Hillview Shepherdsville

65

Mount Washington

Lebanon Junction

BULLITT
NEIGHBORHOODS

LOCAL NEWS, FEATURES

SERVING HILLVIEW, LEBANON JUNCTION, MOUNT WASHINGTON, PIONEER VILLAGE AND SHEPHERDSVILLE www.courier-journal.com/bullitt

WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 28, 2009

Schools 6 | Sports 10-11 | Happenings 13 | Real Estate 15

Lords ring
of the
Beefy Wellington, left, and Manbeast battled during Ohio Valley Wrestling in Hillview.
STORY, PAGE 4
By Matt Stone, The Courier-Journal

09-10 school calendar

Bullitt public school students will get Thanksgiving week off but will lose all but one day of their fall break under the proposed 2009-10 calendar. READ STORY ON PAGE 2

Right to Life sets up

Kentucky Right to Life is forming a Bullitt County affiliate and held a recent meeting at the Ridgway library in Shepherdsville. READ STORY ON PAGE 5

www.courier-journal.com/bullitt NEIGHBORHOOD CLICKS: A photo section featuring you at events: online and inside, Pages 8-9. MY PET ROCKS! Meet this weeks winner and learn how to submit a photo, be a judge and possibly win a $50 gift card: online and inside, Page 3.

COURIER-JOURNAL WEB EXTRAS

COVER STORY

Wrestling with reality

Matches staged at Hillview Community Center bring out the screaming fans
By Emily Hagedorn
ehagedorn@courier-journal.com The Courier-Journal

Raul Loco holds up three fingers to the referee for the three counts he needs to pin Johnny Punch to the mat, clinching the Ohio Valley Wrestling television championship. The referee pounds the mat once, twice. As he comes down for No. 3, Johnny Punch jolts to life, screaming defiantly. Raul Loco grabs his own long, curly hair and throws his head back in frustration. Come on, Johnny, several people shout to the man with the bright yellow hair, gold boots and blue and gold Spandex shorts with JP on the butt. After flailing on the mat a few times, Johnny Punch stumbles to his feet. Wrestling is pain many in the audience will tell you despite what critics say. And Johnny Punch is feeling it after being beaten with a chair, flipped backward onto his head and punched, strangled and kicked more times than a body should bear. He milks every pain, getting more howls from the crowd. And the fans in the Hillview Community Center cant get enough. Louisville-based Ohio Valley Wrestling, which some consider the minor leagues of professional wrestling, has been coming to the small gym attached to Hillviews city offices for two years. Its one of Ohio Valley Wrestlings many stops, and Hillview fans get to see the bouts there every month or two. People out here like it, says Terry Bohannon, Hillviews recreation director. Weve had a lot of people leave here to go on to the WWE. Stars Cody Rhodes, of World

By Matt Stone, The Courier-Journal

Wrestler Johnny Punch posed with fan Ryan Mosley, who held Punchs championship belt before the wrestling action started.
Wrestling Entertainment, and ODB, a female wrestler of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, have cut their knuckles in the gym, which seats more than 100 on a busy night. About 70 people braved the cold to see the wrestlers Jan. 16. Donna Payton, 57, who lives near Churchill Downs, got to the gym early to secure her front-row seat. I like aggravating them, she says. Payton is one of Ohio Valley Wrestlings most vocal fans. Leaning over the chains that separate the ring area from the crowd, she shouts insults and encouragement to the wrestlers, sometimes eliciting responses. Idiot! Idiot! she shouts at the Insurgency tag team waving an Iraqi flag. You sit down! yells back Insurgencys Omar Akbar. Also chasing the prize for most vocal crowd members are Tom ORiley and Roger Petrocious, both of Camp Taylor. They have a pile of neon-bright posters to hold up at the appropriate moments. Many reference the Insurgency: U.S.A., Iraq sucks and Camel breath. Its a real life adventure, says ORiley. Ted The Manbeast McNaler, a camo-clad member of the Mobile Homers tag team, is one of their favorites. Some of the other colorful wrestlers include Manbeasts partner Adam Revolver, the thickbearded Igotta Brewski, blingin Dirty Money and the Theta Lambda Psi tag team of Brent Wellington and James Moose Thomas. Sisters Christina and Nicole Jessie of Hillview dont have a favorite, despite the differing personas. But 7-year-old Nicole would like to jump in the ring with them someday. They have a lot of action,

PAGE 4 | BULLITT

NEIGHBORHOODS | courier-journal.com/bullitt

The Courier-Journal | Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Nicole says. We cheer for all of them. Their grandfather Wendell Jessie brought the girls to see their first wrestling match firsthand. Its not bad for Hillview, he says. Not bad at all. Sitting in the corner of the gym is Ray Ramsey, events manager for Ohio Valley Wrestling. Are the matches staged? Who told you that? he asks. Im waiting to see what happens. Ramsey explains there is real-life drama between Raul Loco and Johnny Punch. They used to be partners but just had a little jealousy problem. Some of these guys have history, says Ramsey, a former wrestler. They settle it in the ring. Johnny Punch and Raul Loco seem to be settling a lot. In a last surge of energy, Johnny Punch overtakes Raul Loco in a matter of seconds. One, two, three times the ref pounds the mat. Johnny Punch will hold on to his championship belt after all. He lets out a triumphant yell as he leaves the gym to change and recoup in the nearby cafeteria.
Reporter Emily Hagedorn can be reached at (502) 582-7086.

IF YOU GO
Weekly TV tapings When: 6 p.m. Wednesdays Where: Davis Arena, 4400 Shepherdsville Road, Louisville Bell time: 7 p.m. Admission: $5. Air time: 11 p.m. Saturdays, WBKITV Upcoming live show When: Feb. 8. Where: Derby Park Expo Five, 2900 S. Seventh Street Road, Louisville. Doors open: 5 p.m.; bell time at 6 Admission: $6 in advance, $8 at door. Call: (502) 637-5218. Information: www.ovwrestling.com.

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