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Deep South Returns to Faithful Followers

Posted: Aug 2nd 2007 By: CMBurnham

The sound of the first slam against the 16-foot by 16-foot canvas--a firm, resounding clack--had the audience's attention.

The small but faithful group of wrestling fans saw, in about eight minutes, that Sal Rinauro and his partner had won their match in a competition for the Deep South Wrestling Tag Team Championship.

It was the first of six matches for the title.

"There ain't nothing better than watching someone getting chair toed," said 10-year-old Luke Remington. "I love wrestling," the young fan said.

Hidden away in the W. L. Carter Auction Company warehouse in Locust Grove, local wrestling is reclaiming its long-time fans.

Deep South Wrestling was a McDonough-based group of talent developers for World Wrestling Entertainment until April, when its contract with the WWE expired.

Void of WWE talent and revenues to lease space in McDonough, the three-year-old group moved to Locust Grove to establish itself as an independent wrestling promotions body.

"I'm very proud of Deep South Wrestling. And I'm very proud of the guys associated with Deep South Wrestling," owner Joe Hamilton said. "We've been recruiting some good talent. We've managed to do a pretty ... good job."

Hamilton says he selected Henry County as the venue for Deep South mainly because of the business opportunities he saw.

A wrestler for 32 years, with 51 years total in the professional wrestling business, Hamilton says his goals eventually are to expand Deep South Wrestling.

"I'm just not ready for retirement," said the 68-year-old. "I intend to run towns and promote shows. I intend to eventually open up a (training) school and keep on doing what I've done basically all my life."

Deep South Wrestling has returned to fewer fans and wrestlers, but those fans and wrestlers are a faithful bunch.

"They love the sport and they want to be successful," Hamilton said. "They're all trying to make it, and they're all dedicated at what they're doing."

Hamilton said it is a lifelong love of professional wrestling that keeps the fans coming and the wrestlers still fighting.

"I've been a wrestling fan since I was in the womb," said Rinauro, 24. "I told my mom when I was 3 I was going to be a wrestler."

Rinauro said as a youngster growing up in Orange County, Calif., he would hang around doing odd jobs at a wrestling training school near his home, hoping to learn and become a wrestler himself.

"I'd sweep the ring, I'd do whatever," he said.

Now, for the opportunity to wrestle, Rinauro works during the week as a general manager at Taco Bell in Cornelia, Ga.

On his off days, he trains and studies videos of professional wrestling from around the globe.

Once a week, he sees a chiropractor and makes that two-hour drive to Locust Grove to participate in Deep South Wrestling.

As he sprays himself with a mist bottle to stay cool, he ritualistically listens to whatever music will best motivate him before every wrestling match: from chamber music to rap, whatever helps him focus. And then, he prays.

"It's not to be on (televised shows) Smack Down or Raw," said Rinauro, who has been wrestling 11 years now. "I just want to be able to do what I love."

Rinauro's roommate, Adrian Hawkins, a 21-year-old wrestler, has been in the business for more than a decade.

A Tucson, Ariz., native, Hawkins earns a living working for Regency, a company that produces business cards. He wrestles because he loves to entertain.

Hawkins said he became a wrestling fan watching it at 3 years old when, he recalls, Hulk Hogan defeated Andre the Giant in the World Wrestling Federation's WrestleMania III to retain the WWF Championship.

Many would-be wrestling professionals got the urge early in life.

"It's just something I've wanted to do since I was little," said fellow wrestler Austin Watson, 20.

A dual psychology and philosophy major at Furman University, he travels from Greenville, S.C., each week to wrestle.

"It can be rough," Watson said. "(But) it's what I want to do for a living."

Not surprisingly, Watson has at least one faithful fan waiting to follow in his footsteps.

Remington, the 10-year-old, from Jackson, wants to be a wrestler too.

He attends Deep South Wrestling each Thursday night with his father, Dennis Remington, who is also an avid wrestling fan.

The younger Remington would be called The Crippler, he says, as his father nods approvingly.