Westside Gunn's 4th Rope promotion aims to merge cultures and create a new space for longtime fans

Yahoo

21-03-2025

AUSTIN, Texas — Professional wrestling's relationship with hip-hop has always been more of a fling than a full fledged commitment.
Standout moments like Scott Hall's 'Ready or Not' ECW entrance or the earliest segments of Master P's 'No Limit Soldiers' WCW stable exist on the same plane as 'Akeem The African Dream'. WrestleManias have featured some of hip-hop's biggest acts, with Salt-N-Pepa playing NFL Hall-of-Famer Lawrence Taylor to the ring for Wrestlemania XII, and Snoop Dogg becoming a Wrestlemania weekend mainstay, both musically and in-ring. For the last decade, rapper Wale, and creators Kazeem Famuyide and Emilio Sparks have made the most of their friendships, connections and talent to produce "Walemania," the unofficial Wrestlemania weekend kickoff that's part concert, part Hall of Fame induction and all around acknowledgment of what the two cultures mean to one another.
More recently, WWE's 'Bad Blood' premium live event in Atlanta featured a "who's who" of the city's biggest rappers, from Quavo to Lil Baby and Travis Scott, would be the third man in The Rock's new take on The Corporation, assisting Rock and John Cena in a beatdown of WWE Champion Cody Rhodes at Elimination Chamber.
If you've watched WWE or AEW programming over the last few years, amidst the fans in the camera side front row, you've likely seen a heavily tattooed man adorned with heavier jewelry and a firm, yet friendly scowl amongst the more traditional attendees. Buffalo's Westside Gunn, referred to as 'FlyGod' for his boastful lines and extravagant style, spent the last few years ingratiating himself to promotions and talents alike, while naming projects, songs and dedicating references to wrestlers from the 80s, 90s and those currently performing.
While he'd make scheduled appearances on television, like walking out fellow Buffalo native and current AEW TNT champion Daniel Garcia in 2022, he wanted to go further than special attraction status. He'd use his connections throughout both the wrestling and music industries to create 4th Rope, his own wrestling promotion made to truly fuse his passions, by putting on quality matches and equally impressive performances in front of crowds that celebrate both artforms. With each 4th Rope event, he looks to make that marriage stronger, and attract more eyes to the one-of-a-kind experience.
It's 1 p.m., four hours before the doors open and five hours before bell time. It's South by Southwest season in Austin, Texas, so downtown is bustling with actors, musicians, label reps and fans from all over the world, looking to premiere new films, build their audiences and find the world-famous barbeque they've heard so much about.
What was once a hotbed for culture outlets like Fader and Complex has shifted, musically, to smaller, independent imprints and creators. There are fewer big stages and a larger commitment to smaller venues. So it's fitting that the fifth 'Heels Have Eyes' show, a play on both wrestling lingo and the bleak, visceral horror movie franchise, is set to emanate from The Empire Control Room and Garage, an outdoor, covered space which hosts concerts and local wrestling alike.
The longtime home of Austin's Inspire A.D./ Victorious promotion and the new central Texas base for New Texas Pro Wrestling, talents like Ricky Saints, Brick Savage and Vert Vixen have all seen their star rise from competing at Empire. The early attendees show just how many people see Gunn's vision: Independent wrestlers Jeffrey John and Culture Inc's Nick Holiday have driven in from Columbus, Ohio and Houston, respectively, to help set up the ring and ingratiate themselves. The ring itself is on loan from TNA Wrestling, as they're running their 'Sacrifice' event the next day in El Paso, Texas. Inspire's video editor Eric Wood is prepping the visuals and audio, making sure lights, cameras and fans are in the right place, as New Texas' Justin 'Biss' Bissonnette answers any questions the crew has, as he's run the venue more than anyone else.
Away from the ring, Gunn's right-hand man Smoke DZA sits with friends and videographers and is shortly after greeted by Flash Garments, AEW star Swerve Strickland's creative partner and the voice of Swerve's 'Big Pressure' entrance theme. DZA is wearing the (at that point unreleased) Air Jordan 4 Nigel "Brick by Brick" sneakers, and Flash, not to be upstaged, is wearing the impossible-to-get Jordan 1 Union LAs.
