The Craziest Week of My Life

Daniel Richards and myself with Elle Reeve and crew from HBO's Vice News Tonight

Monday eve I was sitting at home after a long two days of travel to West Tennessee and back for wrestling events when I started getting messages about a story on one of "my kids" Daniel Richard. I had no idea what was going on and in my wildest dreams couldn't know what was to come.

I read the story written by Samer Kalaf for Deadspin. As I read the story about Daniel and how we use his political views in Appalachian Mountain Wrestling. I saw a couple of things that were not correct. I emailed Samer and he called me then Daniel. He wrote an even bigger story and it was out the next morning.

Before the second story came out news outlets had jumped on the first one. The next morning when the second story came out it was like media flood gates opened. You can hear about things going viral and what follows but until it happens to you it's impossible to truly understand.

click here to read Deadspin's second story

By Tuesday night I had been on the phone with producers from HBO, NBC, CBS, FOX, and BBC. Let's not forget news papers and websites. HBO was on top of it and they were here in the Tri-Cities Thursday afternoon. The next two days we were in production for HBO's Vice News Tonight. The crew started with me on a back story of the History of Wrestling in The Appalachians. As Dan was doing phone interviews on his way to my home. He also did a Skype interview with my Friend Tim Young who Host "No Things Considered on The Daily Caller". Check Tim out every weeknight at 7:30pm est Live.

Sports Illustrated Story on Daniel featuring me

Washington Post Story

Elle Reeve and I talking about The History of Pro Wrestling in this Part of The World on camera

Me telling HBO how Pro Wrestling helped fund the Parks and Rec of Kingsport and other cities in this area. 

Thanks to The School of Morton in Chucky TN for letting us use their facility Thursday Night

Friday AMW had a live event in Campton, KY. It was our first time in Campton and it will be a night we will never forget. HBO traveled with us for the 160 mile trip. When we got to the building we were met by BBC America, Deadspin, Local CBS WYMT 57 of Hazard, and CNN. It was a media circus. All night Dan, Kyle Maggard and I were doing interviews while getting ready for our matches. I also had to do my non ring duties for AMW. Thanks to our great crew of wrestlers for being so professional and knowing their jobs. It made everything go so much easier. A very special THANK YOU to my LOVE Misty who helped me keep all this together.

Also a thank you to my lawyer and friend "Baltimore Big Money Brock" Brock Smuck as he helped us with legal matters in all of this and got the ball rolling on trademarks and copy rights on not only names but Intellectual Properties.

Campton did not disappoint as it was a loud and rowdy crowd as is everywhere in East Kentucky we go. If you have not already make sure you follow AMW on facebook, and twitter. Then subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch our weekly TV program.

During all of this media craze a friend of mine was killed in a car wreck and my Aunt passed away unexpectedly also. I tried to spend Saturday with family as it was a rare non wrestling Saturday. Sunday I had church and when I got to Calvary half of the people knew what was going on the other half did not. By the end of service everyone did. I had to hurry to Trinity Memorial for my Aunt's viewing. Most of my family knew as well and were asking about all of this.

BBC Story that came out today.

As I thought things would die down on Sunday eve I was shown I was wrong. My emails and social media PMs were full. I was on the phone with media from Washington DC.  I talked to my friend Matthew Lane from the Kingsport Times News. Dan and I were on the phone several times trying to get ready for the next few weeks. As they will be just as wild as this. CBS's Jim Axelrod is coming in July 11-13 to Travel with us. NBC and ABC will be in after that.

It's amazing how fast your life can change. The thing that most media has missed about all of this is that the heat and hatred Daniel gets here in the Appalachians is not just politics but that he is an outsider who attacks our ways. HBO let me go into great detail about that. I hope the piece shows that. I want people to see our region as more than dumb mountain people. The crew let me tell our story. They also let me go into detail of our Wrestling Heroes. The problem is they only have so much time in their program. I will continue to speak up for our values, traditions, and ways of life. I also made sure they know I love Jesus. It will air Weds. at 7:30pm on HBO

Another BIG THANK YOU to our travel partner, and tag partner Stan Lee who has been a help along the way.

Also this week. Daniel and I had several other offers come in. Most I can't or don't want to get into for many reasons. Again all of this is happening insanely fast.

If you have a podcast, news program, want to book us on an event, want to know more, etc email me at kingofkingsport.com

If you want to know more about the history of Wrestling in this region check out my books on the right hand side of this page.

If you want to know more about The Progressive Liberal Daniel Richards Daniel's Facebook

Thanks for reading, please keep checking back
Beau James
sinner saved by Grace, Pro Wrestler


If you want to see us live here is where we will be the next two weeks

Tues. July 4th 6PM
Martin 4th of July Celebration
Main Street Martin , KY
FREE EVENT

Tues. July 4th - 7:30PM
Carl Perkins Center
Morehead, KY
me only

Saturday July 8th - 12:30PM
Village Fest at Calvary Baptist Church
1238 Pine Street Kingsport, TN
FREE EVENT - in conjunction with Southern States Wrestling

Saturday July 8th- 6:45PM
Gray Block Party
Appalachian Fair Grounds Gray, TN
FREE EVENT - in conjunction with Southern States Wrestling

Tues. July 11th -  8:30PM
Laurel County Fair
London, KY
Wrestling Free with Admission to The Fair.
Ric Flair is also at the fair that night for a meet and greet only

Weds. July 12 - 7PM
Boyd County Fair
Ashland KY
Wrestling is Free with Paid Admission to the Fair

Friday July 14th -  7:30PM
Sherman Neace Athletic Center
Hazard , KY


This Week's AMW TV