Your search timed out. Some results may not be displayed. Refresh Search
to see more results or contact Ask a Librarian for assistance.
Collection Items
Audio Recording
Ryan Gray interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-06-18
Ryan Gray discusses his career as an independent professional wrestler in central Appalachia under the ring name Ryan Dookie. He speaks about his start in wrestling, the inspiration for his ring name, longstanding traditions practiced within the industry, the evolution of the sport, and the future of indie pro wrestling.
Contributor:
Gray, Ryan - Bowers, Delainey Morgan - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2020
Audio Recording
James Colby Howard interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-06-18
James C. Howard discusses the path that led him to become an independent professional wrestler starting in 2016. Howard speaks about his family's love for the sport, the development of his alter ego Crash Jaxon, his first match, the effects of social media on the sport, wrestling styles, the course of his career, and offers an insider's perspective on how the indie circuit is…
Contributor:
Bowers, Delainey Morgan - Howard, James Colby - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2020
Audio Recording
Daniel Adam Harnsberger interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-06-28
Daniel Harnsberger discusses his experiences as an independent professional wrestler in the Appalachia circuit as the "Progressive Liberal" Daniel Richards. He addresses the national attention garnered by his politically-charged gimmick, his connection to the Appalachian region, aging, career goals, social media, changes he has seen in the sport, and his concerns about the future of the United States.
Contributor:
Bowers, Delainey Morgan - Harnsberger, Daniel - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2020
Audio Recording
Seymour Ray interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-07-01
Seymour Ray discusses his work as an independent professional wrestler throughout central Appalachia for 20 years under the persona Ray Idol. Ray speaks about being approached by promoters to join the sport, training, drawing inspiration from Austin Idol for his gimmick, how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed issues surrounding race in the sport, and the future of indie pro wrestling.
Lawrence Key interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-07-09
Lawrence Key discusses his career as an independent professional wrestler in central Appalachia since 2016. Key speaks about joining the sport later in life; the creation of his persona Luscious Lawrence; earning a scholarship from Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in Louisville, Kentucky; training; using social media to build relationships with fans; challenges faced; filming for the PBS documentary series "American Portrait;" and his future…
Contributor:
Bowers, Delainey Morgan - Key, Lawrence - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2020
Audio Recording
Tanya Harris interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-07-07
Tanya Harris discusses her work as an independent professional wrestler throughout the south for over 17 years as Ruthless La La. Harris speaks about her desire to become a wrestler from a young age; creating a strong and memorable in-ring persona; training; her experiences as a woman in a male-dominated sport, experiencing racism from the crowd; speaking out and advocating for self-care; using social…
Matt Sigmon interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-07-14
Matt Sigmon discusses his career as an independent professional wrestler in central Appalachia as part of the tag-team duo, The Heatseekers. He speaks about what inspired him to join, the advantages of a more traditional approach to wrestling, the nuances of working with a tag-team partner, the relationship of fans to heels/villains, being part of a match in China, the impact of the COVID-19…
Contributor:
Bowers, Delainey Morgan - Occupational Folklife Project - Sigmon, Matt
Date:2020
Audio Recording
Jason Leigh Stephens interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-07-20
Jason Stephens speaks about his career as a wrestling manager throughout central Appalachia since 2015. Stephens discusses growing up watching the Monday Night Wars, working as a wrestling podcaster and announcer, becoming a wrestler and manager, the creation of his Lemonjuice McGee persona, the challenges of being a wrestling manager, audience reaction to his cheating, how storytelling is a vital part of the wrestling…
Contributor:
Bowers, Delainey Morgan - Stephens, Jason Leigh - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2020
Audio Recording
Kenneth Smith interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-07-24
Kenneth Smith discusses his life as an independent professional wrestler throughout the South for the last 11 years under the persona Kaden Sade. Smith speaks about idolizing Rey Mysterio, wrestling as a young man, differences between the north and the south, increasing racism from crowds, creating a "realistic" persona, building and maintaining relationships with fans, and striking a balance between his personal and professional…
Kyle Maggard interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-07-24
Kyle Maggard discusses his career as a professional wrestler and promoter in central Appalachia for the last 20 years. He speaks about getting into the sport while in high school, a bar fight between his father and "Macho Man" Randy Savage, working as a referee, starting an independent promotion in 2016, the importance of branding and storylines, the challenges of event planning, how the…
Beau James Ferguson interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-07-29
Beau James Ferguson speaks about his experiences as a professional wrestler and promoter throughout Appalachia during the last 30 years. He discusses the history of independent wrestling, longstanding traditions within the industry, riots, the creation of wrestling schools, and the parallels of protecting something from outsiders in wrestling and in the Appalachian region. Ferguson also discusses how his mother's position with Walmart got him…
Contributor:
Ferguson, Beau James - Bowers, Delainey Morgan - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2020
Audio Recording
Wes Howard interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-07-31
Wes Howard discusses his career as an independent professional wrestler throughout central Appalachia since 2004 as Henry Shaw. Howard speaks about his introduction to the sport through his referee friend, receiving on-the-job training, creating his in-ring persona, the trajectory of his wrestling career, the time-honored traditions of the wrestling industry, advice for future wrestlers, and goals for his future.
