Show-Me State Wrestling co-owners Jeremy Harrison and Gordon Atkins remember their wrestling journeys starting in Mexico.

The Fulton-native Harrison and Salem-native Atkins started this Jefferson City-based wrestling company two years ago and are bringing a show to Mexico for the first time on Saturday, July 25. The Missouri National Guard Armory at 917 West Curtis Street was where the pair began training as wrestlers in 1997 before they eventually became promoters.

“The very first time we ever wrestled or trained in pro wrestling was in the Mexico armory for Midwest Renegade Wrestling,” Harrison said. “We really wanted to get back in that building because that takes us back 30 years. It was a long haul because they were remodeling, but it’s our first show in Mexico.”

Harrison said he and Atkins trained with Midwest Renegade wrestling before training with legend Harley Race. When they moved away from being wrestlers, or when “real life got in the way,” Harrison said he and Atkins worked for Race, then opened a company called Show-Me Wrestling in 2011 and finally worked for a wrestling company based out of Eldon for eight or nine years. When the owner of that company didn’t sell to them, they started Show-Me State Wrestling (SSW).

Since then, SSW has held shows monthly from March to November. SSW is on various social media platforms, including with more than 2,000 Facebook followers and more than 9,500 Youtube subscribers. The company has themes attached to their show depending on the town, and Brick City Recon made sense for Mexico. 

“We try to look up what the town is known for,” Harrison said. “It brought up brick, and we’re going to be at the National Guard building so how do we mix the two together? We took a ride to St. Louis for a wrestling show, and the whole way there, we just threw names at each other and came up with Brick City Recon.”

Atkins said fans can expect a “high-energy, family-friendly professional wrestling event featuring live matches, local talent, and visiting competitors from across the Midwest.” The family-friendly label is important to SSW because they want people of various ages to enjoy the show.

“The last 30 years of pro wrestling on TV has hindered local companies because everybody thinks it’s cursing, nudity or blood,” Harrison said, “Cursing and blood, not nudity, has a place in wrestling if you use it right. We are family-friendly in the aspect of we’re very old-school. We want you to cheer for the good guys and boo the bad guys. We want you to believe for the two-and-a-half hours that you’re there, like you when you go to the movies, you get lost in it.”

Harrison said SSW doesn’t try to curse, blood only happens accidently and anything “out of the ordinary” has to be approved with Missouri being a commissioned state. He said it’s like a “PG-13 movie” where the fans can go home happy.

SSW has local wrestlers from St. Louis and Kansas City, but Harrison said they also have or have had talent from all over the country like Tennessee, Arkansas, Illinois, Rhode Island, Florida and Texas. He said all of them are professionals with years of wrestling experience who are “great guys” who love interacting with the fans, taking photos before the show and during an intermission.

“From bell to bell, you’re going to have action,” Harrison said. “There’s going to be a 15-minute intermission just so we can sell some merchandise and food. There is no lolly-gagging or down time. The minute you sit in your seat, you need to stay in your seat because you’re going to miss something.”

Harrison added the person they have making the food for a majority of the show is “a great cook” who provides “good quality food for a decent price.”

Doors open at 5 p.m. and the show should start at 6 p.m. Tickets will be sold online via a link that can be found in the Facebook event up until the first bell. They also can be purchased in-person at The Drunken Pig in town until the day of the show around 1 p.m. and at the door of the venue.

“You’re going to have a blast,” Harrison said. “It’s not the WWE, but these guys are very talented, very trained and know what they’re doing. It’s a great show.”