Longtime wrestling company calls West Tennessee home
TRENTON, Tenn. — West Tennessee is home to one of the longest-running independent wrestling promotions in the country.
“In march of 2008, we came to Trenton,” owner Randy Byrd said.
When Byrd and a partner started the Tennessee Independent Wrestling Federation, it was a dream that he wasn’t sure would succeed in reality.
“The first night we were here, we didn’t know what to expect,” Byrd said. “When we got here, there were over 120 people here.”
A crowd of 100 or more is considered a good crowd for shows like this.
Byrd says their almost 10 years of success is because of the work the wrestlers put into performances each weekend.
“I love getting out here and making the crowd hate me, making the crowd love me, whichever one it is,” professional wrestler John Jefferies said.
Jeffries, known as J-Rage in the ring, has been with the company since the beginning. He’s been one of the top performers and now trains upcoming wrestlers.
Each of the wrestlers says they have a long list of very real injuries to prove to fans just how ”fake” wrestling really is.
“You can’t fake a fall. The bumps, the bruises — everything is completely real,” professional wrestler Brandon White said.
“When you get body-slammed by a 200-pound guy, that hurts,” professional wrestler D.J. said. “I’ve got Tylenol in the cabinet at home waiting on me for when I get done wrestling.”
Even the owner hasn’t bee n spared.
“Thirteen stitches in the back of my head. I’ve broken ribs. It’s not fake,” Byrd said.
