Charity event for a good cause

This Sunday, grapplers from around the Ohio wrestling scene and the surrounding states join forces with national stars to present a night of memorable action for a good cause, Dropkick Diabetes 5, a benefit for the Akron Children's Hospital endocrinology department. The Saxon Club in Youngstown, Ohio will host the event that will feature appearances from Impact Wrestling stars, Kongo Kong and Madman Fulton, independent wrestling legend, Matt Cross, and ECW alumni, Guido.

A project launched in 2015, the Dropkick Diabetes series represents a way to honor those of the past and benefits those that will be affected by the disease in the future. Known in the ring as Max Alexander, Matt Galchick has spent the past several years as a villainous figure around the tri-state area. However, the real-life Galchick made it a personal goal of his to contribute to the organization that played a critical role for his family. His young son, Timmy was diagnosed with type one diabetes in 2012 before he was rushed to the Akron hospital in late-2014 with a life-threatening case of diabetic shock. Thankfully, the Akron medical team acted quickly and Timmy recovered. The incident lead Galchick to pair up with Quaker City Wrestling promoter, Kevin Koppel to start the Dropkick shows. Sadly, Koppel is familiar with the effects of the illness as well. Koppel's close friend, Kaity Jones passed away from complications of the disease at the age of just 18 in 2011. As much as this event is designed to benefit the Children's Hospital, organizers also consider it a way to honor Kaity's memory.

Along with the television stars such as Kongo Kong, Madman Fulton, and Matt Cross, some of the brightest young talent from the mid-west will get the opportunity to showcase their skills on this notable platform. Talent from the well-known Absolute Intense Wrestling promotion is scheduled to be there along with other competitors from the state's Mega Championship Wrestling. For example, AIW member Zach Thomas, who recently competed in the group's stellar J-Lit tournament, looks to use the Dropkick event as a way to add to a good cause and prove himself to those in attendance.

"It's time to show the world why AIW is absolutely the best promotion on Ohio today," Thomas commented.

Beyond the Ohio boarders, a few of Pittsburgh's most talented athletes will make their way to Youngstown to compete in a six-man tag team bout. Duke Davis and Ganon Jones Jr. have thrilled audiences around the steel city for the past several years as their combination of size, speed, and power make them a valuable asset in the squared circle. Dubbed "The Mane Event," many consider Duke and Ganon to be the best tag team in Pittsburgh today. They will be joined by Tony Johnson, an  athlete that has really found himself in recent years and received rave reviews for his work in Pittsburgh veteran, Brandon K's Ryse promotion.

"The Mane wouldn’t be the same without kids coming out to the show. So, it’s only right we help fight for this cause and do our part in helping raise money for finding a cure for childhood diabetes," Duke Davis explained.

The main event of the show will be a very special tag match as Marino Tenaglia and Philly Collins, collectively known as the Philly Marino Experience will face off against the unique pair of Mambo Italiano and wrestling legend, Guido to form the FBI 2.0 for this special event. Winners of AIW's Chandler Biggins Memorial Tag Team Tournament just last month, The Philly Marino Experience are one of the fastest rising teams on the independent scene. Both Marino and Collins consider this show to be a very important chance to contribute to a good cause.

"It’s an amazing feeling every time we get to go out and entertain a crowd, to let them escape reality for a few hours. It’s an even better feeling knowing we aren’t just entertaining, not just raising awareness, but also raising money for those who truly need it. We can’t wait to fill the building with good times and good vibes," Marino said.

As mentioned, the Lance Storm student, Mambo will work alongside Guido for the other half of the main event as FBI 2.0 at this show. A professional for nearly three decades, Guido learned under catch wrestling legend, Billy Robinson. During his time as a pro, the competitor occasionally known as Nunzio worked for nearly every major promotion of his era, appearing for ECW, WWE, TNA, Ring of Honor, countless independent groups. Despite some of his memorable comedy segments in ECW with legends such as Tommy Rich and Tracy Smothers as a part of the original Full Bloodied Italian stable, Nunzio has an extensive technical wrestling background. Aside from his previously mentioned training with Robinson, he competed in shoot wrestling matches for the UWFi league in Japan early in his career. With numerous pay-per-view and television appearances as well as several championships on his resume, there's no doubt that Nunizo built a stellar career over the years.

With dozens of athletes scheduled for the event, the fans in attendance are definitely going to see a tremendous event that will benefit a good cause for the Akron Children's hospital. It's great to see so many independent stars, television stars, and even a few legends get together to help fight this illness. More than anything, it's always nice to see the sport of professional wrestling used to help contribute to a good cause for this event.