Big Time Wrestling

Usually, I tackle the national scene or pen a feature story about some of the stellar independent talent that I get the chance to do commentary for on the local circuit. I don't write about myself too often, simply because you click these articles to read about wrestling (and I sincerely thank you for it), not me. However, I will occasionally dive into a personal story, as it's often circumstances that would only occur around the over-the-top sport of professional wrestling.

You might recall that a few years ago, I wrote a column titled, "chicken and cage matches," a write-up that chronicled the journey that one of my wrestling pals, Joe Folino and I took across the state of Pennsylvania after he secured free tickets to TNA Lockdown in 2009. The saga of a mostly empty arena, being literally in the middle of no where according to the GPS, and discovering a Roy Rogers rest stop at 2 AM without any chicken received some fun feedback. So, I figured another tale of an absurd wrestling adventure might provide some entertainment.

Joe's family has been friends with my family for years so when he told me about Kane doing a rare independent appearence on a card that also had Bubba Ray Dudley and Shane Douglas, I was pumped to get to take a trip with some of my wrestling pals. This was in February of 2020, mere weeks before the pandemic decided to Yakuza kick the entire world. At the time, I was board-oping at a local radio station about 10 minutes from Joe's house so after I completed a five-hour shift running the board at around 10 AM, Joe swung by the broadcast building to pick me up before we began the venture to pro wrestling prosperity. Different from when we went across the state on less than 24 hours notice, this time Joe's two brothers, his very nice father-in-law Mel, and his two young daughters were along for the ride. The three-row SUV got everyone a spot and we were on the road to Altoona, PA. The destination has a history of pro wrestling and is near central Pennsylvania.

To make the most out of the few hours on the road, a few pit stops were planned, including the Mars candy factory store, and a restaurant that I can't recall the exact name of, but it specialized in Carolina barbecue. This event was held the day before the Super Bowl so while the youngsters watched some shows on their tablets, Mel flipped through a large stack of sheets that resembled a phone book, scanning through various prop bets for the big game. It was rather comical as Mel diligently scanned the odds and relayed the information to the rest of us about the coin toss, the halftime show, and the color of the Gatorade for each team. As the Folino brothers and I discussed the odds with the Andy Reid of prop bets, a few small flurries could be seen around the windows.

After about an hour and a half on the road, which went by quickly as we were shooting the breeze and did an obnoxious amount of "That's gotta be Kane!" impressions, we made the turn into the Mars Candy parking lot. I expected to see some giant tower with chocolate erupting from it like a volcano, and Gene Wilder pop out with a walking stick, but the store itself was rather small. The factory looked like any other non-descript building complex. There were no catchy tunes or little orange guys with wheel barrels full of sugar to complete the candy product. But, once we got inside the store, it was a really neat experience, the tiny space was literally stacked to the ceiling with every assortment of candy that the brand offered. Actual crates of chocolate were stacked taller than any of us. In a rather comical moment, Joe gleefully picked up a gigantic industrial size tub of marshmallows for his purchase. Everyone picked out their candy choice, and I opted from a pack of chocolate covered pretzels, noticing a really cool framed photo of The Three Stooges when they visited the location decades earlier.

With bags full of candy and giant marshmallows, we all jumped back in the SUV for a brief 15-minute ride to the BBQ restaurant. To call this BBQ spot a hole in the wall would be charitable. Don't get me wrong, the place was clean, the staff was friendly, and the ribs were great, but similar to the previous pit stop, the restaurant was about the size of a convenient store. There were three small tables up against one of the walls and a counter that had a row of seating. The place was packed, as many stood almost shoulder to shoulder waiting for their to-go orders. As I said, the ribs were great, and if the building was anywhere near civilization, it's a somewhere I'd visit again. The ribs had a solid set of seasonings that added a lot of great flavor and you could tell that the food had been properly cooked, which explained the wait for the crowd inside the building.

The barbecue was a win, and it was time for some wrestling. The organization that held this event was Big Time Wrestling, it was somewhat of an odd scenario, as the group ran events in multiple states with a lot of major names, but wasn't exactly on the radar as a major independent company. They had a smart business strategy, though. They'd bring in some legends to draw the crowd and then the undercard was mostly weekend warriors or local talent. If I had to guess, the reason they didn't get more publicity is that Big Time Wrestling was more of a meet and greet organization that happened to include a wrestling show with it than events of major in-ring substance. That's not a criticism, either, tickets sold are tickets sold.

