My Memphis Wrestling experience at Game6 Grizzlies and the RSWF [Real South Wrestling Federation]

>> crossposted on the 'Loz in Translation' blog

Whenever I travel, I search for my 3 loves of basketball, wrestling and comedy. I've found them with varying success around the world but have had an easier time on my #30HomeGames mission as they typify Americana.

My ongoing collection of wrestling Grizzlies graphics

Part of the reason why the Memphis Grizzlies are my favourite team is their reverence for pro-wrestling. America's Mid-South has a great wrestling tradition and the Grizzlies honour that with themed wrestling nights. Their mascot 'Grizz' incorporates wrasslin' into his shtick with the use of ladders and championship belts. Local wrestling icon, Jerry "The King" Lawler periodically appears at games to inject excitement into the crowd.

The plot thickens. Buff Bagwell drops @JerryLawler 😤 pic.twitter.com/jgetB9PkxB

— 929ESPN (@929espn) April 28, 2017

During game 6 of the Grizzlies game, former WCW superstar Buff Bagwell was curiously in the front row. Interviewed during a timeout, he revealed that he was in attendance to support the San Antonio Spurs. Perplexed at first, I immediately marked out as it signaled that Memphis icon Jerry Lawler was just around the corner to challenge him. They worked a program over the course of the game. Buff Bagwell with the upper hand at first, parading around the hallways and arena stage over several play stoppages until he got his comeuppance. Lawler setting up the mascot 'Grizz' as he delivered a top-of-the-ladder splash onto Bagwell's surrogate who was splayed on a table. The experience was bittersweet as the Grizzlies couldn't match that script, coming up short against the Spurs. The fact Memphians entertain such absurd theatre makes them my kind of people.

Real South Wrestling Federation: Memphis' only weekly pro-wrestling show!

I was looking forward to experiencing wrestling in one of its traditional home's of Memphis. RSWF (Real South Wrestling Federation) is the biggest of the remaining federations in the Blues City. They host weekly Saturday night main events which I was excited to catch while I was over there. My last night stateside would be at RSWF. Despite competing with WWE NXT in town for that evening, the performers and loyal crowd put on a spectacular go home show. Had the Grizzlies staved off elimination and forced a Game 7, I would've been torn but there's no way I was going to miss this.

One half of Tag Team 'Full Deck' taunting the RSWF faithful

RSWF founder, Soultaker plucked me from the crowd before the show to introduce himself. He'd been expecting me as I'd expressed that I was coming from Australia to watch Memphis wrestling. He gifted me with a goodie bag that included his patented mask previously cracked by Jerry Lawler himself. It was a humbling display of southern hospitality and grassroots outreach, evident with the sense of community and camaraderie in the arena. The wrestling scene at its finest.

Stash of wrestling goodies from Memphis:
'Memphis Heat' vinyl from the Flashback store and a gift bag of memorabilia from Soultaker.

The show was a blast, an excited crowd of adults and children really making their presence felt. From the constant taunting to the raucous lumberjack match where paying attendees were encouraged to "interact" with the combatants as they spilled outside the ring. The audience of lumberjacks each given leather straps so the performers felt the love. The night didn't end there. After the show, Soultaker invited me backstage to meet the wrestlers. Several photos were taken with skinny ol' me posing between the champions and their belts.

A post shared by Loz In Transit (@30homegames) on May 16, 2017 at 12:09am PDT

Of the NBA cities visited, I've found Memphis' public transport the least sufficient which is no mean feat. You're effectively obligated to use Uber to travel affordably. I'd Ubered to the show but didn't have wi-fi at the venue to hail a ride home. I ended up getting a lift with some wrestlers back to my hostel, riding with the tag team of 'Pure Power' who main-evented the evening. I would find out that V-man's kids who shared the backseat with me were students at Treadwell, Penny Hardaway's High School. I'd visited the Memphis Tigers' college campus the day previous and would've explored Treadwell had I discovered the connection earlier.

The Game 6 and RSWF Wrestling Nights were indicative of the good fortune and welcome I had in Memphis and Atlanta. I would cross paths with WWE star Tye Dillinger on my transit home, a fitting end as my road trip south was a "perfect 10".

Find RSWF (Real South Wrestling Federation) on Facebook and YouTube here

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Find my other posts on wrestling x travel here:
- 30HG NBA Destinations: WrestleMania 29 and Indy Wrestling
- Coolspotting: Nerding out in England - Comics, CosPlay, Video Games and Wrestling
- Pro Wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts in South America
- Memento Spotlight: UFC and WWE autographs in England
- Memphis Grizzlies meets "Memphis Wrestling"

The South 2017: NBA Roadtrip wishlist

@30HomeGames goes South:

Memphis & Atlanta (April 23 21 - May 1)

I'm heading to the South for my first taste of Playoff basketball, hoping to catch two teams with sentimental connections.

