Relentless Pro Wrestling is a regional professional wrestling promotion business based out of Orange, CA. It’s owned and run by Tom Duprey.
Even though Duprey spent years following big promotions like the WWE, he only became aware of regional promotions in the mid-2010’s.
As a long-time wrestling fan, he decided to sink his teeth into the industry in 2017.
He took the initiative to take courses on professional wrestling management and promotion at Santino Bros. Wrestling Academy, a pro-wrestling school based out of Bell Gardens.
RPW organized and presented it’s first event in 2022. Since then, they’ve held nine events. All but one of which were in the City of Orange. In this short time, they have contributed significantly to the regional professional wrestling scene, and served as an important pillar in the niche for both fans and competitors.
Being from the area and active within the community, Duprey was born in Long Beach and is a resident of Orange, he saw an opportunity to offer something new to residents of the City of Orange: high-quality professional wrestling based in the city center at the American Legion located in the Orange Circle.
“I wanted us to present this like another contact sport,” says Duprey, “We treat it as though it’s absolutely real.
On April 27th, RPW did just that. In front of a sold-out crowd, wrestling fans young and old were privy to some very real, and at times scary, high-flying and hard-hitting action.
Tom even made an appearance early in the show in character, as the general manager of RPW, Mr. Billy Bonds, “When I am in the building, I am not Tom Duprey, I am Billy Bonds.”
Co-headlining the event was a women’s match between up-and-coming prospect Jessica Roden, who dons the moniker “J-Rod” and Zoe DuBois, the “Black Swan”.
Roden is an Ohio native who’s trained by members of the famed Anoa’i and Fatu families’, whose lineage can be traced to the ultra-famous Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and current WWE flagship talent Roman Reigns.
In the main event, “Slice Boogie”, whose real name is a mystery, took on “The Inferno” Abdul Kader. Their match was for the So-Cal Heavyweight belt, the naming of which Duprey admits is somewhat controversial.
“By naming my titles regionally and not promotionally,” Duprey says, “as far as I personally am concerned, the holder of that title is the wrestling is the Heavyweight wrestling king of Southern California.”
Slice Boogie, who ended up winning his match and consequently becoming the So-Cal Heavyweight Champion, explained his nickname is one he picked up in the mean streets of Queens New York, where he grew up. Characteristics of which are front and center in the way he presents himself in front of the crowd.
“It’s just something that comes from the streets, when I was asked to pick a name, it’s the only thing that felt right.”
Some people are just born to do this sort of thing I suppose.
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