The mayor of Knoxville drew the crowd that night, as the Jaffa Mosque was packed with a very "typical" rasslin crowd in the mostly rural area of central Pennsylvania. I almost felt like it was enemy territory as red hats and t-shirts for the orange villain were scattered among a sea of overalls and pouches of tobacco. Along the lengthy line for the meet and greet of the former WWE champion, Bully Ray had a table for photos and autographs. You hear a lot of stories about Bubba in interviews, but he was very polite when I met him and got his original ECW figure signed. He was also very nice and smiled for a photo with Joe's daughters. Once we reached the stage to meet "The Big Red Machine," he was very polite, taking a moment to talk to us and signed my 1998 magazine that had him on the cover. Granted, Kane has posted a lot of ridiculous and insane things on social media in the four and half years since I met him, but he took a lot of chair shots during his career so I'm just going to stick with the fact that he was nice when I met him. On a lighter note, after he met the top draw of the night, we saw Tom Brandi in one of the hallways, complete with USA mask and selling photos of Del Wilkes. Brandi, in a true carny stroke of genius, was also selling sharpies, that fans could buy to use for other autographs that night. We found Shane Douglas and his trainer, Dominic DeNucci at their tables, and while Joe's daughters met "The Franchise," who sold his 8X10s at a generous discount, as he was aware that the youngsters weren't old enough to know who he was, I was thrilled to be able to get a picture with DeNucci. The former WWWF tag champion had a myriad of photos at his table, and given that they were different sizes and ranged in photo quality, it almost looked like he might've just been clearing some space from home when he brought the variety of pictures with him. I went to give him a $20, as I assumed he was the same price as Douglas. In his trademark accent, he said “no, no, too much.” At this point, I was confused because I had never seen a wrestler refused money when offered. I said, “Dominic, I appreciate the autograph, I gotta give you some money for it.” I tried a $10 bill and with a chuckle he said, “okay, okay.” I said thank you and he thanked me for saying hello. In truth, I’m not sure if Dominic was even charging for autographs, but his humble nature speaks volumes as to why you won’t find anyone that will say anything negative about him.

As mentioned, the line-ups of these shows in terms of matches aren't designed to draw the crowd. Nothing was overly memorable, other than Douglas had a match against someone named Mr. TA, and Bubba put his opponent through a table in the main event. The balcony seating was really neat and it was a cool venue. I'm guessing more groups don't run events at the building because of its rather obscure location.

As we left the show, the brisk air of February was a sharp contrast to the heat in the building. What we didn't know was that while we were inside the Jaffa Mosque meeting mayors and ECW legends, the same brisk February night saw several inches of snow begin to fall outside. After we all buckled up in the SUV, I began to wonder exactly how we were going to navigate through nearly two hours of rural terrain at 11 PM during a snowstorm. As we carefully made our way through the snow-covered roads, only the cascade of snow in front of the headlights was visible. I sincerely give Joe and his co-pilot, Mel credit for getting us through the storm safely. It was the tense moments where Joe had to carefully navigate the road well under the speed limit because not much could be seen other than the brake lights of a few cars ahead of us that I pondered if this rather dangerous situation that I got myself into was worth the signed action figure and magazine. Of course it was, right?

Thankfully, we made it back to western, Pennsylvania without any major incidents, aside from the extra hour that it took us to get back because of the inclement weather. After I got home at around 1:45 AM, Joe sent me a text to let me know that everyone had arrived home safely there. So, four and a half years later, I have the signed Kane magazine framed, the Bubba ECW action figure in a protective case next to a previously signed D-Von figure, and all things considered, it was a fun trip, but I wonder if Mel landed any of those prop bets?  

What does Wembley stadium say about AEW?

With this week’s episode of Dynamite in the books, All Elite Wrestling is headed toward its second Wembley stadium show this weekend. Last year, with the demand that the European market had for live events, AEW sold over 80,000 tickets for their London debut. It was also the same night that CM punk and Jack Perry got into a backstage scuffle, leading to the firing of the real-life Phil Brooks, and it further added  to the criticism that the promotion wasn’t organized or run in a truly professional manner. 

Some of that, as recently just a few weeks ago, with the reported backstage confrontation between Britt Baker and MJF’s girlfriend, Alica Atout is still a part of the narrative of the organization.

In the time since their debut in Wembley, AEW has seen its share of negative publicity, as well as questions about the true potential of the upstart organization that was started by the Khan family five years ago. Since the last time All Elite was in London, CM punk made a shocking return to the WWE and almost immediately became one of the biggest stars in the company. Jade Cargill made a successful debut for the WWE, and while she’s still somewhat of a project, she was perceived as a bigger star in a matter of weeks in the WWE than she was during a few years under the All Elite banner. Ethan Page, a talented athlete that got completely lost in the shuffle for three years in AEW, is the current NXT champion. Finally, Cody Rhodes ascended to the top spot of the WWE when the audience soured on him in All Elite Wrestling just two years earlier.

