HAZEL GREEN — An independent pro wrestling league based in Hazel Green is continuing to win over fans and make its mark in the wrestling world.
Founded in 2016, Rocket City Championship Wrestling features matches every two weeks, an academy and, of course, a host of colorful characters to cheer on, or in some cases, boo heavily.
According to Rocket City Championship Wrestling owner Barry Kohlhoff, it’s all about good, family fun.
“This is a very physical form of theater, we are telling a story,” said Kohlhoff.
Fun that comes with “babies” and “heels”, wrestling lingo for the good guys and the bad guys.
Wrestlers like “Thunder”, “Tiger Kid”, and “Scrap Iron Lewis” have proven to be crowd favorites, while “The Villain”, “Judakai”, and “Lord James Cicero” elicit the sort of jeers expected during the WWE-style matches.
On Saturday night, Rocket City Championship Wrestling hosted the “Rocket City Rumble” at the RCCW Arena in Hazel Green. The event, billed as one of the biggest of the year, featured 31 wrestlers battling to be the last one left in the ring as hundreds of fans cheered them on.
Speaking to 256 Today ahead of the first bouts taking place before the headlining rumble event, Tiger Kid said the wrestling, while entertaining, is also serious business.
“There’s wrestlers who are here every week, working hard to be at the top of their game,” he said.
As far as his chances of being the last man standing in the rumble, Tiger Kid was emphatic he would take the top spot, “I’m feeling pretty solid. At the end of the day, Tiger Kid is number one!”
Despite facing the certain future full of body slams and head locks mere minutes away, Tiger Kid said his fans make it all worth it.
“I love these guys,” said Tiger Kid. “I just want to make sure at the end of the night those fans have someone they look up to, to be there for them.
“Being there for the kids, that’s my purpose here.”
And while there are clearly good guys and bad guys, being “good” doesn’t guarantee victory. Despite entering the ring to thunderous chants of “Tiger Kid! Tiger Kid! Tiger Kid!”, the good-guy wrestler was unable to win his first bout, the American Tag Team Championship, with his partner, the equally popular Scrap Iron Lewis. Villains Lord James Cicero and Dark Heart managed to claim the championship belt after a battle that had the crowd on their feet.
The crowd maintained that same enthusiasm for all three bouts before the headline event – the Rocket City Rumble.
Kohlhoff said the annual Rocket City Rumble consistently sells out; Saturday night’s attendance numbers topped out at 403.
“The rumble is so popular because you never know what will happen, what the matchups will be, or who will be left,” said Kohlhoff.
As previously reported in the Off The Record, talk show host Dale Jackson, or as he adamantly insisted, “Pro wrestler Dale Jackson”, also took part in the main event of the night. A previous winner of the Rocket City Championship Wrestling tag team championship, Jackson felt confident of his chances of winning the Rocket City Rumble.
“No question that I will be back here as the victor,” said Jackson. “So, yes, you should want to talk to me at the end. If I’ll allow it.”
As it turns out Jackson lasted less than five minutes in the ring before being hit by a sidewalk slam and eliminated. Jackson had no comment after the rumble.
After countless full suplexes, drop kicks and atomic elbows, Orion Bishop was the last wrestler standing in the Rocket City Rumble, earning him a shot for the World Champion title at Wrestling Con on May 20.
Kohlhoff is looking forward to another year of Rocket City Championship Wrestling.
“I’ve been a pro wrestler for 29 years, when we are working with our wrestlers, we focus on the basics to develop their strengths,” said the longtime wrestler. “For 2023, we will be working with our guys along with bringing in some old-school wrestling legends for different events.”
The next event, The Next Chapter, is Jan. 21, at 7 p.m. at the RCCW Arena, 143981 U.S. 231/431, behind Cosmo’s Fitness, about two miles north of Hazel Green High School.
Here’s our video recap from Saturday night’s showdown:
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