Survivor Series review

Survivor Series, the Fall tradition and the WWE's second oldest pay-per-view event, is in the books. The broadcast ran more than three hours and 15 minutes, but still only had a total of four matches on the card, which created a few flat points throughout the viewing experience. I understand that specifically in the era of TKO, the days of the runtime of a PPVs being two hours and 45 minutes on the dot are over, but I'm still going to say it as long as it remains relevant, the number of commercials and video packages over the course of the night take away a lot of the momentum during the card.

That being said, it speaks volumes about the power of even the diminished momentum of the WWE brand to be able to bring the Survivor Series franchise to a stadium and move somewhere in the neighborhood of 40,000 tickets with only four bouts on the line-up. Just for the viewers at home, it would be questionable if such a show is worth the $30 ESPN subscription to watch it, but somehow a stadium of fans paid the notoriously astronomical TKO ticket prices to be there live.

As usual, the show opened and concluded with the war games matches. There's an argument to be made that two of those gimmick matches on the same card is over killed, but if it's going to be scheduled for the same show, it makes sense to take the bookend approach to at least attempt to avoid them overlapping as far as the presentation. The women's war games was fine for what it was, the action was decent and it had a few solid moments, particularly with the Iyo Sky dive off of the top of the cage, but the gimmick itself can tend to get tedious because of the staggered entrances for the structure of the match. That's one of the reasons that putting two of these on the same PPV can be repetitive and thus less effective overall. From an action perspective, this was yet another example of why the female division has been so consistent with quality performances the past several years. Asuka is an MVP, Iyo is one of the best in-ring workers in the entire business, Kairi Sane brings a very solid skill set to the table, and the same can be said for Rhea Ripley, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte as well. I understand that Lash Legend is a project from outside of the pro wrestling realm with her accomplished sports background, but she was sloppy and borderline dangerous in some of the spots in this contest. I'm not sure if AJ Lee's return is as big as some have tried to make it to be since she had a relatively brief tenure on the main roster before she was gone for a decade, but it made sense to showcase her with the winning submission based on the crowd reaction.

The Intercontinental title match was decent, but it was extremely clear that they were working a very safe match to avoid the slightest possibility of Cena getting injured before his retirement bout in two weeks in Washington, DC, which was the smart move. His sendoff is theoretically the culmination of everything he did since he announced his retirement plans last year so his final bout is exponentially more important in the grand scheme of things than the second match of an extended Survivor Series card. Because of that, the in-ring action for this contest was nothing spectacular or noteworthy. However, the finish, which saw the return of Liv Morgan from injury, was very well done. This angle put Liv back into the fold as a major character on Raw, Dominik gets a boost for beating John Cena to win the IC title back, and the way the angle was presented created a memorable moment when Liv cost Cena the championship.

Stephanie Vaquer beat Nikki Bella to retain the Women's championship in a match that went just over 10 minutes, but dragged to seem like it was longer than that. This isn't necessarily meant as knock on Nikki, but this was basically Vaquer wrestling circles around her and it was clear that she couldn't quite keep up with her opponent. That's not to minimize Nikki's star power, as the Bellas still maintain a noticeable level of popularity from their reality show years ago, but I think it's fair to say that Vaquer's work is more in-ring based, and Nikki is more entertainment based. That doesn't mean one is better than the other, that depends on the perspective and the scenario, but rather to point out that it was somewhat of a styles clash. Vaquer retained the belt after an incredible spinning moonsault to get the pin.

The main event was the men's war games match and to be completely honest, it was somewhat underwhelming until the finish. At one point during an attempted doomsday device, Bron Breakker fell directly onto his head, and it's probably a small miracle that he was able to continue the bout. Similar to the women's cage match, this went 40 minutes, and after such an extended show with only three matches before this, there wasn't enough action to truly pick up the pace to a level that  you'd expect for a worthwhile main event of one of the "big four" pay-per-views. Punk and Cody bled, which added to the intensity of the match, but the bout was so long that the crimson disappeared by the conclusion. This match just didn't have the moments or the match-ups with the potential combination of participants that could've made it more memorable. In fact, it might be on the opposite of the spectrum, depending on how the mystery angle unfolds in the future. Eventually, a masked man climbed the cage and attacked CM Punk, setting up for Bron Breakker to get the victory for The Vision stable.

Obviously, the reveal of the masked man will be the intriguing part of this storyline. Since the mystery wrestler used the curb stomp, it was implied that it was Seth Rollins, who legitimately is on the sidelines after shoulder surgery. Besides the fact that Rollins is still recovering from the injury, it would be too obvious for it to be him after it was implied that it was Seth during the show. Truth be told, management can put whoever they want under the mask to play the role until it's time to reveal who it is. By keeping the masked man ambiguous, they keep their options open for the potential surprise in the future. My initial thought is that it could be revealed to be Chris Jericho, who is expected to officially leave AEW when his contract expires at the end of the year. Sure, in reality, Jericho can't actually show up until 2026, but again, the office could have anyone play the role to imply that it was Jericho the entire time for storyline purposes to set him up with something important for his return to the WWE. All things considered, Jericho would be a logical choice, as he already has history with a few of the members of the war games team. He had a lengthy rivalry with CM Punk years ago, and he also had a feud with Cody in AEW that could at least be referenced for a storyline in the WWE.

Regardless of who it is revealed to be, at least right now, the masked man is the narrative of Survivor Series. That being said, if you look at this show in a vacuum, there wasn't a lot of meat on the bone in terms of substance to go along with the promotional sizzle of the tradition of the event. Maybe I'm missing something, but there just wanted enough action to go along with the typical TKO pyro and ballyhoo at this pay-per-view. I could be wrong, but I just don't think a show that is three hours and 15 minutes and only has four matches provides enough action for the viewing audience. Somehow, the cost to watch these events has increased, but the amount of in-ring action seems rather limited. Make no mistake about, the Survivor Series is a valuable historic commodity for the WWE brand, and the tickets sold for the stadium event proves that, but all things considered, this might be considered a rather forgettable pay-per-view.  

What's the status of Ric Flair?

Ric Flair is arguably the greatest professional wrestler of all time.

The genre is so subjective and has evolved so much over the years that it really depends who you ask and the criteria used to make such a determination. Some will cite Flair for his amazing series of matches with names like Funk, Brisco, Race, and Steamboat. Some might give the nod to Bret Hart for his ability to have a good match with anyone and a level of consistent quality bouts before his career was cut short. There's also an argument to be made for Japanese grapplers like Kenta Kobashi or the late, Misawa. If a viewer wants their wrestling to be more entertainment based then they might name Hulk Hogan even though his matches were basic and often repetitive, their ability to sell tickets, especially in the heyday of Hulkamania, can't be denied.

Ric Flair, the 16-time champion, (and a few phantom switches that were unrecognized during tours of Japan in the 80s,) is undoubtedly in the conversation as one of the best to ever lace up a pair of boots. Regardless of opinions on Flair's style, which has been criticized at times over the years for it's simplistic nature, you can't take away from his tireless work ethic.

The choice of the top worker is subjective, but there was no question that Ric Flair was one of the hardest working guys in the entire industry throughout his extensive career, but also particularly in his prime. Nobody will take away how hard he worked bell-to-bell, but his tenancy to make totally outlandish statements, especially in more recent years, at the very least makes you question his credibility about such topics.

