FIGHTS: Action, Controversy, History at Inspire Pro's 'In Their Blood'

HOT AUSTIN WRESTLING PROMOTION 

BROUGHT EXCITEMENT ON MANY LEVELS TO THE ATX WRESTLING SCENE

by

Bowie V. Ibarra

Great times were had by all at the latest Inspire Pro event at Marchesa Hall in Austin, Texas.  Folks came from all around Texas and even as far as Alabama for the outstanding pro-wrestling event.  And boy did the folks see some fun, drama, and history like only professional wrestling can provide.  Here are some snaps from the show.

One of the guests was noted combat sports pundit Jessica Hudnall (Twitter handle @LegKickTKO).  Here she is in one of her signature hats holding a flag featuring the Dewey Decimal number for 'Wrestling'.  The flag was made for one of the night's competitors, the book lover PAIGE TURNER.

Speaking of Paige, here she is, shushing the crowd as her mom, MISS DISS LEXIA, also does her best to keep the folks quiet.

What was supposed to be a tag team match turned into a one on three match when CAT GREEN agreed to fight Turner, Lexia, and KC WARFIELD, who was supposed to be her tag partner.  But it turns out she joined Turner's BOOK MARK stable.

THE HOLLYWOOD KNIVES took on JODAN and ERIK SHADOWS.  Here's Steve McEnroe putting Jodan in La Campana.  Great science from the Knife, who had to do most of the work when his partner was KO'd very early on the apron.

Texas indy standout JOJO BRAVO took on Japanese sensation TADASUKE in a spectacular bout that I would consider the Match of the Night.  Science, speed, and true wrestling skill were put on display in this outstanding matchup that is Tadasuke's last match in the states for a while.  And the dude loves his beer, as he was two-fisting two 16oz Coors Original cans.  Pretty cool.

Also one of my favorite things about Tadasuke was his choice of battle gear.  Shades of Great Kabuki and classic Muta.

'UNHOLY GREG JAMES took on 'THE TEXAS PRODIGY' HOUSTON CARSON in a competitive bout.  James used his speed and some chicanery to his advantage.  But it wasn't enough against Carson's power and skill.  Both dudes put out a great energy and vibe that worked for both of them since I've last seen them compete.

Homeless fuck CHRIS TREW was in attendance with his developing stable of fighters.  You might remember Christ Trew as the hobo dirtbag who debuted at an Anarchy Championship Wrestling show a few years back.  Well, he's still around and making some bones off the backs of his wrestlers.

Here's what I thought of the New Orleans-born comedy dildo.

His charge, California rising star DELILAH DOOM took on the evolving JESSICA JAMES.  James had spent some time in Japan, developing her skills and a new attitude that served her well in this match.  She abused Doom with locks, throws, and strikes before putting her away late.

Doom was fucked from the get-go, with just enough skills and strength to make it out of the match alive.

A match scheduled to be a three-way dance became a one-on-one bout for a shot at the Inspire Pro Women's title.  ATHENA took on VEDA SCOTT when ANGELUS LAYNE could not attend because of two broken wrists.  So the two ladies threw down.

Athena has a great new battle flag featuring her newest crest.  That was pretty cool, in my opinion. 

Here's Scott using some science on Athena. It was one of the only moves that Scott was able to effectively put on the crafty Athena, who dominated Scott with power and skill.

Below is one of the few pics I took of the 3-Way Ladder match featuring three of the hottest up-and-coming stars on the Texas indy scene fighting it out for the Inspire Pro J-Crown:  SAMMY GUEVARA, RICKY STARKS, and BARRETT BROWN.

Pictured above is Brown fighting with Starks to get to the Inspire Pro J-Crown.  Moments later, Guevara uses the two to climb to the crown and win the match.

Then what was a pretty fun match turned ugly when the newly-crowned champ Guevara got on the mic.  Instead of giving thanks for being there, or providing some other kind of heartwarming speech on the struggles it took for him to get there, the dude put now-former employer River City Wrestling on blast.  He ran down the company and the promoter, Brandon Oliver, for alleged transgressions and disrespect.  I can't speak for anyone else, but it was kind of a buzzkill for the vibe the event had created up to that point.

More on that in another blog post.

The actions of Guevara had unforseen consequences for the following match, what was promoted as a fun and wacky matchup between THE GREAT DEPRESSION and RCW fan favorite, HONKY KONG.  The vibe had changed in the arena, affecting the performance of the two competitors.  It's been noted publicly that the match didn't work out as anticipated.  But more on that later HERE.

The mood, fortunately, was brought back up to amazing levels when a surprise announcement was made that is going to help take Austin wrestling to the next level.  

Noted pro-wrestling blogger and official Inspire Pro ring announcer BRANDON STROUD introduced NWA Official TONY BROOKLYN to make Inspire Pro an official NWA licensed promotion.  Word on the street was the two organizations had been in talks for a while, and the crowd welcomed the announcement.  Both organizations are dedicated to promoting quality wrestling that hearkens back to the tradition and history of the NWA.

The following match would set that bar for high standard of wrestling.

Current NWA World Women's Champ BARBIE HAYDEN made her way to the ring ready to take on Canadian challenger PORTIA PEREZ in the first official NWA sanctioned match in Inspire Pro.

The tradition and ritual of a title match was observed, led by Brooklyn.  The presentation of the title was a subtle, but professional, display of respect to the past and the importance of the titles.

Perez took it to Hayden, but Hayden was able to defend the title in a tough matchup that found Perez leaving the ring in frustration at not winning the prestigious title.

Here are some great snaps with some of the stars of the women's division.

It was my first Inspire Pro show and it only made me wish I could attend the shows monthly.

If you live in the Austin, Texas area, you've got to get down to a show.  It's a fun show, a fun crowd, and always filled with surprises like a good wrestling show should be.

And the best thing?  They have made their commitment to honor the classic tradition of pro-wrestling and to the future of the sport to do their part to preserve it alongside the NWA.

I'm stoked, and look forward to watching them grow.

For more information about Inspire Pro, check out there official website HERE.

If you enjoyed the recap, support the blog by picking up a ZBFbooks.com title.  There's even a combat sports-themed book that features a Mexican luchador as one of the main characters.  

BOWIE V. IBARRA is the author of the combat sport series 'Pit Fighters' from ZBFbooks.com.  It's the adventures of several fighters from around the world who form a stable to compete in the early days of MMA competition.  You can pick them up today in paperback or Kindle HERE.

Network with Bowie and check out all his other cool books featuring zombies, blood, and fights at his official website, ZBFbooks.com today.