Grunt Work

'A lot of people call it 'fake.' It's fixed, but it's not fake. A slap in the face is a slap in the face, and if I tell you it's going to come, it still doesn't make it any less painful. The mat is very unforgiving," says Ernie Dorado, head booker for Global Championship Wrestling, which will be making its West Coast debut on Saturday at the Lakeside VFW Hall.

In addition to putting this event together, which he has titled "Monopolize This!," Dorado performs as one half of the Dynamics, also known as "Ric and Vic Dynamic." The other half of the duo is his identical twin brother, Steven Dorado, or "Vic." Also performing will be Alkatrazz, Shawn Riddick, B-Boy, and Joey Ryan. "These names are known throughout Southern California," says Dorado. Some of the featured wrestlers are known for their "dark matches," or those matches put on prior to the rolling of the cameras at local events for shows like Raw and Smackdown on the World Wrestling Entertainment channel. "Alkatrazz has been on WWE television, and Shawn Riddick participated for WWE, formerly known as WWF [World Wrestling Federation]." "Our job is to go out there and make paying customers happy or angry or sad -- just wanting more," Dorado says. Sometimes it costs them their lives. Mike DiBiase, "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase's stepfather, died of a heart attack while in the ring. More recently, Quick Draw Rick McGraw was pronounced dead shortly after a wrestling match with Roddy Piper. Though many believe it was the match that killed him, officials reported the death as a result of a heart attack attributed to years of steroid abuse.

"I've never been around or had any association with the [famous television wrestlers], but you hear in circles that a lot of them use pain relievers," says Dorado, acknowledging that drugs like Vicodin and Percocet are likely among those used by the pros. "In the independent scene, there's not a whole lot of pain relievers."

The local wrestlers with whom Dorado works do not wrestle for a living. "Independent wrestling is...just something that we use [to] entertain ourselves, but it is definitely not a way to make money," says Dorado. Dorado's regular life includes spending time with his family and working as a store director for Sav-on Drugs. On match nights, he dons aqua blue tights to become Ric Dynamic.

"We get together and go to the Mission Beach Hooters to watch wrestling on pay-per-view, because we're all still fans," Dorado says of his wrestling buddies. "We wouldn't be in the business if we weren't fans." The guys (there are no females in Global Championship Wrestling) work out at their local 24 Hour Fitness and in training facilities located in Irvine and Vista.

Dorado describes his signature move known as the Dynamic Drop. "We throw an opponent through the rope, and as he bounces off, my brother lifts him into the air. As [the opponent] glides through the air, I jump and grab [the opponent's] neck, and as we all come down I come down with [our opponent's] neck in my arm." Many wrestlers have such a move that, when used towards the end of a match, is called a "finishing move."

There are some wrestlers Dorado does not approve of. "Back-yard wrestlers, people that don't learn their craft, people that just watch tapes and go and practice with their friends and aren't trained by a professional at a professional school, are doing a disservice to themselves and the sport," he says. "They like to get together and hold events, thus bringing in fans and doing insane stuff like smashing lightbulbs on their heads and jumping off roofs.

"When they do it they don't do it well," Dorado continues. "A lot of them get injured, and a lot of them don't understand what the business is about." The worst part about "back yarders," however, is not that they injure themselves. "Mr. Wonderful used the 'pile driver' as his finishing move, and if he hit you with that you were down. Now people get hit with a pile driver and jump right back up, totally discrediting the move. They're discrediting what that move is supposed to mean because they are not taught properly to respect the people that came before them. That's why back yarders will do every move in the book that most people use to finish an opponent off. It is ruining the illusion." -- Barbarella

Monopolize This! Global Championship Wrestling Saturday, August 27 7 p.m. Lakeside VFW 12650 Lindo Lane Lakeside Cost: $5 Info: 619-429-9387