Wrestling For Jesus

From an AP article by Greg Bluestein in the Lexington Herald-Leader:

Can professional-style wrestling really be the next frontier for Christian outreach? Small bands of masked evangelists, clad in tights and armed with biblical names, argue it is -- and bring their message into the ring almost every week. The violence and intensity of wrestling, they say, can be the perfect way to attract the alternative, younger crowd. Wrestling for Jesus, based in nearby Beech Island, S.C., has a core of a dozen wrestlers who perform in community centers, churches, neighborhood festivals and anywhere else that books them. Started in 2003, the group travels to as many as 50 shows each year, most attracting no more than 100 curious fans. There are other such groups. Texas-based Christian Wrestling Federation boasts a board of eight preachers and a dozen entertainers who use each match as a "tool" to entertain a crowd while preaching. Ultimate Christian Wrestling, based in Athens, Ga., features a glitzy show backed by pounding music and special effects. Funded by a host of local sponsors, the group attracts as many as 500 a show and headlines big-name wrestlers such as Glacier, a former WCW star.