Return to the cheap seats...

22 January 2022

Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium

Spartanburg, SC

Big Time Wrestling

While I have attended 'rassling shows since my "retirement" I usually did not take a camera opting instead to just enjoy the show.

I've been getting the "itch" the last few months though, so I sent my 

Nikon D80 to the shop and took it with me to watch Big Time Wrestling in Spartanburg. Got to see some old friends and sit in the upper level. 

Lodi vs. Brock Anderson (w/ father, Arn). In Anderson fashion, Brock focused his attacks on one part of the body. 

 

 

  

George South vs. Jerry "The King" Lawler. Two of my favorites. I don't care what anyone says, I enjoy watching George whip a crowd into a frenzy and he did it here. 

 

 

FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) vs. Rock n' Roll Express. This and the South v. Lawler match made me feel like a 'rassling fan again.  R&R announced that this was the beginning of the farewell tour and at the end FTR paid homage to the veterans. 

  

  

Crimson Mask, Part 1

I love shooting bloody wrestling pictures.  Not all the time, but I never missed an opportunity to get a good bloody face pic.  I had several wrestlers who made sure to "freeze" so I got a good shot.  Used wisely, blood adds drama, anger, sympathy and vengeance to a match.  Used unwisely, it looks amateurish and desensitizes the crowd.

I came across these pictures below this morning and thought I would share them.  This was a six man tag match between Ethan Case, Law and Tattoo against Wicked, Torment and _____(?-I can't for the life of me remember his name, if anyone can help),  I can't recall the events that led up to this brutal match, but here you go.  From 21 January 2006, Southern Wrestling Association in Forest City, NC:

Phoenix?

Reid Flair

I was on the road in Spartanburg, SC on Friday, 29 March when I got two simultaneous texts after 1pm.  Reid Flair is dead they both said.  Tragic news and I thought what a shame, and what a loss, and what a lesson.  I'm not going to go into the wrongs or rights about Reid's life - it's not my place.  I was just a wrestling photographer.  So I'm going to show you some pictures.

These were taken on 6 December 2008, at Vance High School in Charlotte.  Wrestling in the Queen City on  Saturday night - a great feeling.  I was working for Highspots doing the VIP photo ops for Ric Flair.  This was the year of Ric's retirement and his big match at WrestleMania 24.  Everybody wanted a photo with the Nature Boy and I was lucky enough to get to be the cameraman.

His appearances for Highspots would culminate at a Premiere Wrestling Showcase show on 12/6 where he would be at ringside with his sons David & Reid versus The Nasty Boys with Jimmy "Mouth of the South" Hart. The special guest referee: Hulk Hogan.  The match was touted at Reid's debut match...which was sort of true.

As you can see below, Ric was a proud father at ringside.  He spoke before the match about his history in the Charlotte area and thanked the fans for supporting his sons and his career.  The Flair family was at ringside also.  The Nasty Boys did their best to beat the crap out of Reid, but in the end it was a 3-way Figure Four leglock that ended the show (the crowd went apeshit for this-it was a wall of sound coming at me from behind).  I had forgotten about the last two photos, and they seem more important now that Reid is gone.