Credit: Photo courtesy of UT

Pro wrestling is hard on the body. That point was rammed home like a pile driver when 11-time WWE champion Edge retired in April due to long-running injuries, leaving the WWE’s World Heavyweight Cham­pion­ship vacant and the company’s Friday Night SmackDown TV show without its leading star. With “The Viper” Randy Orton moving over from Monday Night Raw and heading straight into a brutal title feud with Edge’s old tag-team partner, Christian, the night’s main event ups the ante by throwing Irish leviathan Sheamus into the mix for a three-way dance. With “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes dropping by to host the night, the odds are good that he will bring his patented Bionic Elbow to bear when his son, “Dashing” Cody Rhodes, takes on high-flying hero Rey Mys­terio in a rerun of their Wrestlemania 27 bruise-a-thon. The last few times the world’s biggest pro-wrestling promotion came to Austin were to record TV broadcasts, but this is an untelevised house show. Expect the full WWE razzmatazz, but with no TV cameras to slow the action, get ready for less jibber-jabber, more slobber-knocker. Military personnel with valid ID are eligible to receive one free $15-valued ticket. Sun., May 15, 5pm. Frank Erwin Center, 1701 Red River, 471-7744. $10-60. www.texasboxoffice.com.

This article appears in May 13 • 2011.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.