Professional wrestlers hear it a thousand times a day. “It’s Fake!” “You don’t really get hurt!” “You’re not a real athlete!” What these people don’t realize, however, is professional wrestling is as real as anything you’ll ever see.

Professional wrestling and lack of respect from the mainstream media are like two peas in a pod. Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Entertainment (or the WWE), was nearly shut down a few years ago by the PTCl, and the company has been sued publicly more times than anyone.

So when a reporter, like myself, comes walking into the headquarters of local wrestling promotion Supreme Pro Wrestling (SPW), most wrestlers seem skeptical of their intentions.

“We’ve had articles done where we’ve been mocked,” said SPW wrestler El Flaco Loco. “I think wrestling just gets a bad rap. Everyone wants to throw that fake word in there, but the bruises are real, the lack of money is real, the sweat and pain is real.”

“We can’t be taken seriously and I don’t know why,” said The Sacramento Dragon, another SPW wrestler. “This is the hardest sport there is. There’s no off-season, and you always get hurt. I mean, I’m wrestling next week with a broken ankle.”

SPW has been in business for about three years, running bi-monthly shows out of the Colonial Theater, a venue right in the heart of Oak Park. Although on paper, the area doesn’t seem like an ideal place to run a business, SPW wouldn’t want it any other way.

“The fans are awesome,” said the Sac Dragon. “They get so into it. I think they’re the best wrestling fans anywhere.”

“We’re a very positive thing for this community,” said Flaco Loco. “We average 300 or 400 fans a show.”

Promotions like Supreme Pro Wrestling run as a training ground of sorts for the WWE, where a wrestler can easily make six figures a year. In fact, former SPW Trainee and wrestler Johnny Onyx recently won a contract with the WWE on MTV’s reality series “Tough Enough 3.”

While a lot of competitors in the SPW want to follow John’s suit and make it to the WWE, that’s not necessarily why everyone gets involved.

“I am exactly where I want to be as far as wrestling goes,” says El Flaco Loco. “Here I am, this skinny little Mexican who’s an elementary school teacher and in a punk rock band — and I can say that I was a professional wrestler.”

Indeed, SPW trains people to be “professionals.” Before any wrestling hopeful can step into the ring for their first match, they have to learn how to wrestle. So to make sure the SPW is a legit promotion from the starting bell to the closing pinfall, they’ve opened the SPW Training Camp. Run by SPW superstar “The Big Ugly” JD Bishop, the camp is open to anyone who wants to learn the ropes of professional wrestling.

“The trainers are incredible,” said Flaco Loco, himself an assistant trainer. “They’ll make you a star. It’s not easy, though, it takes a LOT of dedication.”

SPW stars train three or four days a week, working vigorously on their in-ring abilities for three or four hour sessions. Although the cost per year is a set amount, ($1500 if you make payments, $1200 if you pay up front), the amount of time each student needs varies dramatically.

“It’s very taxing, mentally and physically,” said assistant trainer Sac Dragon. “It takes a lot of dedication and a certain kind of person. You could be training for a year and not be ready, or pick it up in a couple of weeks.”

A general training sessions starts with stretching and a little bit of cardio. Trainees then head to the ring to learn how to wrestle. They get in line as they learn how to fall, otherwise known as “going through the bumps.” They slam themselves backwards onto the mat as if they had just been nailed with a clothesline. Then they fall forwards with a front flip as though somebody just gave them a hiptoss. Then they practice lock-ups, wristlocks, headlocks, sleeperholds, dropkicks and other basic professional wrestling moves. The sessions end with a practice match, usually a tag-team match (in order to involve as many trainees as possible).The training camp is for both men and women. For women, training is different. Every move they learn has to be more intense to get the same impact as a man. While the girls admit it’s tough, they remain focused.

“There’s a different psychology with women wrestlers,” said trainee Chase, who hasn’t had a match yet but has been a valet for a while. “But I’m comfortable working with the guys, they’re all great.”

Chase was asked to join the school after watching one of SPW’s shows. “I’m a huge wrestling fan, so I knew that if I didn’t do it I would end up kicking myself. It grows on you, I love it.”

Trainees might be fit, fat, thin or a wall of muscle. In professional wrestling, your shape doesn’t matter.

“You can be in the best shape in the world and not be ready for the ring,” said the Sac Dragon. “Being ‘in-shape’ and being ‘in-ring shape’ are two totally different things.”

The trainees and wrestlers at SPW encourage people of any physical ability to come check out the camp.

“This gives people that don’t have a great physical ability the chance to excel at something physical,” said Flaco Loco. “I’ve never been involved in sports, never been able to stick to an exercise program, but this actually makes me want to train.”

In the end, SPW wrestlers do it because they love wrestling. They do it for the rush of exciting an arena full of kids and adults who root for the good guy and boo the bad guy.

“Nobody’s in this for the money,” said Flaco. “There’s that slim possibility that one of us could make a lot of money, but most of us won’t. People break bones, get concussions, loose teeth — it’s a passion for the business.”

SPW will be live at the Colonial Theater this Saturday night! You can get free tickets…just e-mail [email protected] by Thursday afternoon or come by the office anytime on Wednesday and ask for Adam.