Good news: I'm flying in to Memphis for the 2017 NBA postseason.
Bad news: I might not get to see my team play.

It was always going to be a Riverboat gamble. Threading the needle with work leave, I was securing travel plans before the Playoff schedule was released. Using last year's programme and comparable seedings as a rough guide, I took a chance. It turns out a previous season's calendar has no bearing on future schedules. Lesson learnt.
Memphis starts their series rematch with San Antonio on the opening day of the Postseason. Unlike last year, the first round games this season have a tighter turnaround. Arriving Stateside on the 9th day of the Playoffs, I narrowly miss the two guaranteed games at FedExForum. I'm left to pray that the series grits to a 6th game where it returns to Memphis. That would be a dream.
Mercifully I'm able to catch Game 4 in Atlanta versus the Wizards. My initiation into Playoff basketball.

This trip came about quite suddenly. A flash of inspiration had me scrambling for work leave and securing flights before the schedules had even been released. 30HomeGames will be at Game 4 in Atlanta and Memphis.

Believe Memphis

The Grizz are my team and Marc Gasol is my favourite player. There's uncertainty about how much longer the Core 4 of the Memphis will remain intact and the retirement of the ageless Vince Carter looms. 1st year Assistant Coach, Nick Van Exel is one of my all-time faves too. Having welcoming colleagues within the Grizzlies organization in 'The Basketball Physio's Dean & Dave gave me the impetus to make my Grindhouse pilgrimage sooner rather than later. I hope to connect with the Melbourne lads during my time in the Blues City.

True to Atlanta

Inspired by Outkast and Hawks basketball, my current rec ball team are the 'ATLiens'. We emerged as Champs in our maiden season and as an added surprise got major love from some of the ATL's biggest boosters. NBA Hang Time's Lang Whitaker and Sekou Smith are our 6th men from across the pond, complete with team jerseys. I'm not sure if either sportswriter will be returning home to cover Atlanta's games but it would be a treat to run into our ATLiens teammates.

Atlanta and Memphis rank 4 and 5 respectively on Jalen Rose's "Black Guy City" power rankings. Coupled with one of America's finest cities in Nashville, the trip is fixin' to be a blast. Truth be told, I'd also love to meet Harry the Hawk and Grizz, my two favorite mascots. Harry has the League's best Social Media game, whilst Grizz reps Memphis Wrestling.

My grand plan for the year had been Congo-Brazzaville for AfroBasket 2017. This completes my set, visiting each Continent for FIBA competition. I'd allocated most of my work leave and bankroll for that adventure in August. I had a feeling my 30HomeGames mission would never feel whole if I never watched my Grit-'N'-Grind Grizzlies in person thus my impromptu jaunt. It's a brief trip but I have my fingers crossed the Grizzlies will come through.

Greetings from Memphis, Tennessee

MEMPHIS
Wrestling
_ Millington Mayhem 4 "United We Stand" (Apr 29 at N-82 gymnasium)
_ Real South Wrestling Federation (Apr 29 at 3715 South Perkins suite 21)

Other
_ Jerry Lawler's BBQ
_ King Jerry Lawler's Hall of Fame Bar & Grille
_ Grizzlies-branded court at 'Howze Park', Binghamton
_ Riverboat Gambling
- Gus's World Famous Hot & Spicy Chicken
- Champagning and Campaigning in the NBA Cities: Western Conference

Memphis Grizzlies:
FedEx Forum
191 Beale Street Memphis,
Tennessee 38103

Game 3: Thursday Apr 20, 9:30pm
Game 4: Saturday Apr 22, 8pm
Game 6*: Thursday Apr 27 TBD

Greetings from Nashville, Tennessee

NASHVILLE
Wrestling
_ Freedom Pro Wrestling

Comedy
_ Zanies (Gary Gulman, Apr 27-29)
_ Third Roast Comedy Club

Other
_ 'Master of None' Hits and Misses

Greetings from Atlanta, Georgia

ATLANTA
Comedy
_ Relapse Theatre (Myq Kaplan, Apr 27)
_ Laughing Skull Lounge
_ Highwire Comedy Co.

