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In addition to defending the content of the programming the WWF has stated that they are strongly opposed to backyard wrestling. They do not endorse any activity that emulates moves preformed by professional wrestlers calling them irresponsible, and dangerous; not the path to becoming a superstar. Backyard wrestling consists of practicing moves like the ones preformed on television without little to any supervision. In many backyard wrestling matches these "wrestlers- perform crazy stunts such as diving onto the opponent breaking a wooden table. These practices lead to injury, paralysis, and even death. Wrestler Mick Foley spoke of his beginnings in backyard wrestling stating that unlike the violent nature of today's backyard wrestling nobody ever got hurt. When he dived off the roof of his house onto a mattress his opponent rolled out of the way in plenty of time. He feels this wrestling is disgusting and a waste of time. (Foley,298). .
Recently wrestling was put on the spot as a scapegoat again when a thirteen-year old boy murdered a four year old child claiming he was just wrestling with her. Although the media made everything look as if wrestling was to blame the judge, jury and the opposing lawyers were appalled at the correlation. On the HBO show "On the record with Bob Costas- Vince McMahon defended his company once again berating Costas for not doing his job as an interviewer and preparing himself stating that the whole idea of wrestling being involved was ludicrous and that nobody in the courts bought it. The idea of using wrestling as a scapegoat was a last ditch effort that failed Miserably.
This was not the first time that wrestling was involved in controversy that ended in the death of a person however. On May 23 1999 professional wrestler Owen Hart plunged to his death from the rafters of Kansas City's Kemper Arena. Hart, the youngest son of legendary wrestler and trainer Stu Hart, was being lowered to the ring from the rafters preparing for his match with the Godfather during the aptly named Pay-Per-View WWF Over the Edge when something went tragically wrong and hart fell about ninety feet to the floor dead upon impact.
