FORNEY \u2014 Inside the OC Theater in Forney, Texas, Texas Style Wrestling (TSW) has built something that feels both familiar and new: a modern wrestling show rooted in the storytelling, athleticism, and fan connection that made professional wrestling a cultural phenomenon decades ago.<\/p>\n
The promotion brings together veteran wrestling minds, rising stars, and a production team working to deliver a television-ready product to audiences across Texas. Through a series of interviews with those behind the scenes and inside the ring, several of TSW\u2019s key personalities shared what drives the promotion and what fans can expect from its performers.<\/p>\n
Bob Mauldin: Building the Television Product<\/p>\n
For Bob Mauldin, executive producer for television and broadcast distribution at Texas Style Wrestling, the key to producing a successful wrestling broadcast begins with the live experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt starts with a fantastic live show and TSW presents that each and every time,\u201d Mauldin said. \u201cThere is a team of talented folks that make sure sound is right, lights are in the right places and that the cameras capture the action. But none of that means anything if you don\u2019t have great competitors with the drive to put it all on the line in the ring. And that\u2019s what our talent does every time they step through the curtain.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mauldin said the promotion\u2019s focus on strong competition and production quality has helped the show expand its television reach.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs of this writing we have only produced half of our one-year contract with our stations and all of them have invited us back for next year,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s about nine stations. We\u2019ve already added additional stations for the Fall 2026 TV season and starting in April we\u2019ll begin an aggressive campaign aimed at effectively doubling our number of stations.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that TSW programming is already reaching major Texas television markets.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are already popular in Dallas, Austin and Houston, some of the largest TV markets in the state.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mauldin said viewers should also keep an eye on the promotion\u2019s tag team division and its hometown champion.<\/p>\n
\u201cKeep an eye on our Texas Heavyweight Champion, Bam Bam Malone,\u201d Mauldin said. \u201cOur tag team division is on fire and teams are coming from all over the state to compete.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe Galli: The Atmosphere That Sets TSW Apart<\/p>\n
Joe Galli, operations director for the National Wrestling Alliance and the in-ring announcer for Texas Style Wrestling, said what impressed him most when he first saw the promotion was the talent.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most impressive part of Texas Style Wrestling is the talent,\u201d Galli said. \u201cBar none, they are some of the best athletes in Texas and really the rest of the country. It\u2019s a diverse group of men and women who understand how to make an incredible experience for the fans in the building and the fans watching at home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Galli said the combination of athleticism and character work helps make the show memorable.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe athleticism is exceptional. The characters are captivating. It\u2019s a show that is designed to make memories and keep fans coming back for more.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also praised the unique atmosphere created by the venue itself.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe atmosphere of TSW is unlike almost any other wrestling show you can attend,\u201d Galli said. \u201cIt\u2019s a souped-up version of the traditional studio wrestling style of the 1980s for a modern audience.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Galli, the OC Theater turned out to be an ideal setting for professional wrestling television.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know if Forney ISD envisioned this when they planned to build the OC Theater, but they ended up making the perfect venue for televised professional wrestling,\u201d he said. \u201cEvery seat is a good seat and it\u2019s so much more affordable than some other wrestling shows.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another key element is the connection fans can have with the wrestlers themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing able to meet wrestlers and have a picture taken with them can mean everything to a fan, especially a child,\u201d Galli said. \u201cSome places charge for that experience, but that\u2019s built into the price of the ticket for the show at TSW.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bam Bam Malone: Forney\u2019s Champion<\/p>\n
One of the most recognizable figures in Texas Style Wrestling is Forney native Bam Bam Malone, the inaugural Texas Style Wrestling Heavyweight Champion.<\/p>\n
For Malone, holding the title represents a dream realized.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means the world to me to be the inaugural Texas Style Wrestling heavyweight champion,\u201d Malone said. \u201cFrom the first time I saw the title I immediately thought \u2018that\u2019s going to be mine one day.\u2019 I never dreamed that not only would it be mine but I would be the first ever.\u201d<\/p>\n
Malone said defending the championship close to home carries special meaning.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means the world to me to be able to defend this title and bring it back to my hometown,\u201d he said. \u201cThe biggest thing I want to make known is that every little boy and little girl that comes to our shows I want them to know that I started out like them \u2014 just a kid in a small town with a big dream. If I can do it, anybody can.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inside the ring, Malone describes his style as aggressive and relentless.<\/p>\n
\u201cI lean more toward a brawler style, but I\u2019m not afraid to leave my feet and go airborne if needed,\u201d Malone said. \u201cWhen you watch Bam Bam Malone wrestle you should expect to get 100 percent effort and 150 percent excitement.\u201d<\/p>\n
James Beard: A Lifetime in Wrestling<\/p>\n
Few people involved with Texas Style Wrestling have a deeper history in the sport than James Beard, the promotion\u2019s senior official and television producer.<\/p>\n
Beard\u2019s path into professional wrestling began in an unlikely place \u2014 the music scene.<\/p>\n
While performing regularly around the Dallas\u2013Fort Worth area, he met a number of wrestlers who frequented the venues where his band played.<\/p>\n
Eventually, they encouraged him to step into the ring as a referee.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat role felt very natural to me,\u201d Beard said. \u201cAfter working a few small shows around the area, I was asked to come to work at the Sportatorium.\u201d<\/p>\n
From there, Beard\u2019s career expanded to include work overseas and creative roles behind the scenes in wrestling promotions across the world.<\/p>\n
He has also authored a book about his career, The Third Man: My Life and Times Inside the Ring and Out, and recently completed a second book chronicling his time in Japan, the NWA, and other wrestling organizations.<\/p>\n
Beard also worked on the film The Iron Claw, serving as an advisor during the filming of the wrestling scenes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI worked closely with them in giving advice as to how the wrestlers they were portraying would act and react in the ring,\u201d Beard said. \u201cZac Efron was totally dedicated to the part and did an amazing job of becoming Kevin Von Erich in the ring.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even after more than 40 years in professional wrestling, Beard says the business has a way of keeping people involved.<\/p>\n
He remembers advice once given to him by legendary wrestling manager Skandor Akbar.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re ever really a part of the wrestling business, you cannot truly retire from it,\u201d Beard said. \u201cYou either die or stop getting booked.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beard smiled as he reflected on that statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m living proof of that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"FORNEY \u2014 Inside the OC Theater in Forney, Texas, Texas Style Wrestling (TSW) has built something that feels…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":203051,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[80107,37435,160,162,161],"class_list":["post-203050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-plano","tag-a-a-a-a","tag-inforney-com","tag-plano","tag-plano-headlines","tag-plano-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203050","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=203050"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203050\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/203051"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=203050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=203050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=203050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}