WildKat Sports is more than just a professional wrestling federation; it's a training center and a vibrant part of the New Orleans, Louisiana community. Founded by the internationally recognized independent wrestler and Hollywood stuntman, Luke Hawx, along with his former business partner Orlando Jordan, WildKat has become a leading force in both Louisiana and the broader independent wrestling scene.
WildKat Sports prides itself on delivering thrilling wrestling action to fans in the New Orleans area. They offer a gateway for aspiring wrestlers to hone their skills and make their mark in the industry. With extensive online programming, fans can also enjoy gripping moments, heated rivalries, and awe-inspiring matches from the comfort of their homes.
A wrestling match in progress, showcasing the action and excitement of the sport.
The Foundation and Early Days
In November 2011, WildKat joined forces with Della Koen, a local businesswoman and entrepreneur, to promote bi-monthly live shows across the Greater New Orleans Metro area. This collaboration helped solidify WildKat's presence and expand its reach within the community.
BuKu Dao was part of the first WildKat class, starting his training in 2011 and working his first match in 2012. He kept his wrestling aspirations a secret from his parents, who had strict expectations for his career path.
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Flamingo and Spade were part of the second class. WildKat founder Luke Hawx assumed Flamingo wanted to be a referee when he walked in the door wearing the khakis and button-up shirt he wore in his day gig as a salesman. “No, I’m here to get my head kicked in,” Flamingo told him.
A wrestling ring, the center stage for all the action and drama.
Revolution Rumble: A Landmark Event
The Revolution Rumble is WildKat’s biggest event of the year. The 14th-anniversary show featured appearances by “The Franchise” Shane Douglas, ECW’s “Queen of Extreme” Francine, and WWE veterans Ron Simmons and JBL, along with wrestlers from across the Gulf South.
The “I Quit” match between J. Spade and Danny Flamingo early in the indie promotion’s history showed them what was possible.
They took over Just Eat Me Sweets in Metairie and shot a commercial that ended up with a bakery-themed good fight. Danny Flamingo choked out Antonio Rossi with bread dough while Luke Hawx gnawed on the skull of Simon Philips, whose face pressed against a display case filled with cookies. Dao dove off the counter and took down Revolution Champion Mickey Drama with a chocolate cake as a weapon, and even though the move didn’t make the final cut, his t-shirt paid the price.
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The WildKat tag champs have a playful streak, and when the two of them dispatched their opponents during last year’s Revolution Rumble match, Dao went under the ring and pulled out a Rock’em Sock’em Robots game. They fought with the boxing robots while waiting for the next entrant, and once they threw him over the top rope and to the floor, they resumed to the game.
History of Professional Wrestling
Key Figures and Memorable Matches
Luke Hawx: The founder and current CEO of Wildkat Sports, known for his wrestling career and stunt work in Hollywood films like Logan and The Fate of the Furious.
BuKu Dao: A key figure in WildKat, known for his dedication and contributions both as a wrestler and a coach.
Danny Flamingo and J. Spade: Part of the second WildKat class, they were involved in a meaningful feud in 2014 that culminated in an "I Quit" match at Revolution Rumble.
They had a feud for much of 2014 that grew out of a tag match with Spade and WildKat’s Purple Haze facing Flamingo and Ricky Starks, who wrestles now in NXT as Ricky Saints.
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The showmanship side took longer to come together because “I am shy by nature,” he says. “It took me years to get where I am now where I’m comfortable with talking.” Now he’s not only good on the mic but he can be funny, a skill not all wrestlers possess. He credits working with BuKu for that, both as students early on and later as the tag team Slime SZN.
Over the course of the year, Flamingo won one match by downing Spade with a low blow, and when Spade beat him clean the next time they faced each other, Flamingo left the ring then returned to beat Spade down and spit on him. They had built the feud to a point where it could only be resolved with a high stakes blow off match.
At one point, Flamingo recalls, “You laid me across the top turnbuckle and you were kicking me and kicking me.”
“I gave you the kicks,” Spade says.
“Then you gave me the big kick and knocked me off the side.”
“You flew off.”
“Then I tumbled down to the floor and that’s where I grabbed a chair on the outside.”
“At that point, I was panting because I had done so much shit and I wasn’t really breathing properly,” Spade says. He was gassed but knew that if he could run to the ropes one more time, he’d get a break. “I hit the ropes, I run, I close my eyes and BOOM.”
Late in the match, the roles were reversed and the crowd was ecstatic. “I’m down, I’m duct taped, and Spade’s going to town on me with a kendo stick,” Flamingo says. He started to bruise but Spade kept going.
Flamingo tried to rotate so Spade could hit a spot that didn’t already hurt, but Spade didn’t realize that and rotated with him, inadvertently working the same arm over and over until Flamingo finally said, “I quit.”
WildKat Pro Wrestling continues to thrive, bringing the excitement and passion of professional wrestling to New Orleans and beyond.