About 15 minutes pass, and Gunn makes his entrance, greeting everyone with a handshake, hug and conversation. He's excited; by the nature of South by Southwest, it's going to be the most diverse crowd he's run. Stylized as SXSW, access to films, shows, even parties and lounges, are tied to a badge you normally purchase months in advance. Ranging from $500 to $2300, depending on level and purchase date, many locals are priced out of the moments happening down the street from them. But access is the point; while you have your big moments that fuse hip-hop and wrestling, the smaller, independent events exist to serve the people who may not travel town to town. So through his team, headed by former WWE liaison and current Marvel Comics employee Tavia Hartley, they made an agreement with SXSW: half of the accepted venue capacity would go to badge holders, the other half to those who purchased tickets.
The first wrestlers on the card to show are participants in the first ever 'Babs Wingo Battle Royal', dedicated to wrestling's first Black female star, and extended family. The participants in the ten woman match would include some of the top Black Women on the independent scene, including NWA Women's Tag Team Champion Charity King, Joseline Navarro, Maya World, Alexis Littlefoot, Tiara James and former WWE Diva Vix Crow.
While it would be easy to have a battle royal in name and name alone, there's a thoroughness and point to be made. The show's guests of honor were Wingo's extended family, highlighted by her niece, Kim Martin. Martin, also the niece of Ethel Johnson and the daughter of Marva Scott, would share her encyclopedic knowledge of her mother and aunts' history and accomplishments at 4th Rope's media tent, stressing the importance of the trailblazing women she calls family.
'... my [mother and aunts] used to fill up the arenas. It was 8,000 people coming to see them. They're the reason that now Black and white folks come together and watch wrestling ... because before that, there was segregation. So they were on the right, the Blacks was on the left," Martin said. "But with their tenacity and their youth and the way they did things, considering my aunt, Ethel created the standing drop kick, and her and my Aunt Babs worked together in the gym and also created the [flying head-scissor].
"So my Aunt Babs also helped train Mildred Burke's girls. So they not only wrestle, but they learn the business. So it's important for ladies to understand, don't just do the business, learn the business, and become independent. And you can do it, but you got to have a tough heart. You got to be made of steel, pretty much. And I look at these ladies today and I can tell that they have what it takes.'
Damaris Lewis, the actress who portrayed Wingo in the Mildred Burke biopic "Queen of the Ring" is on hand to show support. The battle royal participants would also make time for pre-show interviews, making sure to honor the women who made the space possible for them. Navarro in particular was vocal about how much it means to her and her peers to be in the space they occupy.
'First and foremost, Babs was so brave to go into wrestling in the 1950s as a Black woman … That's no easy feat. Even now, being in wrestling as a Black woman, it's changed, but it's still an uphill battle for us. ... It's an honor to be able to be a part of this with her name attached to it. It's a blessing to have somebody go through the trials and tribulations that she went through to pave the way for women like us. I really appreciate that tenfold.'
Next to the media tent is the merchandise stand, the place where Gunn and DZA really separate themselves from other independent promotions. Heavily photoshopped and stylized prints of pop culture icons from traditional sports and wrestling alike, most of the tees come with large scorpions on each sleeve, along with the 4th Rope ring logos and lines or album names on the back. Along with the limited prints are vintage sports tees adorned with 4th Rope and Griselda iconography, making them on-site-only collectors items.
DZA, who's been doing wrestling merch for the better part of a decade, recognizes that through their cards, music and style, they're filling a void in wrestling fandom. To test the waters, he found a few early adopters years ago.
'Shout out to Chris Hero… when him and Claudio [Castignoli] was a tag team on the indies, shout out to Peter Rosenberg because he introduced me," DZA said. "He was the first person to take a liking to me. Obviously, MVP… Big E, [he's] been my brother for many years. Finn Bálor, Omos, The Hardyz, it's a few.'
Apart from his custom jewelry and cowboy hat, he's in a hand-painted Road Warriors denim jacket.