From the All Elite side, Tony Khan continued to sign a slew of talent, including Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay to the roster. Furthermore, he signed the former Sasha Banks, Mercedes Mone. All things considered, Ospreay is probably the only new acquisition that has truly shown any glimpse of being worth the investment. As spectacular as Kazuchika Okada was during his New Japan tenure, he’s either unmotivated without an angle of any importance or he’s just coasting on his reputation to collect some easy money in the latter portion of his career. Okada worked a very physical style for several years in his native country, but the bottom line is, he was paid top dollar to relocate to the United States to be full-time with AEW so the reality of if the company will see a realistic return on the investment of the contract should be taken into account. Outside of a tremendous pay-per-view bout against Pac, the week-to-week presentation from Okada has been underwhelming.

Will Ospreay is one of the best of his generation and by the time he hangs up his boots, the potential is there for him to be known as one of the greatest of all time. That remains to be seen, simply because injuries can greatly hinder the trajectory of a career, but assuming that Ospreay can stay healthy, AEW has an all-time great performer on its roster for the prime of his career. Mercedes Mone is on the other end of the spectrum in some ways. She started her career very popular in the WWE before she walked out of the company a few years ago. The online speculation was that Sasha Banks was difficult to work with and perhaps that’s why she chose to work for AEW instead of WWE when she resurfaced from a broken ankle that she suffered during a New Japan show. Ironically, Mercedes was in attendance at Wembley Stadium last year. To say that her current stint in AEW fell short of expectations would be understatement, at least in my view. Don’t give me wrong, if Mercedes can talk up her value and then cash in big money working for Tony then good for her, that’s the entire point of the business, but that doesn’t change the fact that her impact on AEW by any metric hasn’t been equal to her hefty contract. Mercedes' promos sounded flat and uninspiring. The die hard AEW audience has already branded her a flop, and that essentially is what cast her in a heel role for the current feud.

Of course, the disjointed and slapstick direction of the product continues to erode the ratings on an almost weekly basis.

So it goes without saying that since the last Wembley Stadium show, the WWE has done exponentially better, then All Elite in ratings, attendance, and revenue.

However, don’t get me wrong. This is not an attempt to pile on to Tony Khan. As I’ve said many times before, the existence of All Elite is critical for the overall success of the pro wrestling industry. If AEW folded, which it won’t, it would set the business back at least another decade. Nobody, not the fans, not the talent, and even not the WWE themselves would truly benefit from their being only one national organization.

That being said, what exactly happened to flip this dynamic?

Unfortunately, using Wembley as a benchmark, it illustrates how mistakes and mismanagement can affect not only the goodwill with the audience, but also the overall perception of the potential of the organization. Regardless of what side of the argument someone was on for the CM Punk/Young Bucks debacle, it gave the impression that perhaps All Elite was being run on nepotism, rather than to spark the industry. Keep in mind, the fans rallied behind the concept of AEW and thus were willing to invest their hard earned money into the organization through ticket sales and pay-per-view buys because they wanted to see an alternative be successful, especially with the amount of dissatisfaction around the WWE at the time. When Punk scorched the earth at the press conference, it gave a glimpse behind-the-scenes that perhaps The Young Bucks wanted to start AEW to benefit themselves and their friends rather than to change the business as they had claimed when the project launched.

The cringe worthy two-hour press conferences, where Tony Khan got the chance to sit next to and hug his favorite wrestlers also gave the impression that maybe Tony wanted to be friends with the talent using his family's money rather than change the dynamics of the stale industry. It undoubtedly eroded the goodwill that AEW had with the audience, and once the novelty of a new product wore off, All Elite would have to sink or swim on its own merits. As we’ve seen, that scenario yielded mixed results.

The reason that Wembley stadium is a benchmark for All Elite Wrestling is because that last year before CM punk left, The devil reveal was completely underwhelming, and MJF's world title reign was also completely  lackluster as it was hindered by the silly storyline with Adam Cole, the stadium had 80,000 fans in attendance. Reportedly, there are just above 50,000 tickets sold for this year. Obviously, selling 50,000 tickets is a great draw, but there were 30,000 more fans that were willing to spend money on tickets just last year, so clearly the decrease translates into a level of dissatisfaction with the product. As of now, All in is be scheduled for Texas next year, which would imply that this weekend's Wembley show might be their final stadium event in London for the foreseeable future.

