For more than two decades, Wild Championship Wrestling Outlaws (WCWO) has been the best-kept secret in Indy’s wrestling scene. Every Friday night, a loyal, all-ages fan base gathers at the Outlaw Arena on Kentucky Avenue, expecting a night of high-flying, hard-hitting action.
A month ago, while the city prepared to host the WWE Royal Rumble on Feb. 1, WCWO hosted a different, more family-friendly event the night before. More than 1,000 tickets were sold for “Thunderstorm”–and front-row tickets at the Edison School of the Arts gymnasium were only $15.
The show was headlined by wrestling legends Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Ken Anderson. For WCWO General Manager Reggie Edwards, however, the mark of a great event was not in the attendance, but in the electric atmosphere and the pure passion.
“Within the time that we posted (Guerrero Jr.’s) video on the web, we were deluged with messages and emails, as well as people coming up to us at the event, inquiring about how they could go about buying tickets,” Edwards said. “This is new ground for us, and it left people downright amazed.”
That commitment to affordability made it so that families who didn’t have hundreds of dollars to see WWE’s “Friday Night SmackDown” could still enjoying great wrestling. General admission tickets were only $12 — the same price as the standard weekly Friday night events.
“You can watch wrestling on TV and get excited, but if you’re actually in the arena and listen to the rest of the crowd get loud and scream, you feed off that energy. And the wrestlers do, too,” said Marcus Fine, who went to the show with his wife, Kelly.
“If the crowd is wild, they will put more effort into the show. If the crowd is dead, the wrestlers will still do their job, but it won’t be as impressive.”
A family-appealing tradition of wrestling
WCWO was founded in 1995 by Ron Joe Owens Sr. – also known as pro wrestler “Dangerous Bull Don Basher,” who died in June 2020. He wanted it to be a family-friendly alternative to the major wrestling promotions that were trending toward edgy, with profanity-laced promos and risqué storylines.
“We highly recommend that our top wrestlers avoid, as much as possible, the use of any type of profanity during their matches,” Edwards said. “Our fans will never, ever be exposed to anything that is even slightly sexual in nature on our programs.”
When asked about the craziest thing they’ve seen at a WCWO event, Kelly and Marcus Fine laughed.
“After the show at (Edison), we watched someone get body slammed through light tubes — which is not normal for WCWO,” said Marcus. “They’re usually known for their family-friendly aspect, but we’ve seen some crazy stuff. People going through tables, jumping off rafters, all of it.”
WCWO’s mix of classic wrestling, talent and occasional wild moment makes each event unpredictable.
“We’ve seen some of the best matches here, like Michael Elgin versus Zay Gates last year — it was easily one of the best we’ve seen in a long time,” Marcus said.
For the Fines, it’s all about finding community, now that their own kids are grown.
“Being older, younger couples and their kids see us as wrestling grandparents,” Kelly said. “We bring baskets of snacks, treats, and friendship bracelets to most matches.”
From the Outlaw Arena to larger stages
For WCWO Indianapolis-based wrestler Jordan James, 34, having the opportunity to wrestle weekly before a live crowd–when he’s not working his job in asset loss prevention is a game-changer compared to other independent promotions.
“One of the biggest differences I’ve seen is we will give everybody a chance,” James said. “Anybody that comes to our building and our doors, we’ll give them an opportunity to perform in front of the crowd every week.”
Though WCWO is most well-known for its “Friday Night Outlaw Wrestling,” it has featured wrestling at Indiana Comic Con and Pop Con, bringing the brand to a wider audience.
“We try to reinvent ourselves so that we remain in sync with the times,” Edwards said. “The creative writers who are responsible for developing the shows have a sharp eye on what is trending in WWE and AEW — what’s hot, and what isn’t.”
Independent wrestling survives on passion, but WCWO’s community is what makes it stand out. At Outlaw Arena, the fans don’t just watch — they’re part of the action.
“It’s never a dull moment,” said Zak Nova, who at 24 is one of WCWO’s up-and-coming stars. “The fans are very interactive, and they let you know when they love or don’t love you.”
James echoed that sentiment. “Despite folks beating one another up on a constant basis, everyone wants to ensure everyone goes out there and wrestles to the best of their capability. We all want each other to do well.”
Dylan Hodges is a Mirror Indy freelance contributor. You can reach him at dhdylanhodges@gmail.com.
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