Independent Wrestling Continues to Thrive in San Antonio
July 29, 2019 - San Antonio
Article By: Luis Vazquez - Managing Editor, SA Sentinel & Producer of Tacos & Tapouts Wrestling Podcast
Rudy Boy Gonzalez roams the ring on Sunday. (Photo by Luis Vazquez)
Independent wrestling is thriving in San Antonio, a city which has a rich history of professional and independent wrestling. Wrestling fans were treated to a fun, family-friendly wrestling show featuring the owner of the legendary Texas Wrestling Academy, Rudy Boy Gonzalez, who stepped back into the ring Sunday night. To the uninitiated, that might not seem like a big deal, but Rudy Boy Gonzalez famously opened the Texas Wrestling Academy with WWE Superstar Shawn Michaels, whose alumni include such greats as WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan.
Lucha American Wrestling (L.A.W.), a relatively young promotional company owned by San Antonians Gerald Castilleja and Joe Bonilla, bring in talent from not just San Antonio, but from around the state of Texas as well. This Texas talent includes the likes of Brent Mackenzie from Dallas, Johnny Crews out of Round Rock and Rakzo from Laredo. Local talents include notable wrestlers such as Tony Batista, Myka Madrid, and Lucha Underground Star, Thunder Rosa. L.A.W. tries to feature talent trained by local wrestling schools such as the Texas Wrestling Academy, the Hybrid School of Wrestling here in San Antonio, America’s Academy of Pro Wrestling in Austin, and Five Star Wrestling in Laredo, Texas.
Thunder Rosa (Left) shakes hands with Myka Madrid before a match. (Photo by Luis Vazquez)
It’s important to note that L.A.W. is far from the only ticket in town, so don’t worry if you missed the show last night! Heavy Metal Wrestling consistently puts together quality shows including a free weekly Twitch show billed as Heavy Metal Thunder. Galactic Pro Wrestling is also well known for giving fans what they want and River City Wrestling is known for bringing national talent to San Antonio. Hybrid School of Wrestling will also be starting “Student Shows” in August at their massive 5,000 square-foot training facility.
It truly is the golden age of independent wrestling and, due to a wealth of talented wrestlers and trainers, San Antonio is one of the main cities leading the charge. If you would like to stay in the know about the SA wrestling community, check out the Tacos and Tapouts podcast, featuring interviews with many talented performers around the city. Another great resource is Countdown City Geekcast which features a “wrestlecast” to keep you updated on all that’s happening in the wrestling landscape.