Post by Justin on Nov 20, 2019 19:01:27 GMT
Following up on rumors circulating on social media and across the national wrestling landscape, Lars Hagen made it official this morning that he would be making his return to promoting in Mobile, Alabama! He corroborated the story that he’d been developing a pilot for a studio wrestling television show tentatively titled Championship Wrestling from the Port City. The Port City Patriarch himself gave a small press conference from the offices of Volta Studios on Dauphin Street in downtown Mobile.
Hagen started off by announcing that this new promotion, the Gulf Coast Grappling Club, would have no ties to his son Karl Hagen’s House of Strong Style outside of retaining title lineage. However, the renamed Stong Style Grand Prix Heavyweight Championship would revert back to being billed as the Southern Heavyweight Championship! On the heels of that, Lars announced that Mushigihara himself would retain the championship that he won from Frank Dylan James at a HOSS event in December of 2018.
Speaking of the West Virginia Whack Job, the very next announcement was that Frank and his tag partner Go Gensai would not only be reforming the Ghost Army but that they would be recognized as GCGC’s inaugural Southern Tag Team Champions! When asked why he had named Frank and Go as champions he pointed to their undefeated record as a tag team and complete dominance over the division in HOSS.
When further pressed about the failed HOSS project Lars deflected, offering the opinion that his son Karl was not yet ready to take on the burdens of running a serious promotion, and that while Karl would be welcome to be a part of GCGC, he would not hold any position of power and would have no say in the company moving forward. Karl wasn’t there to speak for himself, but the rumor around the water cooler is that he would be managing his sons Hoyt and Bennet, the Hagen Boyz!
The next topic of conversation was the North American Wrestling Council, as it had long been rumored that HOSS was set to become a part of the Council before it’s closure. Lars said that he and NAWC kingpin Matt Saunders had a long history together in the business and should the GCGC take off there would definitely be an affiliation with the preeminent governing body in the wrestling world today!
When asked about the pilot and where he would be shopping it around Lars mentioned YouTube, FiteTV, PivotShare, and the XHF Network all by name but was noncommital about any further details, opting instead to describe the entire project as an “ever-evolving process” that was changing and growing with each passing day. He did stress that the GCGC was not meant to be nor were there any plans to become a touring promotion.
Lars wrapped up the event by promising something different. He also made a point to tease that he would have at least one Hall of Famer appearing on the pilot episode but gave no clues to as to whom it might be or in what capacity that they might appear. Each attending member of the press is said to have been given a press pass to attend and cover the first taping. No date for the show was given, but the venue itself would be a customized studio built and maintained by Volta Studios, a fast-growing and full-service name in cinematography and motion graphics that has studios in Mobile, AL as well as Atlanta, GA. Furthermore, the passes were handed out in envelopes with the words The Clubhouse printed in bold on the front.