With as over-the-top as Flair was as a performer, it's not exactly a shock that he wouldn't let the facts stop him from adding a little extra shine to a narrative with some jovial exaggeration. Some of that is ingrained in the nature of the business, as promoting "must see" cards was key to getting fans to the box office. How many of those steel cages were actually 15 feet?

Flair's claims about wild parties and women at the Marriott in the 80s may or may not be embellished to add some extra entertainment value to an interview. If Andre drank two dozen or ten dozen beers one night is rather harmless in the grand scheme of things. However, Ric Flair has made himself look terrible in recent years when he's allowed to spout off on social media or talk a little too freely without much thought during interviews outside of the WWE umbrella.

An example of this was last week when Flair addressed the continuing controversy about Hogan Hogan's death on the Double Coverage podcast. It's important to keep in mind that details are murky about the legendary grappler's passing, and there was speculation online about potential legal action for malpractice. Hulk's daughter. Brooke claimed on social media that she was told that there was more to the story of Hogan's death and that she should request the body cam footage of when paramedics were called to his home. Bubba The Love Sponge, a media parasite if there ever was one, has perpetuated the rumors with his coverage of Brooke's remarks, as well as having her call into his radio show.

It's understandable that Hogan's family wants answers, and given that there were credible reports that complications from a surgery contributed to his death, it's very possible that the Bollea estate, which is controlled by his son, Nick might have a case for medical malpractice. Of course, all of that remains to be seen, but with the amount of chatter that has persisted the past few months, it wouldn't be too surprising if there was at least an attempt at legal action at some point in the future.

For whatever reason, Ric Flair thought it was necessary that he comment on the matter, and it was essentially one of the many reasons that the Hall of Fame wrestler isn't featured on television too often these days.

Flair has a tendency to go off the rails, saying too much too often for seemingly no other reason than to give himself a platform in some form or fashion. On the Double Coverage podcast, Flair claimed that Hulk Hogan died from street drugs. Flair said that the reason the Hulkster turned to street drugs was that after so many injuries and the series of surgeries to attempt to repair them that Hogan turned to illicit drugs to deal with the pain.

That's a very bold statement to make and thus had a major reaction from many online, specifically because of the speculation that still swirled around Hulk's passing in recent months. Flair attempted to clarify his statements with a post on social media, explaining that he was only saying what he was being told by the family and that he wasn't trying to demean Hulk's legacy. Unfortunately, as is usually the case when he tries to address the outrage that he sparks on social media, The Nature Boy didn't do himself any favors this time either.

First and most importantly, it's irresponsible for Flair to make such claims in a public forum, if for no other reason that it's another topic that could paint Hogan in a negative light, and obviously, he's not here to defend himself or answer to the claims of illegal drug use to deal with the pain he had after his retirement from the ring. Furthermore, and this might be a much bigger point as the story unfolds in the future, Ric Flair said in the follow-up post on social media that he was relaying what he was told from the family, implying that Terry Bollea's relatives know more about what happened then they would've told the medical staff that treated him before his death. If the Bollea estate does try to sue the medical team for malpractice, Ric Flair just made their case much more difficult to win, as the legal proceedings might depend on the Bollea side proving that street drugs didn't play a role in the condition that ultimately led to Hulk's death. Given that there could be legal action pending, you'd have to wonder if Flair could be held liable for such statements, specifically because he claimed that he was told that drugs were involved by the family.

As outrageous as this story has become as it picked up steam this week, it's nothing new for Flair to make wild statements that make him look foolish in the process. After his ill-fated tenure in TNA, he claimed during a shoot interview that he was there the night that Bruiser Brody was murdered in Puerto Rico by Jose Gonzalez in 1988. In reality, Flair was wrestling as a part of The Great American Bash tour in the United States on the July night that the real-life Frank Goodish was killed. When Flair was on the Theo Von podcast a few years ago, he recalled the time that he went to rehab and bragged that "it was a work" so he went to a bar after he left the facility. Flair also had a extremely bizarre interaction with Jim Ross on Twitter when the announcer updated the fans as he was going through treatment for colon cancer. The former NWA champion said that Ross was "attention seeking" before he said that the tweet was a joke after backlash online. He also had a public riff with his longtime friend and radio host, Mark Madden after the former WCW color commentator opted to end their podcast project since Flair was supposedly unprepared for their recording sessions. Flair mocked and criticized his former friend, who revealed in the aftermath that Flair isn't on speaking terms with Arn Anderson, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, or David Flair.

Plus, he almost died from drinking in 2017, but still posts photos of himself drinking on social media regularly, despite the second chance at life. The sum total of all of this is that Flair, despite being under contract to All Elite Wrestling, has made himself more or less unusable for television in either of the major leagues. You simply don't know what Flair will say with a live mic on the wrestling program, or what he will say outside of a wrestling event that could bring negative publicity to an organization that promotes him on television. So, he's getting paid by Tony Khan to not work for WWE, but realistically is there anything to use Ric Flair for in AEW?

It's sad to say since Flair should be known as Joe Montana or Mickey Mantle of professional wrestling, but he made himself into such a circus, including with these latest claims about Hulk Hogan's death that despite The Nature Boy legacy and a noticeable degree of notoriety in pop culture in more recent years, he's basically too much of a liability to have a role in sports entertainment today.    

What's the status of Samoa Joe?

After four and a half hours and nearly a dozen matches, I wrote an article to review the AEW Full Gear pay-per-view, a mixed bag of what you've come to expect from the Khan-owned promotion, earlier this week. Considering how lengthy the shows themselves inevitably are, I at least attempt to keep the columns to review them a more reasonable length so I often try to contain those write-ups to the broadcast itself.

However, considering the title switch, the heel turn, and the return in the main event segment, you have to wonder, was the rather abrupt change in direction the right move?

More than anything, the conclusion of the Full Gear event puts Adam Page 0-2 in terms of world title runs, and I think it's fair to question, at least at this point, if he's truly capable of being a main event guy? Sure, some of the fumbles, particularly in his initial title run a few years ago, put him at the mercy of questionable booking decisions, but that's ultimately a part of any champion's tenure at the top of the card. When Page originally won the title in 2021, it was at a time when the company still had a lot of momentum, with the addition of CM Punk, Adam Cole, and Bryan Danielson added to the roster within the span of a month. Taking into account where those three stars are today essentially tells the story of why AEW's viewership dropped 40% over the past few years. Adam Page's first title defense against the previously mentioned Danielson was a draw and nothing is more indifferent, which is the completely opposite of how to push a star, than a draw. Hangman's whiny promos, including the segment that lead to CM Punk infamously blowing his stack at a press conference that led to a decline in momentum for the promotion, didn't make him an admirable champion. His mic work over the course of the six months that he originally had the belt framed him as a whiny character, which created a disconnect with the fans in the role of the baby face champion.

As a way to further cement his middle of the road status, again the opposite of a position to draw money, he was booked in the odd feud with Swerve Strickland where he was switched from baby face to heel back to baby face, and again it left the fans with a convoluted narrative. The original formula worked because it was simple and easy to understand, Adam Page was the blue collar cowboy that wouldn't make down from a fight. This is pro wrestling, not Shakespeare. Adam Page was in the main event of the first AEW pay-per-view, and there's a reason that there was eventually a decline in his popularity when the booking strayed away from that original persona.

