Something Incredible Began Today 25 Years Ago In Rochester Hills, Michigan

Many of us have special moments or memories that we look back on fondly from our childhood, making us feel nostalgic for times that have once since passed. It just so happens that today, on April 28, is one of those days for me, and I’d like to take you on a brief mental walk to the past to pay tribute to something that was incredibly special to me.

It was on this day in the year 2025 years ago, that in the backyard of an ordinary house in Rochester Hills, Michigan, began something that would become extraordinarily special.

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Today is the 25th anniversary of the first time my friends and I decided to record our first-ever backyard wrestling federation video. The Neighborhood Wrestling Federation actually started in 1999 and ran all the way up until 2006.

On this day, though, we decided to record for the first time. When you think of backyard wrestling, the first thing that comes to mind is how dangerous they were. But at the age of 15, and my brother being 13, it was anything but extreme.

If anything was just boys being boys, kids being kids, and celebrating how simple life was back then. Really, all we ended up doing for the first year or so was sharing lots of experiences and drama, while also doing commentary and entrances just like the wrestlers in WCW and the WWE.

But it would eventually turn into a wonderful experience of self-expression and fun.

Unfortunately, the Federation came with a lot of hard times. My best friend James Hopper, whom I met in middle school, was one of the kids with whom I started the wrestling Federation. He tragically passed away in 2004, unexpectedly.

My friends Brad and Ian, who are brothers, are the ones we first started it with in 1999. They sadly also passed away a few years separate from each other in the early 2010s.

It was also my best friend Joe, who really changed the Federation and encouraged us to do our own thing, who helped us through so many struggles in life, and became such an inspirational figure in our lives. Sadly, Joe passed away from cancer back in 2007.

So why do I write about this today? Because, as I mentioned earlier, today is the 25th anniversary of our first ever recorded event. It took place on my friend Chris Gabbard‘s birthday, whom we also started the Federation with.

Sadly, last year, Chris passed away from leukemia. It may sound like there was way more tragedy than good times, but I assure you, it couldn’t have been farther from the truth.

I am so fortunate to have known so many incredible guys throughout my life. They may be gone, but their memory will never disappear, as we have seven years of proof that we were able to live our best lives as kids.

I just wanted to share a personal and special date with all of you, and hope that you were able to maybe think of your old memories and appreciate them as much as I do mine.