Backyard
wrestling
Link.com

When the Backyard Wrestling Link (BYWL) was at it's height of popularity in the early 2000's we witnessed tens of thousands of visitors coming to the website and message board on a regular basis. Before Facebook and YouTube the backyard wrestling community had the BYWL website and message board. Thousands of clips and music videos were released during the early 2000's on the Message Board, sparking off a music video revolution for backyard wrestling groups that is still prevalent everywhere today. Instead of using news media or home video companies like BYW Inc. to showcase their talent to a broader audience, the backyard wrestlers figured out they could do it on their own, and on their own terms.

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The period of the backyard wrestling music video was born.

 

The videos that were released on our message board began to set the standard for the remaining and ruling backyard groups of that period. Not only was the bar raised for athleticism in backyard wrestling but the bar was raised for a slick and exciting backyard wrestling product. Backyard Wrestling groups that were looking to earn revenue through tape sales or Internet shows realized they could reach a larger audience through teaser videos and highlight videos, often in the form of a music video. 

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Due to high traffic on the website these videos would gain an incredible amount of attention on the Backyard Wrestling Link's message board, encouraging the backyard wrestling community to become simultaneously bitterly competitive and passionately united. Everyone became familiar with one another's product and many site members drew deep-lines in the sand about which wrestlers and groups they loved, and which ones they hated. Historic feuds and rivalries would play out on the message board for months (if not years) between backyard feds and wrestlers about which group, or wrestler was better. The passionate debates about who was the best in backyard wrestling would ultimately create a demand for a new type of D.I.Y backyard wrestling project. 

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The period of the backyard wrestling tribute video was born. 

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In response to the rivalries and the sheer amount of footage released on our site, a site member named Overhaul began to make his own compilation videos that featured some of the most insane clips he could find. Beginning in 2001, eighteen official music videos would be released over the years (from a variety of Directors) power-packed with hardcore violence, fearless acrobatic attempts and gorgeous technical wrestling showcasing the best amateur underground yarders on the planet. 

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Without these music videos its doubtful the impact of the homemade backyard wrestling music video would have became such a staple for backyard feds. Although a lot of great feds never made it onto this series of compilation videos, these videos remain as the definitive example as to what was going on in our community. These compilation videos helped set the standard for the backyard wrestling community as they all worked together to become better underground competitors. 

 

The full story behind the BYWLINK music videos is still unknown, and that's coming from someone who was personally involved with the first few! Once we figure out the full story it will be posted, if you have information, contact us!

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