Bobby “Lumberjack” Lambert heaves his much-shorter opponent far above his 6-foot-6-inch frame, before slamming him down on the torn red mat in the center ring — a thunderous boom resounding from the wooden beam and steel construction upon impact.

Those sounds will no longer echo for the fans of XCW Wrestling after the group’s last show at 8 p.m. today in Pilot Point.

DRC/David Minton

James Roberts holds Sidd Murder in a headlock as Bobby “Lumberjack” Lambert watches during a training session at XCW Wrestling in Pilot Point on Thursday. XCW will have its final show today before closing down.

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XCW, or X-treme Championship Wrestling, is a low-budget professional wrestling show that has operated in North Texas for a decade.

But attendance has dropped off as budgets have tightened and enthusiasm for wrestling has waned, said Nite Davis, owner of the facility.

It’s time to close the doors, he said.

“Wrestling is not what is was; the heart is missing and the atmosphere has changed,” Davis said. “There are not enough bloodthirsty fans or bloodthirsty guys [wrestlers]; there are some of both, but they are outnumbered by blandness. The blandness hurts sales and the bland factor is disheartening.”

Before the wrestling facility moved to Pilot Point in 2008, it operated off Fort Worth Drive in Den­ton, bringing in a student crowd that would scream for blood.

The move hurt ticket sales and didn’t attract the same enthusiastic audience, Davis said.

DRC/David Minton

Barbed wire is prepared Thursday for XCW's final match in Pilot Point.

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While wrestlers were guaranteed a certain fan base in Denton, it would take time to build up a new audience in Pilot Point, Lambert said, but the recession hit, and it’s been difficult for wrestlers and the fa­cility ever since.

“Not a lot of people have the money to be here every Saturday night; it’s nothing like Denton,” Lambert said of the crowds. “Nobody has the extra money.”

The situation is fitting for XCW, he said, a group known as the “bastard sons” of wrestling.

“We’re the ones no one else wants,” he said.

For wrestler Sidd Murder, if the fans don’t show up tonight wanting him to continue on the wrestling path, he’ll call it quits.

“This is my life, but I’ll only continue if my fans want me to,” Murder said.

Other trainees from the XCW program won’t have the chance to prove themselves at XCW events and will have to compete elsewhere after the final match.

The school portion of the XCW business will continue after the spotlights fade, Davis said.

Three belts — the heavyweight belt, the tag team belt and the TNT belt — are slated to be retired in tonight’s match, he said.

The heavyweight title match will feature Gemini vs. Jared Steele vs. “Flawless” Jerome Daniels.

The tag team match will feature Big Time Playas, Danny Matthews and “Total Playa” Scott McKenzie vs. the Dark Circle, Tim Storm and Apocalypse.

The TNT title match will feature the “Modern Day Superhero” Kevin Douglas vs. the “Mind of Wrestling” J.T. Lamotta.

In true XCW style, barbed wire will be used as ropes and props in tonight’s show, and will likely rip the skin of any wrestler thrown or snagged on it, Lambert said.

“I love it,” he said. “I’d say I get pleasure out of it. … The pain rips out the weakness and makes you stronger.”

Lambert smiles as he adds, “As long as it doesn’t kill you.”

CANDACE CARLISLE can be reached at 940-566-6889. Her e-mail address is ccarlisle@dentonrc.com.

IF YOU GO

What: XCW Wrestling’s final show

Where: 218 W. Liberty St., Pilot Point

When: 8 p.m.

Cost: Tickets cost $5.