Combat for a cause: wrestling event brings in much needed support for NISH baseball
Gulf State Wrestling held its Summer Slam 6 event on Saturday, August 13 to benefit the New Iberia Senior High baseball team.
In front of a packed crowd at the West St. Mary Rec Center, performers dazzled fans with high-flying moves and bone-crunching slams.
“The overall event went really well,” said Stoney Linn. “We had great turnout. I appreciate the folks from New Iberia and the surrounding areas coming out and supporting Gulf State Wrestling. We had over 700 fans in attendance. The baseball team also did really well selling concessions.”
The highlight of the night was a Local Legends match between Stoney “Stoneman” Lin and Hugh “H.M. Flair” Andre.
The match started well for Andre, despite repeatedly retreating from the ring to discuss the game plan with his manager. Once he was able to get the upper hand against the Stoneman, Andre used all of his dirty tricks and creativity to beat and bruise the babyface.
After enduring a salvo of punishing moves from Andre, the Stoneman was able to launch an offensive of his own. With Andre left lying in a heap on the mat, it looked like the veteran was going to get the better of the rookie, but special guest referee Brent Indest had other plans.
Shoulder pain during the pin count led to a hard right hand, equipped with an illegal set of brass knuckles, knocking out the Stoneman. Taking advantage of the situation, Indest quickly dragged Andre into a pinning position. The official referee noticed what happened and counted to three, giving Andre the win.
According to Linn, money corrupted the sanctity of the match.
“Money overruled what is right,” he said, disgusted by Indest’s actions on Saturday. “I don’t know if everyone saw the payoff money that Brent was presented, but that move tells the story. I thought Brent was going to call it down the middle, but I guess he was a little skewed.”
Even after the upset loss, Linn was still able to give his opponent credit for performing better than he had anticipated.
“He turned 47 years old on Saturday, and I assume he started talking at the age of 2, so he has a lot of experience running his mouth,” Linn said. “In the ring, he did some good moves that surprised me. Once I got my hands on him, the only way he could hurt me was to cheat.”
The contest was the first time that Andre had competed in a full match, having previously only entered the ring to interfere in other matches. Andre, out of breath and drenched with sweat, looked to have a new appreciation for the athleticism and ability of the GSW wrestlers.
Linn said that Andre’s sweaty exit from the ring wasn’t because of any hard work, it was because his opponent was out of shape.
“I guess that’s what happens when you work out at the donut shop instead of at the gym,” Linn explained. “He was winded a lot in the ring, but he talks a lot so I don’t know if he’s out of shape or he just talks too much.”
The two former friends will face off again in the coming months, Linn said, adding that Andre might end up facing an even more experienced challenger in 2023.
“We have another one coming up on September 3 in Morgan City during an event for the Shrimp and Petroleum festival, but we’re also trying to come back in January, either in New Iberia or back in Jeanerette,” Linn said. “It looks like it might end up being H.M. Flair against Mustang Mike.”
Fans wanting to keep up with Gulf State Wrestling events should follow GSW on facebook at www.facebook.com/Gulf-State-Wrestling-of-Louisiana-1280667738679735.