Story by Chris Graham
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Listen to today’s “SportsDominion Show” to learn more about Reality Rumble 2008. Show Length: 10:17.
On one side of the ring will be Jonny Fairplay, the “Survivor” cast member who famously lied about his grandmother having just died to try to get ahead on the reality-TV game show.
On the other side will be Billy Garcia, the “Survivor” cast member who did not lie about his grandmother having died to try to get ahead on the reality-TV game show.
What will help Garcia is that he has bona fides in wrestling in the form of a silver medal in the 1997 AAU national wrestling championships.
Fairplay, of course, is not without a trump card of his own up his sleeve.
One of his tag-team partners in Reality Rumble 2008 scheduled for April 5 at Spotswood High School will be Chris Dodson, the teacher of students with multiple disabilities at Spotswood, whose goal for the night is to raise money for several long-identified needs for his class.
That Fairplay sure knows how to play the sympathy card, doesn’t he?
OK, we can break kayfabe now. Dodson is the promoter of Reality Rumble 2008 as well, and it really is his aim to use the event to raise money for his multiple-disabilities class.
And Fairplay and Garcia are but two of the reality-TV stars who are pitching in to make the night a special one for all involved. Also taking part are former “Survivor” contestants Denise Martin, Tracy Wolf, Stacy Kimble and Todd Herzog, “America’s Next Top Model” contestant Michelle Dieghton, “American Idol” local favorite Colton Berry, and “Pirate Master” competitor Christa DeAngelo.
Dodson, who in addition to being a teacher at Spotswood is also the coach of the girls-basketball team, is also one of several stars of Kyda Pro Wrestling who will participate in the Rumble
“I grew up as a wrestling fan, going to Harrisonburg one Thursday every month. They’d have the NWA in here, Ric Flair and everybody. And so like a lot of kids in the ’80s, wrestling was huge back then. So you grow up kind of wanting to do that,” said Dodson, who embarked on his moonlighting gig five years ago and has not looked back.
He got the idea to use his alter ego to the benefit of his multiple-disabilities class out of a Friday tradition in the class to dissect shows like “Survivor” as a way of getting students to think about goal-setting and other life skills.
Dodson began making trips to finales of “Survivor” and other shows a few years ago, and has made a number of contacts with cast members over the years. The contacts paid off when it came time to schedule Reality Rumble 2008, he said.
“We just want to go the extra mile for our kids and make sure that they get the best of everything. And giving them what they need, we give them a chance,” Dodson said.
Details
WHAT: Reality Rumble 2008
WHEN: Saturday, April 5; doors open 6 p.m., bell time 8 p.m.
WHERE: Spotswood High School
ADMISSION: $10
INFO: [email protected]
Chris Graham is the executive editor of The SportsDominion.
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