Perception is reality in many respects, and if fans don’t see AEW as an organization with a bright future or one that can shape the direction of the industry, they might be more hesitant to spend their cash on the product. The difference in ticket sales for Wembley reflects the overall lack of enthusiasm and quality control within AEW programming. Perhaps, if Tony Khan wanted to repeat 80,000 tickets sold in London, he would fully utilize Will Ospreay and book him to win the AEW World Championship in the stadium. Regardless of the quality of the Wembley show this weekend, the problems that have plagued AEW can’t be solved with one spectacular show, one major free agent signing, or one great rating for television.

Ultimately, the ticket sales and the sluggish ratings as compared to last year prove that the lack of decisions made to fully utilize the assets on the roster yield diminishing returns for the company.

What's next for the Lucha Brothers

The rumor mill in professional wrestling continues to spin tidbits of gossip online, this time about the future of one of the tag teams that were a featured part of the original stages of All Elite Wrestling, The Lucha Brothers. The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported that Pentagon and Rey Fenix were probably on their way out of the promotion, with the notion that they would probably land in WWE relatively soon. Fightful Select also reported that the popular tag team were expected to sign a WWE deal. Ironically, Pentagon rebutted the rumors on his Twitter page with the claim that he's currently with All Elite Wrestling.

All things considered, if Pentagon and Fenix were headed to the WWE, it's very doubtful that he would confirm the rumors online, especially if the team's current contract hasn't expired. Furthermore, it would also serve them well to deny the rumors, as the notion that they already have a contract offer waiting for them at the WWE might be considered contract tampering, which was the subject of debate a few years ago.

That said, it wouldn't be too surprising if the Lucha Brothers made the jump to WWE, mostly because they haven't been a spotlighted portion of AEW programming within the past few years, and they have only worked a handful of matches for the company within the past few months.

I think it would be fair to say that both brothers were individually and collectively underutilized in All Elite Wrestling, especially given their level of skill and the marketing potential of the characters. This is the same story that can be said about many on the All Elite roster, as repetitive as it is, it remains a continuous problem, as talented performers get lost in the shuffle of Tony Khan's quest to seemingly sign every qualified talent on the market. As I've mentioned before, just because a wrestler is good enough to be on national television, that alone isn't enough of a reason to throw a contract at them. Does that talent have a place in the organization and are there plans for them? If not, you have to question if there will be a significant return on the investment. However, we've seen numerous times that money is no object for Tony Khan, and being profitable isn't the top priority so the argument is moot. It seems that Tony wants to have certain talent on his roster just for the sake of being able to say they work for him. That's not necessarily meant as a knock, the more guys that can make a full-time living in the wrestling business the better, but the point remains that it creates a scenario where talented guys might waste years of their prime on the sidelines because Tony got distracted with his latest signing. Has anyone seen Ricky Starks lately?

As I've said before, I think the Lucha Brothers can be main event guys. They have the talent in the ring and a really cool persona that can be used to promote something unique among the current crowded pro wrestling landscape. When Pentagon had a run with the Impact championship years ago, it gave a glimpse of a formula that can work for an American audience. There were subtitles during video packages, and even now, a manager to translate for live promos are a way for him to be used in a variety of storylines. It worked in boxing and MMA for decades so I don’t think it’s too far outof the box, especially with the more sports-based presentation that the WWE is bringing to the table under the Triple H regime that the same concept couldn’t be used successfully under the WWE banner. It becomes even more of a possibility when you take into account the lucrative foreign markets for the TKO corporation, with the expansion of premium events outside of the United States. Rey Fenix, the younger of the two brothers, is spectacular in the ring. He's simply too talented to only be featured in a trios team when Pac decides to comeback from England once every few months.

Aside from the in-ring ability of the team, I'd say that Tony Khan has missed the boat on marketing the lucha tag team as well. Pentagon has such a cool mask design, the fact that it isn't used more prominently on merchandise is definitely a missed opportunity. Take this into consideration, given how the WWE machine advertises and and merchandises its talent, you can see the potential that the Lucha Brothers bring to the table in terms of generating revenue for an organization. Furthermore, we've seen how management continues to look to develop and promote lucha stars for the Hispanic audience, and this would be a chance for them to sign two lucha talents that already have experience working on American television.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Pentagon or Fenix would be the next stars to main event Wrestlemania, but All Elite Wrestling has such a disjointed presentation on a week-to-week basis that only a few names on the roster are truly safe from being lost in the shuffle. If they decide to make the jump, they would only be offered a deal if the office has at least an initial plan for them on either NXT or the main roster. This isn't to say that there's no where for them to go in All Elite, Tony Khan could make the decision to push them with high-profile matches with a turn of his charts or graphs, but the reality is, where are the Lucha Brothers right now? Again, they work a trios tag team when Pac decides to show up, and are mostly forgotten about after that. At this point, would it be a negative to at least explore their options?