Fast forward almost four years and Hangman might not have been in the most popular position in his career, but the fans were looking for anyone to put an end to the drek of the Death Riders angle so when Page beat Moxley at All In Texas in July, it was theoretically a way to reignite his status as the world champion. Once again and less than three months later, Page's title reign was undistinguished. In some ways, you could say that the rug was pulled out from under him with only three months as the world champion, but even a look at the booking of his challengers during that time didn't necessarily put him in the spotlight as the top guy in the company. That brings up the question, was Hangman designed to be a transitional champion or did Tony change course based on lack of measurable results?

Page beat MJF at Forbidden Door, which was a lukewarm feud at best at the time, and I'm not sure the victory meant all that much in the big picture anyway because Friedman is more or less a part-timer now that isn't nearly as over now as he was three or four years ago. He beat Kyle Fletcher at All Out with less than two weeks of build behind it so how much importance did it really have? That being said, I wrote it at the time and I still say even more so now that Page dropped the title anyway that Fletcher should've won the championship at All Out as a way to freshen up the main event scene. Don't get me wrong, Page and Fletcher had a very solid main event bout in September, but we're taking about overall perception as a commodity to the company, not star ratings. If Page was going to lose the title in a short reign, Fletcher should've been the guy to truly give an opportunity as the champion with the chance to rejuvenate the organization with new faces at the top of the card. 

After that Page defeated Samoa Joe at Wrestle Dream, but that contest was secondary to the Darby Allin/Jon Moxley fiasco that was the main event of the card. So, at what point since Page won the title at All In Texas has Adam Page really been spotlighted as the top guy in the company? He hasn't and at this point, he doesn't have much of a direction as a character because there was the half-hearted attempt at a heel turn during the Swerve storyline. Scenarios like this where a talent is rather rudderless is one of the results of the trademark slapstick booking the company is known for.

The title switch was prompted by the Hook heel turn, and as I said briefly in the review of the cage match, taking into account that he was on the shelf with an injury previously and hasn't done anything of major importance since he returned to the organization, I don't know if Hook turning heel is a meaningful angle. The reason being is rather simple, there was a short period of time where Hook was organically very popular with the AEW fan base, but nothing was done to significantly capitalize on it so he settled in as just another name of the roster before the injury sidelined him. In short, I'd have to say that I think Hook has a much better chance of developing as a star in the NXT system. I don't see this specific heel turn as anything that will result in something that boost his profile in the company. If you need a comparison, look how many times, Wardlow was repackaged in an attempt to "capitalize on his potential" before a torn pec sidelined his most recent comeback to the ring.

 At 46, Samoa Joe is undoubtedly at the latter stages of his career, but that's not to say that he can't be a successful champion. In fact, Joe has built a career on credibility. Make no mistake about it, after being a head of his time in many ways throughout the majority of his career, Samoa Joe is finally getting the credit he deserves for the role he had in shaping the direction of the industry in the early-2000s. That being said, the whole thing just seems rather random that Tony decided to give Samoa Joe the world title at this point, specifically after he was more or less a transitional champion two years ago. However, the return of Swerve Strickland from knee surgery could provide an answer, maybe Joe was given the belt to be able to be used in the transitional champion role again?

Despite his consistent exposure of All Elite programming, I'm still not completely sure what Swerve's character is supposed to be, but given that it's a Tony Khan production, maybe that doesn't matter. The much bigger point is if Tony wants Swerve to be the guy, especially with Will Ospreay still recovering from neck surgery, there's definitely a case to be made for that. However, the key will be how Swerve's possible journey back to the belt is booked and promoted. Swerve was already the champion and it didn't boost the company so what will Khan book this time to maximize the circumstances that could promote him as champion? That's not to take anything away from Swerve's talent, but rather to point out that his second reign as champion, if that's the direction of the organization, can't be a carbon copy of his first run.

As we near the conclusion of 2025, it creates a natural point to take stock of the promotion, and truth be told, the majority of this year was the audience waiting for the Death Riders angle to be over, but we just saw the payoff to that, Hangman's title reign, get snuffed out within three months so as of right now, it's fair to say that this has more or less been another stagnant year for the company.

The career of Trapper Tom

"Breathe!"

That's what a random patron of Lawrenceville's Moose establishment told a frazzled ring announcer as he splashed water on his face under the florescent lights of the restroom. The stranger dried his hands and tossed a crumbled paper towel into a trash cash without a second thought while the MC for the evening diligently straightened his tie in the mirror, making sure that all of his note cards were in order before he walked to the ring. One was there for a casual night of entertainment, the other was at the first day on the job.

That was April 16, 2005, and that jittery ring announcer was Thomas Leturgey, a Pittsburgh native that was just minutes away from taking the plunge into the world of professional wrestling, a decision that ultimately shaped the direction of the rest of his life.

"I have been blessed beyond words with the friendships and opportunities that I have made in professional wrestling. Bobby O and I would often say, 'Not bad for a couple of kids from Cal U.' These wrestlers aren’t just friends, they are family," Leturgey explained.

"When thinking about the many friends who have played a huge part in my professional wrestling career, Trapper Tom must be counted near the top. Together, we have enjoyed the company of several wrestling legends, and have made many of our own wonderful memories together, added Mark Charles III, Pittsburgh area referee known as "The Count" for his studious approach to the officiating job. 

For more than two decades, the brass-voiced Leturgey has been the vocal conductor of the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance, a league that has been a fixture of Pittsburgh, a city known almost as much for its wrestling as the steel it once produced, for a quarter of a century. With the famous Pittsburgh Studio Wrestling program as a historical blue print, KSWA, since its inception, has aimed to recapture the classic pro wrestling style of the golden era of the steel city. With "Chilly" Billy Cardille as the host of the studio show, names like Bruno Sammartino, Bobby "Hurricane" Hunt, "The Fighting Cop From Carnegie" Frank Holtz, JJ Dillon, and "The Battman" Tony Marino provided a foundation for what pro wrestling was built on in the region. As a nod to the lineage of the area, those names were also recognized by KSWA with inductions into the promotion's Hall of Fame over the years. With a focus on over-the-top family-friendly entertainment as a throwback to a bygone era, the "mega stars" of KSWA bring colorful characters and traditional clashes of heroes vs. villains to its loyal fan base, dubbed the "KSWA Krazies."

Affectionately known as "Trapper" Tom by fans and peers alike,  Leturgey is as much of a throwback as the promotion itself. He has made a career both inside and outside of media for the better part of four decades, spanning back to when he made his on-air debut at a 500-watt radio station behind his high school in Cambria County. When the 15-year-old hit the airwaves, the broadcasts emanated from a shack built of cinder blocks.

"I read directly from that morning’s Johnstown Tribune-Democrat. When the sports guy left, I read sports from the paper. When the DJ left, I did all three jobs before some of my fellow high school friends joined me. We were all volunteers," Trapper said.

The domino effect that eventually led Leturgey to a life in pro wrestling, and media itself, began from there, prompting him to attend California University of Pennsylvania in 1986, a time when the Rock N' Wrestling era was just beginning to peak. It was in the halls of higher education that not only did Leturgey get involved in every form of media available at the time, he also met a fellow wrestling fan, Bobby O, the future owner of the KSWA, with a friendship that has continued over the span of 40 years.

