Wrestling makes crime victim feel 'great'

Ledger photo by TIM GULLA Cheryl Green and her daughter, Sara, had ringside seats for Friday's wrestling match. George South is a dichotomy when he's in the wrestling ring.

In wrestling terms, he plays the heel - the guy who's not above giving his opponent a jab to the eyes, a rake of the face, or taunting fans at ringside.

Yet South proudly displays his true intent and faith on his sleeves, quite literally, as his costume is emblazoned with a chapter and verse from the Gospel, John 3:16. And the outcome of his matches is usually a given - bad guys have to lose and the good guys have to come out on top.

He and others wrestlers, most of them from his Charlotte wrestling school, allowed themselves to be tossed around a ring at a Carolina Wrestling Alliance benefit Friday night for Cheryl Green of Grover, a 31- year mother bouncing back from life threatening injuries she sustained on Christmas Day.

Green had a ringside seat with her family at the wrestling matches held inside the Grover Elementary School gymnasium.

The event brought more than 200 people together for a family friendly, old-school wrestling performance in which all of the proceeds would go to helping in Green's recovery.

Though she still walks with a slight limp there was nothing wrong with Green's smile, which she frequently put on display Friday night.

"Oh man," she said while looking around the gymnasium at many familiar faces. "It's amazing. Everybody's here."

Green sustained severe injuries on the morning of Dec. 25 when she tried to stop two alleged shoplifters from leaving the Wilco Hess Travel Plaza in Blacksburg, where she worked as a clerk. Jumping on the hood of the alleged shoplifters' car to avoid being run over, Green was carried across the North Carolina line and thrown from the hood. Lying on the roadside with a severe head injury, Green would spend the next few weeks in a coma.

She was released from the hospital just two weeks ago.

Humbled by the outpouring of support, Green said, "I did not expect this. It makes me feel great."

Green came to the event accompanied by two of her three children; her 4-year-old son Connor and her 6-year-old daughter, Sara.

Connor had to cover his ears with his hands because of the noise in the gymnasium. Sara stayed by her mother's side throughout much of the night, enjoying the show.

The event was sponsored by the Wings of Eagles Bike and Prison Ministry of Shelby and the Cleveland County Independent Bikers.

Wanting to do something for Green, the ministry and the motorcycle club reached out to D.L. Polk, himself a professional wrestler, who operates the Carolina Wrestling Alliance. Polk, in turn, did not have to do any convincing to get his friend, George South, to come perform.

"I've known D.L. for over 20 years," South said. "When we (myself and Polk) gave our lives to the Lord, we realized it's not about us," South said. "How can we use the ring to do something good?"

Polk said he's worked with the bike clubs in Cleveland County for several years now on a number of charity events.

Friday night's event, he said, was not the work of any one person but many. "There's a lot of people involved."

Members of the Wings of Eagles Ministry and the Cleveland County Independent Bikers all worked the concession stands and admission booth. They also took care of the maintenance and cleanup.

South, by the way, lost his 30-minute timed wrestling match to Jason Jones.