As for if they will actually exit All Elite Wrestling, I can't really take a guess because that would completely depend on what they are looking for from their status in the sport. They could stay in All Elite Wrestling, a brand they've been familiar with for the past five years and thus continue to collect a good paycheck from a billionaire, or they could venture into the WWE, a new system, but get the chance at being bigger stars in the long run. Listen, I don't blame anyone for taking the money that's on the table, and similar to anything else, it's possible that Tony offers an amount of money that the brothers can't say no to so they opt to re-sign with AEW. While the odds of their decision are more or less 50/50, if they are going to test the waters in WWE, now is probably the time to do it, as Pentagon is almost 40 so he would still have time for at least a few prime years on the major stage. Fenix has more years ahead of him in theory, but if he would want to make the transition a few years from now would be a completely different situation.

The biggest takeaway, at least right now, of this story isn’t so much the eventual destination of one specific tag team, but rather that the trend of All Elite Wrestling stars, making the jump to WWE continues to play a role in the dynamics of the industry. Cody’s Return, and even CM Punk’s comeback to the WWE were still based more on their history with the promotion than their work in AEW.  However, Jade Cargill was an example of an AEW project that hit a ceiling there, but was made to look like a much bigger star in a much shorter amount of time under the WWE banner. The same can be said for Ethan Page, who is currently the NXT champion. If the Lucha Brothers were next to transition from AEW to WWE, it sends a message about the impression of each company in the future because some talent view WWE as a better option which is a very different dynamic than the industry had five years ago.

APWF event

The Allied powers wrestling Federation is bringing it unique brand of sports entertainment, one that looks too harvest the best talent from different organizations to present a unique mixture not seen anywhere else, to the Kastle Factory training center this Saturday. Along with the cream of the crop from independent groups throughout the Pittsburgh and central Pennsylvania area, former WWE tag team champion Henry Godwinn is scheduled as the special guest to sign autographs and take photos with fans.

“The APWF is a family friendly event and is for everyone.  We are very happy to bring pro wrestling to Johnstown and to the Kastle facility. You can expect great wrestling from only the best talent from around the area and beyond,” said Bubba Brewer.

Despite Saturday night's card being the debut event in Johnstown for the APWF organization, concept of longtime veteran, "Bad" Bubba Brewer, the independent league has a storied history that stretches back in various forms to 1998. Bubba Brewer, who has worked as a professional wrestler and promoter throughout the past 25 years, brought the brand back full-time this past June when NWA World Heavyweight champion Ethan Carter III defended the coveted belt against stellar athlete, "Big Time" Bill Collier.

In a truly unique example of the type of action, the APWF looks to establish as its benchmark, championships from different organizations were defended on the card that was held in Indiana, Pennsylvania. That night, Team Tap Out, the duo of Chris Coleman and Don Fulmer, had their last match as a team, giving them a proper sendoff after they were such a part of the fabric of the company in a previous era.

Very similar to how Indiana,  Pennsylvania was the chosen location for Team Tap Out’s final match as a pair, hometown turf will again be the setting for this Saturday’s event in Johnstown at the Kastle Factory, as the main event will see Bill Collier, who grew up in the area, step into the ring with NWA star, Spencer Slade.

Collier, who is the current IWC heavyweight champion, said in a video posted to social media that he understands the level of talent and skill his opponent possesses for this Saturday night, but plans to make the hometown fans proud, citing how special it is to get the chance to be in the main event in his hometown.

Also scheduled on the card that night, energetic upstart, Slammin' Sammy, a student of the Ryse Wrestling training center known as the Stronghold under the guidance of Pittsburgh legends, Dean Radford and Brandon K, will square off against Lexus Synn. These two female athletes are multi-versed in combat sports as Lexus Synn, who trained at the ICWA under the International Wrestling Cartel banner, has an extensive combat sports background. Along the same lines, Sammy competed in karate tournaments for several years before she transitioned to professional wrestling. Sammy began training to wrestle at just 15 years old and made her official wrestling debut earlier this year. All things considered, the women’s contest should be very evenly-matched and set the tone for who could be at the top of the women’s division going forward in the APWF.

"Sammy is the perfect example of hard work, dedication, and the will to succeed. In her young life she's already overcome so much to get where she is and there's no stopping her, she's a machine, said Dean Radford, A veteran of more than two decades and current trainer at the Stronghold Academy.

Another featured bout on the card will be an open challenge match from the villainous, David Lawless, an accomplished veteran with a devious reputation that proceeds him, particularly in his work as a lawyer outside of the ring. Lawless has won multiple championships in multiple organizations, putting himself in the conversation as one of the true staples of the western and central Pennsylvania scene. After Lawless arrogantly proclaimed that he would take on any opponent that wanted to answer the challenge, the APWF office received word that a mystery opponent answered the challenge of the corrupt lawyer.

