GOLDEN, Colo. — The Rocky Mountain Pro Wrestling Academy doesn't promise a direct path to the big leagues, but it does promise experience in a pro wrestling career.
At its height in popularity, professional wrestling table-slammed American pop culture. However, despite larger-than-life characters and stunts, wrestling was still plagued by misconceptions.
"There's this phony misconception like, oh, well, I don't watch it because it's phony. I don't watch it because it's fake," said RMP Wrestling Academy founder Matt Yaden. "If you didn't watch it because it was fake, for instance, you wouldn't go to movies, you wouldn't watch TV shows, you wouldn't play video games."
The RMP Wrestling Academy aims to tear down misconceptions just as much as it aims to build up great wrestlers. In fact, the academy offers training in wrestling, character-building, refereeing, and television production. All possible career paths within the professional wrestling industry.
"Most of them are striving to get to that next level at WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), AEW (All Elite Wrestling), TNA (Total Nonstop Action Wrestling), places like that. We do have wrestlers who have had the opportunity to move on to bigger companies. There is an opportunity for them," said Yaden.
The academy doesn't promise a direct path to the big leagues, but it does promise experience and the opportunity to be ready should the big leagues come calling.
"The big thing for us is teaching you how to get more out of less and protect your body and not take unnecessary risks," said Yaden. "It's not just about the moves that you do, but it's why you're doing them."
Kolton Peters doesn't have a big-league contract but has had the opportunity to wrestle with AEW. He has spent the past few years developing his character, Damon Ace, at the RMP Wrestling Academy.
Peters contributes his success to what he learned at the academy.
"The amount of seminars that we've done, the amount of talent that we've had come in and teach us new things. It's just something that you don't really see very often," said Peters.
From a young age, Peters knew he wanted to become a professional wrestler. After dismissing the career as a pipe dream for many years, he decided to chase professional wrestling and soon found himself among like-minded entertainers.
Bryce Clark is one of those entertainers. He's used RMP Wrestling Academy to develop his character, Bryzco Crowne.
"These are my friends. These are my coworkers. These are people that I've trusted with my well-being in the ring," he said.
Clark admits that professional wrestling can be dangerous.
"Every aspect of wrestling is dangerous. The performance and everything else kind of becomes secondary, as long as everybody is able to go in and walk out of there," said Clark.
But the thrill of connecting with a crowd outweighs everything.
"I would say, as far as addictions go, there are worse things to be addicted to."
Rocky Mountain Pro Wrestling will be hosting live events on Dec. 6 and Dec. 7. If you'd like to purchase tickets or find more information on the academy, visit their website.
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