Professional wrestling can be a family affair on different levels.
First generation wrestlers give way to second generation, and second to third. Fathers, sons, daughters, mothers, brothers, sisters watch together in the audience or from their living rooms. Promoters and wrestlers form forever bonds.
That will hit home when Appalachian Championship Wrestling returns to Fayette County for a pair of shows this weekend.
It starts Friday with ACW Undisputed at Oak Hill Middle School. There will be a meet and greet at 6:30 p.m., followed by opening bell time at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $15 ringside and $10 bleachers. Kids 10 and under get in for $5.
The next night will be ACW Shooting Star, a free event at the Gauley Bridge Town Hall. It will be the fourth annual Spyder Crowley Memorial show. Meet and greet will start at 7 p.m., followed by the opening bell at 7:30 p.m.
One of the wrestlers on the card is Betty D, whose dad Calvin Sargent is the uncle of ACW founder Jason Hughes. He credits his uncle Calvin with being a major influence on what would become is professional life.
“I was 8 years old and he didn’t have any kids. So I grew up watching this guy play sandlot football and softball. He was probably one of the greatest athletes I’ve ever seen play. He was kind of like a legend,” Hughes said. “I remember going to places and hearing people talk about him. It’s really a shame he didn’t go to a bigger school, because he would have played Division
“When I was 8 years old, he started training me in the weight room. So at 10 years old I’m benching, like, 150 pounds. He’s bench pressing, like, 400. Uncle Calvin didn’t have any kids, so he kind of took me and got me into football.
“A lot of things that’s happened in my life, a lot of good things, and the fact that I haven’t messed up is because of football. A lot of the opportunities I’ve gotten in life is because of football. I look at him every time I see him and I hug him and I tell hime I love him. And I’m like, ‘Thank you. I owe everything to you.’ and I don’t want to ever take anything away from my parents because I owe a lot to them, too. But him training me in football opened all these doors for me. I was able to play 19 years all over the world. I bought a house. I played Arena ball for seven years. I played two years in Europe. I had a lot of fun, and through that I developed a lot of skills, different life skills. From there, I’ve transformed that into a massive wrestling company.”
With ACW getting established as a top West Virginia indie circuit, Calvin’s daughter made the decision to pursue a career in the ring.
“She was a college athlete, played softball, superstar at everything she did,” Hughes said. “Four years ago she told me that she wanted to become a wrestler. So I put all this energy into training her, trying to help her. I took her all over the country and she’s been Shane Douglas’ valet. Now she is transitioning into wrestling. And I’m still protecting her because she’s not ready to go out on her own, but she’s getting there. She’s going to be great.
“So it’s kind of like me paying (Calvin) back for everything he did for me. I wouldn’t be where I’m at without him and my parents. I don’t want to downplay my parents, but he was a big influence in my life.”
She will be competing in the ring both nights this weekend. She will take on Nurse Mika in Oak Hill, then Emily Rose in Gauley Bridge. Emily Rose was also a standout college softball player at West Virginia State.
The show in Gauley Bridge will also be a special night for the wrestling family. Chuck Nunley wrestled for years on the West Virginia indie circuits as the widely recognized Spyder Crowley.
He passed away in 2021 at age 52.
Hughes said when he started ACW in 2014, Nunley was one of the first people he contacted.
“When we first started, we only ran shows in Gauley Bridge and Falls View. Chuck always ran the locker rooms for me,” he said. “There was a point he was kind of ready to quit and I was ready to quit but I didn’t want to do it without Chuck. Some positive things happened, I got hooked up with Scott Milam and Nicky Walters and started doing some stuff. We were talking about how to get the company to grow. It was 2021 and Chuck Nunley dies, out of the blue. So immediately I’m starting to hit people up, like, ‘Hey, I want to do something for this guy.’ The original show, I want to donate something to his funeral.”
Hughes booked Shane Douglas and Ricky Morton, although Morton had to back out because of a conflict. But Hughes was able to get Facade and Cole Karter, who has wrested in both NXT and All Elite Wrestling.
“The show ends up being a spectacular show. Really one of the best shows we’ve ever done,” Hughes said. “So I’m just trying to keep Chuck’s memory alive by continuing to have the Spyder show every year.”
Highlighting both shows will be Josh Bishop and Bobby Beverly facing off for the ACW Undisputed Heavyweight Championship.
Among the other matches in Oak Hill will be the Franchise Players and a mystery partner squaring off against Principal Chad, Heath and two mystery partners in an eight-man tag team match; a tag team scramble involving The Philly and Marino Experience, Jason Hendrix and Gorgeous Gregory and Jason “The Gift” Kincaid and a partner to be determined; and Cowpoke Paul taking on AC8.
Ron Mathis, one half of DDTrash, and Beastman will also be there.
In Gauley Bridge, the Franchise Players will defend the ACW tag team championships against The Awesome Odyssey. There will be a fatal four way scramble involving Tyler Brooks, Canaan Christopher and two other opponents. The legendary Thunderfoot will also be in action.
Also, donations will be collected at the door to aid with Kelly Spaulding’s medical expenses as she battles Sjogren’s syndrome. Donations are optional.
For more information, go to Facebook.com/ACWWV.
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