Grown men and women have been beating each other to a pulp for the sake of entertainment for centuries, and Capitol Hill residents have a prime opportunity to participate in this age-old tradition. Defy Wrestling holds monthly professional wrestling bouts only a few blocks from Seattle University that are every bit (and maybe a little more) as awesome, passionate and exciting as you would hope them to be.
On April 13, Defy hosted Streets of Rage, an event that involved a host of American and international wrestlers throwing down to win it all. The event was dramatic and chaotic, with wrestlers getting hit by and thrown into doors and chairs, attacked with screwdrivers, forced into fan blades, punched, slapped, bitten, thrown, slammed and more—all to the delight of a large crowd.
One of the most memorable parts of Streets of Rage, and of professional wrestling in general, is the crowd presence and community. The second story of Washington Hall was absolutely packed with spectators, many wearing merchandise to support their favorite wrestlers. The atmosphere was loud and passionate, with crowd favorites being met with cheers of encouragement and fandom, and villains trading obscenities and insults with the crowd.
Travis Williams, winner of the tag-team title fight as part of the duo Sinner & Saint, emphasized how Defy, a local Seattle organization, cultivates a unique experience for both wrestler and viewer.
“Defy is known to have an insane audience and insane community, it’s one of a kind, so to be out here is special,” Williams said.
Crowd interactions went further than just the verbal—multiple wrestlers got into heated encounters with fans, especially during their walkups. Additionally, the match often escaped the confines of the ring, and the line between spectator and participant was heavily blurred.
First-year Psychology Major Ben Ravenscroft praised the immersive nature of wrestling.
“It was cool when they would, like hop into the crowd and then we’d have to all move and everybody that was sitting down would have to pull the chairs away and then they would be fighting right in front of us. That was 100% my favorite part,” Ravenscroft said.
The night was littered with good matches, starting with a three-way tag team match between DG Japan, C4 and Midnight Heat, with Lun of DG Japan pinning Eddie Pearl of Midnight Heat for the win.
Next was a match between El Phantasmo and Mance Warner, with ELP executing a particularly memorable Burning Hammer through a door. Ultimately, both men were disqualified, and they vowed a rematch.
Next, crowd favorite Randy Myers narrowly lost to Miles Deville, who found an opening for a pin while Myers was speaking with the ref, prompting a huge wave of backlash from the audience.
Zach Sabre Jr. and Timothy Thatcher faced off in a technical, grapple-y bout that still found the space for some huge slams, with Zach Sabre Jr. coming out on top with a surprise armbar to win the match.
This was followed by a three-way women’s bout, with Amira, Vert Vixen and Nicole Matthews trading blows and teaming up with each other for some serious hits, including Amira’s top rope somersault onto both opponents outside of the ring. She clinched the round with a pin on Matthews.
Calvin Tankman vs. Gabe Kidd was possibly the most memorable matchup of the night, with some insanely big hits, accompanied by very intense, profane taunting from both sides. Tankman, a behemoth of a man, seemed the favorite for much of the match, even putting Kidd into the lap of a woman in the audience and striking him, but the match ultimately ended through Kidd pinning Tankman with an impressive piledriver.
Tankman was in good spirits after the match, and excited about the ability to compete with established wrestlers like Kidd. He is hopeful for their planned rematch in Japan.
“I feel as good as you can coming off of a loss. That’s one of the top competitors in the world, and considering it took everything he had to put me away, and I slipped up a little bit, I think it’s a good show and then helps further cement myself in trying to be put on that same list,” Tankman said.
Finally, the night concluded with a tag team match between DG Japan’s Kzy & Susumu Yokosuka and defending champions Judas Icarus & Travis Williams of the duo Sinner & Saint. This match was shaping up to be a good one, but a missed pin from the referee and interference from Sinner & Saint’s manager left the crowd dissatisfied with their ultimate victory and defense of the title.
The event was an incredible showing of skilled and engaging entertainers, along with an awesome home-grown crowd that espoused an infectious dedication to the sport. Ian Chant, a longtime Defy and pro wrestling fan, encouraged more people to come participate in what is, at its core, a damn good time.
“Give it a shot. If you like musical theater, if you like drag, if you like any number of weird, silly goofy things, you already like pro wrestling, you just don’t know it yet,” Chant said, adding, “These guys and gals work their asses off, and it’s never failed to impress, never failed to make a good night out.”
Chant is part of a group of dedicated Defy fans who have been attending their events since its inception in 2017. Despite the number of veteran viewers, the community is incredibly receptive to new fans, and it’s never too late to start getting in on the fun. Events are held in Capitol Hill around once a month, so Seattle U students are only ever a few short weeks and a 15 minute walk from one of the most intense, fun, and memorable nights of their lives.
