‘GLOW’ successor bringing free matches to Fremont Street

The creator of “GLOW” — the bonkers “Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling” series that hailed from the Riviera and inspired the Netflix comedy of the same name — is bringing “WOW — Women Of Wrestling” to Las Vegas for a series of television tapings.

McLane had been wanting to stage women’s wrestling on Fremont Street since before the canopy was erected in 1995. He got a taste of that with a one-time TV taping last September. Now, “WOW” is returning for four nights of free shows at 6 p.m. Oct. 14-15 and Oct. 21-22 as part of “Fights At Fremont Street Experience.”

“That dream and that passion has been long-term burning in me,” McLane says. “The fact that we’re going to get to do that now for four big nights in October is really exciting for me.”

40 years of ‘GLOW’

The new season of “WOW,” which begins airing this weekend and can be seen locally at 2 p.m. Saturdays on KVCW-DT2, serves as a tribute to “GLOW” and the history of women’s wrestling in Las Vegas.

Those Gorgeous Ladies first got in front of the cameras on Dec. 5, 1985, at the Riviera, where they trained, worked and lived.

The roster was a mix of actresses and stuntwomen from Los Angeles, as well as local entertainers. “Folies Bergere” alone supplied Lauri S. Thompson (Susie Spirit), Ann LaBree (Debbie Debutante) and Lori Palmer (Ninotchka).

With its mix of over-the-top characters and comedy sketches that would never fly today — Drs. Fiel and Grope were the show’s resident gynecologists, plastic surgeons and psychiatrists — “GLOW” became a sensation. Its wrestlers were interviewed by Phil Donahue and Sally Jesse Raphael, and they appeared on “Married … with Children” and “Family Feud.”

Things weren’t great behind the scenes, though. McLane left after season two, as did many of the wrestlers. The show carried on for two more years before coming to an abrupt end. McLane would go on to found “WOW,” a similar concept that’s been around in various forms since 2000.

“It still has a touch of the comedy and fun in it,” McLane says, comparing the two shows. “What’s different is the athleticism.”

For that, he credits Title IX and the evolution of women’s sports that created opportunities for millions of girls and young women.

“What we have today,” he says, “are athletes that are joining ‘WOW’ that have never even been told ‘No, you can’t.’ ”

Promoting Las Vegas

Over the years, “WOW” never strayed too far from Las Vegas.

The first season featured matches from Buffalo Bill’s Star of the Desert Arena in Primm, but the series didn’t survive the changing advertising market after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

When the promotion was revived in early 2013, with the now former Lakers owner Jeanie Buss joining McLane at the helm, a series of matches took place at the Eastside Cannery. More matches were recorded there in 2018 to help a rebooted “WOW” land a TV deal. When “WOW” teamed with Paramount for a distribution deal in 2021, the venture was announced at Circa.

Sibley Scoles, the Raiders’ in-game host, currently serves as “WOW’s” backstage reporter, while Katie Marie Jones, the Golden Knights’ in-arena host, is the show’s ring announcer.

They’re both included in McLane’s plans for the Fremont Street takeover, which will result in 52 weeks of TV exposure for Las Vegas, starting at a time when the city could really use it.

Early episodes this season will build to the matches recorded last fall while urging fans to attend the October tapings. Those first shows, McLane says, will “promote the living heck out of, ‘Come to Las Vegas, come downtown, stay in one of the hotels and see the ‘WOW’ television tapings in person.’”

It’s a whole different experience than watching the matches on TV, he says.

“The energy is unique when you see ‘WOW’ live. We don’t sell popcorn on Fremont Street, but I know the drinks are flowing. The D’s bar will be open. The Four Queens will have that VIP area open. … It’s just an experience under the lighting that you can’t duplicate in any arena or other setting.”

Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4567.