"That led to me going to California University of Pennsylvania in 1986. That’s where I met Bobby O. I did it all there. Morning, evening DJ, newscaster, covered sports with Bobby O and others. And, got involved in the campus TV station and more importantly, the campus newspaper," Trapper Tom commented.

Post-graduation from Cal-U, Leturgey landed a long-tenured and very successful career outside of the media realm, but the echos of Myron Cope, Mike Lange, Greg Brown, Bill Hillgrove and Stan Savran, or the columns of the late, Dale Lolley embedded the pursuit of journalism in his mind. In fact, old school seems to be a part of Leturgey's make up, as he was a natural at painting the verbal or literary picture for the audience. "Trapper" wouldn't look out of place with a press pass tucked into a fedora if a DeLorean could hit 88 MPH to transport him back in time to cover the plays of Roberto Clemente or Rocky Bleier.

"As longtime voice of the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance, he harkens back to the golden era of Wrestling, and you will be hard pressed to find a more loyal friend," said Mark Charles.

As with anything, he started out with scholastic newspapers before he began writing for the South Hills Community paper after his college tenure and then continued to freelance for various outlets over the years as often as possible. He had a knack for the written word that simply couldn't be ignored. Eventually, he pitched stories to the Valley Manor, freelancing for them until he became a regular contributor for the publication in more recent years.

"I submitted things to the Valley Mirror newspaper and inquired when they were looking for freelancers. The rest is history," Leturgey remarked.

It goes without saying that with the late, legendary Hulk Hogan as his favorite in-ring grappler of all time that Trapper Tom had to put pen to paper about his love for the squared circle as well. Freelancing again opened the door for Trapper, and when his work was viewed, he was asked to contribute, making him a valuable asset in another form of media. When Greg Oliver of Slam Wrestling, one of the most well-known pro wrestling outlets, offered him a place to contribute there as well, Trapper found himself as a stalwart of squared circle coverage.

"He would ask me to cover things, or I would pass along stories on my own. Unfortunately, I was writing a lot of obituaries for them. We lost a lot of Studio Wrestling and independent wrestlers and personalities there for a stretch of time. Before he passed, I wrote a feature on Virgil that cleared up a lot of rumors about Mike Jones. It was like the third most viewed feature on Slam that year that wasn’t an obituary. Slam Wrestling featured seasoned authors and journalists who wrote about sports," Trapper Tom said.

Despite decades of his work in print in one form or another,  Leturgey has no plans of slowing down on his keyboard, with the written word as his focus going forward.

"My present and future projects will be in writing. I will continue to write about wrestling, local news, features and in the world of art. In addition to Fine Art Auctioneers like Ray Taylor and Mitch Carter, I’ve interviewed great contemporary artists like Lisa Me and KeF!," he added.

Just recently, Leturgey reached a milestone in his prose, contributing to the book “Behind The Mic: Pittsburgh's Greatest Sports Broadcast Journalists.” When it comes to journalist excellent around the storied history of the steel city, specifically professional wrestling, Leturgey is top-notch so his contribution to the book speaks volumes to his reputation.

Over the past twenty years, Trapper Tom has provided the introductions for  local legends like T. Rantula and Lord Zoltan, and national stars like The Rock N' Roll Express. However, he has occasionally got in the ring when the situation called for it, competing in a few official bouts to stand up to the villains. His in-ring career proved just how wild the sports entertainment business can be for anyone involved in the production of live cards. His record isn't as stellar as Andre's run, but Trapper has been in a handful of battle royals, a tag match alongside KSWA icon, Lou Martin, and even a four-team "Captain's match." 

"I was in my late 30’s then and worked out for that silly gimmick match. I got beat down by the dastardly Biker Al, who was then suspended through the summer. When he was to come back, I challenged him to a match, but Lou Martin stepped in to calm me down. He and I took on Biker Al and Del Douglas. Lou pinned Del, but I was able to hit Douglas with a Bionic Elbow. The Captain’s Series featured one non-wrestler on each team. It was a mishmash of talent, but I was snap-marred and pinned by Studio Wrestling great, Frank Durso, who was in his 70’s at the time. I loved all of it, but realized I was best served with a microphone in my hand," Tom said.

"Trapper Tom is the definitive voice of the KSWA. He even gave me the moniker 'Pride of Springdale' during a local event. What I thought was a one time comment has turned into a ongoing introduction that has followed me throughout the region," confirmed Shawn Patrick, a legendary western Pennsylvania referee with decades of experience that is beloved by fans and his peers.

Leturgey has lived dreams, built friendships, and made family all through the genre of pro wrestling. He didn't know it when he attended his first KSWA event in 2004 with his son Tyler, but the local league that was woven into the fabric of Pittsburgh also became woven into the narrative of his life. He has only missed a handful of KSWA dates during his tenure as ring announcer, as his wife Marion insists on an annual vacation to unwind. Trapper passed off the mic to his "Vulcan brother" Luke Hixon on those occasions, but Tom still had to keep his reporter hat on even when he was supposed to be relaxing in the sun.

"I always bring my laptop. I’m not happy unless I am working or promoting something. I have written more than 800 pieces about the KSWA over the years. We helped enrich and promote the in-ring career of the likes of Lord Zoltan and T-Rantula and I couldn’t be prouder," he explained.

"With his golden pen, Trapper Tom has helped to solidify the legend of The Count in Western Pennsylvania and beyond, through the many stories he’s published about my own personal journey in professional wrestling," Mark Charles chimed in.

Radio broadcasts, ABA games, high school basketball, and of course, professional wrestling have all been sound tracked by Leturgey. Much like he hit a career milestone with the book publication of signature Pittsburgh broadcasters earlier this year, he will reach another benchmark to close the year. After 25 years of thrills and philanthropy, as the organization ran numerous fundraisers and charity events each year, the KSWA will have its final event in the Sheraden neighborhood at the American Legion Post 496, a home base for the company, on December 6th. In a shining examples of KSWA's greater mission, the fan fest event will once again host a toy drive for those in need in Allegheny country this holiday season.

The organizers behind the scenes of the wrestling league cited the increased workload and exhausting process of promoting dozens of events each year as the reason behind the decision to promote a finale card, As bittersweet as it might be, the memories, friendships and impressions the KSWA made for the past 25 years will have a lasting effects on those that experienced it, it certainly did on Leturgey. Because of that, after more than a 20-year career as a ring announcer, he felt it was only right to take his final bow on the same night that the curtain closes on the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance.

"I couldn’t imagine frequently being on shows that didn’t feature Lou Martin, Shawn Blanchard, Del Douglas, Shane Starr, Mark Charles, and so many others," he explained.

"Trapper" Tom didn't know it that day in 2005 when he nervously proclaimed introductions in Lawrenceville for the first time, but he will be reminded of all of the thrills, friends and family he made throughout his journey in professional wrestling on December 6th in Sheraden.

