A Quick Guide to the Las Vegas Wrestling Scene

So a lot of folks who come out to visit Las Vegas have a list of the things they want to do while they are here.  Of course gambling tops the list, and after that comes binge drinking, walking the strip, titty bars, and maybe some craziness that’s too out of control to be discussed publicly, even on this uncensored website.  Occasionally, though, folks are looking for something different from the usual Vegas stereotypes. Like perhaps taking in a live professional wrestling event.  This article will cover the different kinds of events we have here in Las Vegas.

First, the biggest fed here is FSW, or Future Stars of Wrestling.  Their website is http://www.futurestarsofwrestling.com/.  On Facebook it’s https://www.facebook.com/FSWVegas/  They run all over Vegas, their biggest events are held about 8 times a year at Silverton Casino.  For those keeping score, it’s the big hunting lodge looking building to your left as you drive the 15 into Vegas. They have an enormous Bass Pro Shop attached to the casino and a Cracker Barrel in the parking lot.  Every one of these events features all the stars of FSW, and usually they have a big name or 2 on the card.  Currently the FSW champ is Eli Drake. This year I have seen the following guys at their events: Disco Inferno, Broken Matt Hardy, Paul London, Kenny King, TJ Perkins, Sinn Bodhi, Dlo Brown, and I am sure there are guys who I am forgetting. The Silverton events cost about $18, with upgrades available for a bit more, like front row, or early entry that includes meet and greet with the wrestlers.

FSW also runs events at their dojo, which is a lot like the old Rev Pro dojo in Anaheim, but about twice as big.  They have recently remodeled it to resemble the old TBS set for the NWA shows which used to air at 6:05.  There is an entrance, an interview area with podium, and of course the ring.  They tape their television show here, as well as at Silverton.  They have two types of events here. One is the TV tapings which feature all the stars. The other is like the old UPW lite shows, where they showcase their rookies, and well as give guys from out of the area try out matches.Tickets for the dojo events are $10-$12, with front row tix going for a few bucks more.   Sometimes they have seminars with big name stars in the afternoon, and the live event which follows the seminar features wrestlers who came to the seminar.  Recent seminars have included Sinn Bodhi and Bob Evans.  I also mentioned their television show. If you are in Vegas, the show airs at 1am on Saturday morning/ late Friday night.  It is on local channel 12, which is the MYTV affiliate.

The next fed out here is Big Valley Wrestling.  Their website is http://bigvalleywrestling.weebly.com/.  https://www.facebook.com/bigvalleywrestling/ on Facebook.  Big Valley does not have anywhere near the budget of FSW, and they have their own school. Their events feature a lot of their students who are still new to the business, so their skills may not be as polished as guys on other shows. BVW knows this, and bring in more experienced guys to work with their students, so the guys on their roster get better. Most guys who are on BVW for a year or so end up also training at FSW and thus bring new knowledge back to the newer students.  In the year I have been in Vegas their events have noticeably gotten better and more fun. They run live events on Sunday afternoons at 2pm at a roller hockey place off Sahara.  Events are typically $10 and run about 2 ½ hours. This is important info, as their events are usually on days the WWE had PPVs on the network. I always have time to enjoy the BVW event, then make it home in time to see the show on the Network. For example, on December 18 I will attend their 2nd Anniversary Event and make it home to watch WWE Roadblock.

Next up is a pair of feds which are two sides of the same coin. There is Freakshow Wrestling, and Las Vegas Lucha Libre. Both feds are the demented brainchild of Sinn Bodhi.  They feature the wrestlers who appear on the other Vegas events, but doing crazy gimmicks. Both feds run at the Fremont Country Club/ Backstage Bar and Billiards.  This is on Fremont Street across the street from the El Cortez. Freakshow tickets are $20 and the events are a strict 21 and over, whereas the Lucha events are outdoors and all ages. Tix for those are usually $15.Both events are usually headlined by a big name, and almost always feature Funnybone in a big match. He is the Freakshow champ.  https://www.facebook.com/freakshowwrestlingofficial/   To further explain Freakshow would do it no justice, but let me just say it is fun, ridiculous, and unlike most anything else. The only thing like it is Hoodslam, and some of the guys work both feds. If you are in Las Vegas on Freakshow weekend and don’t go, you are cheating yourself. Las Vegas Lucha is a version on Freakshow suitable for the whole family, and is also very fun. https://www.facebook.com/LuchaLibreLasVegas/

These are the major feds in Vegas. No mention of wrestling in Vegas would be complete without mentioning Sam’s Town.  Sam’s Town has a lot of different wrestling, and is the most wrestling friendly place in Vegas. Every March we get a doubleheader from Ring of Honor, they run a PPV on Friday night, then tape 4 weeks of TV on Saturday. Last year we got a doubleheader in August as well.
Paragon Pro Wrestling runs tapings at Sam’s Town as well.  https://paragonprowrestling.com/
They bring in Gangrel, Alex Riley, Wes Brisco, Jesse Sorenson, and occasionally they have surprise names which are very unexpected. For example, at their last event here they had Brian Hebner refereeing matches, and also had a match featuring Kikutaro!
Also- if you do not have the network, most PPVs are shown in a large room at Sam’s Town. It’s $5 to get in, and a ton of food and drinks are available. They have a full bar and raffle off wrestling related prizes.  Itis kind of fun to watch the events with a large group as opposed to with a few friends at home.  I highly recommend the nachos!

This about covers the feds which regularly run Las Vegas.  There are others which occasionally pop up, but these are the main ones. Of course we also get WWE house shows from time to time, and there is occasionally wrestling at conventions which come to town. Of course, there is also Cauliflower Alley Club, which has their annual convention at the Gold Coast, but that would be an entirely different article twice as long as this one.

Oh- I almost forgot the most valuable source for Vegas wrestling info. The mighty, legendary ATOX! If planning a trip to Vegas, hit up myself or Atox, and we can let you know what’s going on the weekend you plan to visit.

Thanks for reading,
Benjamin Tomas