The Night ATX Wrestling Scene Changed

Jerry Lynn, Rachel Summerlyn, and Scot Summers together for one final time

The Austin independent wrestling scene still vibing with soon to be four feds running along the wrestling school in the area. It remains one of hot beds in indy wrestling scene as talent from in and outside the state coming in to work one of the shows. How did they get there? Let's go back to 10 years ago on January 20, 2013 when the scene took its major shift.

Anarchy Championship Wrestling held their flagship ship Guilty by Association 7. A sold out crowd crammed The Mohawk to watch one of final matches of retiring Jerry Lynn who is in his final leg of his retirement tour. He took on "Showtime" Scot Summers in a rematch from Guilty by Association 2 as well previous shows before GBA2. The show highlighted with, in my opinion, the greatest ACW match in history between ACW hardcore champion Matthew Palmer and ACH which I've dubbed the hardcore mat classic. J.T. LaMotta announced after his match against Jason Silver this will be his final year wrestling full time and set his sights against Jimmy Jacobs as his final opponent (note: it didn't end well). ACW TV title match between the late Shawn Vexx and Davey Vega fighting for current ROH women champion Athena affection only for Athena to cash in her no.1 contenders title shot and beat both of them at same to show both of them she's not property and is her own person while becoming TV champion. The schedule match between ACW heavyweight champion Rachel Summerlyn and Darin Childs never happened as former champion Jaykus Plisken jumped Childs before the match and insert himself in the match. Summerlyn would dispatch Plisken. Then the main event between Lynn and Summers as they gave the crowd a finale with Lynn winning. Just when fans think they're getting a happy ending, Evan Gelistico and Gary Jay of Submission Squad ambushed Lynn and Summers with Lynn getting handcuffed to the rope leaving the crowd shocked. Gelistico called out Rachel Summerlyn to put the ACW heavyweight title up immediately or he will kill Lynn. Summerlyn did and within minutes Gelistico pinned Summerlyn to become ACW heavyweight champion in front of a shocked and angry crowd. Gelistco and Jay had fight their way through the crowd on the way to back as fans would sneak in punches to their body. When all is cleared this shot I took turned out be iconic. It's the final time The Godfathers and Godmother of Anarchy appeared together in the ring as they gave their speeches.

Behind scenes was reportedly chaotic before and during show with so many variations tossed around. At the end Rachel Summerlyn left ACW. She would wrestle few more matches before leaving wrestling altogether. Another person to leave ACW after the show is Justin Bissonette citing burn out. I remember watching the DVD of this show after Gelistico won the belt, J.T. LaMotta doing commentary for the match mention the lines of changing landscape in wrestling. He predicted it.

What changed? ACW went another route. The all-out wild brawls still there but they had a different emphasis as certain talent got pushed up as well newer wrestlers popping up. Then came the ACH and Jeff Gant match few months later. The crowd hated it despite being a good match. Many of the local fans pointed to this match on why Inspire Pro (now renamed Inspire AD) formed involving Max Meehan and Justin Bissonette who reluctantly return to wrestling but gave it another go. Inspire ran their first show in July of that year building upon the fed using top talent around the state as well occasional fly-ins. It renew Bissonette interest in wrestling as he always have an eye on talent and been there since. In 2017 Wrestling Circus started up booking big indy wrestling names. Despite the success of their shows it was also their undoing as well having trouble finding a building to run a show. They would shut down then restart before shutting down permanently in 2019. As of this day, Inspire AD and ACW (under new management) still running having to survive the 2020 pandemic year. Also running around Austin is the upstart Infamous Wrestling (run by former ACW referee Donnie Davis) which debut last year. Soon to be starting Borracho Pro (run by a crew of five) with their debut show coming up on February 4.

Change is good and it helped out Austin indy wrestling scene in the long run. During those 10 years in between there are four wrestlers that end up making a mark in the area. Look for it next month.