'I feel like anything I like is going to sell because I like to make the shit that I like to wear. So wrestling has always been a part of my life, whether it's been making wrestling, rap, wrestling weed music or the merch to this wrestling s***. I love it. Wes loves it. It's just something in our DNA. So I felt like it made sense for us to do something that we love to catch that niche crowd that followed us.'
TNA's A.J. Francis is the next to arrive, in a tropical blue tee with a screen print of Razor Ramon's iconic front porch picture with the youth of Miami. Gunn's been a longtime supporter of Francis' rap pursuits, and he's scheduled to battle AEW's self-proclaimed 'best wrestler alive' Max Caster later that night. The two recruited battle rap icons Murda Mook and DNA as cornermen, respectively. AEW's and TNA's contracts typically permit talent to take independent dates, and the Heels card reflects this, with AEW stars like The Infantry and TNA stars like Nic Nemeth and Knockouts Women's Champion Masha Slamovich participating. He sets up his merch stand next to Zilla Fatu, whose team is unfolding and setting up his shirts.
The 4th Rope Champion, Zilla ran his own show for SXSW a few days earlier. There might not be a better fit as the promotion's standard bearer: friendly but firm, confident in his abilities but humble enough to accept advice, he's positioned as the next power player in the Samoan Dynasty. He's also the Crown Jewel Champion of Master P's New York-based promotion House of Glory, and was trained by Booker T at his Reality of Wrestling School in Houston, where he's also done advertisements for the NFL's Texans.
But what makes him really stand out is the work: he's everywhere at once and seems to have a relationship with all of the talent on the card. In one of those 'you had to be there' moments, he's pulled aside by one half of the 4th Rope tag team champions Jeff Hardy, who sits down to paint his face for his upcoming match, where he'd retain his title via disqualification after surprise challenger Elijah (fka Elias in WWE) would hit the referee with a guitar.
Collectively, Jeff, brother Matt and valet/tag team partner Lita's 'Team Xtreme' embodied that early 2000s counter culture, with their arm sleeves, pipe jeans and devil-may-care attitude both inside and outside of the ring. In style and action, they hold a special place in the eyes of underserved kids like Gunn and DZA growing up at the time. You worshipped The Rocks and Stone Cold Steve Austins, but you wanted to be The Hardyz. Jeff in particular was a folk hero akin to Kings point guard Jason Williams, being so effortlessly smooth with his Swanton Bomb, and even with his out-of-body vibing to Jagged Edge. The pair would come out to the craziest reaction of the night, successfully defending their titles against The New Guys, Scott Stanley and Jake Bosche. Gunn, Flash and rapper Maxo Kream would maneuver their way ringside to properly view one of the most influential teams ever to get the win.
As the sun sets on Empire, the music elements of the show are put on full display, as Gunn, DZA and 4th Rope Commissioner MVP come out to perform the AEW theme 'The Hurt Syndicate (We Hurt People)'. The crowd chants along with the infectious hook, and once they finished, Gunn would address the crowd, telling them how much he appreciates the support, then, with a big smile, was sure to shake everyone's hand ringside on the way out.
In a time where independent wrestling is widely spread and accessible, sometimes you have to ask the question, 'Who is this for?' What's being done to separate promotions from the back, to make the experience something unique that'll grow a fanbase? 4th Rope's answer seems to be simple: do the things that they like and do them to the very highest level. They have the talent people want to see, the clothes people want to buy, and the music their fans will support outside of the show.
Back at the media tent, Gunn's Griselda stablemate Benny The Butcher appears to show support and answer questions. While 4th Rope is primarily the vision of Gunn and DZA, Benny is also a fan, and sees the passion on what Gunn is looking to create.
'Man, this is all Wes. ... When he told me about it, I'm like 'Okay.' I didn't see this,' though, to be honest with you ... I'm impressed by everything I see. I'm back a fan of this s*** again. ... The big companies don't desire the culture. The people who drive it, drive the culture. You know what I mean? And that just speaks to who Wes is and his character. I dig it.'