From Bill Behrens
I first entered the former high school gym located at 4236 Level Grove Rd in 1999. By the end of 2001 I was the one renting the building. When I first got there, it had no inside plumbing. Once it got bathrooms the pipes would freeze and break regularly, the electric wiring was questionable, it was frequently infested with bees, it had no central heating nor air conditioning. Yet it was perfect. As the home of my NWA Wildside it became an important destination for wrestlers, the place to be discovered in the SE, the place to learn how to work on television, the place to be. Early on the TV show produced there was seen all over the United States and in the UK, the 3rd largest distribution. Wrestlers traveled there from all over the United States not because of the payday but rather the opportunity. Today many appear on wrestling’s largest stages.
WCW sent its wrestlers to be developed there. When TNA was preparing for launch, Jeremy Borash, Ed Ferrara and Don West practiced there. In 2005 it was to be where WWE’s newest development promotion would produce TV. Tommy Dreamer and Fit Findley visited, and Tommy said “this place is perfect”, “ECW would have loved this”, and then added “Vince would hate it”.
That was part of its charm. At first glance when you drive up to the building it is at best underwhelming, but once you are inside you discover one of the greatest and most important sites for professional wrestling of the 21st century. When the lights came on, the popcorn popped, the music played and the wrestling occurred it became a magical place to be. It was celebrated a few years ago in an Emmy winning WSB-TV news feature. It held many names over its 25 years. It was the NCW Arena, NWA Arena, briefly The AJ Styles Arena, The Church of Southern Wrestling, claimed to be the Mike Posey Arena by Posey, and finally it was labeled the Landmark Arena, the name it will take to its grave.
I do not morn its death rather celebrate its life. Who knows how my career in professional wrestling would have turned out if I had not had that building as the home for NWA Wildside. Who knows how many wrestling careers might have never happened without that building being there year after year, show after show. Its place in wrestling history is secured as it will remain alive in my memory and the memory of thousands of others.
Only regret I have is that I did not promote its last show and been there to turn out the lights for the last time. Goodbye Old Mud Creek School Gym.
From "The Rev" Dan Wilson
RIP Landmark Arena (formerly the NCW Arena, formerly the NWA Arena, The Church Of Southern Wrestling, etc). Everything great I've gotten to do in wrestling was because of what we did there in the early 2000s & I'm honored to be one of the very elite few in it's Hall Of Fame.
From Hold My Beer Hanson
What do I say?
What can I say?
I am a firm believer of magic and spirits.
And my first time walking into the Landmark Arena I felt a heavy spiritual pressure.
It was like the souls of the building that have graced it left a little bit there for the next to experience.
Matt Hankins was gracious to let me within those halls and face the then Logan Creed in my debut Match.
It was a make or break moment and I knew I had to stick with my guns while Creed carried me through that match.
Over time the plan was set in motion and when a certain false "hero" in Jacob Ashworth sought to reclaim his glory, I made it my mission to take him off his pedestal.
Little did I know the help I accepted would come to bite me as another old and beaten down soul in Azriel would turn on me. Causing me to take matters into my hands and put another one of the Landmarks heroes down.
At the time I did not think that would be the last time I'd step foot in that arena, I did not know I was the last match, main event, last person to bleed.
I got to experience a sliver of greatness in that building. If only I would have seen what came before me in person.
Thank you for lending me your energy.
Thank you for the stage.
Thank you for accepting my sacrifice in blood.
And thank you #LandmarkArena
From Dany Only
That building was something else. Personally, I spent many nights alone in this building when I was running shows. Many of them were nights crying because I was in a mix of “I can’t believe I’m running here!!” And “I’m never gonna live up to the hype”.
Does not matter which one it was. The fact that I even got a chance to step foot in the building I watched with baited breath from my cubicle in Germany, waiting to get stationed in America again, was something I’m eternally grateful for.
Then to be a part of arguably one of the most loved tag-teams of its last 10 years, to be main event in many “big shows”, and to participate in some of the most brutal matches in that places history (Told to ME by others that have been there since the WILDSIDE days) truly humbled me.
I will always cherish the relationships I made there, the laughter backstage, the moments that we can’t talk about, and yes, even the heartbreak of losing, forever.
From Sal Rinauro
…seiromem emoceb sah etutuf ehT
…llet dluoc sllaw eseht seirots ehT
…uoy knahT
#wonkuoywonkuoyfI
