Pro Wrestling Kids' Style: The Most Amazing Untold Story In Professional Wrestling History

Pro Wrestling Kids' Style: The Most Amazing Untold Story In Professional Wrestling History
Author(s)
Age Range
10+
Release Date
January 01, 2005
ISBN
1879000121
Buy This Book
      

In 1984, a new wrestling league was created on a cable television channel in Minnesota. "The Kids Pro Wrestling Show" started out as fun and games, but was soon seen in the living rooms of thousands across the country via cable television, and the National Wrestling Federation (NWF) was born. For five years, the NWF was managed and promoted by a young and talented kid named Shawn Crossen, otherwise known as "Crusher Crossen" in the ring. In 1984, Shawn was just 14 years old, but by 1986, he was promoting live wrestling venues at local armory halls in front of hundreds of paid spectators and nationwide cable audiences. But going from bed mattresses in a basement to live public cards in a professional wrestling ring did not come easy. The evolution took years to accomplish with many obstacles along the way. From cable tv suspensions to insurance problems, there were always a host of problems to deal with. Yet somehow, Shawn managed to make it all work. And all the while, the NWF had positive community support with several newspaper articles written about it—this long before the existence of the backyard-type youth wrestling leagues now so commonly seen today. But unlike the backyard style wrestling leagues of today's time, the NWF was a much different venture. Similar to the major leagues of professional wrestling, the NWF came across very professional looking and organized. This in turn would explain the reasons why the league had such great success. NWF Wrestling was a popular attraction to kids and adults alike and seemed like it would last forever. So what ever happened to this incredible league? Now, for the first time in nearly 20 years, Shawn "Crusher" Crossen has come forth with this remarkable story that tells the entire sequence of events, from the birth of it's creation, to the final bell. Whether you're a fan of wrestling or not, you will find yourself marveled at the abilities of this very talented 14-year-old and the league he created.

Editor review

1 review
A Wrestling Ho-hum
Overall rating
 
1.0
Writing Style
 
1.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
0.0
Learning Value
 
0.0
Shawn Crusher Crossen did an amazing thing. In 1984, at the age of 14 he created a professional wrestling federation comprised of teenagers. He and a friend recruited a few teens and started filming the matches in the local cable studio. He aired them on local access cable and, through hard work, was able to expand viewership into nearby towns and even nationally. He attracted new young wrestlers and performed to sold out crowds in the local armory.

He encountered the same issues that businessmen face: disciplining his wrestlers if they misbehaved, paying for the rental of the armory and hoping ticket sales would cover the costs, advertising, press coverage, planning, recruiting and more. Crossens involvement in the National Wrestling Federation lasted until 1987. The huge time commitment and internal strife within the federation and its council caused him to withdraw from the federation. However, his accomplishment is undeniable.

In Pro Wrestling Kids Style, Crossens achievement is overshadowed by the poor manner in which the book is written. It would have benefited from a strong editor. It is dull, monotonous and totally uninspiring. The book contains black and white photos of some of the wrestlers. Even those are boring. In other words, it is a cure for insomnia. It is my understanding that Crossen is selling DVDs of the early wrestling matches, so those might be entertaining. This book is only for fanatical wrestling fans, but then, proceed with caution.
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0

User reviews

There are no user reviews for this listing.
Already have an account? or Create an account

Latest Additions