On July 3, 1871, a ragtag group of families left Chicago with little more than grit and a promise. They had saved for years to purchase land beneath one of the Rockies' tallest peaks. Their dream was simple: escape poverty, build a future, and write their own destiny. History remembers them as #TheRising.
LONGMONT LORE — PARTIALLY DECLASSIFIED
THE HISTORYOF TWO FACTIONS
Longmont's story is a tug-of-war between ambition and entitlement. The Rising and The Pillars have battled since the first wagons rolled west. The ring is just the latest chapter.
ORIGINS
The Origin of the Conflict
A day later, a different faction boarded the newly completed Continental Railroad. Wealthy Chicago elites led by disgraced Alderman Darryel "Big Pappy" Devine intended to beat those families to their claim, using speed, influence, and intimidation. They called themselves the #PillarsOfTheCommunity.
A TOWN DIVIDED
Race to the Rockies
The wagons of #TheRising moved steady and true, while the Pillars' train — despite its gleaming power — broke down repeatedly. Yet technology still surged ahead. As the caravan fought mud, storms, and rough passes, the Pillars dined and schemed in plush railcars, confident victory was inevitable.
But grit outpaced greed. On July 31, 1871, #TheRising quietly crossed into the Colorado Colony and began building their future. They planted, they worked, they believed. By August 9, the Pillars arrived in Longmont armed with forged deeds and favors from Governor McCook, intent on erasing the settlers' victory.
THE FIRST FIGHT
Battle for Main Street
What should have been a peaceful settlement turned bitter. The Pillars seized control by decree, destroyed the legal deeds of #TheRising, and wiped their story from official records. Yet the spirit of those first settlers could not be filed away.
Every generation found a way to remember — graffiti tags, whispered stories, acts of rebellion. A band geek. A punk rocker. A maniac in tights. A high-flying vigilante. Each rose up to remind Longmont who earned the land beneath its boots.
WRESTLING TAKES ROOT
The Language of Resistance
Wrestling is humanity's oldest contest, the art of settling disputes when words fail. In Longmont, it evolved into the official language of resistance. Generations battled in barns, back alleys, and makeshift rings to defend their families' legacy.
Each clash fed the legend until August 29, 2017, when LoCo Pro Wrestling staged a showdown inside the Opera House. #TheRising bled, endured, and defeated the #PillarsOfMayhem in front of a sold-out crowd — proof that heart beats harder than money or politics.
THE BATTLE CONTINUES
History Won't Stay Buried
Legal threats still fly. The so-called "True Pillars" keep trying to silence the truth. But Longmont remembers. Our events continue. Our stories continue. Every chant in the Opera House is a warning shot to those who would rewrite history.
If you hear whispers, see names scratched into brick, or feel a story tugging at the edge of memory — you're right. Something has been hidden from you. Not anymore. LoCo Pro Wrestling isn't just action between ropes. It's resistance. It's history. It's home.
Carry the history forward.
Show up. Get loud. Make sure the names of #TheRising never fade — and that the Pillars never again steal Main Street.