Penn wrestlers keep it ‘Real’
Ex-Quakers wrestler Slay, assistant Tobin involved in new league
By andrew goodman
A new twist on professional wrestling has a Penn coach and alumnus competing against some of the nation’s best athletes on national television.
Penn wrestling assistant coach Ryan Tobin and Penn alumnus Brandon Slay are just a couple of the more well-known figures in the world of wrestling who are participating in the Real Pro Wrestling league. The new league, created by two former college wrestlers, showcases a new version of the sport in an effort to promote wrestling to a wider audience.
Tobin competes in the 211-pound weightclass for the Texas Shooters, and Slay is a coach for the same team.
The RPW is made up of eight teams, each of which sends one representative in seven weightclasses to a series of tournaments. Two of these competitions have already been filmed and more are scheduled for the summer.
The league is currently broadcasting matches from its first tournament on cable — Sunday afternoons on PAX and Wednesday afternoons on Fox Sports Net.
The RPW rules form a new, hybrid sport that combines the elements of college, freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling in order to make the duels more action-packed and TV-friendly.
The marketing and development of the league — the first professional wrestling league of its kind — dates back three years. At that time, former Northwestern wrestlers Toby Willis and Matt Case decided they wanted to see the sport of wrestling grow in popularity and reach new fans, and soon the new league was born.
Some of the rule changes in the new RPW format include holding matches in a gladiator-style arena on a pedestal, a power-play-like “Bonus “of upper-body-only attack and increased point totals depending on how high you can throw your opponent.
Purists do not appear bothered by these more theatrical adaptations.
“It’s the wrestlers that are running the show and a lot of planning went into it, “Tobin said. “It’s just another channel of networking that brings the wrestling community together.”
RPW “is not necessarily marketing itself for the wrestlers … we don’t need to be convinced, “Slay said. “For the non-wrestler, it definitely makes wrestling more action-packed and TV-friendly.”
Tobin, in his second year coaching in West Philadelphia, is a three-time All-American and winner of the 1997 Pan American Games and University National Championships in freestyle wrestling. He has also trained at the Olympic Training Center, though he failed to make the 2004 Olympic team.
Tobin joined the Penn coaching staff in 2003-04 after earning his MBA and J.D. from Nebraska and has been working mainly on the development of Penn’s nationally-ranked upperweights.
“Coaching has been a good experience for me, “Tobin said. “I like working for the kids we have here, and the University is giving us a ton of support.”
Tobin knew Slay from Olympic training in Colorado, though Slay’s Olympic story had a slightly different ending.
After graduating from Wharton in 1998 and finishing second in the NCAA championships twice, Slay continued to train and won a chance to compete in the 2000 Sydney Games, where he took home a gold medal in freestyle wrestling.
Instead of resting on his Olympic laurels, Slay returned to his home of Amarillo, Texas, to help guide community children.
“I went back home, since I had been gone for seven years, spoke to all the kids and realized that I had a desire to impact the lives of youth, “Slay said.
That same year, Slay created Greater Gold LLC with best friend Brandon Brown. Greater Gold organizes wrestling clinics and speaking engagements in order to promote integrity and reaching one’s academic and athletic potential through Christian faith.
“I have been traveling around the U.S. speaking to kids, “Slay said. “The message is that you should go for the gold whatever your dream is.”
Tobin said he found out about RPW through fellow wrestlers at a high point in his training.
“I was wrestling pretty well, so my Olympic training was my audition, “Tobin said. “I knew a few guys already involved, and it just worked out.
“I was in the right spot at the right time.”
RPW contacted Slay directly about being a coach, and he welcomed the opportunity.
“I love being a coach … Those competitive juices still flow through me, “he said.
But coaching wrestlers like Tobin puts Slay in an interesting position, since Tobin and Slay knew each other long before RPW through Olympic training.
“I commend him for still pouring his life into wrestling, “Slay said. “He has the opportunity to do things outside of wrestling, but he still loves to be involved with it.”
When asked about coaching his friends, Slay said it was “an honor.”
Wrestling “is a small group compared to other sports, “Slay said. “That kind of fellowship and camaraderie at a tournament is a lot of fun.”
Though Tobin and Slay have not heard ratings numbers yet, both said they have received lots of positive feedback about RPW.
“Both past wrestlers and guys that never wrestled have been asking me questions, “Slay said.
While the league is still in its infancy, Slay is excited and committed to its ultimate goal of raising awareness and increasing the fan base of a sport generally not seen as spectator-friendly.
“The challenge is to get people that know nothing about wrestling to become fans or even go to a wrestling match in their town or put their child in the sport of wrestling, “Slay said. “To represent the sport of wrestling and create an opportunity for the sport, all of it has been good.”
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