I have to confess: after seeing the WWE trucks parked near the river in Jeffersonville this morning, I was hoping someone would call me with a free ticket. It’s happened a few times last minute, but when it didn’t happen today, I stuck with my Plan A.
I went downtown to Derby City Gaming for the first ever OVW Smackdown Watch Party.
I’m so glad I did… and not just because I saved a ton of money.
OVW occupies a special place in this community. Like Grindhouse in Jeff, they have a strong connection to their loyal fan base. The Watch Party turned out to be exactly what I was hoping for: a casual get together over drinks and tables. Fans and wrestlers mingling, telling stories, sharing laughs, and occasionally watching a little wrestling.
Fans were positively shouting when Smackdown kicked off at 8 pm, and with good reason. OVW regulars Linda Kay, Tony Gunn, Anthony Toatele, and The Lovely Miss Larkan were all visible in the background during the opening segment. That’s one of the most exciting things when WWE (or TNA or AEW) come to town: what local wrestlers are going to get a look from the company?
Beyond that… it was a pretty casual affair. I sat with Maria James, Maximo Suave, and Shaloncé Royal for most of the night, catching up with some people i consider friends while Max entertained us with some outrageous road stories.
Al Snow was also in attendance, along with fan favorites (and non-favorites) like Freya, Crixus, Tony Evans, Jake Lawless, AJ McKay, Eric Cornish, ZDP, and the enigmatic Icon Lee. Icon joined our table for a bit and really let his hair down, giving myself and everyone a glimpse at his tender, sensitive side.
I’m joking. There is no tender, sensitive side to the Icon. There is only the Icon.
There was wrestling on television, and we did pause to watch. A little. It’s fun seeing Jordynne Grace on Smackdown twelve years after I first saw her clash with Heidi Lovelace in a “Falls Count Anywhere in Clark County” match across the river. And it’s always a treat to see OVW guys featured. We stopped to watch the Miz’s match. We loved the Cody Rhodes – Randy Orton stare down.
The event was free, and, as of this writing, is still going on. I expressed my condolences to those in the group closer to myself in age when I left at 10:30 – hoping to beat the downtown traffic across the river. It could have included free parking, but I chose not to gamble.
Derby City Gaming was a fun venue for the event, the perfect size for the crowd that turned out. It also proved to be some great outreach for the promotion. A waiter on his break who sat down with Shaloncé and me was shocked to learn that live pro wrestling happens every week in Louisville.
“And it’s only twelve dollars?” he asked.
“Yes,” I told him.
He looked at Shaloncé. “Who’s the women’s champion?”
The Queen rolled her eyes. “Leela Feist has it. Freya wants a title shot. But it belongs to me!”
Ah OVW. What a gift to have you in our backyard.
For those unaware: OVW runs every Thursday from 6-9 pm at the Hotpoint Davis Arena in Louisville, 4400 Shepherdsville Road. And yes, it’s way cheaper than Smackdown, so much so you can grab some wings a beer, and a T-shirt and still not equal the price of nose bleed seats at the Yum Center.