EDITOR’S NOTE: We are pleased to welcome Jeremiah Plunkett to SlamWrestling.net, where he will be offering up a column we are calling “Journeyman Journals with Jeremiah.”
Big Strong Mims and Jeremiah Plunkett. Photo courtesy Big Strong Mims
Journal Entry 10/12/2024: Texas Bound!
The day began with a 3:30 a.m. wake-up call—just enough time to clean up, caffeinate, and hit the road to BNA airport for a 6:25 a.m. Southwest flight from Nashville to Dallas. After a quick run through TSA and a $7 airport water (because hydration isn’t cheap), Big Strong Mims—the new NWA National Heavyweight Champion—and I found ourselves in the emergency exit row (the working man’s first class), ready for the trip to Texas Style Wrestling’s “Catch These Stars” event in Forney, TX.
Takeoff from Nashville. Photo by Jeremiah Plunkett
We hit the ground in Dallas just after 8 a.m. and caught a Lyft straight to the venue, The OC Theater.
Let me tell you—this theater isn’t your average venue. It’s part of a massive multipurpose campus and is a fully-equipped, production-ready space. The lighting, the sound, the atmosphere—everything is state-of-the-art and built to impress.
The OC Theater. Photo by Jeremiah Plunkett
Texas Style Wrestling (TSW) brings a perfect blend of young, hungry talent and established veterans, all guided by legends who know the game inside and out. With the likes of James Beard, Tim Storm, Rodney Mack, Jazz, and Apoc leading the charge, TSW is building something special—and I was proud to represent the National Wrestling Alliance as part of it.
On a personal note, this trip felt like a reunion. Back in the early 2010s, many of us crossed paths at Traditional Championship Wrestling (TCW), a promotion out of Arkansas that was one of the first I worked with trying to produce high-quality TV wrestling. Past episodes of TCW Wrestling can still be found streaming today!
It had been almost a decade since I’d seen many of these folks, but in true wrestling fashion, it felt like no time had passed. We picked up right where we left off—laughs, stories, and memories flowing all night. But nostalgia aside, I was there to handle business.
A Traditional Championship Wrestling reunion, left to right, Mike Anthony, Ivan Warsaw, Jon Omari, Tim Storm, James Beard, Akbar Farat, Al Farat, Jeremiah Plunkett. Photo by Al Farat
Tonight, I defended the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship against Ivan Warsaw, the self-proclaimed “baddest man in Texas.” Big, experienced, aggressive, and just unhinged enough to make things interesting, I knew this was going to be a battle.
And boy, was I right.
The TSW crowd was loud and electric—and, to my surprise, they seemed to like ol’ Plunkie. We kicked things off with some good, old-fashioned wrestling (imagine that). But Warsaw wasn’t too happy when I introduced the Texas crowd to a Tennessee tradition—the Fargo Strut. While the crowd loved it, Warsaw? Not so much.
Things got serious after he yanked my neck into the top rope. From there, I got the full Warsaw treatment—clotheslines, slams, and small joint manipulation. It was as rough as it sounds. But for every hit I took, I gave just as good. Jeremiah Plunkett doesn’t have a glass jaw, and I made sure Warsaw got familiar with my right hand.
However, there’s nothing quite like getting splattered on the concrete floor to ruin your momentum. Warsaw threw me from the floor to the apron, into the ring steps—trust me, those steps aren’t any softer in Texas. Smelling blood, he kept pouring on the punishment. Clotheslines, suplexes, and hard shots into the turnbuckles rained down, but I kept kicking out at two.
Frustrated, Warsaw whipped me into the ropes, looking to put me away for good. But I saw an opening. Two trapped arms later, and I had him locked in a crucifix pin for the three-count! And STILL Mid-America Heavyweight Champion…
But Warsaw wasn’t done. The moment the bell rang, he cracked the Mid-America title belt across my skull—just what I needed, another shot to the head. Fortunately, I’ve got friends in strange places, and out came Baron Von Storm to even the odds. With that unbreakable claw hold, the Baron sent Warsaw packing. To borrow a line from the legendary Gordon Solie, I bet Warsaw was feeling “Excedrin Headache Number 9.”
The Texas Style Wrestling show at the OC. Photo by Al Farat
With the ring taken down and the lights dimmed, it was time to catch a few hours of sleep before boarding the flight back to Tennessee. Another week, another title defense in the books.
Now we’re looking ahead to October 20th, and NWA Joe Cazana Promotions Southeast in Kingsport, TN!
Texas Style Wrestling can be watched a couple of ways. Either by downloading the TSWPlus App on iOS or Android OR go to TSWPlus.com to watch for FREE!
JEREMIAH PLUNKETT LINKS
- Jeremiah Plunkett story and column archive
- Jeremiah Plunkett socials via LinkTree
