“It was never supposed to go this far in the first place,” Casey Hopkins tells me. “The whole thing started as and continued as a loving joke.”
‘The whole thing’ goes by the name of the Isolation Wrestling Federation or I.W.F. for short. The origins lie on an Instagram account @isolationwrestlingfederation (I.W.F ™️ (@isolationwrestlingfederation) • Instagram photos and videos) and was started during lockdown: “My buddy Jimi and I and a few friends started calling each other out as wrestling characters when the pandemic began,” co-founder Hopkins says. “We were quite bored.” But out of boredom, great ideas are often created. And much of the original humor or jokes from the beginning are still exhibited in the I.W.F. The first and only ‘NO CONTACT’ wrestling federation has grown to nearly 6000 followers. And what started as an inside joke continues on, as we await the launch of the second annual ‘KING OF THE SCREEN’ this upcoming Monday, August 9th.
I really feel that part of the appeal behind I.W.F. comes from it being just so unashamedly authentic. This may sound contradictory as some of the ‘show’ is planned ahead, but much of it comes through improvisation and just ideas bouncing off one another. So, you really don’t know what to expect as you follow along with the next call-out post or when a new wrestler steps onto the scene. The unpredictability and freedom evokes a form of creativity and originality that I really think comes out in the videos; simply, I.W.F. is a totally humble exhibition of just raw creativity set free to run wild.
So how does one get involved? The process is simple: everyone begins with a 60-second intro video, where you meet the wrestler - who they are, what they value - but oftentimes, these are just the roots beginning to stretch out. The “organic improvisation” - as one wrestler Delicious Duane Douglas puts it - comes along as a byproduct, through interactions with other wrestlers, inventing new storylines, and enjoying the experience. Sheer interaction off screen develops what is then exhibited in the promos. This is where the characters are really, truly developed and where much of the entertainment comes from.
I for one think it is super entertaining! At times, it is just so zany it’s contagious and you eagerly look forward to what will happen next. In some ways, it’s almost like a reality show (but better) with the utter amount of entertainment that you don’t really have to analyze but just be entertained nevertheless. The I.W.F. is democratic, too, in the sense that fans can vote for which wrestler wins and moves on to the next round. And, again, anything can happen in the I.W.F.; your everyday common Joe can make a promo and instantly join in on the wacky twists and turns.
It just wouldn’t be possible without the creativity of the wrestlers involved. Many of them have a background in comedy and interest in professional wrestling, which may explain where most of the humor comes from. Still, whether it was because a friend of a friend was in the I.W.F. or just stumbled upon it by accident, the I.W.F. has come together over the last year and a half to form a much bigger picture. As wrestler Beef Fajita puts it:
“What I like about the I.W.F. is really two things, one the creative latitude we are afforded when creating storylines, promos and short bits. Second and more importantly is how the entire roster came together to support one another during an extremely dark time, the pandemic. There was and is so much love for each other even though our predominant goal most of the time is to just shit talk one another.”
Other wrestlers I have interviewed also express similar thoughts: Cattlestar Conner, the General Manager and reporter of the I.W.F., values “the chemistry, conversations and relationships that develop during the interviews. . .I love all the drama and excitement. It keeps me young at heart”. In a related thought, when asked what her greatest achievement in the I.W.F. was, Daddy Deltoids told me:
“I think I would say my greatest achievement has been creating so many storylines with other characters and weaving them together in a coherent (albeit completely insane) narrative”.
Altogether, ultimately, the weaving of storylines, chemistry-evoking conversations, and the abundant creativity are what make the I.W.F. the I.W.F. What started as a small inside joke has grown and developed into an entire cast of characters and an abundance of opportunities while sticking to their roots of the simple things like comedy and a love for wrestling, born into the world thanks to boredom in a pandemic.
The I.W.F. returns on Monday with the launch of the second annual ‘KING OF THE SCREEN’ on August 9th. Find it on the Instagram page @isolationwrestlingfederation
I.W.F. ROSTER
Blonde Bomber
Jim Reaper
Harold Hopkins
Charles Handsome
Casanova Valentine
Diamond Dylan
Erik Ketchup
Barger
The Ultimate Whorrior
Smash Jesus
Dick Powers
The Huntsman
Country Boy Ted
Charming Travvy Lee
Busty Biceps
Beef Fajita
Tony Danger
Danny Billions
The English Dandy
Jimmy King
Giovanni Lasagna
Delicious Duane Douglas
The Cockney Crusher
Dr. Horrorscope
El Jefe
Sheee-It
Daddy Deltoids
Inky Irene
Jade Jealousy
Big Buck Johnson
The Children of the IWF
Killdozer and the Gimp
Clam Slam
Catasstrophe
Lita McMayhem
The Preacherman
Junkyard Jonny
Cattlestar Connor
Ma and Pa Valentine
Mike the Masseuse
Big Ork
Michi the Killer
Bruce Hazzard
Barbaric Richous
Big Rich Richard
Ganggrim
Fast tractor Freeman
Lexi Galaxus
He
Karl Porkrinds
Mick Foley
The High Thottress
Avalon Rich Tabel
Brainspace
Plague
Prizlor
California Gold
Wes Borland
Doormouse
Mikey Mums
Dolly Fartin
Salem Black
Scary Bradshaw
Baby Billy Jack Collard
Art by: Keagan Marcella
@keagandfault @the.artist.art
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