The Bandera Brewery hosted a wrestling match on Saturday, Nov. 18, to raise money for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bandera and the Silver Sage Resource Center.
Announcer Lila Holmes oversaw the festivities and started the show off with a bout that featured pro-wrestler “The Crusader” Mark Von Erich grappling with “The Claw.”
“It’s a great night to be hanging out with me and having fun,” Von Erich said. “This bit is not all about wrestling, it’s a fundraiser for the Silver Sage and the Boys and Girls Club. It’s a fundraiser for them. It’s all about taking care of them. My hat’s off to them.”
The evening started off with songs from Jukebox Jenny, also known as Jennifer D’Spain, who gave a lively and upbeat performance.
A finalist of American Idol, D’Spain brought that same energy to the Brewery on Saturday night crooning popular tunes to get the audience warmed up for the evening’s entertainment.
Before the event, the wrestlers took pictures with fans and signed autographs. The meet and greet portion of the evening was well attended as fans took selfies and kids posed with their favorite stars. Even the adults seemed excited to speak to the wrestlers about the night’s entertainment.
The Dogg Pound Wrestlers put on an exceptional show. The family friendly event was a great place for Saturday night entertainment with the whole family.
Notables in the crowd were Silver Sage Executive Director Art Crawford, BISD Board President Brittney Hicks, BCBG Club Director Ron Gherman, BCBG Club Executive Director Amy Oullette and Bandera Mayor Rebecca Gibson.
Brewery owner John Oliver was pleased to see so many people attend the event.
“It’s going awesome tonight. We are getting celebrities here. I think if we keep doing this, we will quickly be known as the wrestling venue in Bandera,” remarked Oliver.
He also plans to upgrade the beer garden to make the area more engaging for events.
“It’s getting bigger and bigger, and the kids love it. It’s getting a little bit better each time,” Oliver related.
The brewery has hosted other wrestling events that drew between 500 and 700 people each to the events. The Dwarfanators were an especially popular draw to Bandera and have appeared twice at the Brewery.
Fans were able to take advantage of the Brewery’s great selection of beers, ales, wines and ciders. Jimmy Burger kept the food flowing to the audience during the event. The audience cheered and booed the wrestlers in turn. Everyone received great entertainment on a Saturday night.
