If you don't know, Shreveport is one of the foundational pillars of professional wrestling. In the 1970s and 1980s, Mid-South Wrestling called Shreveport home for their weekly syndicated television broadcasts. Featuring legendary Hall of Fame stars like Ric Flair, Andre The Giant, Dusty Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, Jim Duggan, Butch Reed, and many more.

The biggest professional wrestling company in the world, WWE (or World Wresting Entertainment), is well aware of that history too. In fact, they're going to be making history in Shreveport by hosting an event featuring their NXT brand at the history Shreveport Municipal Auditorium.

But in the 80s, the WWE (then known as the WWF) was a rival of sorts for Mid-South. The WWF was a territory based in New York City, and would often compete with territories like Mid-South for talent.

The history of Shreveport's wrestling lives on within WWE. In fact, when WWE was putting together their 1980s wrestling parody known as Southpaw Regional Wrestling, they knew there was only one city to use.

WWE via Youtube.com
WWE via Youtube.com
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When Southpaw went live on the WWE Network and WWE's YouTube channel, their focus was 1980s based wrestling promos, similar to those that were shot at Shreveport's Irish McNeil Boys & Girls Club (formerly on the State Fairgrounds) or at the KTBS studios in Shreveport. Superstar John Cena acted as the main commentator, a role that Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim Ross held in Shreveport for Mid-South.

By the second season of Southpaw, they had focused their attention on their large event, Showdown At The Swamp, which would be held in August of 1986 in Shreveport. Interestingly the name chosen for their show was Municipal Stadium, almost acknowledging both the Municipal Auditorium and State Fairgrounds (where Independence Stadium is located), in a tip of the cap to Shreveport.

The video series is not only hilarious, but packed with some of the biggest names in modern pro wrestling. In addition to Cena, the legendary Chris Jericho makes multiple appearances. Along with mega-stars and champions Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan, The Miz, Dolph Ziggler, and AJ Styles as a car salesman from a lot off I-10, Malibu Al...

WWE via Youtube.com
WWE via Youtube.com
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Over a dozen other wrestlers make appearances, including an old Mid-South star, who wrestled in Shreveport multiple times, Michael P.S. Hayes of The Fabulous Freebirds.

Southpaw Regional Wrestling is a hilarious trip down memory lane, without actually having any memories of this stuff. Because none of this every happened in the 1980s. Some fo these wrestlers weren't even born yet when Mid-South started in Shreveport. But they do such an amazing job channeling old school Shreveport wrestling, it feels like you've seen it before.

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