Bolton is a town with a deep-rooted history in sporting cultures, and one that is overlooked by many is their history in the art of wrestling.
However, a recent rise in a local indie promotion has locals across the area interested in 'Bolton Town Wrestling'.
Hometown promoter, Matt Fowell, began Bolton Town Wrestling (BTW) in 2021, after spending his childhood watching WWE pay-per-view's on VHS.
Speaking about his early introduction to wrestling, Fowell said: "I remember my first ever one was Wrestlemania 15, which absolutely blew me away and I was hooked for life."
Wrestling was already a thing in Bolton, but only in the form of a yearly event at The Albert Halls by a travelling company.
But Fowell wanted to create a local company where storylines could be followed by the townsfolk.
He described BTW as "a storyline-driven promotion which, like American promotions, WWE or AEW, follows a logical progression".
Basically, if a wrestler disagrees with another in one show, they may face off in the next.
UK indie wrestling has been a slowly dying art form, online forums suggesting several UK wrestling companies have suffered following the introduction of WWE'S NXT UK, with one online commenter arguing: "They took a lot of the best talent and took interest away from UK indies."
Now Fowell is eager to get indie wrestling back on the rise.
He continued: "I think indie wrestling in general deserves more eyes on it, but in particular I think we should, as we have kind of hit the sweet spot in terms of entertainment for everyone.
"We're a child-friendly promotion but we don't dumb things down so adults can also enjoy it.
"We have times when we're funny without being stupid, we have intense rivalries, without crossing the line, we don't need to bust each other open to get the story across."
Wrestling, like other sports, is expanding into being more than just a sport.
Describing his emotional early days of BTW, Fowell said: "It sounds cliché but it saved my life.
"When we first started four and a bit years ago, my personal life was a shambles, I was massively depressed and in the early days it was BTW that kept me going.
"I was always thinking I've just got to make it to the next show."
Fowell's most recent show at the Last Drop Spa and Hotel, headlined as their 'premiere event of the year' and drew in a large crowd of 170-plus spectators, all crowded inside the Pennine Suite as they watched Bonfire Fury V.
Ahead of the show, Fowell described how his small crew set up for their events.
He said: "All the posters in the street and flyers through the doors, finding talent and venues, that's all done by me personally.
"We have one photographer that does all our promo and action shots, we have one videographer that does all our entrance videos. A few people help build the staging area, a few people put the ring together."
The show introduced new fans to the high-flying excitement, acrobatic moves and pulling storylines, which had the crowd in awe and when their next show was announced, fans were already asking about tickets
The characters were described as "people from all walks of life..." by Fowell, before adding: "It's a wide mix that draws from all areas. Some have done wrestling for decades, some just starting out, some have done other sports.
"It's a family, a community. Not just the people in the back, but the fans as well. They know us, we know them. The fans are just as much a part of BTW."
BTW has a growing reputation with more than 3,000 followers across their social media platforms and the promotion was even voted as 'Promotion of the Year' on Facebook after a poll by Wrestling fan page, 'Work the Left Side'.
When asked about his goal at BTW, Fowell responded: "I'd love to make it my full-time job. More shows, different areas, training school. Even getting it on telly would be incredible."
Local fans have been openly complimentary about the promotion, with one Facebook user claiming "You're (BTW) the best thing to happen to Bolton since Jay-Jay Okocha."
n BTW's next show is 'Bolton Town! Rascals' which is a show combined with another wrestling promotion, Rascals Professional Wrestling Academy, and will take place at Ellesmere Recreational Club on Friday, January 9, 2026, with tickets already on sale online at skiddle.com/whats-on/Bolton/Ellesmere-Road-Recreation-Club/Bolton-town-wrestling-Bolton-Town-Rascals/41437529/