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Flairs fall in defeat at wrestling fundraiser

Posted: May 4th 2009 By: mikeiles

SHELBY - For Shelby Police Chief Jeff Ledford, Saturday's pro wrestling card at the city park was a plus on many levels.
For the fans - some of whom drove across the state to see such names as Ric Flair, Ricky Morton, Bobby Eaton, and Buff Bagwell - it was a chance to meet and shake hands with the stars they grew up with.
For the police department, it was a chance to raise money for the department's youth prevention programs.
And for the at-risk youth that will benefit from the funds, it could be a second chance at success.
"Crowd was great," Ledford said as the ring was taken down and chairs were collected after the show.
The card also featured former ECW wrestler and Shelby native Chris Hamrick and was highlighted by a tag team match pitting Buff Bagwell and Rikki Nelson against Shelby resident David Flair and his younger brother Reid. Ric Flair was in his sons' corner for the match until Nelson, as part of the show, had the elder Flair kicked out of the building by police. Bagwell and Nelson went on to win the match to the crowd's disapproval.
Though many police officers were on hand for security, the show went off without a hitch. One fan, however, narrowly avoided being ejected.
Ross Thomas, wearing a mask and cape straight out of "Nacho Libre," sat ringside for the show. The Raleigh resident, nicknaming himself the Masked Groom for the occasion, drove to Shelby with several friends to celebrate his upcoming wedding and to get the chance to see his favorite wrestler, Ric Flair, in person.
But during a match pitting Bobby Eaton against the Barbarian, the Masked Groom almost turned from spectator to participant when he jumped the rail after being waved over by fan favorite Eaton.
The violation nearly led police to having to remove Thomas from the building. Since no harm was intended in his action, he was allowed to stay.
An early estimate from City Parks and Recreation Director Charlie Holtzclaw targeted attendance Saturday just shy of 1,000. How much money was raised for the city park and police department won't be known until later this week. He said it was the largest wrestling attendance at the venue in 24 years, dating back to the heyday of Jim Crockett Promotions.
Both Holtzclaw and Ledford said they would be open to future pro wrestling fundraisers to benefit their respective departments.

Tags: Ric Flair, Ricky Morton, Bobby Eaton, ECW