Haybarn Championship Wrestling founder and part-owner of the organization John Hayes, who also runs Haybarn Automotive and Diesel in Prescott, described the slate on April 13th as “a lot of great matches.” Billy Hall, another part-owner who also helps run the organization with Hayes said of HCW’s shows, “There's always a story behind everything going on, because most of the matches when you have matches are wrestlers who don't like each other.” The full list of Saturday matches follows:
· Dante v. Miguel Veliz. This match will see Veliz put his Social Media Title at risk to defend against Dante.
· Veliz will also take on any pro wrestler for his World Title in an open challenge bout.
· El Rey v. El Jefe. This grudge match will pit 20-year pro wrestling veteran El Rey, holder of the International Title against challenger. El Rey, in a video on his facebook site, said he has already put together his gameplan for Saturday night against El Jefe, who on Thursday urged El Rey to enjoy that championship belt while he still could before El Jefe seizes it from him April 13th.
· Heartbreakers v. Step-Bros, who will be making their HCW debut.
· KarnEdge v. The Lockdown Outlaws (Tray Trouble and Eclipse) in a tag-team match. Tray Trouble is a Hope-Prescott area native. Eclipse is a newly emerging wrestler. Title holders KarnEdge released a video Thursday morning to say they found their challengers, at best, unwise.
Many may wonder how Haybarn Championship Wrestling got its start. John Hayes said he and his brother had grown up watching wrestling and even occasionally got to attend the occasional match. They would even train and try out to join the ranks of pro wrestling themselves. Two years ago, as Hayes said, “I got bored just being in the audience and then we started opening our own wrestling company.”
Billy Hall, who also helped found HCW, said he had fond memories of seeing luminaries from Mid-South Championship Wrestling take each other on in the Hope Fair Park Coliseum. “The Von Erichs came to Hope. You had the Freebirds come here,” he said.
But by the late 80s, live wrestling fans in the Hope-Prescott area either had to travel or settle for TV. “Wrestling had quit coming to Hope. To me, it was something that I grew up watching and had a lot of enjoyment of. And why not try to promote it to the next generation to get them drawn into the same thing that we were all for? Why not do it? Why not offer something that there's nothing in this area like that? So we wanted to do something that was unique to this area but has had a history in this area.”
Hall said audiences seem to enjoy the shows, which occur monthly either in the former Potlatch building at Prescott Fairgrounds, as will happen April 13th, or the Hope Fair Park Coliseum. The venues undergo a transformation that takes up to six hours before they can host wrestling, but the audience response makes it worth it. “The feedback from the fans is that every show is better than the last show. That's what we strive for,” Hall said.
Both Hayes and Hall maintain day jobs as they run HCW, with Hayes as half-owner of Haybarn Automotive and Diesel in Prescott and Hall as the Hope Walmart’s Auto Center’s Coach. But HCW has been a growing phenomenon. Robert Bullock, another part-owner is a teacher at Mineral Springs.
Haybarn Championship Wrestling has a staff of about 50, Hall said. About 48 of them are wrestlers. For a company that will reach the age of two years in September, this is impressive, and the organization’s community involvement is as well, with wrestlers recently visiting Clinton Primary School to promote their matches and speak to students about the value of reading and physical fitness.
“We have been to the Rainbow of Challenges twice and visited all three work sites out there,” Hall said.
After April 13th, the next big event for HCW will be May 11th at the Fair Park Coliseum in Hope. The legendary Cowboy James Storm of Total Nonstop Wrestling will appear.
As for the April 13th Haybarn Championship Showdown, at least three hours of athleticism and drama will cost a mere $10 for general admission tickets, $15 for VIP tickets and $5 for children from six to twelve. Children aged five and below get in free. A concession stand will be open.
