907 Pro Wrestling Academy founder, coach, and owner, JT West, stands in the ring at his old training facility near Spenard. The academy has since relocated to a larger space off of Arctic Boulevard. (O’Hara Shipe)
There’s only one place you will find JT West on Monday nights—in the ring. Or, more specifically, in a warehouse, turned pro wrestling gym that represents two decades worth of dreams. Once a pro himself, the Arkansas-born West fell in love with the flamboyant sport as a child. But he wasn’t alone. Pro wrestling, the perfect anecdote to the blue-collar lifestyle of its fan base, exploded in popularity in the 70s. 50 years later, the 907 Pro Wrestling Academy emerged in Alaska and amid bruises and broken bones, the school is changing lives for the better.
HOST: O’Hara Shipe
GUESTS: JT West, 907 Pro Wrestling Academy Jared Cox, pro wrestler
An unidentified guest wrestler poses on the ropes before his match. (O’Hara Shipe)Jerry Bishop looks at a pile of thumbtacks that he was thrown into by AJ Radical. (O’Hara Shipe)Mask of the Nanook poses with his greatest fans. (O’Hara Shipe)Auron West, son of JT West, proudly shows off his bruised and cut chest following a match against visiting pro, Dan Maff. (O’Hara Shipe)Tag team champions, Team Payne, battle against crowd favorite Fallah Bahh. (O’Hara Shipe)Wrestling rookie Aurora lost to seasoned pro, Lady Frost, in her debut match. (O’Hara Shipe)A young fan gasps as visiting pro, Dan Maff, breaks a wooden door over the head of 907 Pro Wrestling’s smallest wrestler, Bobcat. (O’Hara Shipe)Visiting wrestler Chris Wilde waits for his opponent to make their first move. (O’Hara Shipe)Bobby Bishop poses before a match. (O’Hara Shipe)Jerry Bishop prepares to body slam a limp AJ Radical. (O’Hara Shipe)Erik Brynjar awaits Mask of the Nanook’s entrance into the ring. (O’Hara Shipe)Ben Dossman leg locks a member of Team Payne. (O’Hara Shipe)AJ Radical poses ahead of a match against rival Jerry Bishop. (O’Hara Shipe)(L – R) Y.T. Jones, Money, AJ Radical, and Lady Stripes take a break from training. (O’Hara Shipe)(L – R) Manager Y.T. Jones poses next to his wrestler, Money, before a match. (O’Hara Shipe)Jerry Bishop lies on a bed of tacks following an uncharacteristically violent match against rival AJ Radical. The two were chained together at the wrist before the match started. (O’Hara Shipe)
Ammon Swenson is Alaska Public Media’s Audio Media Content Producer. He was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. He graduated from UAA in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and integrated media. He’s previously worked for KRUA radio, the Anchorage Press, and The Northern Light.
