This year, the owners of New South Pro Wrestling made a deliberate decision to bet on themselves with higher investments, broader promotions and more shows than ever before. Those decisions have culminated in the company’s biggest anniversary show yet, set for Aug. 8 at The Venue.
For New South partner Justin Coleman, the event represents more than another wrestling card. It’s another milestone for a company that began with a small hometown show in Hartselle and has grown into a traveling promotion with regional ambitions.
Dump Sanders started New South in 2015 with a show that few people outside Hartselle knew about. Eleven years later, Sanders, Coleman and Joel Atkins have expanded the company by bringing in nationally recognized talent, hosting wrestlers from Japan and building what they hope will become a true regional promotion.
It all started when Sanders invited Coleman, better known in the wrestling world as Cabana Man Dan, to attend one of New South’s shows.
At the time, it had been five years since Coleman had stepped into a wrestling ring, but watching the event reminded him of what he had left behind.
“You’re pretty much a trained stunt man; all of it’s real, and anything can kill you,” Coleman said. “Wrestling is like a live-action movie with one take, and you’re the actor and the stuntman at the same time.”
Months later, Sanders reached out after another wrestler was unable to make an event. Despite some hesitation, Coleman agreed to fill in. What began as a one-time appearance turned into a nine-year return to the ring before his second retirement from in-ring competition in December 2025.
“The best thing in the world is that energy from the crowd and this organic feeling like you just did something so emotional people in the crowd are crying,” Coleman said. “Like they have just forgotten that it’s a show and they’re invested with you. There’s just nothing better than that.”
Although Coleman has retired from wrestling, he remains deeply involved with New South, taking on a new role behind the scenes.
“I wear the promoter’s hat mostly now,” Coleman said. “We have one partner that does the booking of talent and putting together cards, and the third partner goes after sponsorships and partnerships.”
The company has continued to expand its reach since becoming a traveling promotion in 2021. Coleman said New South is the only traveling wrestling promotion in Alabama, hauling its own ring from city to city, setting it up before each event and breaking it down after the crowd leaves.
That mobility has allowed the promotion to perform across the Southeast, with Coleman saying the company now hosts six to eight shows each month, making this its busiest and most successful year to date.
Growth hasn’t changed the partners’ long-term vision. Coleman said they hope to eventually produce weekly episodic content that builds storylines leading into major events.
“We don’t have anything that builds up to when we come to Gadsden,” Coleman said. “So, if we have something that’s episodic, everybody can watch it and follow us wherever we go, instead of just showing up at a show and being excited. They’ll actually know what’s going on.”
That vision comes together at the anniversary show on Aug. 8, which Coleman compared to wrestling’s “Royal Rumble.” It serves as the company’s biggest event of the year, where major storylines conclude and championships can change hands.
Another milestone for New South this year has been the establishment of its women’s division. The anniversary show will feature three women’s matches, including appearances by Stardom Joshi wrestlers from Japan.
This year’s card features former WWE star Matt Riddle teaming with WWE developmental wrestler Stallion Rodgers. Fans will also see a double bull rope tug match, where two teams are connected by bull ropes with a cowbell in the center, featuring Bama’s Best against The Program.
The night’s main event will pit Wall Tyler Stevens against JAC inside a steel cage.
“There’s no limit to what wrestlers can be,” Coleman said. “Wrestling is whatever you want it to be. You have people dressing up in costumes being superheroes or supervillains; they can be whatever.”
For Coleman and his partners, the anniversary show is more than the company’s biggest event of the year. It’s the latest step toward building the regional wrestling promotion they have envisioned since New South first opened its doors in Hartselle more than a decade ago.
