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Special Report : May 14, 2007
Primal Theater
Local wrestling leagues flourish, provide entertainment to for adults
There is an entire world of grass roots independent wrestling, complete with trash talking charismatic brutes in spandex outfits, treachery, rivalries and a lot of butt-kicking.
And Cincinnati is one of the largest markets in the country, at least one wrestler says. The Heartland Wrestling Association, the National Wrestling Federation, New Era Wrestling and Intense Wrestling Incorporated, all call Cincinnati home.
“Cincinnati is a big hotbed for wrestling,” says local independent wrestler Kimera. But “nobody in Cincinnati knows that.”
Kimera, real name Ben Szymanski, is intelligent, personable and well-spoken in person. He used his background in acting, imposing size and booming voice to create his wrestling persona, whose name is a play on the Greek mythological creature, the Chimera.
David and Goliath, Cane and Abel, the little guy vs. the evil empire, the unbeatable good guy. Independent wrestling abides by universal story telling principles to hook the audience.
“Ninety percent of wrestling is story telling at its base,” says Szymanski. The key is “giving the fans what they want when they don’t expect to have it. It doesn’t matter to me if they’re cheering or booing, as long as they’re reacting,” he says.
GREEK MYTHOLOGY MEETS BLUEGRASS. Ben Szymanski is "Kimera" on the mat. His name and persona are derived from Greek mythology. Courtesy Jackie Brandner
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Acting out these clashes, wrestlers play many roles.
Pompano Joe wears an orange tie-died shirt and plays the friendly, laid back character, cool with the fans.
Bad guys, Zodiac Number One and Two, and their whip wielding manager, resemble members of rock band GWAR.
Kimera, another bad guy, hails from Detroit. He sports Detroit’s area code, “313,” prominently on the legs of his outfit in a spirit of territoriality.
The audience erupts with strong reactions of love and hate toward these characters to varying degrees, depending on the region.
In the northeast and on the east coast wrestling tends to be more realistic and athletic, Szymanski says. In the south, more story and character based. In Indiana people know it’s just a show; but in Kentucky “you’re in the trenches.”
Wrestlers have been attacked with knives on numerous occasions in the more dangerous areas, where the audience has trouble separating act from reality.
“Cincinnati is full of two people: Abercrombie-type poser-slash-preps, and hillbillies,” says Szymanski. “What do they hate? My real character. I’m from Detroit, Michigan. I like rhythm and blues. I like Motown. I identify more with the urban gangster.”
Kimera’s manager and independent female wrestler, whose ring name is Mary Elizabeth, is a long time athlete and classically trained vocalist who now holds the women’s belt for the World Wrestling Council (WWC). She is a master of crowd manipulation. “I’ll make myself as different from them [the audience] as I can.,” she says.
She wears high heels, a dress and gets her nails done. People hate her for this in rural Kentucky.
“Like Paris Hilton.,” Szymanski says.
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Even with engrossed fans, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to make wrestling a convincing show for much of the audience.
To make up for this gap between imagination and fact, wrestlers have had to begin putting a little more force behind those slaps, punches and kicks.
Szymanski even has a signature move that has been coined the “people mover.” The name is self-explanatory.
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“Suspension of disbelief,” says Szymanski. It’s all about casting just enough doubt to get the fans caught up in what’s happening and forget about whether or not it’s real, he explains.
As if this physical abuse was not enough, independently contracted wrestlers put in lots of hard work – three hours, four times a week, in the ring; and two hours, five times a week, in the gym – for meager compensation – from $10 a night, up to $200 – depending on the level of danger for the match and the size of the crowd and venue.
To make ends meet, many wrestlers depend on “ring rats,” wrestling’s answer to rock and rolls’ groupies.
Many know a woman in each town they visit along their party trail, says Szymanski. They mooch off of them as long as they’re in town, party hard, then move on to the next.
“It’s like a system,” he says.
Szymanski, however, avoids this lifestyle. Wrestling is an enjoyable way to make a living and he is grateful to have this chance.
“I just want to be happy and make a decent living at this,” he says. “I really couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else.”
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