Full Gear review

All Elite Wrestling's Full Gear pay-per-view is in the books and from an overall perspective, it wasn't anything too over-the-top, but maybe that viewpoint is skewed by the fact that the Blood and Guts matches were less than two weeks ago. At the same time, there were some newsworthy happenings during the broadcast that could give an indication of the direction of the organization ahead of 2026. In many ways, this show made the same format flaws seen on most All Elite PPVs. Tony Khan, being the matchmaker that he is rather than a booker, gave a blanket 20-minutes to most of the key matches on the card without seemingly any thought as to if those bouts should've had or needed that amount of time. Along the same lines, the pattern telegraphed and thus hinder the attempt to build drama throughout the night. It got to the point that there were a lot of near falls, but not necessarily many false finishes because it was obvious that it wasn't even remotely possible that a pin fall attempt might actually be the conclusion of the contest unless the match was near the 20-minute mark. A booker knows how to tailor the amount of time given to a segment based on the nature of the match and the storyline. Tony Khan simply didn't do that here and it undoubtedly affected the pace of the event. I know I've said this many times, but I will continue to note that not every card needs to be four and a half or five hours. More wrestling isn't automatically better wrestling, and in this case, it only led to a tedious viewing experience at certain points of the show. Of course, the potential sale of Warner Brothers Discovery looms in the background as it could have a direct impact on the status of the company on the Turner networks, depending on what, if any, organization buys the company. As of this writing, Comcast, Netflix and Paramount are all reported to have made offers to WBD, and all three of those options have some type of current agreement with the TKO corporation.

Similar to the previous pay-per-view, Full Gear kicked off with the continuation of a bout from the pre-show, which is fine since it provides something unique for the All Elite presentation. That being said, the CMLL trios tag belts being defended on this show meant absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things, and that notion was underscored by the way the segment was booked. The narrative, as it should've been, was the dissension between the Don Callis family. The problem is, this is a match that could've been booked for television and accomplished the same goal, which matters when a show runs as long as this broadcast. Maybe I'm wrong, but I still think that AEW is missing the boat on the chance to truly utilize their lucha stars in the biggest way possible. Too often, Tony Khan takes the smart mark approach to his product, which is one of the major flaws of the national organization, and there isn't nearly enough of an explanation of the lucha libre background. As far back as 1997 in WCW, there were simple video packages that explained the fundamental aspects of lucha libre, as well as Mike Tenay's tremendous work as an announcer on Nitro to emphasize the importance of lucha libre in Mexico. Tony Khan appears to think that since he reads The Wrestling Observer that everyone is aware of these luchadors with very little or no exposure in the United States. Does anyone really know who Neon is? Does the national audience know anything about Mascara Dorada? Their talent isn't in doubt, that's not the point, the much bigger aspect is that for them to be assets to the company, they have to be showcased as stars, not just random high spot guys wearing masks. They retained the trios belts alongside Mistico, which made this segment even more suitable for television, not the pay-per-view.

Pac vs. Darby Allin was fine for what it was, but similar to a few other bouts on the card, this was tame compared to what happened at Blood and Guts less than two weeks ago, which is another prime example as to why the cage matches should've been booked for Full Gear instead. Pac's new look makes him appear rather generic, but he's still juiced to the gills so maybe his attire is moot. Darby Allin took some ridiculous bumps, including a power slam to the floor and going through the turnbuckles to bounce off of the ring post. Those bumps aren't nearly as brutal, considering that he took a slam off of the set through a flaming table last week, but I digress. Pac got the victory, which was somewhat puzzling unless he's going to be a regular on AEW programming again.

The women's four way tag match was sloppy and pointless, as the winning team gets to pick the stipulation for the semi-final match of the women's tag team tournament. Toni Storm and Mina Shirakawa won, but this is another bout that should've been on television instead of PPV. If I had to guess, I'd say that the only reason this was booked was to shoehorn as many wrestlers on the card as possible.

FTR beat Brody King and Bandido to win the tag team titles, and this was a segment that justified the 20 minutes that it was given. You could make the argument that there was a a degree of overkill with the amount of moves to get to the finish, but overall this was a great match that represented the positives about the AEW brand. It was fast-paced, hard-hitting, and had peaks and valleys that built a level of drama toward the finish. While the Ring Of Honor world title is merely a prop, this AEW tag title run has given Bandido a firm role and a direction that makes him a commodity alongside Brody King. This was a throw together team that organically worked so despite dropping the belts, they should continue as a duo in the division. Everything that FTR does is crisp and smooth, with this bout as an example of why they are probably still the best in-ring tag team in the business. That said, with the Young Bucks face turn later in the night, hopefully this wasn't a booking decision made just to position FTR as transitional champions to lose the belts to The Bucks. Despite what could be a fresh chapter for Matt and Nick Jackson, I'd still say that the audience wants to see less, not more of The Young Bucks on AEW programming.

Ricochet won the gauntlet to win the national title, which is completely pointless. There's absolutely no reason for All Elite to add yet another title to the organization. This does nothing for Ricochet as a character, and the notion of a national champion when there was already an international and continental champion is just silly. Furthermore, this segment was almost 25 minutes, and if the contest had been cut from the card entirely, it probably would've provided a better overall viewing experience.

Kyle O'Reilly defeated Jon Moxley in a no hold barred match, a lazy way to book another hardcore bout on the card. If this would've been kept a physical, technical bout to emphasize the brutal strikes or submissions, they could've had something that stood out  from the homogenized formula of gimmick matches, but they resorted to using the fork and blood within the first few minutes. In a vacuum, this was solid for what it was, but taking into context not only the entire product, but just this broadcast alone, it was just repetitive use of blood as a substitute for compelling storytelling on the show. O'Reilly is a tremendous athlete, but what's the basis for a blood feud with Moxley? Did the feud or lack thereof really justify this type of match? More specifically, they did the exact same spot where Moxley got stabbed in the head with the fork as he did during the match with Adam Page at All In a few months ago so it's not nearly as impactful now. O'Reilly got the win via submission, but I'm not sure what that translates to because there's logically not anywhere else for the feud to go from here so it remains to be seen if it will actually boost his status in the company.

As far as a retread, the same thing can be said for the Mark Briscoe vs.Kyle Fletcher bout. These two had a very good gimmick match, but when it's put on this card, specifically in this match order, it means significantly less as far as its impact to make the participants bigger stars. The audience just saw blood minutes before this so it means nothing after that. It's disappointing that Briscoe bled buckets for minimal reaction and minimal effectiveness. Give them credit for all the risks that they took, and on a different card, it might've been a highlight of the night, as it proved that Fletcher is a versatile performer, but since it was booked on this card in this order, that's not really the narrative of the segment. They somewhat telegraphed the finish, as it was obvious that the pin wasn't going to happen until the barbed wire table was used. Briscoe won the TNT championship, and hopefully, he will get a chance to truly showcase himself, as he was a lot more to offer than what he's been booked for in AEW.

The trios match was a dazzling spot fest, albeit a carbon copy of matches that we've seen before. The bigger story than the high spots or the fact that The Jurassic Express and Kenny Omega won, was that The Young Bucks turned baby face after the match. As mentioned earlier, I'm not sure the audience cares what The Bucks do at this point, or if there's really a demand for them to be featured more on the program, especially after the attempt to lean into the criticism with the heel EVPs run fell flat. This might be too harsh, but the reality is that the "stain" of a lot of the backstage chaos from a few years ago, including what prompted the biggest star to leave the company, is still on The Young Bucks. It will be interesting to see if the audience buys them as baby faces going forward.

