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UNION — This Saturday’s Trans-South Wrestling event promises a title defense and a non-wrestling award presentation, as well as the body slams, submission holds and theatrics that come with professional wrestling.

TSW will hold its first event of the year at 7:30 p.m. this Saturday at the Union County Fairgrounds.

TSW referee and lifelong Lockhart resident Tracy Gene Rash said this year promises to be the most exciting yet as the promotion approaches its two-year anniversary in April. Rash pointed out that TSW left fans hanging in December as the main event between champion Deon Johnson and second-generation star Reid Flair ended in controversy. Attempted interference by villain Rick Michaels backfired, setting Johnson up for the win over Flair, but Rash said what really shocked fans was the chaos which ensued directly following the match.

“Rick Michaels and Reid Flair jumped on Deon, and then Brandon Phoenix (Lockhart resident Matt Hudgins) came out and everybody thought he was going to help Deon out,” Rash said. “But then he jumped on Deon, too. Deon tried to fight all three guys off and was doing pretty good, but then Rick Michaels somehow threw a fire ball in Deon’s face. Nobody knew what to do.”

On Saturday, Johnson will enlist the help of fellow fan favorite Danny Dollar in a tag-team match against Michaels and Phoenix.

Rash mentioned that other TSW favorites such as Peter Kaasanova, Kameron Kade and Michael Frehley will also be in action along with some newcomers to TSW.

Rash also said a portion of the event will be reserved for something other than pro wrestling action.

“It’s a surprise — so I don’t want to say a whole lot — but we are going to recognize a special member of the community,” Rash said. “That is something we are going to start doing on a regular basis — maybe not at every event, but every so often.”

Concessions for Saturday’s event will be sold by InFocus Today Ministries. For more information about InFocus Today Ministries, visit www.infocustoday.org.

Find Trans-South Wrestling on Facebook at www.facebook.com/transsouthwrestling.

Staff Writer Derik Vanderford can be reached at 864-427-1234, ext. 29, or by email at dvanderford@civitasmedia.com.