Audio RecordingRyan Gray interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-06-18 Ryan Gray discusses his career as an independent professional wrestler in central Appalachia under the ring name Ryan Dookie. He speaks about his start in wrestling, the inspiration for his ring name, longstanding traditions practiced within the industry, the evolution of the sport, and the future of indie pro wrestling.
Audio RecordingJames Colby Howard interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-06-18 James C. Howard discusses the path that led him to become an independent professional wrestler starting in 2016. Howard speaks about his family's love for the sport, the development of his alter ego Crash Jaxon, his first match, the effects of social media on the sport, wrestling styles, the course of his career, and offers an insider's perspective on how the indie circuit is…
Audio RecordingDaniel Adam Harnsberger interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-06-28 Daniel Harnsberger discusses his experiences as an independent professional wrestler in the Appalachia circuit as the "Progressive Liberal" Daniel Richards. He addresses the national attention garnered by his politically-charged gimmick, his connection to the Appalachian region, aging, career goals, social media, changes he has seen in the sport, and his concerns about the future of the United States.
Audio RecordingSeymour Ray interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-07-01 Seymour Ray discusses his work as an independent professional wrestler throughout central Appalachia for 20 years under the persona Ray Idol. Ray speaks about being approached by promoters to join the sport, training, drawing inspiration from Austin Idol for his gimmick, how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed issues surrounding race in the sport, and the future of indie pro wrestling.
Audio RecordingLawrence Key interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-07-09 Lawrence Key discusses his career as an independent professional wrestler in central Appalachia since 2016. Key speaks about joining the sport later in life; the creation of his persona Luscious Lawrence; earning a scholarship from Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in Louisville, Kentucky; training; using social media to build relationships with fans; challenges faced; filming for the PBS documentary series "American Portrait;" and his future…
Audio RecordingTanya Harris interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-07-07 Tanya Harris discusses her work as an independent professional wrestler throughout the south for over 17 years as Ruthless La La. Harris speaks about her desire to become a wrestler from a young age; creating a strong and memorable in-ring persona; training; her experiences as a woman in a male-dominated sport, experiencing racism from the crowd; speaking out and advocating for self-care; using social…
Audio RecordingMatt Sigmon interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-07-14 Matt Sigmon discusses his career as an independent professional wrestler in central Appalachia as part of the tag-team duo, The Heatseekers. He speaks about what inspired him to join, the advantages of a more traditional approach to wrestling, the nuances of working with a tag-team partner, the relationship of fans to heels/villains, being part of a match in China, the impact of the COVID-19…
Audio RecordingJason Leigh Stephens interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-07-20 Jason Stephens speaks about his career as a wrestling manager throughout central Appalachia since 2015. Stephens discusses growing up watching the Monday Night Wars, working as a wrestling podcaster and announcer, becoming a wrestler and manager, the creation of his Lemonjuice McGee persona, the challenges of being a wrestling manager, audience reaction to his cheating, how storytelling is a vital part of the wrestling…
Audio RecordingKenneth Smith interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-07-24 Kenneth Smith discusses his life as an independent professional wrestler throughout the South for the last 11 years under the persona Kaden Sade. Smith speaks about idolizing Rey Mysterio, wrestling as a young man, differences between the north and the south, increasing racism from crowds, creating a "realistic" persona, building and maintaining relationships with fans, and striking a balance between his personal and professional…
Audio RecordingKyle Maggard interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-07-24 Kyle Maggard discusses his career as a professional wrestler and promoter in central Appalachia for the last 20 years. He speaks about getting into the sport while in high school, a bar fight between his father and "Macho Man" Randy Savage, working as a referee, starting an independent promotion in 2016, the importance of branding and storylines, the challenges of event planning, how the…
Audio RecordingBeau James Ferguson interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-07-29 Beau James Ferguson speaks about his experiences as a professional wrestler and promoter throughout Appalachia during the last 30 years. He discusses the history of independent wrestling, longstanding traditions within the industry, riots, the creation of wrestling schools, and the parallels of protecting something from outsiders in wrestling and in the Appalachian region. Ferguson also discusses how his mother's position with Walmart got him…
Audio RecordingWes Howard interview conducted by Delainey Morgan Bowers, 2020-07-31 Wes Howard discusses his career as an independent professional wrestler throughout central Appalachia since 2004 as Henry Shaw. Howard speaks about his introduction to the sport through his referee friend, receiving on-the-job training, creating his in-ring persona, the trajectory of his wrestling career, the time-honored traditions of the wrestling industry, advice for future wrestlers, and goals for his future.