Shreveport’s Incredible Pro Wrestling History
The roots of pro wrestling are buried DEEP in the fabric of the Shreveport community. Decades ago, Shreveport became a main landing spot for the Mid-South Wrestling, the UWF, and NWA (they were all affiliated). The names that graced the marquee for these events ended up becoming household names by the late 80s and early 90s.
Wrestlers like Ted DiBiase, Dusty Rhodes, Jake The Snake Roberts, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Mike Sharpe, The Fabulous Freebirds, and maybe most importantly, The Junk Yard Dog all fought in Shreveport. A good portion of the wrestlers who came through to entertain the crowds in the Shreveport area have ended up as WWE Hall of Fame members.
Multiple different championships were defended and won during matches in Shreveport, and with the explosion of the WWE Network online, you can see a lot of it. The online network has worked to acquire many tape libraries to upload. There are many matches you can now watch on the network.
Marquee names like Ric Flair, Andre The Giant, and Dusty Rhodes all headlined trips through Shreveport. While some of the mainstays not only worked here, but made homes here.
Some matches can still be found on Youtube, giving you a chance to learn about Shreveport's pro-wrestling history...
Or the time Matthew McConaughey was thrown out of a wrestling match in Shreveport, a story he has told over and over. Check out the 3:30 mark in this video for his story.
Then you have legends like Shawn Michaels, who had many firsts in Shreveport with Mid-South. Including his first ever televised match, and his first ever televised solo match.
Other wrestlers have started their careers in the Shreveport-Bossier area as well. But as time moved on, the wrestling flame has shrunk in Shreveport. You can still catch some incredible moments, like when NXT came through the Municipal Auditorium, but they seem to be happening less often.
But you can't take away the history that's been made.