Inclusion Pro Wrestling comes to Rainier

Local independent promotion Inclusion Pro Wrestling (IPW) will be making its debut at Rainier High School Saturday, Jan. 10 for its New Year's Resolutions event. If its recent Dirty Deeds event in Rose Valley is any indication, wrestling fans in the area will have a lot to look forward to. The upstart promotion includes many of pro wrestling's most prominent features in its programs. An announcer in a suit stands in the middle of the ring as bright lights beam and larger than life characters in colorful costumes make their elaborate entrances.

One set of characters, bound together in the Dirty Crew faction, walks to the ring to the tune of the AC/DC classic "Hells Bells." Wrestlers proudly display their gold championship belts, fan favorites "high five" audience members and cowardly villain characters spend their matches trying to cheat to gain an unfair advantage.

Promoter Anthony Wagner said IPW first started as a podcast in November 2023. Startup funds were obtained and used to purchase the ring.

Part of the vision and dream was to make the wrestling product as inclusive as possible, which helped inspire the promotion's name. "We wanted to make sure people with disabilities felt welcome in the promotion," Wagner said. "That's our goal."

The roster for the Dirty Deeds show had 17 wrestlers. Most hail from Portland, Vancouver and Salem, but some come from as far as Las Vegas and Idaho to showcase their talents. Their in-ring characters have names such as The Widowmaker, Allistor and the Rat King. Dirty Crew members J.D. Grunge and Janise Jett, the self-proclaimed "prettiest woman in professional wrestling" are among the IPW'S most popular performers.

The New Year's Resolutions show will also include live musical performances and will be broadcast on local public access television station KLTV. "Hopefully, through our partnerships in Rainier, we'll be able to get some of the old wrestling fans from another promotion in the area years ago and relive that excitement and joy that they brought to the city," Wagner said.

The promoter also noted he'd like to do six shows in Rainier and another six in the Longview/Kelso area in 2026. "We're trying to go monthly," Wagner said. "It all depends on how well Rainier enjoys our product."

Doors will open at 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, for New Year's Resolutions, with the program set to start at 6 p.m. For more information, email inclusionprowrestling@gmail.com.