By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
Rudy Gonzalez has always been a fan of the “old school” approach when it comes to promoting pro wrestling shows.
The longtime wrestler, trainer and promoter for Texas Wrestling Entertainment is once again bringing his show to Del Rio tonight for a little pre-Thanksgiving treat for fans. And while the card features just six matches, Gonzalez explained that it’s a nod to the way things used to be done.
“I still have that old school mentality when it comes to promoting. That means I’d prefer fewer matches on the card because it’s not always about how many matches you put out there. I had a chance to work with Lucha Underground when they came through Texas and they did just four matches for a two-hour show. When they finished and wished everyone a good night I expected fans to be unhappy, but people left happy and excited for the next show. That just reminded me that it’s not the number of matches you put out there; it’s the quality. As long as the fans are enjoying themselves and there’s that interaction between the wrestlers and the fans then that’s what works,” Gonzalez said.
Tonight Texas Wrestling Entertainment presents Battle on the Border, which will be held at the Del Rio Civic Center. Doors open for VIP ticket holders at 6 p.m., and it entitles those fans a meet and greet with the wrestlers. Doors open for general admission tickets at 6:45 p.m., and bell time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Online ticket sales have ended, but tickets can be purchased at the civic center.
While there aren’t any title matches slated for tonight’s show, several of the matches will help determine championship opportunities in the future.
Former TWE Texas Women’s Champion Myka will take on Kelsey Lynn in a rematch from Friday night in Winterhaven, Fla., as the two women competed in a Texas Bullrope Match to determine the number one contender for the women’s title currently held by Vicki.
Ricky De Los Santos will compete in a handicap 2-on-1 match. De Los Santos, who stands 6’ 10” and weighs 350 pounds, made his Del Rio debut this summer as he took on Mil Muertes. Since then he’s been getting more ring experience and has adopted the dreaded “Five-Count” pin to show his dominance in the ring.
Texas Women’s Champion Vicki will be in action as well, defending her title against Zula, a protégé of former WWE superstar The Boogeyman.
The experienced tag team of La Sangre are looking at a shot at the Texas Tag Team titles, so they’ll face off against the team of Chance Williams and Bam Bam Malone, the Texas Outlaws, for a chance to move up the rankings.
Also seeking a crack at some gold are Romeo Quevada and T Ray. With the TWE Texas Championship vacated, wrestlers from around the country are making it known that they want their chance at the prestigious title. Gonzalez said wrestlers like Moonshine Mantell, who just competed for AEW; former Lucha Underground and Ring of Honor star Ricky Reyes and former Lucha Underground champion Mil Muertes have all made it clear they want their shots.
Tonight Quevada and T Ray will compete to see who moves up the rankings and who will have to claw their way back up.
“T Ray just got out of the military and has seen his stock rise tremendously over the past year. He’s a good young man both inside and outside of the ring. It should be a good match,” Gonzalez said.
Fan favorite Sabino Blayze, the first openly gay wrestler in TWE, is also scheduled to compete as well.
Gonzalez said he always enjoys bringing TWE to Del Rio because of the response he and his wrestlers get from fans. The last time the company was here situations beyond Gonzalez’s control forced him to have to change up some aspects of the card, but he said he was still happy with the turnout.
“It wasn’t what we expected, but I know there were other issues taking place that were out of our control. I think people just wanted to enjoy themselves and get away from a lot of that real world stuff. Wrestling just seems to take people away from those real world problems,” Gonzalez said.
TWE has also worked hard to bring more familiar faces to Del Rio much like what was done when wrestling came to town in the 1970’s and 80’s. In the past, big names like Brian Cage, Samoa Joe, Lita, D’Lo Brown, Hardcore Holly, Lance Cade, Brian Kendrick and Bryan Danielson have all competed in Del Rio thanks to Gonzalez and the promotions he’s been associated with.
In recent weeks, more than 100 pro wrestlers from Ring of Honor and the WWE have been released and are beginning to appear for other big promotions and on the independent wrestling circuit as well. When asked if he had plans to bring one or maybe more of those familiar faces to Del Rio in the future, Gonzalez would not confirm any names or dates, but added that negotiations are continuing.
“Whenever I have big news it’s tough for me because I’m not a good guy when it comes to keeping my mouth shut,” Gonzalez said with a laugh. “What I can say is whenever I have a named guy, and they’re available to me, San Antonio and Del Rio are the two locations I will bring them to. Del Rio has always been a good town to us.”
“Right now I have a husband and wife team that I’m trying to get and get them into Del Rio. It’s just a matter of numbers and money, and they’ve earned that right to ask for X amount of dollars and I have to meet that. It’s just business,” Gonzalez added.
If you’d like to help sponsor a future TWE show in Del Rio, or would like to help bring a pro wrestler to town for a meet and greet as part of a future show, please contact Gonzalez through facebook.com/rudyboygonzalez or facebook.com/texaswrestlingacademy or you can email him at texaswrestlingentertainment@yahoo.com
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
