Every city has an ego. Some can back it up. Some are over-inflated.
Louisville, Kentucky certainly has an ego. The people of Louisville brag about their status as a food city, as a college sports town, as the Mecca of horse racing, and so on. You can argue some of the points of pride the city of Louisville clings to, but there’s one that is undeniable: this is a professional wrestling town.
Louisville is not the first town you think of when you look at wrestling’s past. Most fans, including Louisville fans, think of places like St. Louis, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, or Memphis. Louisville was on the periphery of a lot of that history, a secondary town that brought in the best talent from St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Memphis. Louisville had its share of great moments, from the “debut” of Ed “Strangler” Lewis through the 22 year run of the Allen Athletic Club to the debut of the “Biker-Taker” at Judgment Day. But while many towns have cooled on professional wrestling in the WWE era, Louisville’s passion has remained.
Monday night the WWE marked 25 years of broadcasting Monday Night Raw. Wednesday night Ohio Valley Wrestling marked 20 years of television in Louisville. They went on the air before the WWE came to down to develop their future stars, and they have remained on the air long after the WWE’s departure. How many promotions today, let alone throughout wrestling history, can say that achieved that mark?
The Louisville area has remained a hot bed for professional wrestling for over 100 years. When the USWA closed down in the 90s, fans didn’t walk away. They turned to OVW and IWA Mid-South, a promotion that just marked 20 years and 800 shows. Louisville is still a destination for young wrestlers looking to train and get exposure, and with the opening of the Arena across the river in Jeffersonville, the opportunities have continued to grow.
Congratulations to Danny Davis, Rip Rogers, Dean Hill, and everyone who has made OVW a success. And thank you to everyone who continues to build Louisville up as a true wrestling city!
Read the full history of Louisville wrestling in Bluegrass Brawlers.