UCPWS delivers the suplexes and storylines of Memphis-style wrestling

Patrick Graziosi | Memphis Commercial Appeal

A Best Buy phone salesman walked through a side entrance at the Rec Room after clocking out from his Friday work shift. He exchanged greetings with a few employees before entering a back room where he changed into an all-black suit and donned one of his many trademark masks.

Show time was a couple of hours away, but the salesman was no longer slinging smartphones and protection plans. Instead, he was prepared to sell something entirely different.

Steve Thompson had just transformed into Masked Commentator, the brash and confident emcee for the upstart Ultimate Championship Pro Wrestling South.

Alongside his brother and league founder Chris Thompson, “M.C.” aimed to take another step toward making UCPWS the best independent wrestling show in Memphis.

‘We cut our teeth on Saturday morning wrestling’

Growing up, the Thompson brothers would spend Saturdays at their grandparents’ house watching wrestling with their grandfather, Tommy Jeffries.

Like many Memphis-area boys growing up in the '80s and '90s, the brothers would often step into their imaginary squared circle and grapple each other while the voices of legendary wrestling commentators Lance Russell and Dave Brown played like a soundtrack in the background.

“We wrestled on the living room floor during pay-per-views and Saturday mornings in our grandparents’ hallway all the time,” Steve, 33, said as he laughed through an ominous black mask. “(Chris) would suplex me in the hallways, but now I’m the big little brother, so he won’t do that to me anymore.”

Jeffries would tell the brothers stories from Memphis wrestling lore and take them to shows at the Mid-South Coliseum and WMC Action News 5 Studio. The three were inseparable.

When Jeffries passed away, it hit the brothers hard. Chris badly wanted to wrestle to honor his grandfather, but that dream was taken away when a major shoulder injury forced him to give up on competing in the sport he loves.

“I tore my shoulder up and life happened, but I never really lost wanting to do something in (wrestling),” Chris, 39, said as he exhaled smoke from a freshly lit cigarette.

Fueled by motivation to break into the wrestling business, Chris later became a ring announcer and color commentator on the independent circuit under the moniker “The Voice” Tommy Jax — a tribute to his late grandfather.

The birth of a league

About three years ago, the Thompson brothers devised a plan for UCPWS. They wanted to be different from other independent leagues by encapsulating what Memphis wrestling has always done: tell stories and entertain the crowd.

“Anybody can put two guys in a ring and have a match, but why should I care?” Chris asked emphatically. “Why have a reason to come back and keep watching?”

For the brothers, that reason was steeped in Memphis wrestling history. Legendary wrestlers such as Jackie Fargo, Tojo Yamamoto, Bill Dundee and Jerry Lawler paved the way and provided the blueprint.

Combining simple moves, powerful strikes and entertaining stories was a formula that worked in Memphis.

With that in mind, Chris and his team of wrestlers started crafting scripts and storylines six months in advance, perfecting character ideas along the way.

“The whole locker room kind of had this idea — the same direction that I wanted to take it — and I just kind of stepped up with the ball and ran with it,” Chris said. “We’ve got a team here … everybody is on the same page and has worked their tail off.”

UCPWS debuted at the Marshall County Fairgrounds in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Although the league was off the ground, most in attendance were family and friends of the Thompson brothers and the competing wrestlers.

Chris and the UCPWS wrestlers took to social media, posting videos and pictures on Facebook and Twitter to draw more attention. Over time, the league started attracting more fans to shows — most making the drive from Memphis.

The influx of new fans placed more responsibility on Chris. The heavy workload of promoting, managing, writing and directing started taking its toll, and he realized he no longer had time to emcee. He struggled with the decision to give up the position, but had the perfect replacement in mind — his brother.

Steve was already formulating ideas on the direction of the league, although his focus was working at Best Buy. He looked up to Chris, but wondered if he could live up to his standards and expectations.

After a little convincing on Chris’ behalf, Steve assumed the role as emcee.

“(Chris) got me into this,” Steve said. “He needed a commentator and we think so much alike and he knew I could tell the stories like he would want them to be told.”

Steve was all-in, but with one caveat.

“I didn’t really want to be known as (Chris’) brother, hence this,” Steve said as he pointed to his mask.

He began to mold his own identity and became the new voice of UCPWS as “M.C.,” the Masked Commentator.

Dealing with commitment issues

Writing scripts months in advance is uncommon among the independent ranks due to booking issues with wrestlers.

Some wrestlers have trouble committing to future shows when they don’t know where they’ll be in two months, let alone six. They’re usually traveling across the country, bouncing around in different leagues for as little as $5, paying their own way to attend. Gaining exposure and recognition is a struggle on the independent circuit.

No-shows and broken commitments became a problem for the Thompson brothers. The last-minute changes stalled momentum for a league heavily reliant on its characters and stories.

“Availability of talent can be a problem,” Steve said. “It’s hard locking people down saying, ‘Hey I need you for this many dates.’”

The brothers came to terms with the nature of independent wrestling. They understood wrestlers are their own contractors in most cases, perpetually searching for bigger opportunities and paydays.

Since UCPWS is entirely funded by the brothers and revenue from ticket sales, they didn’t have much to offer wrestlers other than their ideas and a handful of dollars.

So they developed a new pitch for current and prospective UCPWS talent.

“(Wrestlers) are trying to get their name out there, and we realized it’s OK to have our guys wrestle in other leagues,” Steve said. “They help the show and in turn, the show will help them.”

The brothers would help their wrestlers find opportunities elsewhere, which would grow the profile of their roster. In turn, it built a locker room of loyal employees.

“That’s kind of how our show has found a place in the heart of our wrestlers,” Steve said. “Everybody that’s been on this show is either a champion somewhere else, was a champion somewhere else after being on the show and has gotten more bookings after being on the show — so it’s real symbiotic the way we try to work things.”

