NWA Houston "Parade of Champions" Paul Boesch Tribute Show
Aired: May 25, 2013 at 1:35 a.m.
Channel: ABC affiliate Ch. 13
Report by James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor

- Background: Caldwell's live, in-person report from the live event.

As previewed by Houston Chronicle columnist David Barron here, the show started with a collection of past and current video footage setting the stage for NWA Houston's "Parade of Champions" show tributing Paul Boesch, which was taped on April 20.

The broadcast portion started with documentary-style soundbytes from NWA president Bruce Tharpe and VP Chris Ronquillo discussing former Houston wrestling promoter Paul Boesch. Included was classic video and photo footage, including clips of Bruiser Brody from the Boesch Family video library. Tharpe stressed Boesch's fairness and pay-offs to talent. Next were soundbytes from Boesch's widow, Valerie, and their son, Joey.

This was followed by more vintage library footage from the old Houston Wrestling Show on local Ch. 39. Tons of stars passed through that show.

[Commercial Break]

The broadcast returned with Ray Rowe vs. Mike Dell for the NWA Lone Star Hvt. Title, which was the best match of the night and stole the show on the undercard. Good selection.

[Commercial Break]

The broadcast returned with Tharpe and Ronquillo offering more reflections on Paul Boesch. Ronquillo noted he grew up on Mid-South Wrestling in Louisiana, then searched out for Paul Boesch Wrestling in the '80s. Included was footage of Gino Hernandez from the Boesch tape library, capturing Boesch being a father-figure for Gino.

The documentary transitioned to a look at Boesch's military legacy that preceded his career in wrestling promotion. The segment concluded with Valerie Boesch "passing the torch" to Ronquillo to promote wrestling in Houston.

[Commercial Break]

Next was the semi-main event, which featured then-IWGP tag champions Lance Archer (Hoyt) & British Bulldog, Jr. successfully defending the IWGP Tag Titles and capturing the NWA Tag Titles from the Kingz of the Underground in another very good match. A mid-match graphic noted that the DVD from this show is on-sale at NWAHouston.com.

The broadcast concluded with Archer & Smith standing tall in the ring with both the IWGP Tag Titles and NWA Tag Titles.

Overall, this provided a general overview of the history of Houston Wrestling mixed with a look at the present-day scene. It also gave the NWA Houston promotion some publicity, mainly through the Chronicle's coverage of the late-night broadcast.

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