Live For Sunday - DVD Review

To say that Marshall Ward is your average wrestling fan would be a huge understatement. With a house filled with wrestling memorabilia some would say that he is a wrestling fanatic, so when he got the chance to travel from his home in Canada to rural Virginia to meet his childhood wrestling hero, he jumped at the chance, and just happened to take a film crew along with him.

“Live For Sunday” is the end product of Ward’s meeting with WWE Hall of Famer “Handsome” Jimmy Valiant at the world famous Boogie Wrestling Camp in Shawsville, Virginia. First opened in 1992, Valiant trains his students for four hours every Sunday, tutoring them in the ways of the wrestling business, in the hope that they’ll go on to make a living in the business he loves.

For instance there’s Rick Kelly, whose promos have a certain “Flair” about them, if you know what I mean. A graduate of the BWC, Kelly promotes his own shows under the New Age Wrestling banner, and it’s on these shows that numerous BWC graduates work.

Then there’s Scotty Rocker, a 31 year old who has a certain charismatic appeal, and whose enthusiasm for the business is infectious. He knows that he probably won’t make it to the big leagues, but is determined to make his own mark on the wrestling business.

There are literally numerous other men and women I could mention, but each and every one of them are glowing in their praise for Valiant and his wrestling camp.

And it’s a praise that Ward shares as well. Having been a lifelong fan of the Boogie Woogie Man, Ward was honoured to meet his hero, and seemed somewhat taken aback by how well he was treated. Here he was, just a normal guy, who was being treated like an old friend by someone he thought of as a legend.

But perhaps the star of the piece is the man himself, Jimmy Valiant. He comes across as one of the most honest people you could ever meet in the wrestling business. He thinks of his students as his family, and treats strangers with honour and respect. You may go into the BWC as a stranger, but you definitely leave as a friend.

Although the production values aren’t exactly great on this release, “Live for Sunday” is a rather heart warming documentary. You won’t find anyone here criticising others in the wrestling business. All you’ll find is friends and co-workers showing and paying respect for each other as they try to achieve their various goals, something that’s sadly missing from the majority of the wrestling business these days. Ward’s documentary does an excellent job of putting across the positive side of the wrestling business, and for that he should be commended.

Live for Sunday is available for $9.99 plus S/H (Canadian funds). Please email marshall_ward@hotmail.com to determine shipping costs, source of payment, and DVD-player compatability.