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Best Upcoming Pro Wrestling Shows Near DFW

Professional wrestling remains one of the most successful forms of entertainment and has been so for decades. When it comes to the DFW area, Dallas has a rich reputation in wrestling, the home of the classic, and now defunct, World Class Championship Wrestling with the Von Erich family still as legends in the Dallas Metroplex area. With that said, there is not as much wrestling in the DFW area as there was in the past, but there are still events to catch on occasion, and there are some great shows coming to the DFW area in the later portion of 2016. Here are the best upcoming pro wrestling shows near DFW.
WWE Smackdown Live
American Airlines Center
2500 Victory Ave
Dallas, TX 75219
(214) 222-3687
www.wwe.comDate: August 30, 2016 at 6 p.m.

The WWE recently went through what they called the brand split, where WWE Monday Night Raw and WWE Smackdown Live split up the rosters and each brand got their own distinctive lineup. One of the things that resulted from this was that WWE Smackdown Live became a live show and Dallas not only gets to host one of the live Smackdown televised events, but they get to host the second one after the huge SummerSlam pay-per-view. Superstars that DFW fans will get to see at the huge Smackdown Live event include John Cena, Dean Ambrose, Randy Orton, Dolph Ziggler, Bray Wyatt, The Miz, AJ Styles, Alberto Del Rio, The Usos, and more.

Rhode To Setting The Bar
St. Jude Hall
2625 S Cooper St
Arlington, TX 76015
(817) 461-6269
www.facebook.com/PCWTXDate: Sept. 8, 2016 at 7 p.m.

While everyone knows about the WWE, and many wrestling fans also follow companies like Ring of Honor and TNA Impact Wrestling, there is also a huge number of indie promotions working cities everywhere, including the DFW area. Professional Championship Wrestling has two cards coming up in Dallas at St. Jude Hall and this is bigger than a normal indie wrestling show. Cody Rhodes, the second generation star who asked for his release from the WWE earlier this year is touring the nation, wrestling people who he considers dream matches. On the first of these shows, Rhodes faces Chris Hero, another former WWE talent who happens to be one of the top indie wrestlers in the world today.  There is also a meet-and-greet before the show at 6 p.m.

Setting The Bar III
St. Jude Hall
2625 S Cooper St
Arlington, TX 76015
(817) 461-6269
www.facebook.com/PCWTXDate: Sept. 9, 2016 at 7 p.m.

While Cody Rhodes is clearly the selling point of night one of the Professional Championship Wrestling double-header, night two has some amazing talents on hand that most wrestling fans should recognize. Leading the way is Zack Sabre Jr., who might be the best wrestler in the world that is not signed to a major company. Fans who watch the WWE Cruiserweight Classic on the WWE Network will have seen him compete there. Also on this show is TNA Impact Wrestling star DJ Z, Global Force Wrestling star Sonjay Dutt, and Lucha Underground star AR Fox.There is a meet-and-greet at 6:30 p.m.

Related: Best CrossFit Gyms In DFW

Ring Of Honor Wrestling
Arlington Convention Center
1200 Ballpark Way
Arlington, TX 76011
(817) 459-5000
www.arlingtoncc.comDate: Nov. 3, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.

After the WWE, there are a few companies jockeying for the position of the second biggest professional wrestling company in North America. Of those, TNA Impact Wrestling and Ring of Honor are the top two contenders, both with national television deals. Ring of Honor is coming back to the DFW area, following an impressive pair of shows in Dallas back in March. The next Ring of Honor show in the DFW area takes place at the Arlington Convention Center in November for the first night of the annual Survival of the Fittest events. Night two is in San Antonio one night later. There are no matches or talent scheduled yet, but tickets are already on sale.

Metroplex Wrestling
MPX Event Center
510 Harwood Road Suite D
Bedford TX 76021
(682) 422-9452
www.facebook.com/MPXWrestlingDate: Every other weekend

Metroplex Wrestling, also known as MPX Wrestling, is one of the only consistently ran independent wrestling promotions located in the DFW area. They started out in 2009 and offer shows every other weekend at the MPX Event Center in Bedford, Texas, just east of Dallas. They also offer a training school for anyone who wants to try out a career in professional wrestling. Fans aren't likely to see any name talents on the cards, but for those in regular attendance, there is a chance to get to know the local talents and develop a new fandom that is completely a DFW experience.

Related: Best DFW Gyms That Provide Child Care

Shawn S. Lealos is a freelance writer who graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2000 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. He writes for a variety of national publications and has over 15 years of sports journalism experience. Follow Shawn on Twitter @sslealos. Examiner.com.
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