Other
_ Hawks-branded court at 'Welcome All Park', College Park
- Champagning and Campaigning in the NBA Cities: Eastern Conference

Atlanta Hawks:
Philips Arena
1 Philips Drive,
Atlanta, Georgia 30303

Game 3: Saturday Apr 22, 5:30pm
Game 4: Monday Apr 24, 8pm
Game 6*: Friday Apr 28 TBD

Related posts:
- Jalen Rose's City Power Rankings aka Black Guy City Power Rankings
- 30 Home Games mission: Southwest Division map
- All posts on the Memphis Grizzlies

Texas Triangle 2016: NBA Roadtrip wishlist

TEXAS TRIANGLE: San Antonio | (Austin) | Dallas | Houston

The '30 Home Games' project began in Lithuania during a year long EuroTrip, it continued several years later when I backpacked for 6 months around South America. During those trips I had found a basketball experience in each country visited, what began organically turned into a concerted effort. Seeking local leagues and connecting with locals through pickup games or just a shared love of the game.

With the ordinary constraints of a full-time job, my mission to watch all 30 NBA teams at their home venue was a tangible goal to work towards. Organising month-long regional itineraries around the states to ultimately visit all 29 (Staples Center hosts 2 LA teams) NBA cities. In 2015, I completed a short east coast roadtrip with friends, going to 3 arenas to watch games. I had my first NBA experience at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks kindly treating my running mates and I to pre-game access. We got to see the likes of Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony warming up in an empty arena, a magical fan experience to tip-off my NBA adventure.

I'll be spending this November backpacking in America's Southwest which ticks off 3 more NBA teams in the "Texas triangle". As a bonus, the trip coincides with several notable events. Departing Sydney on my birthday, I'll be stateside to tip-off the NBA season, and be witness to the presidential election and 'Dia de los Muertos' (Day of the Dead).

Happy Texas #30HGsouthwest

I was initially tossing up between a Texas trip or a Californian one. The common thread being that they were both Mexican border states. I was keen on having a Mexican experience to mark 'day of the dead' festivities. I eventually decided on Texas due to novelty, having never been there. I was also drawn to Austin, being the base for SXSW and 2 of my role models in filmmakers Richard Linklater and Robert Rodriguez.

Austin, Texas

WRESTLING
- Anarchy Championship Wrestling
- Inspire Pro Wrestling (Oct 29, Red Oak Ballroom)
- Party World Rasslin'
- Total Championship Wrestling (Oct 29, Nov 12. Killeen Army National Guard Armory)

COMEDY
- Cap City Comedy Club
- Carousel Lounge
- ColdTowne Theater
- Esther's Follies
- The Hideout Theatre
- Moontower Comedy

FILM
Troublemaker Studios (Robert Rodriguez)
4900 Old Manor Rd, Austin,
TX 78723

Detour Film Production (Richard Linklater)
1901 E 51st St Austin,
TX 78723

- Filming locations for 'Boyhood' (2014)

I'll be visiting 3 NBA teams, a road trip famously dubbed the "Texas triangle". An ominous stretch for opponents as the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs have been consistently great for several decades. All 3 having won a championship in the past 20 years, sharing 8 in total during that span. Houston were the first team I supported when I began watching the NBA as a teenager in the early 90's. Their most iconic player, Hakeem Olajuwon is my all-time favourite player. On my first solo backpacking adventure in 2011, the Dallas Mavericks won that year which holds a sentimental place in my heart. Whilst multiple Aussie Boomers have won CHIPs for the past few champions, the San Antonio Spurs' famously had Aron Baynes and arguably Australia's best international performer in Patty Mills.

Luckily during the early stages of the NBA season, the 3 Texas teams will be hosting teams featuring the full gamut of Australian players represented in the NBA. Whilst not quite marquee franchises, they're all up-and-coming teams I'm intrigued by: The Philadelphia 76ers (Ben Simmons, Coach Brett Brown), Milwaukee Bucks (Matthew Dellavedova, Thon Maker), Utah Jazz (Joe Ingles, Dante Exum) and Detroit Pistons (Aron Baynes). With Dallas (Andrew Bogut) and San Antonio (Patty Mills) rounding out the squads with Aussie players. I'm aiming for an itinerary that can accommodate these games marked below:
Tues Nov 1 - UTA at SAS
Sun Nov 6 - MIL at DAL
Fri Nov 11 - DET at SAS
Mon Nov 14 - PHI at HOU
Sat Nov 19 - UTA at HOU

Greetings from Dallas, Texas

American Airlines Center
2500 Victory Avenue,
Dallas, Texas 75201

NBA GAMES:
Fri Oct 28 - Dallas
Fri Nov 4 - Portland
Sun Nov 6 - Milwaukee ----------
Fri Nov 18 - Memphis

COMEDY
- Backdoor Comedy at the Doubletree Hotel
- Dallas Comedy House

WRESTLING
- Pro Wrestling Dallas (Nov 11 at St Jude Hall, Arlington Texas )
- Ring of Honor (Nov 3 at Arlington Convention Center)

