflyer with strike training through kickboxing and some mat skill and shoot with my judo.

 

I never went for the insane stuff unless it was a 'big' event and then it was just maybe a table spot.

 

But I decided I was going about it wrong and wanted to train, to hone and then perform... and then blow my knee lol.

 

Thats what happens when you land on your feet from moonsaults and shooting stars over a course of two years lol.

[Red05 343]

Probably B.S but i can see wrestlers doing something like that.

 

Ego charged maniacs. But then again, Gringo makes a convincing argument.

[Evil Gringo 279]

I'm telling you most kids go in these sessions thinking they can stroll in and that it's fake and are very mocking towards the trainers who are hardened vet's and know every trick in the book...

 

One guy in my school decided to take liberties in a match we put forth in an exibition match we put forth at the start of a card for the tribute fed I worked for.

 

He went into business for himself and wouldn't lay down for the first planned finish...

 

So I had to knock his ass out and then improv the ending on his tag partner and that git got blacklisted from our fed.

 

Go in with that kind of attitude and watch them spit you out because this is a tough sport, it is a fiercely guarded career path and only those they deem commited will pass on.

 

And to show your committed you take part in stuff like this. They ask though, never force and always make sure you try and stay inside your performance level.

 

And if he was upset at having a red chest the day after then never agree to a chopping because son that is what you will sodding get. Knife edge chops wind and hurt!

[Guest Nemesis Enforcer]

It was probably his own fault but you have to admit for the kid to have a fever becuase of the brusing to his chest they must have taken it pretty far, esspecially for the Doc to tell his mother to call the cops. I would also say he was 17, bit hard to treat him to say he was that young, esspecially in America, you can hardly do anything until your 21 so they must take some blame for what happened.

 

I am not gonna vote as I can't decide who was most at fault, and as for what was said that he took his own top off, how amny people hen faced by the cops say it wasn't them it was the victim's own fault :)

[Evil Gringo 279]

The fever could be caused by a staff infection which can occur from hard chops and bruising and also something an athlete is prone to when in a weaken and fatigued state as both he and the owner admitted he was after the course of the session....

 

So factor in the equation that he is a skinny guy with an intrest in the game but no fitness regime and is then put through an intention test which are ALWAYS tough regardless of the human chopping board and you get your answer...

 

A kid out of his depth and too cocky to see or admit and some guys who wanted to make sure he realised it.

 

Happens everywhere so this incident is no different, hell it could be worse. He could have got the JBL style rookie hazing, a big sweaty texan trying to soap you up in the shower and making gay advances for a joke...

 

Now that would make you wanna quit!

[Guest Bluestiger99]

I blame the kid. Sounds like he's just to much of a pansy to admit he couldn't take it.

[Guest Nemesis Enforcer]

Happens everywhere so this incident is no different, hell it could be worse. He could have got the JBL style rookie hazing, a big sweaty texan trying to soap you up in the shower and making gay advances for a joke...

 

Now that would make you wanna quit!

(Agree with the first lot of your post so just concentrating on this part :P)

 

No that would make me want to pull out a knife and cut something off his body :P

[Evil Gringo 279]

Well yeah but if you where a 17 year old soaking wet (in more ways then one) kid then you'd crap it, run and never come back for you clothes lol....

 

Fact is that to get into wrestling you have to cut through some crap and prove your commitment and in some cases getting the snot kicked out of you is part of it because it is part of the game...

 

Ask Hogan and Regal. Regal used to cough up blood after every training session and Hogan's first session saw him gain a broken leg! And thats Hogan!

 

So this kid is well... a wimp...

[Guest Nemesis Enforcer]

Well yeah but if you where a 17 year old soaking wet (in more ways then one) kid then you'd crap it, run and never come back for you clothes lol....

 

Fact is that to get into wrestling you have to cut through some crap and prove your commitment and in some cases getting the snot kicked out of you is part of it because it is part of the game...

 

Ask Hogan and Regal. Regal used to cough up blood after every training session and Hogan's first session saw him gain a broken leg! And thats Hogan!

 

So this kid is well... a wimp...

Its the world today, people back when Hogan and Regal started were much toughter obviously :P

 

Oh and if I was a 17 year old kid and JBL came up to me in the showers i'd run for sure.. the the nearest cop... gay sexual harassment on a minor... wow the lawsuit you could bring on him :P lol

[Red05 343]

I think i'm a wimp then by Gringo's standards.