Owner, Bubba Brewer was tight-lipped about who the mystery opponent was, only saying that it was a former APWF heavyweight champion that called the office to accept the open challenge from Lawless.

“Lawless is flawless! The Gavel is ready for anyone because this is where the best wrestle, and the Gavel is the best of them all,” proclaimed David Lawless.

With its mission statement to bring in a variety of talent from across the state at the August 24th presentation in Johnstown, fans  will see a slew of debuts for the organization as well. MV Young, who is based out of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, but has competed all across the country, will step into an APWF ring for the first time this Saturday Young is one of the driving forces behind 880 wrestling, an upstart league that launched a few years ago in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, which is also his hometown. The 880 project is specifically designed to train and develop aspiring hopefuls. in the wrestling business, as well as to provide an opportunity for anyone looking to achieve their goals in the sport. An example of that will also be on display for the APWF in the form of another series of debuts. Zeke Mercer, a six-year pro that broke into the business when they were just 18 years old, will bring their rugged and fast-paced style to the ring this Saturday. He will be joined by Paris Sahara, a dynamic young athlete that has already turned heads for her incredible agility, is also on the card. Amanda Maslow, their business advisor has promised big things from the group dubbed "The Matriarchy" when they arrive in Johnstown. One of the top groups of 880 Wrestling looks to make an impression in Johnstown this weekend.

Along with giving the fans their money's worth and providing quality pro wrestling action, Brewer wanted to use the APWF as an organization to impact the communities in a positive manner that hosts the events. For the event in June, a portion of the proceeds were donated to the Teddy Bear Fund of Indiana county. This time, Brewer wanted to contribute to the back-to-school efforts for the youngsters in the Johnstown area. Any fans that bring $10 worth of school supplies that will be donated to children in need, will receive a chance to win raffle for two free tickets to the company's return event in Johnstown on October 26th.

The event will bring a full card of action as The Rad Boys, arguably one of the best young teams on the independent circuit, Thomas Kennedy, Matt McCoy, Price Purgold, and many others In total, there will be talent from Pittsburgh, central Pennsylvania, Buffalo, .and of course, the legendardy former WWF tag team champion, Henry Godwinn, will be in attendance this Saturday for the APWF at the Kastle Factory in Johnstown.

Eddie P comic con

This past April, tragedy struck the comic book industry when critically-acclaimed artist, Ed Piskor passed away suddenly at the age of just 41. Piskor was a lifelong artist, doodling and sketching as early as the time he was first able to pick up a pencil. His childhood was spent in front of a large drawing table, where he would spend hours perfecting super heroes, monsters, and cosmic creatures. His family nurtured his gifts, setting up him with all the supplies he would need and a space to create in their Homestead home, a town located just a few miles south of Pittsburgh along the Monongahela River, one of the landmarks that the region is known for.

"My brother Ed has always been drawing. From the time he could hold a pencil, my parents encouraged him and supplied him with everything he needed to draw.  He used to draw his own X-Men comics.  He would create his own zines that he would sell at conventions," explained Bobby Piskor, who is affectionately known around the Pittsburgh scene as "Potter," a reference to the JK Rowling character. 

 

The entertainment gene runs in the family, as Bobby has worked as a professional wrestler, referee, trainer, and organizer throughout the past 25 years. So, it wasn't a surprise to Bobby or the rest of the Piskor family when Ed's artistic skills began to get noticed on a national and even international level as he poured himself into his sketch pad daily.

 

"We all knew that Eddie would make it.  It never changed who he was as a brother. I was so happy for all of his success. We were so proud of him and knew how hard he worked for his success," Bobby added.

Some of Piskor's most notable works included Hip Hop Tree House, a comic book series that was published in various forms over the years that covered the early years of the genre. The music-based narrative received accolades from The New York Times and The Washington Post, as well as winning an Eisner Award in 2015. After Ed turned pro in 2005, his portfolio overflowed with a slew of print media, as his sketch pad was the first step for designs that were featured magazine covers, online content, and a myriad of other forms of media.

As mentioned, with Bobby's extensive involvement in the world of professional wrestling, a genre that has a lengthy history in the Piskors' hometown, it wasn't uncommon for the grappling arts to be a topic of conversation in their household during their youth. In an homage to the enthusiasm that the brothers had for the pro wrestling industry, there were plans for a wrestling project from Ed.

