Why Louisiana is Getting Pinned: The State of Major Pro Wrestling Tours in the Bayou

Pro-wrestling might be going through a massive boom era, with AEW and WWE both showing huge attendance numbers at show after show, but for fans in the Ark-La-Tex, the high adrenaline action has felt a little distant. The big promotions rarely roll through town, and with the recent news about Wrestlemania 42 being rescheduled away from New Orleans still fresh on the mind of many who crave that live spectacle. With the bright lights of the wrestling big leagues shining elsewhere, a question remains: Can Louisiana's vibrant indie wrestling scene step into the spotlight and provide what Shreveport fans yearn for?

The Big Leagues Left a Void in Shreveport's Wrestling Scene

Shreveport was once a mainstay of Mid-South Wrestling, one of the premier wrestling promotions of its time. After the territory system was killed off in favor of Vince McMahon's WWF (later renamed WWE) and Ted Turner's WCW, only the latter of the two regularly made the state of Louisiana part of its schedule.

WWE has slowed down on its live show schedule in recent years, and as part of that, the Shreveport area hasn't seen a single show from the titan of sports entertainment. AEW is inarguably WWE's largest competitor, and one of its youngest. Despite AEW running multiple international shows yearly, they've only dropped by the Bayou State for 7 shows.

Earlier this year, WWE caused turmoil in the wrestling world when it canceled plans to hold the next WrestleMania in New Orleans in favor of Las Vegas. A move that goes to show just how much Louisiana seems to matter to pro-wrestling's biggest players.

Shreveport: An Untapped Market for Indie Wrestling

When Vince McMahon took the reins of the WWF back in the day, his biggest accomplishment was the destruction of the old ways wrestling used to rely on. In the days of the territories, each region of North America had one wrestling company that ran shows through the area, and other companies would respect the boundaries as long as they were respected. When McMahon bought out companies and trampled over invisible lines, the husk of the territories evolved into independent wrestling as we know it today.

It's almost like the minor leagues in the world of pro-wrestling, there's less money and usually, athletes are still fresh and might not be as dazzling as a John Cena or a Ric Flair. But the indies still carry the torch of a tradition and business full of heart, and Louisiana is full of indie promotions and schools like Wildcat Wrestling in New Orleans.

But for Shreveport, there's no wrestling promotion regularly making the city a stop. According to wrestling database Cagematch.net, there hasn't been a single wrestling show from WWE, AEW, or an independent promotion in Shreveport since WWE hosted an NXT live show in 2020.

Shreveport is a city steeped in wrestling history, with a fan base that still shows out when Geek'd Con brings in stars from wrestling's past. It's a prime market for an independent wrestling promotion to tap into and cultivate a dedicated fan base of supporters.