From the outside, it was a little hard to tell what was going on inside one of the storefronts in a Bedford strip mall on a Saturday night earlier this fall.
The windows were blacked out, and the sign was surprisingly subtle. It was tough to hear what was going on from the sidewalk, but stepping inside, it was pure pandemonium.
Metroplex Wrestling started off in a backyard and became an official venue around 2010. But despite the humble beginnings and a facade that doesn't give much away, the fanbase came in droves for the promise of a high-voltage show that has kept them hungry for more over the years.
Connor Blake is a newcomer fan who pointed to what makes independent professional wrestling unique.
“The wrestling space is welcoming in a smaller venue, like an indie show, because it can show that anybody can be a pro wrestler," Blake said. "Anybody can live the dream.”
Metroplex Wrestling has a slate of athletes, staff and volunteers who dedicate much of their time to the sport.
Athena Palmer, an owner who trains many of the competitors, said she started out on the independent scene in the mid-2000s as a competitor and eventually turned to coaching.
“I've traveled around the world, and my goal has always been to afford the education of pro wrestling for younger athletes," Palmer told KERA.
When the original owner was considering closing the venue, Palmer and a few others banded together to buy the company and keep it going.
She said they did it because the idea of seeing Metroplex Wrestling go away created the feeling of “a missing hole in the heart.”
“We do this chaos every week," she said. "We stress ourselves out to the nines, we yell at each other, we cuss at each other, and then we come together and we hug, and we go, ‘we did it again’ at the end of the night.”
What played out in the ring was a little bit like an opera-slash-gladiator match. There were heroes and villains – or faces and heels. There was lore that carried over from previous shows.
The audience had their favorites, and they brought handmade signs and wore merchandise to show their support.
Even the kids jeered those they didn’t like.
There was a surge of excitement when grown men got thrown around like rag dolls, and when the ring cracked at the thud of a body.
The announcers tucked away in a corner gave blow-by-blow coverage of what played out. But they weren't just addressing the crowd in the building, they were also speaking to a livestream audience on Twitch that could watch from all over the world.
The experience itself was a blend of polished and scrappy, over-the-top and intimate. It felt like going out with friends to an indie theater, but with a lot more sweat and blood.
Rusty McLendon started as a fan and went on to work for Metroplex Wrestling with his wife.
“You will not find a closer, tight-knit family than what you will behind the scenes here at MPX," McLendon said.
For McLendon, Monday through Friday is for everyday life, but Saturday nights are “family time.” In fact, his son is a wrestler who competes at Metroplex Wrestling, years after coming to see the show for his eighth birthday.
Rusty McLendon said, “Y’all know the old saying, ‘if you do what you love, you never work a day in your life.’ This is a passion for a lot of people."
"It's an escape for a few hours for a lot of people, and you'll find that with the fans as well," he added.
At the end of one of Metroplex Wrestling's biggest shows of the year, Purple Reign, the champion was unseated by a group of rivals who worked together to win the match.
The new champions hoisted the belt overhead and posed for photos before heading to the locker rooms to unwind and reset. After all, they’d have to do this again in just a few days.
Got a tip? Email Andy Lusk at alusk@kera.org.
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