NWA Wildside Memories from those who lived it......

Dan "The Dragon" Wilson
Former NWA Wildside Co-Host, Ring Announcer, Play By Play Announcer, VP Of Operations, Creative Assistant, Errand Boy & General Company Shill. 

"In September of the year 2000, at 19 years of age, after a year or so of toiling around various local promotions I decided to leave my hometown of Soddy-Daisy (Chattanooga), TN and join the figurative circus. Of course I'm talking about NWA Wildside. I moved to Georgia shortly after I was offered a fulltime spot, simply to be closer to the daily operation of an independent wrestling promotion that produced weekly television and devoted as much of my time as possible to helping it succeed.

It's difficult for me to even put into words just how much our "little engine that could" meant to me personally. For the longest time, being a member of the Wildside family defined me as a human being. I learned so much about so many different aspects of the wrestling business (announcing from Steven Prazak, production from Andrew Thomas, managing and psychology from Jeff G. Bailey, business, mediation and more from Bill Behrens and Steve Martin, Ribbing from David Young, General hell raising from White Trash, Murder One and Kory Chavis, etc, etc, etc) and life in general. We would often joke that Wildside was where you got your "College Degree" in wrestling. It was there I met many of the closest friends I have to this day and some of the most important people in my life (Hell, my fiancé was an avid Wildside fan before I met her who watched us via syndication in her hometown of Knoxville). Our happy little band of misfits just shared a bond that so many in wrestling today don't have, which I likened to the old timers who speak fondly of about the camaraderie of their generation. If you weren't there, especially in the first couple years, it's difficult to even understand how much that made us a family and as I sit here almost 10 years later with only two exceptions, even the ones I barely talk to, I still consider those people my family. It simply went beyond the wrestling business even though that was the common tether that bound us all together.

The Wildside experience opened professional doors for me that, as a small child obsessed with wrestling in TN, I'd have never thought would be possible. I've met and in many cases worked directly with a great majority of my childhood heroes. I've worked in historic venues, in front of enormous crowds, and even got a paycheck from the WWE (Not to mention working with two guaranteed Hall Of Famers on a live Monday Night Raw). A World Heavyweight Champion in a major promotion credits me and me alone with the creation of the moniker that he still uses. None of this would've been possible if not for Bill Behrens and NWA Wildside. I'm thrilled to see what Bill and Craig Cole have done with the Wildside tribute site and I hope to see it grow and flourish over the years to come and also hope to contribute frequently."



From:
Steven Prazak
Atlanta

"Hands down, my most rewarding time behind the mic for any televised wrestling group. Calling and interpreting the action/storytelling with Dan Wilson was a treat unmatched in my broadcast "career." It got to the point where I felt we were truly the best announce team on the hemisphere. And I must doff the cap to my other fine Wildside b'cast partners as well: Steve Martin, Al Getz, Jeremy Borash, Ed Ferrara, Bill Behrens, and longtime partner-in-crime Scott Hudson, as well as our long-suffering producers who endured my endless lousy puns and smarky industry digs. I also must thank the guy I replaced in the booth, Chris Cruise for sucking so bad - thank ya much, CC!

The quality of the Wildside locker room was not merely among the very best in North America, but indeed so very different! So many varied body types and wrestling styles constantly on display - and yet they always managed (well, usually) to make it work within the context of the show. Despite the little experience the majority of talent had up to that time, it was nothing short of remarkable how professional and wrestling-smart this crew was at all times. My favorite matches to call usually involved Rainman (Kory Chavis), Rick Michaels, Caprice Coleman, Slim J, and AJ Styles. Their wrestling talent undeniable, of course, but their storytelling and passion for their craft was probably unparalleled on the indie scene. Sure made my job that much easier, and enjoyable.

Though Wildside suffered from more than its share of audio and production limitations, somehow the quality of the in-ring product always managed to shine through on the TV screen. An eager, if inventive troubleshooting production crew made sure of that, even if it did involve chewing gum and paper clips to make things work! Or sorta work.

Wildside's biggest hero, though, was Bill "Father Flanagan" Behrens. His unfailing faith and dedication to these kids to improve both their craft and indeed themselves was a major fuel source for the company. And Bill's extensive broadcast and syndication experience was vital in getting this remarkable show seen in so many little and a few not-so-little pockets of wrestling fans throughout the U.S. and beyond. And all without even going broke! I believe that's a first.

I hope Wildside continues to live on and inspire others here in cyberspace. From 1999-2005, it was not merely "your pro wrestling alternative" – for me and many others NWA Wildside was pro wrestling and indeed everything it should be."



From:
Rainman (Kory Chavis)

"NWA Wildside was my home away from home, and it always will be!"



From:
Kenny Doane-Dykstra (Wrestled in Wildside as Kenn Phoenix)

"I first heard about NWA Wildside in 2001, I was 15 at the time and had been training for 2 yrs. Everybody at the school that I trained at would travel all over the east coast working for numerous promotions and would tell me how fun it was. I always heard and saw how good NWA Wildside shows were and wanted to work for them because I knew that if I could get booked from MA to work in GA then I must be doing good as a professional wrestler. I also heard of most of the wrestlers in NWA Wildside cause they got so much press and knew that if I worked there then people would start to hear about me too. Eventually I got booked on one of their shows and would make the 18 hr. drive to Cornelia, GA just to wrestle for NWA Wildside. I wanted to work for NWA Wildside so much that I had my mother rent me a car and I drove all the way from Boston to Baltimore where I got pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt. Eventually the cops towed my car and dropped me off at greyhound in downtown Baltimore. I then made a decision that I was gonna make this NWA Wildside show, so I got a bus ticket go Atlanta, GA which took another 22 hrs. I then took a cab to a little school house in Cornelia, GA (eventually flew home -$1,000). When I first got there I thought for sure I was in the wrong place until and old man with a "Hollywood" Hogan t-shirt starting yelling at me cause he didn't know me. When I first walked through the curtain I didn't think many people would be there since the building was in the middle of no where, but to my surprise the place was packed and people were hot all night long. I made the trip to Cornelia, GA many times and would still today many more times. I had alot of good matches there and worked with many great talents. It's hard for independant shows to get something "going" and get people to really care. But the times I was in NWA Wildside I could tell that the fans in Cornelia, GA really appreciated what NWA Wildside was doing, and the wrestlers really cared too. I'm very thankful that I got the opportunity to work for a great and fun promotion like NWA Wildside. I always went home knowing more than when I arrived and felt like a better wrestler too. Thank you NWA Wildside for the opportunity.... and definitly the memories."



From:
Rob Eckos

"For me NWA Wildside was a different experience. Having to drive 13 hours to a show, wrestle and then pretty much drive right back makes you more a man!! Cornelia, Georgia was a place that I really enjoyed wrestling the few times I made the trip out and well worth it as I got to meet Bill Behrens who has helped me so much in the last few years with ideas and bookings. Wildside truly was fun and I remember thinking everyone involved with the product were super cool!"

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