Since our start in October 2017, Lions Pride Sports has featured many of the professional wrestling stars of yesterday, today and tomorrow. Check out a sampling of the people who were big names coming into our events, along with some names which became big in the years since being part of The Pride.
ALEX GRACIA
CURRENT PROMOTION:
Independent
APPEARANCES IN LIONS PRIDE SPORTS:
August 17, September 22, October 26 and December 23, 2018
July 20 and October 5, 2019
Before competing on some of the world’s biggest stages, the Fightin’ Texas Aggie regularly appeared in Aggieland’s promotion.
AUSTIN THEORY
CURRENT PROMOTION:
WWE
APPEARANCE IN LIONS PRIDE SPORTS:
March 10, 2018
On the same night the first Lions Pride Sports Champion was crowned, Austin successfully defended the Full Impact Pro World Heavyweight Championship.
BRIAN CAGE
CURRENT PROMOTION:
AEW/ROH
APPEARANCE IN LIONS PRIDE SPORTS:
August 17, 2018
Brian’s lone appearance in The Pride was a memorable one, as he successfully defended IMPACT’s X Division Championship against Chris Masters.
BILLY GUNN
CURRENT PROMOTION:
AEW
APPEARANCE IN LIONS PRIDE SPORTS:
May 19, 2018
The WWE Hall of Famer earned a victory over Johnny Swole in a hair vs. hair match, keeping his locks while shaving the young upstart’s with the help fellow Attitude Era icon Rikishi.
CHRIS MASTERS / CHRIS ADONIS
APPEARANCE IN LIONS PRIDE SPORTS:
August 17, 2018
“The Masterpiece” came up short in his bid to become IMPACT’s X Division Championship, losing to Brian Cage.
GANGREL
APPEARANCE IN LIONS PRIDE SPORTS:
May 19, 2018
The leader of The Brood collided with Terrale Tempo in his lone appearance, dropping the match to the future Lions Pride Sports Champion.
HAMMERSTONE
CURRENT PROMOTION:
MLW
APPEARANCES IN LIONS PRIDE SPORTS:
February 23 and 24, April 21, August 17 and September 22, 2018
Hammerstone made quite the impression in his eight months in The Pride as the first holder of a now-retired championship.
JERRY LAWLER
CURRENT PROMOTION:
WWE (Legends contract)
APPERANCES IN LIONS PRIDE SPORTS:
April 21 and June 2, 2018
“The King” was victorious in a pair of tag team matches in his two trips to The Pride.
KEITH LEE
CURRENT PROMOTION:
AEW
APPEARANCES IN LIONS PRIDE SPORTS:
February 23 and 24, 2018
Keith won both of his matches in some of the first shows put on in The Pride and shortly before he finished his independent bookings to join WWE.
LANCE ARCHER
CURRENT PROMOTION:
AEW
APPEARANCES IN LIONS PRIDE SPORTS:
On the regular roster from 2017 to 2019; regular appearances since
The winner of the first ever match in Lions Pride Sports, Lance was a mainstay while also competing in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He was just the second man to win the Lions Pride Sports Championship. The Brazos Valley native’s most recent matches in The Pride came in April 2021. He most recently appeared in October 2024.
MARK HENRY
CURRENT PROMOTION:
WWE (Legends contract)
APPEARANCE IN LIONS PRIDE SPORTS:
March 26, 2022
The WWE Hall of Famer and two-time world champion was our special guest at Fight to Unite while part of the AEW team. Mark raised the hands of two new champions that night, Zane Valero and Chavy Chulo.
MVP
CURRENT PROMOTION:
AEW
APPEARANCES IN LIONS PRIDE SPORTS:
January 14 and May 19, 2018
MVP would compete in the main event of Lions Pride Sports’ third ever show, then return to WWE for his first appearance there in eight years just eight days later. He would come back to The Pride in May for one more match.
RICKY SAINTS (FKA RICKY STARKS)
CURRENT PROMOTION:
WWE (NXT)
APPEARANCES IN LIONS PRIDE SPORTS:
June 30 and August 17, 2018
July 7, 2019
“Absolute” competed in a pair of championship matches in 2018, then was part of the first King of Texas Tournament in 2019.
RIKISHI
CURRENT PROMOTION:
WWE (Legends contract)
APPEARANCES IN LIONS PRIDE SPORTS:
May 19 and August 17, 2018
In his first appearance in The Pride, the WWE Hall of Famer helped fellow legend Billy Gunn shave the head of Johnny Swole. A few months later, his rescued Danny Ramons from a post-match beatdown and gave evil manager Chase Paradise the infamous stink face.
ROXANNE PEREZ (FKA ROK-C)
CURRENT PROMOTION:
WWE
APPEARANCES IN LIONS PRIDE SPORTS:
February 2, July 20 and September 7, 2019
March 27, 2021
As she was catching the attention of the international wrestling community, Rok-C was putting on great matches in The Pride. With us, the final match for the first Ring of Honor Women’s Champion was a win over the then-undefeated Mia Friday.
SHANE DOUGLAS
APPEARANCE IN LIONS PRIDE SPORTS:
May 19, 2018
The former ECW Champion stepped between our ropes as a special referee. He officiated an early classic in our promotion, counting the 1-2-3 for our first champion, Mike Dell, in his title retention over Danny Ramons.
SHANE TAYLOR
CURRENT PROMOTION:
AEW/ROH
APPEARANCES IN LIONS PRIDE SPORTS:
January 12 and January 14, 2018
The leader of Shane Taylor Promotions was part of the second and third ever shows in Lions Pride Sports, clashing with Mike Dell and Masada.
TIM STORM
CURRENT PROMOTION:
NWA (Commentator)
APPEARANCES IN LIONS PRIDE SPORTS:
October 26, 2017
January 12, 2018
Before the Lions Pride Sports Championship was introduced, there was a title defense in The Pride, as Tim defended the NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship on our very first show. It was one of the last successful defenses of his 414-day reign, as he would lose “The 10 Pounds of Gold” weeks later. Tim competed in a tag team match in the second Lions Pride Sports show.
