Babyfaces, heels, dramatic storylines and champions flying and flipping from the top ropes can all be found at Destination 6 – an independent professional wrestling promotion and venue, located in the repurposed First Baptist Church near downtown Macomb.
Behind the tough exterior of booming body slams, however, is a caring family of show runners.
Owner CeCe Impact is currently finishing up a backpack drive that will provide school supplies for dozens of children, Kindergarten through 6th grade.
The backpacks, some branded with the flashy Destination 6 logo, are filled with all the standard supplies and donated by local businesses and ring sponsors.
"I give back," Impact said.
"Anything to give back to the community. Everyone needs something, so we're always having programs. Even if someone can't afford to get in (for shows), we'll get you in. We're going to be collecting these backpacks until the first day of school, and give them out then."
The promoter moved into the old church in 2022 from Barstow, California, transforming it into both their home and the venue. Impact said she fell in love with the historic stained-glass windows and they've been very careful not to change the building from what it was. Pews are removed to make room for the custom six-sided ring.
There is a concession area in the back. VIP seats are positioned in front of the organ pipes and broadcasters do play-by-play of the matches where the pastor was stationed.
It's all a dream-to-reality project by Impact's son, Mike, a wrestler who died in 2018.
"Mama" Way, a supporter of Destination 6 and mother of a wrestler, said the community has been so gernerous to Destination 6, there's a pulsing drive to give back.
"You have to take care of the people that are in the community," she said.
"Everything is about and give and take. It takes a community to raise a child. It takes a community to keep the community flowing. Everybody's got to do their part."
Last Saturday's show was sold out, which has been common for Destination 6 events.
The headlinging event featured women's champion Brittany Kay, of Chicago, retaining her belt over California independent wrestling star Savanna Stone.
Stone grew up in Alton and started wrestling at 16, as a Catholic school student.
At 17, she made headlines after wrestling Nia Nash on WWE Raw – one of the youngest ever on the biggest professional wrestling stage in the world. A few years and a couple dozen titles later, Stone says the business for her is a constant personal growth process.
"Everything happens for a reason," she said. "Both good, bad, personal, professional, it doesn't matter. It all happens for a reason. At the end of the day, it's life. It's my story and it's my job to showcase it in the best way possible. It's my diary. I look at my struggles back when I was a teenager and how maybe I didn't have the voice that I have now, and think about how I can use that as a weapon."
Stone said she's impressed with the Destination 6 arena.
"I love it," she said. "Wrestling is my church. Wrestling is my safe haven. The most brilliant idea in the world is to pick literally a church (for an arena). It's monumental. It's a million dollar idea, and I'm glad I get to be a part of that million dollar idea."
Her opponent for the night, local favorite Kay, She's been wrestling at Destination 6 for more than a year. She displays a pleasant, calm, intelligent disposition outside of the ring, but things change when she faces an opponent. Her and Stone chided each other over social media for weeks before the Destination 6 event.
"For each opponent that I have, you really don't know what layer or element of Britney that has to be shown,' she said. 'The first time we're going against each other (Stone) is going to be very intense. I have to figure out a way to channel that intensity. I can imagine her, and when we go out there, we can put on a great match or tell the story that we need to tell."
The match ended with the pair spilling out into the seats, drinks flying and young fans running for cover. Chairs were used. In the end, Kay lay seemingly unconscious, but clutching her belt.
"There's different things that I love about wrestling," she said. "I love that you can be whoever you want. You have bad-asses and you have all these different people displaying characters. Wrestling allows you to be creative and bring out your weird side and do the things that most people look at you like, 'Well she's crazy,' but when you're here, everyone is watching you."
Another star of the night was still-heavyweight Destiation 6 champion Christian Rose, who defeated Mat Fichet. Rose is one of the most veteran wrestlers in the promotion, wrestling several WWE stars in his career, including the legendary personna Vader. Being one of the more aged wrestlers, Rose took some trash talk about being the 'old guy' from youngsters in the crowd – and despite wrestling through what appeared to be a nasty leg injury, put on a show that roared the arena.
Hailing from the Illinois map-blip of Moonshine, Rose said he loves the creativity he gets to exercise in wrestling.
"I've had many different versions of Christian Rose," he said. "You get to reinvent yourself every so often. Whenever you feel like you've gotten stale and the crowds are getting tired of seeing your character, you can just make a new one. The current version is probably the closest one to who I actually am, just because the character now is very much proud of the Midwest."
What drives Rose in his wrestling career? "I like athletics, and I like fighting," he said. "I like a little bit of violence, but I also, I like fear."
That comment makes sense. Rose grew up watching WWF, and a moment with Jake 'The Snake' Roberts stands out in his mind.
"So, I'm watching this guy weaponize a snake, and the whole time my little brain is just going, 'Where are the police? Why is no one stopping this?' So then my brain formulated this as if you are a pro wrestler, you can do anything. And so that was it... But yeah, I love it. I say it all the time. Best job I've ever had. I'm very lucky. I've gotten to do some really cool stuff."
The next Destination 6 event is set for Saturday, Aug. 23. Tickets are already on sale.
Editor's note: While there are many youngsters in the audience – some even part of the show – there can be foul language and there is violence. Impact instructs wrestlers to keep their matches family friendly, but that's not always how things unfold.
