High-flying wrestlers coming to Buford Saturday night

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A group of high-flying professional wrestlers will thrill audiences at the Clay Township Park building in Buford Saturday night, featuring a grudge match between bitter rivals, a triple-threat women’s round and even some local talent.

Brenda Mackan, director of public relations for the International Wrestling Alliance, said the IWA got its start in 1988 when Tom Miller, a professional wrestler himself, decided he wanted to start his own wrestling entertainment group.

Mackan said the IWA follows the style of professional wrestling made popular in the 1980s by the World Wrestling Federation and entertainers like Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage.

“We put on good matches,” she said. “Our guys aren’t afraid to jump off the rope and into the ring, or out of the ring, and when they jump off the top rope out of the ring, they’re not hitting mats – they’re hitting concrete or boards or whatever is under it… They go at it. They don’t hold back.”

Mackan, who photographs IWA matches, said she’s had to jump out of the way a time or two – dodging wrestlers and projectiles alike.

“There have been matches where I had to get out of the way,” she said. “Once, I about got hit with a trash can.”

Mackan, who lives in Highland, said she and her husband Andrew Mackan, an assistant promoter for the IWA, got involved about four years ago and have coordinated several professional wrestling events in the area. Last October, the IWA came to Marshall Community Center for a fundraiser benefiting the Highland County Relay for Life.

Mackan said she expects things will get heated Saturday night when reigning heavyweight champion Shane Christian defends his belt against “The Bronze God,” Lennox Norris.

The two will face off in a grudge match, Mackan said, and both are ready to rumble.

“At our last show in Columbus, Shane Christian won against Lennox Norris,” Mackan said, “and they’re going to go back at it, because Lennox, at the end of the match, grabbed a wooden stick he had with him, and he just laid into Shane. Hit him in the back several times. Now, Shane’s back to get revenge on him for beating him down with the stick.”

It will be a two-out-of-three fall for the heavyweight championship belt, Mackan said, and audiences can expect an entertaining show.

In addition to Christian and Norris, Mackan said, the bill will include a triple-threat women’s wrestling match, with women’s champion Melissa Bangkok defending her title against Jessica Jean and Raven Nevermorte.

“In Columbus, Raven fought, and it didn’t go the way she thought it should have, so she said she’s coming back to take the title… it’s brewing a little bit,” Mackan said.

Tag team champions “The Monsters of Mayhem” will also be in action, as well as “The Japanese Sensation,” Otoko and local IWA newcomer Sam Everhart, known in the ring as “The Emerald Eagle,” from Leesburg.

Mackan said fans will have the opportunity to take photos and get autographs from the these and several other wrestlers during the show. The main sponsors of the event are Slow and Low Barbeque in Hillsboro and Chuck Wait Tire in Mowrystown, Mackan said.

Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and the event will begin at 8 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door for $10.

Reach David Wright at 937-402-2570, or on Twitter @DavidWrighter.

“The Bronze God,” Lennox Norris, left, will fight for the International Wrestling Alliance heavyweight championship belt against defending champion Shane Christian Saturday night.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2017/03/web1_norrischristianiwa.jpg“The Bronze God,” Lennox Norris, left, will fight for the International Wrestling Alliance heavyweight championship belt against defending champion Shane Christian Saturday night.
Christian, Norris will face off in grudge match

By David Wright

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