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Imperial Wrestling Revolution brings top flight action to Firelake Casino Arena

Posted: Jan 13th 2016 By: Scott Strandberg

Jim Ross. Jerry ?The King? Lawler. Scott Hall. Hacksaw Jim Duggan. These four names share a common distinction ? they?re all members of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Hall of Fame.

Fortunately for fans in central Oklahoma, that?s not the only thing these four men have in common. All of them will be appearing just a short 30-mile drive east of Norman, at the Firelake Casino Arena for Imperial Wrestling Revolution?s ?When Worlds Collide? event on January 16.

Including the four Hall-of-Famers, ?When Worlds Collide? features a dozen stars who worked for WWE at one time or another. Still, Imperial Wrestling Revolution (IWR) is far more than a nostalgia showcase. IWR also features a robust roster of homegrown talent, who will receive opportunities to prove themselves in matches against the visiting superstars at ?When Worlds Collide.?

It?s more than a fair question to wonder what brings these legends ? along with the likes of Scott Steiner and MVP ? to Shawnee, Oklahoma. The answer is a story about close friends chasing a mutual dream ? and one in which the first chapters are still being written.

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Jerry ?The Boss? Bostic is a man with a hard-earned moniker. It?s not just a clever truncation of his surname.

Bostic is the CEO of Imperial Wrestling Revolution, thus making him quite literally the boss. In addition, he?s also the winner of the company?s 2015 Most Popular Wrestler award ? a fan-voted honor.

Bostic and Joe Herell (who wrestles under the name ?Ky-Ote?) spent the better part of a decade putting on wrestling shows in Ardmore, until Bostic tore several knee ligaments. He considered his career in wrestling to be finished, despite Herell?s best efforts to get Bostic back into the industry.

A couple years later, Bostic told Herell of a dream he had, in which he envisioned a much more ambitious wrestling venture than they?d attempted previously. ?I told him if we were going to do it, we would try to travel,? Bostic says. ?If this was our last time, we would either succeed or fail. We would give it a real shot.?

With that, IWR was born, and the company produced its first show in the summer of 2014. Since then, Bostic and Herell developed their brand with events all over central and southern Oklahoma, quickly turning the company into a regional powerhouse.

Within just one year, IWR was recording attendance figures in the thousands at its larger events in Shawnee and Ardmore ? while also cultivating a fiercely loyal fanbase from Paul?s Valley to Ada, and all points in between. The company now has several corporate partnerships, as well as charitable relationships with Toys for Tots and The Boys and Girls Club.

IWR?s philanthropic ventures are of exceptional importance to Bostic. In addition to the aforementioned charities, IWR donates considerable time and resources to helping Oklahoma schools.

?Giving back is a tremendous part of what we do, and no matter the heights IWR reaches, it will always be a focus,? Bostic says. ?Treat others how you would want to be treated is my philosophy, and I try to live by it. If you can put a smile on someone?s face or touch a life that?s in need, why wouldn?t you??

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As Imperial Wrestling Revolution continues to grow, the company?s regional roots are as crucial as ever. From the many people involved in producing every IWR show ? who Bostic refers to as his extended family ? to the big-name talent working the ?When Worlds Collide? event, the focus remains on providing entertainment to Oklahomans of all ages.

While IWR?s family-friendly atmosphere keeps children engaged, adult fans certainly don?t go uncatered to. Older fans will appreciate seeing Ross and Marshall Von Erich ? the third generation of the legendary Dallas-based Von Erich wrestling family ? as well as the inclusion of Norman resident Jim ?J.R.? Ross, one of the industry?s most iconic figures.

When asked what role J.R. would play at ?When Worlds Collide,? Bostic wouldn?t provide much more than a sly smirk in response. He did, however, say that working on this project with J.R. is ?the first of many to come.? No one connects with wrestling fans in this region quite like Jim Ross, a fact Bostic clearly knows quite well.

?IWR has grown so much over the last year and a half,? Bostic says. ?In 2016, we are committed to growing even more.? While IWR will continue to expand its reach throughout Oklahoma, Bostic also has plans in the works to get the product into new markets in Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana.

Beyond that, Bostic has his sights set on revolutionizing the national wrestling landscape. ?The long-term plan in the next few years for IWR is to be a direct competitor to Ring of Honor and Impact Wrestling,? he says. ?We want to eventually become a national promotion, and we believe it to be possible.?

Bostic is enough of a realist to know he?ll never compete with WWE, but his confidence in the IWR entertainment model is clear. Ring of Honor and Impact Wrestling have long battled over the number-two spot behind WWE in the national wrestling scene, with neither able to gain a sustained advantage in recent years.

Perhaps there is room for another promotion to swoop in and take that number-two spot. With the strides made by Bostic?s ?extended family? thus far, betting against IWR doesn?t seem to be a strong strategy.

?We will not settle for what we have,? Bostic concludes. ?This is only the beginning.?