I was surprised that Kris Statlander retained the TBS championship against Mercedes Mone, and it was a solid bout, but at this point of the show when it was after midnight, another 25-minute match just made the match tedious. There were a few flat points, simply because it's almost unavoidable after the four-hour mark. Aside from that, I have no idea where Mone goes from here since it's not as though her quest to collect belts has boosted the numbers.

The cage match was fine except that there was even more blood that became completely repetitive. Samoa Joe will be a legend when he hangs up his boots, and he bled buckets to try to make this a worthy main event, but the whole thing was just unnecessary. At 12:15 AM, there wasn't anything that Adam Page or Joe were going to be able to do to make a difference. I understand that Hook was on the injured list for a while, but taking into consideration that he wasn't booked for anything too important before that, I'm not sure the heel turn truly means anything in the bigger picture. The return of Swerve Strickland adds more depth to the roster, but that aspect is almost moot when AEW continues to be such a slapstick product.

Jake Paul vs. Anthony Jousha

Jake Paul's next sideshow fight is booked and it might be the start of the decline of his time as a draw in boxing.

I've said it before and I will say it again, Jake Paul isn't a legitimate boxer and truth be told, he has no reason to want to be. Similar to many others from the "famous for being famous" category on social media, Paul has found a way to parlay social media success into other avenues. He took a page from the professional wrestling playbook and cast himself as a villain, as people will pay to see him lose. It's been used in sports entertainment for decades, and is nothing new to boxing either. Floyd Mayweather used the same "bad guy" marketing tactic during the second half of his very lucrative career, albeit with often hand-picked opponents that he knew weren't a true threat to his undefeated record.

Besides the obvious difference that Floyd was a legitimate boxer, the problem of the Jake Paul selling point is that since he relies on gimmicks for his fights, the longevity of how long the general public will pay to watch it is much shorter. Paul knows that, which is why he has taken incrementally more serious opponents to try to stretch how long he can generate big payoffs from the sport. That's why he doesn't want to be a legitimate boxer, because it will expose, and it already has, the fact that he's a novice fighter that used his fame from outside of the ring to cash in on the sport.

A look at his laundry lists of legal issues and accusations prove that he's a sleazy guy, but from purely a capitalism perspective, Jake Paul has found a way to get paid millions of dollars for circus fights. As a purest, I shake my head, especially because the Canelo/Crawford bout in September was a showcase of what top-notch boxing brings to the table, but there's no doubt that Jake Paul, at least for right now, can draw money.

His next fight was originally scheduled for this month against WBA lightweight champion, Gervonta Davis, who has an undefeated record of 30-0 with wins against credible opponents. As with every Jake Paul production, there was a gimmick. Davis is a lightweight, and Jake Paul has fought between crusierweight or heavyweight. The fight was initially supposed to be held in Georgia, but was moved to Florida because there were issues getting a fight sanctioned when there was such a size difference, but gimmicks aren't anything new for a Jake Paul contest. He fought a social media influencer, a basketball player, an out of shape Ben Askren, who was just there for the payday, Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva after they were both clearly passed their respective primes, and then finally an actual boxer when he squared off with Tommy Fury. Sure, Tommy Fury is a completely mediocre boxer and his only claim to fame is that he's the brother of a former heavyweight champion, but he beat Jake Paul in 2023. So, when Jake Paul finally fought an actual, albeit mediocre boxer, he lost. Paul beat Nate Diaz, who was more or less just there for the check since he's basically done fighting in MMA before fought a pair of tomato cans that nobody has heard of after that. His contest against Mike Perry was laughable, as Perry was a former UFC competitor that was primarily known for wrestling so the victory was against another guy that wasn't a threat, but was willing to take the fight for the payday.

Jake Paul moved the needle when he fought a 58-year-old Mike Tyson last November, selling almost 60,000 tickets and generating a live gate of over $18 million. Granted, the biggest selling point was Tyson back in the ring, and the fact that the spectacle was woefully underwhelming, especially compared to what the general public expected with Mike Tyson on the marquee, was almost irrelevant when it was able to draw that much money. Paul's fight earlier this year against the infamously lazy Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was also completely underwhelming when Paul secured a lackluster decision win. Chavez Jr. had proven previously in his career that he's not a dangerous opponent, and similar to the rest of his career, he only brought his last name to the table for the fight against Paul. Post-fight, Chavez Jr. was arrested and deported back to Mexico for alleged connections to the drug cartels.

The same way that he brought Tyson into the fold when he needed to try to reignite interest in his boxing exploits, Jake Paul got Gervonta Davis as a legitimate opponent, but of course the catch was that Davis is a significantly smaller fighter. Why does Jake Paul fight without a gimmick stipulation with every card? The answer to that is simple because when he fought an actual boxer within a reasonable weight class, a fighter that was mediocre at best, he lost. Paul knows that if he loses, the audience will get what they paid to see, and given that watching him lose is the novelty, there's not a reason for them to have to pay to see it again.

The decision loss to Tommy Fury is one thing, but a brutal knockout or stoppage is the ultimate payoff to the entire Jake Paul "angle" as a boxer. The chances that Davis was going to be able to do that weren't zero, but it was a minimal risk. Given the size difference, the bout was scheduled to be an exhibition since the athletic commission wouldn't sanction it as a pro fight, highlighting just how silly the entire presentation is, until a lawsuit was filed against Davis earlier this month. The legal action accused him of domestic violence and kidnapping. The serious nature of the accusations prompted the bout to be cancelled, with other opponents considered for the fight that will air on Netflix.

After shuffling through potential opponents, former two-time heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua was selected for the bout scheduled for December 19th in Miami, Florida on Netflix. Taking into account the platform, it will be interesting to see if there are any Paul/Joshua commercials during WWE programming. The British heavyweight is a serious, albeit under achieving contender, with key loses that kept him at the second tier of heavyweights over the past several years. In mid-2019, he suffered a shocking knockout loss in the seventh round to relatively unknown Andy Ruiz. It's the heavyweight division and it only takes one punch for someone to get a fluke win so there wasn't much damage done to his status in the division, especially when he avenged the loss via unanimous decision in December of the year. At the time, many boxing pundits looked toward an eventual Deontay Wilder/Anthony Joshua showcase, but in the five years since that time, Wilder garnered a record of just 2-4, prompting some to call for his potential retirement from the sport. Wilder's return to the ring, a TKO victory over the undistinguished Tyrrell Herndon, this past June received very little buzz within the sport. When Jousha beat Kubrat Pulev at the end of 2020, many assumed that the flash KO loss to Ruiz the prior year was, in fact, a fluke. However, a pair of losses again current undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk that unfolded over the following two years, not only fizzled talks of the Wilder confrontation at the time, but were also key loses that proved that he was a solid contender, but wasn't able to get victories against the top of the division. The Ukrianian champion went on to defeat Daniel Dubois, Tyson Fury twice, and then Dubois again in a rematch. Joshua picked up three wins in a row, again suggesting that he was on his way back up the ranks in the division before he was knocked out in the fifth round by the previously mentioned Dubois last year.