"He loved wrestling, from an early age we watched wrestling as a family. Even in our teenage years we would attend local wrestling matches often.  One of his first big breaks came from a show on Adult Swim called Mongo Wrestling Alliance, where he designed all of the characters for the show. After he completed Hip Hop Family Tree, he was working on a wrestling project and was writing a story for a wrestling comic.  He would accompany me to various shows with Jim Rugg and Tom Scioli where they could see behind the scenes to authenticate the story. I’m sad this will never be finalized,” Bobby said.

Ed made his name in a very grass roots manner, providing his own distinctive flare and style to that art form that built him a steady fan following over the years. One of the most popular projects that Ed became involved in was when he teamed up with fellow Pittsburgh illustrator, Jim Rugg for a YouTube series titled Cartoonist Kayfabe, a nod to the  pro wrestling term used to describe the ability to maintain storylines for the audience. The video series brought the two cartoonist buddies together to discuss comic book history, artistic style, and a breakdown of the overall presentation of each book. The behind-the-scenes aspect of two professional illustrators bringing their conversations to the fans became a wildly popular series on the YouTube platform.Today, as a tribute to Ed’s legacy and passion for comics, the Cartoonist Kayfabe library, which consist of nearly 2000 videos, remains online to educate and inspire artists in the future.

“His YouTube channel, Cartoonist Kayfabe was a show he and Jim Rugg created.  It blew up into a very popular show where they would deep dive into comics and artists, Bobby said.

As mentioned, Ed’s sudden passing in April of this year hit the comic industry very hard as many still struggle with the loss of an underground artist that made it big, but always maintained his independent spirit and style for the genre. In a shining example of how things came full circle for the artist was in 2017 when he began work on X-Men Grand Design, and the project remains one of his most acclaimed works even today. The youngster that sat at a drafting table and created his own X-Men comics as an example of his love for the art form went on to become a professional actually illustrating and shaping the direction of X-Men comics to inspire others to chase their cartoonist dreams .

With that in mind, Bobby and the Piskor family wanted to continue to allow his legacy to provide a platform and to inspire the next generation of artists. This Saturday in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, not far from Ed’s childhood home, the first Eddie P Comic Con will be held in his honor, with comic books, collectibles, music, t-shirts, and other merchandise for sale from vendors. Of course, there will be several artists in attendance to showcase their work, the same way a young Eddie did at conventions when he was searching for his big break in the industry. There will also be a raffle with the proceeds going to the suicide prevention hotline.

“My brother loved young underground artists. So, we wanted to give a platform for these artists to get seen and be get noticed, Also. my family and I will be doing a very special Q&A hosted by West Coast Davengers. Jim Rugg and Bryan Moss, will be on the panel as well,” Bobby explained.

Many of Eddie’s friends and peers will be in attendance, but there were also be a very special guest from the world of professional wrestling at the comic con as well. Henry Godwinn, former two-time WWF tag team champion, will be making a rare appearance to sign autographs and take photos with fans.

“My brother was one of the hardest working people I knew.  His passion for comics and art will never be duplicated.   He lived his life by his own set of rules.  He will truly be missed not only by us, but the entire world,” concluded Bobby Piskor

The Pittsburgh card show

A trio of WWE legends will join other sports stars for a special appearance this weekend for the Pittsburgh Card Show at the Washington Crown Center Mall. The card show, which runs events a few times a year, brings with it hundreds of vendors of sports merchandise, as extended rows of tables line the interior of the mall with everything from casual stacks of current card packs to rare graded cards that are sought after by the most diehard collectors. The once struggling retail space in the mall sees an uptick in business as hundreds of sports fans browse the selection of cards, jerseys, and other memorabilia.

Of course, Pittsburgh is a city that is known for its wrestling almost as much as the steel it once produced so its fitting that a few WWE Hall of Famers will be hosted that weekend, with their specific vendors thrilled to be able to bring them to the event to meet with the incredibly loyal wrestling fan base of the region.

In this case, ATD Promotions, a group that represents stars for appearances around Pittsburgh and throughout the mid west, the Pittsburgh Card show became a regular stop for them on their busy calendar in recent years, with rare appearances from Koko B. Ware and One Man Gang at the trade show in the past. This time, ATD secured another rare appearence for steel city fans, as former WWF Women's Champion, Wendi Richter will be their guest on Saturday August 17th from 10 AM-3 PM at Washington Crown Center.

Anthony D'Alfonso, a Pittsburgh native, launched ATD Promotions with his longtime friend and business partner, Mike Rickard, who owns a vintage toy and collectible shop, Wild Card Video Games, in Niles, Ohio. I had a chance to talk with Anthony last Friday when his crew brought Marty Jannetty, Tatanka, and Gillberg to the D&E Collectibles store just outside of Pittsburgh. Anthony cited a busy weekend ahead of him, but expressed excitement for the Pittsburgh Card Show, as it has become somewhat of a trademark of his promotional group to bring in stars for rare appearances that usually don't visit the northeast.

