Story by Angel Santiago, Cole Sclafani - Jonathan Law High School
MILFORD - While most people associate professional wrestling with performing in front of tens of thousands of people in the XL Center, a group of high school students in Milford are trying to make their mark in the wrestling world.
The Backyard Wrestling Organization, or the BWO, was started by a few high school students in Milford a year and a half ago who wanted to show their love for professional wrestling.
One of the owners of the BWO, Angel Santiago, or better known by his ring name The Puerto Rican Prince, is one of the producers of the BWO and he says he is doing this to get his foot in the door or the wrestling business.
“Wrestling is what I want to do with my life,” Santiago said. “When I wake up in the morning, I’m watching wrestling videos, when I go to school I’m thinking about wrestling, when I go home I’m writing storylines and editing videos from the BWO. Wrestling is what I want to do with my life and the BWO is my outlet.”
The BWO is not just for wrestlers. The BWO also has commentators, an announcer, cameramen, and referees.
The BWO has grown from getting a handful of views on YouTube to being invited onto international podcasts.
The BWO champion, is astounded by the success of the BWO.
“It really is incredible how far we’ve come in terms of this company,” Golden said. “Everyone as a kid used to play wrestle with their siblings or friends just having fun, but now we are actually able to incorporate that into some sort of online business and actually have success with it over social media.”
One day these wrestlers will be the stars of the wrestling world. But stars have to start somewhere.