Devion: A Rising Star From Paris, Texas

Pro wrestling is unique in that it has history everywhere. All across the United States, companies used to run shows where the local yokel would have the biggest stars in the sport come to their town. Although much of that history has been lost, there are still places where wrestling lore is cherished: Memphis, Atlanta, Portland, Chicago, Amarillo, and Paris, Texas.

The latter is a small community in a relatively economically depressed region. At the same time, many people in the Lamar County area of Texas have long taken their wrestling seriously. For good reason as well, Paris, Texas has always been a wrasslin’ hotbed. From this area a new rising star has been born: Devion.

He’s a fresh face on the scene, but he’s the exact type of athlete that will thrive in the competitive environment of Texas Strong Style. Just days after his birthday, the Paris native will step into the King of Sports Championship Wrestling ring (the promotion that runs Paris, Texas most frequently). “The Technician” is a unique example of how hard work and passion pays off.

Devion was not always the up-and-coming talk of Texas wrestling. In fact, he started his journey play wrestling with his grandfather in the backyard barn of the old home place. Learning to fight, wrestle, grip and hook, the way that the old timers used to. Yet, the passion wasn’t really sparked until 2003, when he got his hands on a VHS tape of WCW Bash at the Beach ’98. For countless hours, Devion poured over the video screen, studying the moves of Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio, Dean Malenko and the NWO. It was the peak of the popularity of professional wrestling in the U.S. and Devion was consumed by it. He announced to his parents, shortly thereafter, that he would be a wrestler.

They actually took his passion to heart and encouraged it, moving to neighboring Oklahoma so that he could be trained and compete in amateur wrestling. Over the course of his high school career, he won the state runner-up in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling.

After finishing school, he became unfocused and went through the dark times as many people do in their early lives. His passion was for wrestling, but that seemed out of reach. It was only after moving to Central Texas, where Devion found the Rhodes Wrestling Academy, ran by Dustin Rhodes (son of Dusty Rhodes). He threw himself into training and his passion for the sport was reignited.

Starting with a makeshift ring in the corner of a baseball field, he literally learned the ropes. Jumping off the outfield fencing onto his close friend Trace, over and over and over again, he built confidence. (And somehow Trace still agreed to become his manager.) Each step propelled him further along. His confidence grew as his chain wrestling technique separated him from the others. Labeled “The Technician,” Devion began to dominate those that he was tasked with facing. Each victory brought more confidence and purpose – Devion was ready to take over the Texas wrestling scene.

He partnered up with Michail, his athletic trainer, and set about building a body that would withstand even the hardest of Texas Strong Style competitors. Next, he called upon another friend, X-Mann, to create a personalized ring entrance song. From this collective effort came something the “Lone Star State” has never seen before.

With a mixture of street smarts, technical wrestling ability, toughness and arrogance, there is legitimately no limit to what Devion can do in the squared circle. As he is oft to say during interviews, “I am here to break limbs.”