Rob Galloway wonders, just like his mother, his girlfriend’s mother and father, and a majority of society. Why do it? Why put his body through this? On a night like this, in front of 150 local wrestling fans at the Hopewell School gymnasium in Coshocton, he remembers why.
Here comes Robby Starr! The 5-foot-11, 221-pound wrestler with the round, boyish face and spiky brown hair, jogs to ringside. His smile beams half enthusiasm, half confidence. A small mass of grade schoolers wearing oversized John Cena shirts move closer to the aisle. The boys want to slap hands; the girls just want to touch him.
Rob and his girlfriend Ashley Simons, the luscious little blonde in the blue spandex who goes by Lexie Lane, are performing for Ohio Championship Wrestling. OCW is just one of several local wrestling promotions in Ohio. Rob and Ashley also wrestle for Cleveland All-Pro Wrestling, Main Event World League, Big Time Wrestling, and Main Event World League on any given Saturday. During the week, Rob and Ashley go to school (Rob majors in physical therapy at Stark State; Ashley majors in radiology at Central Ohio Technical College), and wait tables at Chili’s. In between school and work they train. Study, work, train. It’s monotonous and time-consuming, but it’s all worth it for a night like tonight – even the danger.
Robby stands on the top rope in only his $150 boots and $60 tight spandex shorts; ready for his finishing move, the Starrsault! The Starrsault is basically a back flip but with the intent to land on another person. Normally, Robby stands on the top rope, and Starrsaults into the center of the ring - a five-foot drop. But he wants to impress the crowd tonight. He needs to make it more exciting. Tonight, Robby is Starrsaulting out of the ring – a 10-foot drop. A wrestling mat doesn’t have much give, but it’s more forgiving than the tiled gymnasium floor. Robby Starr bends his knees and jumps backward. He reaches his arms over his head, arches his back, sends his legs flying over his head and Starrsaults toward his opponent, The New Hotness.
The Starrsault requires timing, teamwork, and a dash of reckless abandon. Rob doesn’t like doing it in practice because it’s dangerous. But on Saturday nights, in front his cheering fans, that never enters his mind. The New Hotness needs to be in position to catch Robby, pad the landing, and make sure Robby’s head doesn’t hit the gym floor. That is not accomplished on this night. Robby’s forehead smacks off the tiles, right in front of Ashley’s parents sitting in the first row. Robby needs 11 stitches. He made $40 for this show.
Ashley hasn’t had any big injuries like Rob, but she’s paid her own price. Lexi Lane can drop elbows and absorb body slams, but the 21-year-old Ashley has to deal with the pain. Her 110-pound body, like the bodies of most female wrestlers, doesn’t adjust to the constant abuse of falling hard on the mat. She wakes up sore every day. It’s worth it to live out her dream.
“My goal right now is to try and make it. You never really expect to make it, but I’m working toward it. Everyone started somewhere,” says Ashley. And she just may make it. Women wrestlers are in higher demand than the men. That’s why Ashley can make around $300 a night. Her highest-grossing night was $1,100.
The most Rob has ever made in one night is $130. Rob gets paid less despite performing more physically demanding moves, but he doesn’t mind (that much). Rob doesn’t aspire to hit the big time like Ashley. This is a hobby. He’s like a guy playing in a band on the weekends. It’s his passion.
“I do it for the crowd rush,” says Rob.
Tonight, the crowd and Rob’s head both rush. The fans chant “OCW! OCW! OCW!” after Rob’s head hits the ground. Chanting the promotion’s initials means something “extreme” just happened. Extreme is what Rob wanted. The New Hotness and the referee ask Rob if he can continue. He can. Blood streams from his forehead and down his face. Rob rolls The New Hotness into the ring and does another Starrsault - but inside the ring this time. Rob wins. The crowd goes crazy; he goes to the hospital. Ashley’s dad drives him. Backstage, Ashley cries. She’s never seen another wrestler get hurt that bad, let alone her own boyfriend. She composes herself and walks down the aisle. Her match is next.
“Everyone was freaked out because I was bleeding, but I was only worried about finishing the match,” says Rob. In wrestling, the show must go on, even if you have an anatomy exam on Monday.
Rob watches the tape of the match days later. He didn’t remember how he finished. He didn’t hear the crowd reaction.
Seeing it now, he gets goosebumps.