Award of Excellence
Robert Gauthier
The Los Angeles Times

"Battle Royale"

OAKLAND, CA, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2014 Toby Reynolds comes crashing down on Dustin and Derk Mehl (the Stoner Brothers) during a Hoodslam tag team match at the Metro Opera House. Hoodslam performances combine the athleticism and tropes of professional wrestling with more bizarre, absurd characters, as well as profanity, sexuality, and public consumption of drugs and alcohol, which are not considered appropriate at mainstream professional wrestling events. By dispensing with the need to appeal to children and sustain the illusion of reality, the performers claim that Hoodslam allows them to express themselves in a more sophisticated, creative way than traditional professional wrestling.