So, the narrative of Anthony Joshua's career is that he's a competitive heavyweight, not a top-tier fighter. That makes him legitimately dangerous for a Jake Paul fight, but maybe not too dangerous. That said, he's the most dangerous fighter that Paul has fought by a considerable margin. The story of the fight is simple, if the British fighter is there to get a highlight reel win to use the publicity to rejuvenate his career for another run in the division then Paul could get knocked out, but if Joshua is just in the ring for the major payday, Paul will get an underwhelming decision on the score cards.

If Jake Paul gets knocked out then the audience gets what they paid to see, and as mentioned, there's not really a reason for them to have to pay to watch him fight again so interest in his fights would probably wain significantly going forward. Some might scoff at that considering the numbers that Paul fights have done prior to his, but it's important to keep in mind that it's the nature of sideshow fights. Given that the entire world, including sports with the recent betting accusations in different leagues, who knows what's actually going to happen during the Paul/Joshua contest, but given that the only bout that Jake Paul lost was against an actual boxer that's a rather mediocre fighter, the odds shouldn't be in his favor when he competes against a legitimate former heavyweight champion.

What's the status of Full Gear?

All Elite Wrestling's next pay-per-view, Full Gear is this weekend, but even with a final episode of Dynamite to push the selling points of the event, there's a noticeable lack of anticipation behind the show, which says a lot about the lack of structure within the company itself.

When you look at the card, it's an average, but solid All Elite PPV on paper. The talent on the roster is rarely in question, but how they are positioned becomes a much bigger point than anything else. Kris Statlander might be the best in-ring female worker in the promotion so there's little doubt that she can have a good match against Mercedes Mone, as artificial as it might be since the former Sasha Banks continues to collect props in an attempt to try to convince purists that she's somehow the female version of Ultimo Dragon. She seems to forget or ignore that Ultimo Dragon didn't fall woefully short of expectations, but instead was known for an uncompromising consistency throughout his legendary career. Wasn't Mone supposed to be a game changer when she arrived last year? Has she truly moved the needle? There's not a better example of when belts are reduced to props than the current "Ultimo Mone" stint that gives the impression that she's begging to be taken seriously as a top-notch worker, but her in-ring work usually doesn't reflect it.

Kyle Fletcher and Mark Briscoe had a great match previously, and there's no reason not to have a rematch, except for the fact that it's a no DQ match because why not? Along those same lines, Samoa Joe will get a rematch against Adam Page in a steel cage match. Similar to Fletcher/Briscoe, there's a reason for Joe to get another title shot, especially after the heel turn after the original contest rejuvenated his character, but the steel cage stipulation is again where the booking misses the mark.

The reason being is simple, the audience just saw the crescendo of gimmick matches last week during the Blood and Guts episode of Dynamite. Anything after that, especially the following weekend, is diminishing returns. Furthermore, the effectiveness of anything done at Full Gear in either gimmick match, is completely neutralized, as unless someone loses a limb, which might sadly be possible on an AEW broadcast, it will be tame in comparison to what was on television less than ten days previously.

It's basic pro wrestling psychology, and maybe that's why it's so frustrating to continuously watch legitimate risks be completely disregarded because nothing within the product truly spotlights moments since the booking is all over the place. It's the same problem the Attitude era had, except it's done to an exponentially more ridiculous degree in All Elite today. If you see a head-on collision at an intersection, the fender bender five minutes later at a stop sign is minimal by comparison.

The Blood and Guts matches were essentially AEW's answer to War Games at Survivor Series later this month, which was a misguided attempt to counter what WWE is going to offer, but that's a different discussion for a different time. It's also a different discussion for a different time if matches like this are wise to put on cable television. At the very list, the argument could be made that the gory spectacle could sour sponsors or the network on AEW programming, at this point, parsing those details would be moot. The AEW product has established what it is, regardless of if that's suitable or tailored to a national audience is irrelevant, this is what Tony Khan offers to the audience.

I could write a lengthy column on the many reasons why the vast majority of what was booked for Blood and Guts last week is counter productive to drawing money on a national level, or why it puts a ceiling on not only the audience that will watch it, but also the revenue that it could generate for the company. We already know that drawing money isn't the top priority for Tony Khan so it's another moot debate to discuss the details of why the concept itself.

However, the much bigger and more simplistic point is how putting Blood and Guts on television rather than pay-per-view completely devalued the Full Gear event.

The two-ring steel cage match on Dynamite was legitimately one of the bloodiest matches in the history of pro wrestling television. Skye Blue bled buckets, and Kyle O'Reilly spilled an unbelievable amount of blood. It was a total blood bath and stands out for the sheer amount of crimson, even though the company overuses blood on a regular basis. There were tables, glass, barbed wire, and fire used between the two Blood and Guts matches.

So, what exactly are Samoa Joe and Adam Page going to do in a cage match to follow it? It's literally an apples-to-apples situation, and the two could work a great match that will be forgettable compared to the cage match that more viewers watched on television. The same applies for Mark Briscoe, who was in the Blood and Guts match, and Kyle Fletcher. What exactly are they supposed to do in a no DQ match that isn't going to be considered undistinguished compared to the blood, fire, and tables, on Dynamite?

This is where Tony Khan booked the entire scenario backwards. As over-the-top and unnecessary as the Blood and Guts matches were, you could at least partially justify it if they were put on pay-per-view because it could theoretically generate more buys for the show. In fact, if the gimmick matches were put on PPV, technically, the history of Blood and Guts could've been used to leverage another selling point for Full Gear. If this is the stuff they've done for this match in the past on television, how far are they going to push the envelope on pay-per-view? More specifically, and this might be the biggest point to be made from a business prospective, if the blood bath is booked on pay-per-view, the company wouldn't be at risk of causing any issues with the network, and to a lesser extent, advertisers.

The biggest takeaway from all of this is that Tony Khan actually made it more difficult for the company to sell its pay-per-view this weekend based on what he booked for television last week. It puts the talent on the Full Gear card, some of those performers that were in the steel cage matches on Dynamite last week, in a no-win situation. In the grand scheme of things, Blood and Guts will overshadow Full Gear, particularly because there probably won't be any noteworthy title switches on the card. This situation demonstrates why drawing money isn't the priority for All Elite Wrestling since the pay-per-view buy rate has the potential to be a much bigger revenue stream than the weekly television taping, but with the way the product was booked within the past two weeks, there's actually less of an incentive for the fans to pay to order Full Gear this weekend. Sure, the broadcast will probably be four and a half hours, and there will be matches will the same dazzling high spots or gimmicks used throughout the night, but will any of it matter for the landscape of the company? The only things that are really at stake at Full Gear are the TBS title and the world heavyweight title. It's obvious that Mercedes Mone is going to collect another title, and chances are slim that Adam Page will drop the championship after he already beat Joe previously so what exactly is the reason that fans should spend $50 to watch the PPV, especially after it will be tame compared to the matches on Dynamite last week?

The career of Austin Cairns

"That experience was a literal dream come true!"