Fortifying the roster

UCPWS already had a solid roster of wrestlers, but the league needed more depth and diversity.

The Thompson brothers scouted to fill roles for numerous wrestling archetypes — intimidating big men, acrobatic small men, lovable losers and antagonizing heels. Finding motivated wrestlers with charisma, ability and potential to grow with UCPWS was prioritized.

One day, Steve was working at Best Buy when he noticed security guard Kontar Macklin. At 6-foot-7 and a solid 270 pounds, Macklin stood out among the crowd.

“M.C. approached me and wanted me to wrestle but I was like man, I’m 39 years old at this point, I can’t do that,” Macklin, now 41, said. “He said just come out (to a show) and see.”

Reluctantly, Macklin attended a UCPWS show where Chris helped Steve seal the deal for the big man.

“I talked to Tommy Jax and he said I was perfect (for what they were looking for),” Macklin said. “A lot of guys out here are small guys who wrestle but I’ve got size — the height and the weight. So, they said, ‘We gotta get this guy, we gotta get him,’ and eventually I joined up.”

Macklin has become a huge fan favorite and was recently crowned a UCPWS championship title holder.

Steve added another big man, Justin Burford, when a last-minute cancellation forced him to find a quality replacement.

“He came to one show, and I was like, 'We’ve got to bring you back every time,'” Steve said.

Burford, who wrestles as “Swole” Justin Cole, is considered a professional on the independent tour with his six years of experience wrestling in Florida, Pennsylvania and Illinois. The LA Fitness general manager has also participated in Roundhouse Revival and wrestled WWE Hall of Famer Koko B. Ware for the grand opening of King Jerry Lawler’s Hall of Fame Bar and Grille.

The 33-year-old said the Thompson brothers take fresh ideas that work in leagues across the country and implement them in UCPWS. He also lauded their use of professional equipment, which can be lacking at many independent shows.

“The feel you get (at UCPWS) is the same feeling you would get at some of the big independent companies,” Burford said.

Clayton Wheeler was discovered by Steve at a small show in a Southaven gym. Steve was enamored by Wheeler’s potential as a big man, although at the time, he was being used as a smaller wrestler in his role as Walker Hayes.

Wheeler, 20, was intrigued by Steve and his vision for UCPWS. After a conversation with the emcee, the part-time pharmaceutical employee joined the league as a big man.

Wheeler has become a fixture on the independent circuit, but claims UCPWS as his main league because of the family atmosphere.

With Wheeler on board, a league once short on big men was suddenly loaded with them.

Through word of mouth and mingling in wrestling circles, the Thompson brothers continued to build their roster with characters that could attract a personal fan base.

Derrick Jermaine Crutchfield’s “DJ Menace” is a reincarnation of '90s WWE star “The 1-2-3 Kid.” The league underdog flies around the ring, utilizing his athleticism while sporting his trademark Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles mask.

Independent leagues used to turn away the 22-year-old Crutchfield because of his 5-foot-5, 140-pound frame, but he has since won over doubters with his charisma and never-say-die persona. Thanks to UCPWS, he now gets booked elsewhere and has become an advocate against bullying.

“Bouncing” Brian Taylor — the human embodiment of Nintendo’s “Punch-Out!!” character Glass Joe — literally bounces around all match as the league's lovable loser.

Andy Mack is the UCPWS version of former WWE star Shawn Michaels. He’s one of the top light heavyweights in the league and excels in his role as a heel.

Once the league was stocked with multifaceted wrestlers, the brothers decided to find a new venue capable of attracting more fans.

Rec Room and beyond

The Thompson brothers have always wanted to bring UCPWS to Memphis, they just needed to find the right home.

In January, Steve was watching wrestling with his wife at the Rec Room when he realized the gaming bar was the ideal location for their show.

“I thought it was a perfect spot for a ring right there to the left, once you walk in the door,” he said. “I had my wife with me at the time, and she told me to just email them and see what they think.”

Rec Room management contacted Steve the next day. He put on his salesman hat and pitched the idea, citing the bar’s diverse crowd as a main reason for the inquiry. After a brief conversation, management was sold.

UCPWS debuted at the Rec Room in March, where it has performed on the first and third Friday of every month since.

Chris kicked off the first show off with a speech.

“I basically told (the audience), ‘We know what y’all have missed — we felt it too — and we’re gonna do what Memphis has always done and put on one hell of a wrestling show,’” Chris said.

The loyal regulars from Holly Springs remained, and the Rec Room helped boost the league’s identity by attracting new fans from diverse backgrounds. UCPWS started packing the gaming bar with about 200 fans per show.

The league’s newfound recognition gave the brothers an opportunity to strike a deal with Railgarten in July, where they now perform on the last Saturday of each month. The beer garden’s spacious outdoor area allows UCPWS to draw larger crowds.

While the recent success has been a cause for celebration, Chris said the league has gone about as far as it can on a “duct tape and hope plan.”

Sponsorships would take UCPWS to another level by allowing the brothers to pay their wrestlers more and find an even bigger venue, Steve said.

“The only thing that would really take us to that next step is an influx of sponsorships,” he said. “Right now, we’ve reached out to a lot of people, so we’re really working on that.

“We may not get to the heights of where Memphis wrestling was, but we want to get some of that.”

If you go

Ultimate Championship Pro Wrestling South

Rec Room: 8 p.m. the first and third Friday of every month at the Rec Room, 3000 Broad Ave. There is a $5 cover charge. Those under 21 must be accompanied by an adult.

Railgarten: 7 p.m. the last Saturday of every month at Railgarten, 2166 Central Ave. There is no cover charge.

Information: www.facebook.com/UCPWS