Tornado rips across East Houma street
January 2, 2008Brian Champange
January 7, 2008
Pimpin’ aint easy.
But neither is life in the wrestling ring for Herman Matherne, a.k.a. A Pimp Named Slick Back.
“I’ve been hit by so many chairs that I’ve lost count,” the Napoleonville grappler explained. “People who say (professional) wrestling is fake severely underestimates everything that goes on – the beating that your body takes.”
Matherne invites skeptics to attend MidSouth Wrestling Entertainment’s “A New Year Begins” event, which is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 12, at the Bayou Blue Recreation Center.
Doors open at 6 p.m. and the first bell clangs at 7 p.m.
“We all know that (professional) wrestling is choreographed, but the majority of moves that are done can cause a certain level of pain to the body,” Matherne said. “There’s nothing like being at a live match to see what actually goes on. When you sit in the crowd, you get to hear and almost feel the impact of the things you’re seeing on TV.”
The lineup is slated to include Slick Back, along with Marty Graw, “Tasty” Terry Bryant, Big Joe, Sassy Vegas, Minotaur, Nick Bondage, a tag team named Double Trouble and even a few female wrestlers who have yet to be determined.
“You are going to see a lot of action – I can tell you that much,” said Joe (Big Joe) Malbrough, a 6-foot-3, 320-pound bruiser hailing from Houma. “Fans will get to see a couple of high-flyers and a couple of guys as big as or even bigger than me.”
Malbrough has certainly experienced his share of punishment in the squared circle.
He points to a list that includes bruised ribs, busted noses and lips and gashes to the head.
“I have a pretty high tolerance for pain,” Malbrough said. “I usually just take a BC powder, which is like an Advil or an Aleve. It gets into your system and works a lot better.”
When asked why he puts his body through the agony: “I don’t look at the injury recovery,” Malbrough added. “I look at it as entertaining fans. A lot of guys on the independent circuit aren’t out there to make tons of money like the guys in the big leagues. A lot of them have it in their heart to do this and they want to entertain the fans.”
And they certainly appreciate the sacrifice.
In many ways, an evening of professional wrestling could be compared to 18 holes of golf, a deep tissue massage or a day at the sauna.
“It’s a great stress release,” Matherne said. “You can go to a match and scream all of the bad things you want to scream at your landlord, boss or spouse. As a fan, you can sit in the seat and almost become one of the characters.”
Ringside seats can be purchased in advance for $12, and the early general admission cost is $10.
Ringside tickets can be purchased at the door for $15 and general admission seats run $12.
For more information, call (985) 223-3481 or (985) 856-0689.
A Pimp Named Slick Back (right) towers over Half Breed while Big Joe moves in to mix things up at a recent MidSouth Wrestling Entertainment event.
