Words: Jermaine Every
There’s a certain type of air, confidence, and/or swagger (for lack of a better term) that one must possess to be a professional wrestler. One must be willing to do some of the most insane things to live that life. The higher up the ladder you climb, the more you must lean into the stereotypes. If you’re a singles wrestler with aspirations of being one of the best, the cliff you have to dive off of is a bit steeper than most. Add to that you’re a Black man; the hill gets higher to climb. Despite all this working against him, Stephen Wolf has found a way to be the leader of the pack.
Becoming the new face of New Texas Pro came with a heavy weight on his shoulders in the past year. When Bryan Keith held the New Texas Pro Wrestling Championship for almost two years, it was Wolf who dethroned him…in 14 seconds! (When we spoke, Wolf graciously corrected my incorrect assumption of 18 seconds.) Keith had held the title and the promotion down for 834 days, and was a mainstay in the Texas independent wrestling scene. (We’re talking about the guy who used “Still Tippin'” as his entrance theme!) To say this was a shock to the system would be doing Wolf and Keith an injustice. Wolf was more than ready to carry the mantle. From October 8, 2023, to December 29, 2024—448 days—he did what nobody would’ve wanted (or could’ve) and that’s follow a Texas legend like Keith. With 10 successful defenses against the likes of Calvin Tankman, Kylie Rae, Hyan, and Brick Savage, Wolf ate the competition alive.
Not only did Wolf establish himself as a major player in the singles division, but he also solidified his place in the tag division at Inspire Pro as well. Teaming with his partner, Exodus Prime as the Superiority Complex, the duo held the Inspire Pro Twin Dragon Connection Championship from September 10, 2023, to September 1, 2024. Nine days short of yet another year-long title reign while also holding down the New Texas Pro Championship for just over a year is beyond impressive. (He later feuded with Exodus after deciding that he no longer wanted to be known as a tag team wrestler.)
Stephen Wolf’s favorite match over the last year was a tables match with Mustafa Ali. At DREAMWAVE’s Trick Or Treat, the two battled for almost 20 minutes in a tables match. While Ali emerged victorious that night, it was a revelation for the Leader of the Pack. Being able to hang with one of his idols (along with Ricochet and Cedric Alexander) was a dream. “Not even that I can have a great match with Mustafa Ali,” Wolf explains, “but I can keep up with Mustafa Ali, that I can be just as good as Mustafa Ali.” The cool part? He wrestled a guy he idolized just a few hours from his hometown, which is not far from where Ali himself was born. Knowing that Ali has seen him and noticed his progress over the years, from the beginning to now, seems to have given Wolf the confidence he needed to truly step into his role as the Leader of the Pack.
Not only has Wolf stepped up in the United States, but he’s also becoming a rising star in Europe. Competing in organizations such as GWF (German Wrestling Federation), the renowned wXw (Westside Xtreme Wrestling), PWH (Pro Wrestling Holland), and Michael Oku’s stomping grounds of RevPro (Revolution Pro Wrestling), he’s made quite a name for himself across the pond. When asked about his experiences over the past year, he recounted his travel woes in Europe. He flew to England, barely rested, caught the train in the wrong direction, finally made it to the airport barely make his flight to Germany, drove an hour and a half to the show, wrestled, returned to his room, couldn’t sleep, flew back to England, had another match, and finally was able to crash at his room for a few days. A total of about 25 hours of travel in 48 hours with very little sleep and two wrestling matches. If that doesn’t provide any insight into this man’s dedication, you’re simply not looking at him correctly!
Having wrestled on both sides of the pond against the likes of Keith, Tankman, Ali, Leon Slater, Alex Shelley, The Rascalz, and Mysterious Q (Cater Blaq), Wolf has proven he can hang in there with some of the best. Not only can he hang in there, Wolf has shown that he’s worthy of being one of the next stars in this business. Not bad for the “lil N from the middle of Illinois.”
The biggest thing that stood out was his commitment to his mental health. As a wrestler, taking care of your body is a given. That’s how you make a living. Nobody has to tell you to take care of your physical state in the business now because it’s been impressed upon everyone. Mental health has been at the forefront of the self-care movement, not just in wrestling, but in his life overall. When Stephen said he often says things out loud to remind himself how silly some of it sounds, it resonated. Getting over imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and focusing on goals helped him become the man…no, the leader that he is today. It’s also helped him propel his career in the ring forward.
One thing people shouldn’t do is count this guy out. He’s laser-focused and driven to succeed. He’s been around the world, wrestled some of the best, and stayed on an upward trajectory. He has a bright future, full of endless possibilities. “I know I can be that guy,” Wolf states. “I should be that guy because I have done…instead of me saying ‘why me,’ I’m saying ‘why not me,’ because I’ve done all these things.” To say he’s hit his ceiling would be foolish. The sky’s the limit, and the path to the top is clear; Stephen Wolf’s currently the leader of the pack.