“Excuse me, was there wrestling going on?”
The man and his partner still had beers in hand from whatever watering hole they had visited prior to passing the parking lot in downtown Frankfort. Kentucky. Behind them, some fans were starting to depart while others were moving their chairs, preparing for the second half of the evening’s entertainment on the inflatable video screen.
Sadly, for the newcomers, they’d missed the first part.
“Yes, they just finished,” I told them.
Inside the wooden barrier rails, several wrestlers and crew members from the Kentucky Wrestling Federation were already stripping off the mat and padding. Over the instrumental vibes of the Blue Man Group, fans could hear the voice of Dale Bass.
“We’re preparing to back in the ring truck. Fans, if you want to see how it’s done, they’re taking down the ring and will soon be loading it onto the trailer. If you’re in the way, we ask you to please move. We don’t want anyone hurt.”
It’s so fitting, Dale Bass being the man on the stick and behind the sound board – actually, just a laptop plugged into the PA system. Standing under the shadow of the Capital City Museum, the keepers of Frankfort’s history, Bass deserves to have his own chapter in the annals of Kentucky’s wrestling history. Earlier in the evening, the white-haired legend surveyed the books on my table and pointed out several old acquaintances of his, including Princess Victoria and Tracy Smothers.
He also explained to me how Blue Man Group became part of the KWF’s pre-show playlist. “I play only instrumentals, because if I play songs with lyrics, someone’s always gonna complain!”
Fans who know their indie wrestling had no reason to complain Friday night. A free show under clear blue skies on an unseasonably cool July night? You’d have to be a real jerk to gripe about that. But when you get some top tier Kentucky and Midwest talent on the card, well, complaining makes you downright ungrateful.
Several Grindhouse wrestlers made the trek from Jeffersonville, including Ethan Heyre, Kash Jackson, and OG Ugly. Heyre and Jackson teamed up to win the opener as a tag team, while Ugly lost a singles bout against the chainsaw-wielding Evil Nate. A great learning experience for the rookie.
“He’s great on the mic,” said Evil Nate afterwards. “I told him, get your promo in. Get on the mic. Do your thing. Let them know who you are. He’s going to do well.”
The ladies showed up this evening as well. Big Mama, one of the top women in the business (not to mention one of the top trainers of women) wrestled in the third contest. Also joining the action: Calamity Jayne, co-host of the Nice Guy Andy Podcast, who recently began wrestling herself.
“This was only my second time wrestling a real match,” she said. “Dale told me, ‘It’s a battle royal. Anyone can enter.'”
So she did, mixing it up with the boys in a fun and thrilling finisher.
Friday’s show marked a new beginning for Kentucky Wrestling Federation. Bass made sure the fans knew they planned to bring monthly shows back to Frankfort, starting in September. As for the museum, well, there’s talk of bringing wrestling back on an annual basis as well.
The Capital City Museum currently has a special exhibit about the city’s most famous wrestling figure, the lovely Miss Elizabeth. Museum Supervisor Dr. Eleanor Hasken-Wagner admits none of her staff knew much about Elizabeth, or wrestling, when they were gifted some of her dresses a few years back. But after seeing the response from patrons after putting the dresses on display, they realized they were on to a very special story.
Since that time, the museum had become a must-see for wrestling history buffs, and the museum staff has embraced Elizabeth and her fans. Friday’s event was the culmination of a summer-long program. The museum hosted a monthly drive-in in their parking lot, airing videos of Miss Elizabeth, Randy Savage, and Hulk Hogan in celebration of their Miss Elizabeth exhibit.
Truth be told, it’s the museum that stole the show Friday. Fans were able to walk the halls of the museum during the show and see Miss Elizabeth’s artifacts on display. Local food and drink vendors were on hand to serve their wares during the KWF show. Afterwards, fans enjoyed free popcorn and two hours of footage focused on the “Mega Powers” storyline – a fitting subject given the recent passing of Hulk Hogan.
The Capital City Museum has some wonderful events planned for fall, especially around Halloween. It’s free to visit. There’s free parking outside. And there are plenty of fun food options nearby, plus Poor Richard’s Books around the corner, for those who want to make a day of it.
Fans of wrestling in central Kentucky can learn more about KWF on their Facebook page.
Fans of history, please head over to the Capital City Museum website to learn more.
And fans of Halloween: mark your calendars for their Museum After Dark party on October 1. I’ll be the one not at the wrestling book table, but the Visit Dead Park table.
Kudos to Dale Bass and the KWF team for a great wrestling show. And a big thanks to Dr. Hasken-Wagner and her amazing staff for putting on this event – and inviting me to be a part.