The journey to the big time can be full of uncertainty and hardships. The world of sports entertainment is no different than any other live performance industry, you can put in the miles and countless hours of work in an effort just to get a chance to prove yourself. You've heard the numerous stories of those that, for whatever reason, had to take a long, hard road to reach their destiny. In the early-80s, Mick Foley slept in his car as snow encased the vehicle after hundreds of miles on the road each weekend from Cortland, New York for the chance to pursue his dream of training to be a professional wrestler at Dominic DeNucci's school in Freedom, Pennsylvania, a borough located in Beaver country on the western side of the state. Foley famously recounted the tale of emerging from his snow-covered car like a hibernating bear early Saturday mornings in his first autobiography, New York Times #1 best-seller, "Have A Nice Day." But, Mick had no idea that when he ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in his backseat that it would one day payoff with a legacy that spanned decades.

The hustle and the struggle to get that majority opportunity can be seen throughout different generations, as it's often simply the nature of the beast.

Before The Young Bucks became wildly popular on social media and then a part of the core group for the launch of what became the second national promotion in the United States, they once had their debit card declined when they tried to buy a chicken sandwich for less than $3 at the airport. When the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the entire world and thus canceled independent shows, Eddie Kingston had to sell his boots to pay his mortgage before a fiery challenge to then-EVP, Cody Rhodes eventually landed the native of Yonkers a contract.

You never know when that opportunity will land in front of you, but regardless of when, the key is to be prepared to make the most of it. For the examples cited so far, it took years, but for a young man based in Pittsburgh, with only a few months of experience under his belt, he was presented with the chance of a lifetime.

Sometimes, it's about being at the right place at the right time.

This past September, Austin Cairns, a Sports Communication major at Point Park University in the city, found himself in the gorilla position, the spot right behind the curtain that was named for the legendary Gorilla Monsoon, who would often be there to run WWF television tapings in Allentown during that era. Just a few feet away sat Tony Khan, one of the most powerful pro wrestling promoters in the world. Austin, clad in his trademark suit and tie, felt that this scenario was surreal, it was a dream come true. Within moments, he heard the booming voice of ring announcer, Justin Roberts introduce him to the thousands of fans in attendance at The Peterson Events Center, the same venue that hosts Pitt Panther basketball games, for a taping of All Elite Wrestling's Dynamite broadcast.

In the modern era when content is king, and we've seen how uncovered footage is usually popular online, even the untelevised matches at the taping are recorded for potential later use. Austin made his way down the aisle, the same aisle that many of the biggest stars in the business would walk down later that night, to put on his headset to provide commentary for the dark match of the evening, Hook scheduled to compete against a local grappler.

At just 21, Austin Cairns was able to showcase part of his "resume" for one of the national professional wrestling groups in the United States. His professionalism and preparedness impressed the right people, which allowed him to provide All Elite Wrestling with an impromptu "audition" of his work.

"AEW was a crazy experience. Through some connections I have at Point Park, I was able to get backstage at AEW Dynamite in Pittsburgh and essentially have an inside look on how things were run. I got to view the production truck, catering, the locker room, and even Tony's office/ Once the EVPs found out I do commentary and have a dream of going mainstream, they offered me a chance to call a dark match before the show. Not knowing what I was getting myself into, I agree. After that experience, I got to watch the event, then meet Tony Khan and Bryan Danielson," Austin explained.

As uncommon as his big moment was at such a young age, his discovery of the sport was very typical, he found clips on Youtube when he was a child and began to follow the genre. His introduction to the business at the end of last year was even more ordinary. He wanted to take the steps to parlay his fandom of the industry into a career move, especially when he was already pursuing higher education within sports media. Austin contacted the International Wrestling Cartel, one of the most well-known and longest-running leagues in the Pittsburgh area. Founded by radio personality, Bubba The Bulldog in 2001 and then promoted successfully for several years by the godfather of the Pittsburgh independent scene, Norm Connors, the group has been under the direction of Justin Plummer for more than a decade, continuing to bring major names to the region for its established fan base.

Austin's start in the business was far less glamorous than the bright lights at the Peterson Events Center prior to when Dynamite went on the air. He helped with production, ran cables, assisted with the set up or tear down for each live event, and worked as a cameraman just to be there when an opportunity arose, and when it did, the door was opened for him to join the IWC commentary team.

"During that time, I would ride in the car and pick the brain of Joe Dombrowski, who I consider to be a mentor," Cairns commented.

"Austin is an incredibly bright and passionate young man, whose instincts and professionalism should help him go far. It will be a long and arduous journey, and time will tell where that journey takes him, as it does for us all, but I feel his chances are above average to find some real traction in multiple sports," added Dombrowski, who has spent more than two decades behind the mic and is the current lead play-by-play announcer for Major League Wrestling.

His drive to get an opportunity wasn't limited to one specific organization, within recent months, he also joined the broadcast team of 880 Wrestling, an upstart league originally based out of New Kensington before it relocated to the south side of the city. With the name a nod to the postal code of where it was launched, 880 is a DYI organization that thrived based on its open door policy for anyone that wants to test themselves in the pursuit of the sport. Known for its inclusive and accepting brand, talent from every background has found a home on their Thursday Night Fight cards, weekly matches that are live streamed on the indywrestling.us platforms. Similar to his introduction to IWC, Cairns repeated the process at 880, helping out with anything that was needed until he had a chance at the desk, which he cites as one of the most valuable learning experiences of his young career.

"The constant reps at 880, their weekly Thursday Night Fights,which has been a great way for me to practice and learn on the fly. I also call other sports so I have been learning how to balance out the differences," Austin remarked.

"Austin looks at any event as any opportunity to advance himself in sports  broadcasting. He keeps himself vigilant and prepared. He stays hungry and keeps me on my toes. Literally, we both stand up and do commentary together for multiple hours a week," Toddy Tondera, the longtime voice of the 880 project. 

When he doesn't have a headset for pro wrestling broadcasts on a weekly basis, Austin still has a microphone in his hand. It's not uncommon for him to be on the call for college basketball games around the region or on the air on WPPJ Radio 670 AM, the Point Park station, every Monday from at 4-5 PM that afternoon for The Austin Cairns Show. When he's not on the air live, he presses the record button for not one, but two podcasts for multiple tapings each week, which have become staples of the local media circuit.

"I host a weekly podcast called 2 Jagoffs!, its a podcast that has two episodes a week and streams on almost every platform! We do a weekly episode every Thursday and an interview with a wrestler, broadcaster, and others every Sunday. We also just recently did a live charity podcast at Point Park University where we raised over $300,000 dollars for students/ I also co-host a podcast called Steel City Commuters with my friend, Nicholas Brown," Austin explained.

As taught in his classes at Point Park, these ventures have provided Austin with professional growth and development to open more doors down the road for his career, but they have also given him personal friendships that are a reflection of wholesome comradery, an ironic contrast to the in-ring mayhem that sports entertainment is based on.

"KC Warr approached, me asking if I would like the opportunity to travel to Cleveland and call an entire 880 show at the Great Lakes Brewery. KC is someone else that I consider to be a mentor and friend in this business so I will be forever grateful for it. My favorite from IWC was this past month at Winner Takes All where I got to call a bit where WWE Hall of Famer, Ted DiBiase came out and put Marcus DeAngelo to sleep," Cairns said.

The world of broadcasting, especially in the continuously evolving media landscape is arguably more unpredictable than the pro wrestling business, but when Austin had the chance, he was professional and prepared to make the most of his opportunities.

"Part of it was being in the right place at the right time," he said of his whirlwind adventure in the pro wrestling business so far.

One thing is for sure, dreams can come true, just ask Austin Cairns.