Pro wrestling's visibility has gone in and out of the mainstream over the years, but its popularity has rarely waned. In fact these days, besides the juggernaut that is WWE, there seem to be more promotions than ever.
Besides groups like TNA and Ring of Honor, there's even an Insane Clown Posse wrestling promotion. Yes, Insane Clown Posse wrestling meaning a promotion sponsored by the infamous underground rap group made up of Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J.
While such a link between wrestling and underground rap is unusual, it's not weird if you consider the entertainment career history of Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J. The Insane Clown Posse wrestling connection goes way back to the '80s, before Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J were even very involved in underground rap.
As teens, in fact, Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J were more interested in wresting than underground rap, and met in the northern Detroit backyard wrestling circuit. The earliest incarnation of Insane Clown Posse wrestling was their early made-up promotions, which they called Tag Team Wrestling and National All-Star Wrestling.
Eventually, Violent J started a bona fide career in indie pro wrestling, bringing Shaggy 2 Dope along with him. Not long after, though, both Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope became disillusioned with the backstage politics of indie pro wrestling.
They then quit to pursue their other passion, underground rap. (In fact, this is when they definitively settled on the stage names Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J.)
In the ensuing years Insane Clown Posse underground rap music would take precedence over Insane Clown Posse wrestling. But Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J never forgot that early passion. After Insane Clown Posse found success in underground rap, the Insane Clown Posse wrestling connection again resurfaced.
A pro wrestling tag team asked ICP to record its theme song. Eventually Insane Clown Posse wrestling came closer to the mainstream when Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J appeared as a tag team act in the late '90s for then-major promotions like WCW.
Eventually, they decided to start their own Insane Clown Posse wrestling promotion in 1999, naming it Juggalo Championshit Wrestling. At the beginning, this Insane Clown Posse wrestling project was largely made up of parody matches, with ICP themselves and other underground rap stars and entertainers performing under pseudonyms.
Eventually, though, the Insane Clown Posse wrestling promotion got much more serious. JCW started signing a number of established stars from the hardcore and indie pro circuits, and even changed its name in 2006 to the more printable Juggalo Championship Wrestling.
Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J rarely actually wrestle themselves now, but they work on JCW almost as much as they do their various underground rap projects. Juggalo Championship Wrestling now puts on live shows around the country, and offers pay-per-view events and DVDs.
In fact, Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J have dedicated a big chunk of the entertainment at their annual Gathering of the Juggalos summer festival to the JCW and indie pro wrestling.
That makes it probably the only summer festival to showcase both music and wrestling almost equally. But it's just another way these underground rap stars continue to pay homage to their unusual roots.
Resource Box
To learn more about Insane Clown Posse wrestling or just the music by these underground rap stars, visit the official Insane Clown Posse web site at http://www.insaneclownposse.com.
Besides groups like TNA and Ring of Honor, there's even an Insane Clown Posse wrestling promotion. Yes, Insane Clown Posse wrestling meaning a promotion sponsored by the infamous underground rap group made up of Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J.
While such a link between wrestling and underground rap is unusual, it's not weird if you consider the entertainment career history of Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J. The Insane Clown Posse wrestling connection goes way back to the '80s, before Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J were even very involved in underground rap.
As teens, in fact, Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J were more interested in wresting than underground rap, and met in the northern Detroit backyard wrestling circuit. The earliest incarnation of Insane Clown Posse wrestling was their early made-up promotions, which they called Tag Team Wrestling and National All-Star Wrestling.
Eventually, Violent J started a bona fide career in indie pro wrestling, bringing Shaggy 2 Dope along with him. Not long after, though, both Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope became disillusioned with the backstage politics of indie pro wrestling.
They then quit to pursue their other passion, underground rap. (In fact, this is when they definitively settled on the stage names Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J.)
In the ensuing years Insane Clown Posse underground rap music would take precedence over Insane Clown Posse wrestling. But Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J never forgot that early passion. After Insane Clown Posse found success in underground rap, the Insane Clown Posse wrestling connection again resurfaced.
A pro wrestling tag team asked ICP to record its theme song. Eventually Insane Clown Posse wrestling came closer to the mainstream when Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J appeared as a tag team act in the late '90s for then-major promotions like WCW.
Eventually, they decided to start their own Insane Clown Posse wrestling promotion in 1999, naming it Juggalo Championshit Wrestling. At the beginning, this Insane Clown Posse wrestling project was largely made up of parody matches, with ICP themselves and other underground rap stars and entertainers performing under pseudonyms.
Eventually, though, the Insane Clown Posse wrestling promotion got much more serious. JCW started signing a number of established stars from the hardcore and indie pro circuits, and even changed its name in 2006 to the more printable Juggalo Championship Wrestling.
Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J rarely actually wrestle themselves now, but they work on JCW almost as much as they do their various underground rap projects. Juggalo Championship Wrestling now puts on live shows around the country, and offers pay-per-view events and DVDs.
In fact, Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J have dedicated a big chunk of the entertainment at their annual Gathering of the Juggalos summer festival to the JCW and indie pro wrestling.
That makes it probably the only summer festival to showcase both music and wrestling almost equally. But it's just another way these underground rap stars continue to pay homage to their unusual roots.
Resource Box
To learn more about Insane Clown Posse wrestling or just the music by these underground rap stars, visit the official Insane Clown Posse web site at http://www.insaneclownposse.com.
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