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FAIRMONT — Tim Cross has done just about every job possible in the pro wrestling industry.
Cross, who was born in Norfolk, Virginia, moved to Marion County as a young child. He’s always been a fan of pro wrestling, and got into the industry in the mid-2000s. And from there, he spent over a decade in various roles.
“I had basically three years wrestling and eight years of behind-the-scenes,” he said. “Basically I've been everything, from a trainee to a wrestler to an owner to a promoter to a booker to a PA guy. I’ve done everything. [2026] will be my 20th year in the business.”
But he never really planned to own his own pro wrestling promotion company. But after about a decade in the industry, he and a friend started a Facebook page designed for fans to discuss pro wrestling, and from there, things eventually evolved into the formation of a company known as Real Shoot Wrestling.
“It all just happened. It kind of fell into place. A friend of mine was on a Facebook group and got into some trouble on it. He approaches me and asks if I’d be interested in starting a Facebook group with him, where fans could talk about wrestling. I knew some people, and had some actual legit wrestlers on the page. So my buddy and I started talking a lot on there, and we’re starting to get a following across different social media platforms,” Cross said.
“One night as a joke, some guys had made their characters in a video game, and we went on Facebook live with that. It was popular, and from there we started our own e-fed type of thing. Then a guy approaches me and says, I’m thinking about starting a promotion, can we call it Real Shoot Wrestling. I asked why, and he said, well you already have a built in fan base. I took over after the third show, and I've been the guy ever since.”
For a lot of people like Cross, who had never been in an ownership position, it could be intimidating, and likely many would crash and burn on their first endeavour. But Cross had absorbed a lot during his time in the industry, and put his experience to good use.
“I had helped when I first started, but I was a sponge for 11 years before this ever happened,” he said. “Anybody that was in a position where I’d want to be, I kept my mouth shut and listened. I learned a lot from [WCW wrestlers] Kevin Sullivan and Col. Robert Parker, and a lot of guys on the independent circuit. I listen to those guys, and when something comes up on my end, I have those memories and those situations to refer back to. There’s a lot of audibles in pro wrestling.”
Since its formation, RSW has grown from a local promotion to one that stages shows across the East Coast, ranging from Ohio to Connecticut, while still maintaining a strong base in North Central West Virginia.
“We love the fact that we’re very homegrown based, but we’ve also grown bigger than just that at this point,” Cross said.
Since its founding, RSW has featured top-tier talent that you’ve likely seen on your television screens at one point or another. Stars that have wrestled in an RSW ring include current WWE stars Je’Von Evans, Lexis King, Saquon Shugars and Jackson Drake, former WWE star Matt Riddle, former AEW star and Every Time I Die guitarist The Butcher, and pro wrestling legends such as Ricky Morton and Chave Guerrero Jr. — and in the face of the rising cost of ticket prices to attend mainstream shows, they offer an affordable alternative to see action without travelling hours to the closest cities.
“We’re here to give people an experience a lot of families aren’t able to get now,” Cross said. “And we’re one of those companies that want you to come in and experience pro wrestling.”
“There’s a whole lot of independent wrestling out there where it's a dude with an old hunk of a ring and guys that look like they fell out of Hot Topic, and it's not something you feel like you want to spend your money on. So we want to give fans that chance to experience a pro wrestling show. And you never know who you’re going to end up seeing.”
For more information on shows, you can visit the company’s website at rswlivepro.com, or follow RSW on Facebook and Instagram.
Continue reading...
Cross, who was born in Norfolk, Virginia, moved to Marion County as a young child. He’s always been a fan of pro wrestling, and got into the industry in the mid-2000s. And from there, he spent over a decade in various roles.
“I had basically three years wrestling and eight years of behind-the-scenes,” he said. “Basically I've been everything, from a trainee to a wrestler to an owner to a promoter to a booker to a PA guy. I’ve done everything. [2026] will be my 20th year in the business.”
But he never really planned to own his own pro wrestling promotion company. But after about a decade in the industry, he and a friend started a Facebook page designed for fans to discuss pro wrestling, and from there, things eventually evolved into the formation of a company known as Real Shoot Wrestling.
“It all just happened. It kind of fell into place. A friend of mine was on a Facebook group and got into some trouble on it. He approaches me and asks if I’d be interested in starting a Facebook group with him, where fans could talk about wrestling. I knew some people, and had some actual legit wrestlers on the page. So my buddy and I started talking a lot on there, and we’re starting to get a following across different social media platforms,” Cross said.
“One night as a joke, some guys had made their characters in a video game, and we went on Facebook live with that. It was popular, and from there we started our own e-fed type of thing. Then a guy approaches me and says, I’m thinking about starting a promotion, can we call it Real Shoot Wrestling. I asked why, and he said, well you already have a built in fan base. I took over after the third show, and I've been the guy ever since.”
For a lot of people like Cross, who had never been in an ownership position, it could be intimidating, and likely many would crash and burn on their first endeavour. But Cross had absorbed a lot during his time in the industry, and put his experience to good use.
“I had helped when I first started, but I was a sponge for 11 years before this ever happened,” he said. “Anybody that was in a position where I’d want to be, I kept my mouth shut and listened. I learned a lot from [WCW wrestlers] Kevin Sullivan and Col. Robert Parker, and a lot of guys on the independent circuit. I listen to those guys, and when something comes up on my end, I have those memories and those situations to refer back to. There’s a lot of audibles in pro wrestling.”
Since its formation, RSW has grown from a local promotion to one that stages shows across the East Coast, ranging from Ohio to Connecticut, while still maintaining a strong base in North Central West Virginia.
“We love the fact that we’re very homegrown based, but we’ve also grown bigger than just that at this point,” Cross said.
Since its founding, RSW has featured top-tier talent that you’ve likely seen on your television screens at one point or another. Stars that have wrestled in an RSW ring include current WWE stars Je’Von Evans, Lexis King, Saquon Shugars and Jackson Drake, former WWE star Matt Riddle, former AEW star and Every Time I Die guitarist The Butcher, and pro wrestling legends such as Ricky Morton and Chave Guerrero Jr. — and in the face of the rising cost of ticket prices to attend mainstream shows, they offer an affordable alternative to see action without travelling hours to the closest cities.
“We’re here to give people an experience a lot of families aren’t able to get now,” Cross said. “And we’re one of those companies that want you to come in and experience pro wrestling.”
“There’s a whole lot of independent wrestling out there where it's a dude with an old hunk of a ring and guys that look like they fell out of Hot Topic, and it's not something you feel like you want to spend your money on. So we want to give fans that chance to experience a pro wrestling show. And you never know who you’re going to end up seeing.”
For more information on shows, you can visit the company’s website at rswlivepro.com, or follow RSW on Facebook and Instagram.
Continue reading...