The Loss of Stew

Wrestling fans are a different breed especially in the independents scene. For few hours on a certain day of a weekend we go and meet each other at a show exchanging pleasantries asking how's life and talking about what's going to happen on tonight show to WWE or AEW to wrestling rumors and news. It's like a strange family of misfits. Even though I no longer live in Austin area I still keep in contact with some down there along with San Antonio crew. Sadly yesterday I received a message that we lost one of best fans few weeks ago. His name is Stewart Buckingham or Stew as many called him. Despite wheelchair bound he got a zest for life. You felt it when you talk to him the very first time and it continues on every time when we meet. His zest was shown at the Anarchy Championship Wrestling and Inspire A.D. shows where he would up and front. He would cheer for the good guys and boo the bad guys tossing in few expletives. His enthusiasm felt all over the building that wrestlers would let him be part of the show and get in the action. They would hold their opponent up in front of him so Stew can punch him. That would get cheers from the crowd. Stew would be super into it that he will be yelling, "LET ME AT HIM!" when wrestlers get close to him. At every show he's been at in Austin he's at he having exciting time of his life. I'm going to miss Stew and he's not the only one missing him. Everyone he met from fellow fans, wrestlers, UT athletes and staff were touched by his exuberant happiness on life. I offer my condolences to his family for the loss. RIP Stew. You will forever be missed.

Appreciation of a Megastar Known as Angel Blue

For one independent wrestler it was not suppose to end this way. The self-proclaimed "Megastar" Angel Blue forced to call it a career two years after her final match. 

For over a decade she been down the roads and rings of Texas indy wrestling scene especially Austin-based Anarchy Championship Wrestling. She relished on being hated by the crowd. With a smug self-absorbed over-confident look, she would get in fan's faces claiming to be the greatest and hurl insults. Before getting in the ring she swept her feet back on the apron in direction of the fans. Fans responded to her with loud boos, arguing back with her, and on occasion tossing rolls of toilet paper when she gets introduced in the ring. She continues to antagonize the crowd with insults and singing "We are the champions!" off key. She worked the fans way too well having the fans boo her for everything she did in the ring. Fans wanted her get beat only for her to win in sneaky and nefarious ways.

She shows up at ACW ready to work and get involved. She even popped up not long after being in a bad car accident to talk on the mic giving a passionate speech on showing up despite not able to work because she loved this. She's a two-time ACW Joshi champion, a TV champion, a tag team champion with Jojo Bravo (now known as Jay Serious) and 2013 Queen of Queens tournament winner. Her tag team with Jojo Bravo will always be underrated and underappreciated. The chemistry between the two as reluctant tag partners who try to screw over each other only to get a miraculous victory at the end. She wrestled in Sabotage when it started up and feuded with current AEW wrestler Leva Bates. One of her victories over her was locking Bates inside trunk of a car. It lead to Last Woman Standing match between the two. In 2018 she made her Inspire A.D. debut being surprise tag team partner of Steve O'Reno and became Inspire A.D. Twin Dragons champions with him. Things were going good for her....

Til one Inspire show in Jan 2019. She was in a match against Jenna Lynn and current NXT wrestler Shotzi Blackheart when she took one spot. It was a spot I seen done many times, but this one caused a herniated disc in her neck. Everything she worked for comes crashing to a halt for an unfortunate injury. She had surgery to repair and endure hell trying to make it back. Despite bouncing back and working hard she couldn't able to be cleared for a comeback. Not the way she wants to go out.

Angel Blue is a textbook case on being a heel from going face-to-face with fans to finding hundreds of devious ways to break the rules and win a match. She always been a solid hand in the ring. Part of me want her in the middle of the ring to say goodbye only to go "Sike! I lied! I'm back!" to chorus of boos. It would be the most perfect thing for her. A fan can only dream. Thank you Angel Blue for putting everything in the ring. When I hear Queen - I Want It All I immediately think of you coming out to the ring. You are truly a Megastar.

Some matches of Angel Blue to view:

(Rare moment of Angel Blue working as a face)