The Extreme Midget Wrestling Federation travels nationally with a draw anywhere between 300 to 5,000 people per show at a rate of over 120 shows booked each year.

Rated No. 1 by Nightclub & Bar magazine for the best alternative act for three years running, Extreme Midget Wrestling is considered “the most entertaining, outrageous and unique shows out today,” according to the magazine.

Hattiesburg citizens seemed to agree on Feb. 4 when the Dollar BOX Showroom was crowded with fans thrilled and anxious to witness the midget wrestlers take the ring.

A line snaked outside the building and cars packed in nearby parking lots as people anxiously waited to enter the packed bar.

“This is definitely one of the most interesting things I have seen in a long time, and I encourage more and more people to take the time to watch,” said Rachel Segraes, owner of Hattiesburg’s Action Party Rentals.

As soon as the event started, people rushed from the bar and back to their seats to watch. There was not a silent moment in the venue as the crowd grew excited and fed off the energy of the wrestlers.

“I was just so amazed by their abilities and talent that I couldn’t take my eyes off the show,” Segraes said.

Each round was jam-packed with wrestling techniques, props and first-hand interaction between the audience and the wrestlers.

The wrestlers entertained the audience with tricks, flips, jabs, kicks and more as each round became more dangerous inside and outside the ring.

Roderick Jones, also known as Little Rampage, stood as the winner of the night’s first match.

“Wrestling takes a lot of hard work and dedication,” Jones said. “Your heart must be in it the whole time.”

He won the match with stamina, endurance and surprise attacks against his opponents.

“My main objective is to give the people exactly what they want, and that is to entertain them and keep them coming back for more,” Jones said. “What more can you ask for than a bunch of Midgets wrestling?”

Despite controversies between the Little People of America organization and the term “midget” being used in the EMW shows, the wrestlers of the EMW are proud of who they are, what they do and how they portray themselves. “What we do is taken very seriously,” said wrestler Phillip Campbell, better known as Little Nasty Boy. “Show after show and day after day, we strive for excellence in our performance and what we offer to the people.” Campbell said EMW embraces a craft that sometime goes unrecognized in today’s world. “Whenever you listen to the radio, turn on the television or read the newspaper, all you see is negativity and depression,” Campbell said. “We’re here to have a good time and to show people a good time.”

From the moment the wrestlers took the ring until the final round, the event was filled with enthusiasts from all over the city.