Greetings from Houston, Texas

Toyota Center 
1510 Polk Street,
Houston, Texas 77002

HOUSTON:
Sun Oct 30 - Dallas
Sat Nov 12 - San Antonio
Mon Nov 14 - Philadelphia ----------
Thu Nov 17 - Portland
Sat Nov 19 - Utah ----------
Wed Nov 23 - Toronto

WRESTLING
- Reality of Wrestling (Nov12 at World Gym Arena)
- Lone Star Championship Wrestling

COMEDY
- Joke Joint Comedy Showcase
- Miller Outdoor Theatre
- The Music Box Theater
- Rudyards British Pub
- Station Theater
'Comedy Scene in Houston' Events Calendar

Greetings from San Antonio, Texas

AT&T Center 
1 AT&T Center Parkway,
San Antonio, Texas 78219

NBA GAMES:
Sat Oct 29 - New Orleans
Sun Oct 30 - Miami
Tues Nov 1 - Utah ----------
Sat Nov 5 - LA Clippers
Wed Nov 9 - Houston
Fri Nov 11 - Detroit ----------
Mon Nov 14 - Miami
Mon Nov 21 - Dallas

COMEDY:
- Blind Tiger Comedy Club
- Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club
- Rivercenter Comedy Club

WRESTLING:
- NWA: Branded Outlaw Wrestling
- Ring of Honor (Nov 4 at San Antonio Shrine Auditorium)
- River City Wrestling (Nov 4 at Retama Park Horse Race Track)
- Texas All-Star Wrestling (Nov 13 at Traders Village)
- Texas Wrestling Alliance (Nov 5 at Good Shepard Lutheran Gym)
- Warriors 4 Christ Wrestling

As I do at home and abroad, whether in Sydney or on my FIBA adventures, I'll be indulging my hobbies and exploring various subcultures which you can track on my Instagram page. I unfortunately haven't played much ball with locals on the past few Australasian trips around China and New Zealand. I'm hoping to get back into it when I visit Texas.

Destination list:
- 30 Home Games mission: Southwest Division map
- 30HG Destination Spotlight: Troublemaker Studios (Austin, Texas)
- Champagning and Campaigning in the NBA Cities: Western Conference edition
- #30HGaustralasia Plans for 2016: 'Australian Boomers Farewell Series' in Melbourne and a Texas NBA Road trip

Memphis Grizzlies meets "Memphis Wrestling"

I've talked about my love for wrestling. Wrestling great Jerry Lawler is synonymous with Memphis and has shown support for the Grizzlies multiple times with his off-court entertainment. Memphis have also hosted "Wrestling Nights", hosting the legendary Ric Flair and organising giveaways like championship belts. One more reason I love the Grizzlies.
Below are some Grizzlies graphics that celebrate Memphis Wrasslin'.

Rd 1 Los Angeles Clippers: Zach Randolph VS Blake Griffin,
Lumberjack Match

Rd 2 Oklahoma City Thunder: OKC's Reggie Jackson does the
People's Elbow on Tony Allen

Rd 3 San Antonio Spurs: Tony Allen sells a Manu Ginobili foul,
gets awarded a Flagrant which sends the game into OT 

Update 2014:

Rd 1 Oklahoma City Thunder: Kendrick Perkins does the Earthquake Splash
on Mike Miller on a broken play. No foul called.

Read Chris Herrington's article describing the link between Memphis wrestling and the identity of Grizzlies basketball - That's Zach Randolph's music!

Update 2015:

"Whatcha gonna do when Big Spania runs wild on you". @marcgasol is Memphis Wrestling.

A photo posted by 30homegames (@30homegames) on Mar 31, 2015 at 9:01am PDT

30HG NBA Destinations: WrestleMania 29 and Indy Wrestling

When it comes to sports, basketball and wrestling are my twin passions. Whilst I spent 2011 looking to find a basketball experience in each country, I also had the pleasure of experiencing wrestling in several regions. I was a fan of wrestling growing up but my passion for it has remained, maturing over time. I've written essays about wrestling for university, dedicated blogs to the subject and have gone on excursions seeking it. I described my love during my time in England thusly:

Coolspotting: Nerding out in England - Comics, CosPlay, Video Games and Wrestling
I often get asked why I like wrestling, my standard response is that it speaks to me intellectually. I enjoy the charisma, psychology and manipulation. Experiencing the show live, I realised I'd overlooked its obvious appeal - watching wrestling makes me feel like a kid again...

