Vlad the Wrestler

I've been lucky to have photographed many performers during my career, but a recent Friday night was a first -- I was assigned to cover professional wrestling.

The men on this circuit are looking to break into the big time, the WWE, and barnstorm local halls to gain a following.

One of the wrestlers is Vlad Joseph, aka Vicious. Wrestling "is really hard to do," says Vicious, who trains extensively. He cultivates a reputation in the ring as a tough guy. "Being disliked isn't enough," he says, "you have to be hated."


He told me he feels destined for wrestling somehow -- he said his mom liked to watch wrestling when she was pregnant with him, and he grew up in a family that enjoys tuning in to WWE.

Preparations backstage are serious:



This night, Vicious was happily wrestling Snyper when Jalil Patel surprised them by jumping into the ring. Patel dispatched Snyper quickly, then turned his attention to Vicious, launching him airborne:


When the dust settled, Patel's surprise entry forced the refs to nullify the match. Later, Vicious signed autographs for some loyal fans.


All in a night's work.