Below are the times I enjoyed wrestling during my EuroTrip. At each event I was able to create some unique experiences, such as stumbling onto free tickets for UFC 138, making Spanish connections in Barcelona and nerding out with ROH superstar Eddie Edwards over his #12 Boston Celtics jersey

Pro Wrestling in Europe 2011
Live sports results: Barcelona, March 2011
• SWA Super Wrestling Alliance (Barcelona, Spain)

Coolspotting: Nerding out in England - Comics, CosPlay, Video Games and Wrestling
• FWA Frontier Wrestling Alliance (London, England)
• WWE Smackdown (Birmingham, England)
• UFC 138 (Birmingham, England)
• WWE Raw (Nottingham, England)

NBA Player jerseys: Overlooked eras, Forgotten teams
• WXW Westside Xtreme Wrestling (Oberhausen, Germany)

Wrestling around the world:
- WWE Global Warning PPV (Melbourne, Australia) Aug 2002
- Pro Wrestling NOAH (Shizuoka, Japan) Oct 2007
- Pro Wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts in South America (Chile, Colombia, Brazil) 2013
- Ring of Honor, Survival of the the Fittest (Arlington, Texas) Nov 2016
- Texas All-Star Wrestling (San Antonio, Texas) Nov 2016
- Real South Wrestling Federation (Memphis, Tennessee) Apr 2017

Boston Celtics inspired tee for Hometown boy John Cena

You'll find my NBA to-do list has plenty of wrestling on the agenda. WrestleMania 29 in New York, the biggest show on earth being the obvious highlight. As 'Live Audio Wrestling' is my news source for all things in the fight game it would be a blast socialising with the gang for their 'WWE Raw' viewing parties in Toronto.

a) Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone in WCW
b) Shaquille O'Neal VS The 'Big Show'
c) The World Champion Detroit Pistons

You'd be surprised to find there is a considerable overlap between basketball and wrestling. Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone after colliding in the NBA finals extended their rivalry with confrontations on the set of Jay Leno and WCW programming. I got the chance to see Rodman fight in Sydney headlining for 'i-Generation Superstars of Wrestling' with the late Curt Hennig. Shaquille O'Neal has appeared on WWE programming having feuded with the Big Show. Not to mention Sheed and the Detroit Pistons rocking Championship belts during their title defence.

VIDEO: Jerry The King Lawler Piledrives a fan &
Charles Barkley talks Brock Lesnar/Cena

While in the States I hope to explore as many indy feds as possible and I imagine I'll be finding plenty of MMA which continues to grow. But wrestling is my first love, it taps into an Americana I'm fascinated by and brings out my inner child.

Interestingly when I was speaking to the coach of the GB men's team enroute to Vilnius for EuroBasket. He remarked why he favoured the European style of play over the American. "The NBA is a different type of basketball. It's more like WWE", in reference to the showmanship and emphasis on the individual. I replied, "that's great for me because I love wrestling"

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WrestleMania 29 and the LAW meetups appear on my Atlantic Division wishlist of the 30 Home Games mission.

Explore my to-do list for the States of the Eastern Conference
1) Central Division
Illinois | Indiana | Michigan | Ohio | Wisconsin
2) Southeast Division
Florida | Georgia | North Carolina | Washington DC

Enes Kanter: Turkey, Wrestling and Basketball

I was reading the November issue of uber-cool Turkish Mag 'XOXO' and spotted an interesting Enes Kanter interview. In Turkey, Oil wrestling (yağlı güreş) is a traditional sport but the rookie Power Forward has aspirations for another type of wrestling.

VIDEO: Enes Kanter and Pro-Wrestling

ENES KANTER: After my basketball career I want to be a professional wrestler... I watched it 4 or 5 years ago and right now I feel like [The Undertaker) him on the court.

The 'Deadman' I love it. People started calling me 'UnderKanter' 3 months ago. Right now my nickname is 'UnderKanter'.

People in Turkey have expressed how modernisation has meant the loss of their traditional culture. This is by no means an accurate illustration of that as Enes was born in Switzerland and was schooled in America but it does speak to the muddling and assimilation of global influences for the Internet generation.

VIDEO: Enes Kanter aka "The UnderKanter" - Utah/Kentucky/Turkey

Enes Kanter likes two of my favourite things - Basketball and Wrestling. Cool!

I had the pleasure of observing Young Turks training at the İstanbul Güreş İhtisas Kulübü by Aksaray in Istanbul. I was accompanying a French running mate who was photographing a story for a magazine. After the session, kids started shooting hoops but unfortunately I had left the scene.

Photo Credit: Fabrice Tan Boul

- Seeking Pro-wrestling is on my to-do list of NBA Destinations