As we know, Wendi Richter, one of the original staples of the Rock N' Wrestling era of the early-80s, has kept a relatively low profile since she retired from the ring, with only a few selection autograph signings.

Richter, who broke into the business under the tutelage of The Fabulous Moolah in the late-1970s, spent the formative years of her career zigzagging around the territories, or the regional system that had different organizations that were located in different parts of the country, to hone her craft. She made stops in Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling, Bill Watts' Mid-South group, and Verne Gagne's AWA promotion before she landed a major break, signing with the WWF in late-1983.

When Hulkamania propelled the concept of sports entertainment into the main stream, Wendi Richter was the female face of pro wrestling in pop culture, as pop icon Cyndi Lauper was her ringside manager. In a memorable highlight, Richter and Lauper celebrated her championship victory when she won the WWF Women's title at the inaugural Wrestlemania. Their friendship led to Richter being included in one of Lauper's music videos.

A contract dispute with management about fair compensation led to Wendi's abrupt exit from the WWF, but she spent the rest of the late-80s wrestling internationally and then returned to Gagne's AWA before the organization folded. Disenfranchised with how the women were compensated and promoted in the wrestling industry, Wendi stepped away from the sport for several years. Thankfully, she accepted a WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2010 and is celebrated today as one of the pioneers of the female division in professional wrestling.

Joining Wendi Richter at the Washington Crown Center this Saturday will be a pair of other legends, hosted by the Wilder Side of Sports group, an autograph and memorabilia company that works with major stars from many different sports for events throughout the country. Names like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ja'Marr Chase, Tom Glavine, and many others are on their upcoming calendar for either private or public signings.

"My entry into the world of pro athletes began with planning and hosting sports card and memorabilia shows. This opened doors to organizing private signings with stars like Elly De La Cruz and Alex Rodriguez. I've also had the privilege of working with wrestling legends on signings, such as Torrie Wilson, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Jim Ross, and Ric Flair. One of my coolest experiences was having lunch with Bo Jackson," said Jim Falbo, the Vice President of Wilder Side of Sports.

This weekend, the legendary Jake "The Snake" Roberts and the legendary "Mouth of The South" Jimmy Hart will be in attendance for Wilder Side of Sports at The Pittsburgh Card show on Saturday from 10 AM-5 PM and on Sunday from 9 AM-3 PM for autographs and photo-ops.

Roberts is a performer as mysterious and as controversial as he is legendary. He was one of the most popular stars of the 80s, with a level of ring psychology and interview style that very few had during that era. A rocky period in his life saw him exit the WWF in the early-90s before he landed in WCW for a brief stint, had a memorable run in AAA in Mexico, and event a few cameo appearances in ECW. Thankfully, with the help of his friend and fellow Hall of Famer, "Diamond" Dallas Page several years ago, Roberts reemerged in the public spotlight as healthy as he had ever been in his career. He went on to work as an advisor for Lance Archer in All Elite Wrestling in recent years.

"I enjoyed watching matches on TV when I was a kid, the characters were larger than life. As I got older, I drifted away from it, but my interest was reignited when I worked for Homage. While at Homage, I was given tickets from our partners to attend several WWE events in Pittsburgh. The matches were fun and the atmosphere was exciting. My daughter, Audrey, loved them too, and we had a blast playing wrestling together. She became a huge WWE fan, and now it's our thing—we're working our way through every Royal Rumble from the first one to the latest. Right now, we're on 2001, and it's been an amazing journey. She's excited to meet Jake and Jimmy," explained Falbo.

Jimmy Hart has spent nearly 50 years in the wrestling business, known as one of the greatest managers and most memorable characters in the history of the sport. He has shared a ring with the legendary comedian Andy Kaufman in Memphis, Hulk Hogan in both the WWE and WCW, The Giant before he went on to become The Big Show, and many others. With his trademark sunglasses and airbrushed jacket, Jimmy Hart still enthusiastic about all facets of the sports entertainment business.  

"Get ready for an unforgettable experience with Jimmy and Jake at the card show! These two are known for their charisma and being incredibly fan-friendly. Jimmy and Jake thrive on fan interaction, sharing amazing stories from their careers, and ensuring every fan leaves with a memorable experience. Whether you're a die-hard fan or just getting into the sport, their appearance will highlight an unforgettable wrestling era." concluded Falbo.

Pittsburgh benefit event returns

This Saturday, the Pittsburgh wrestling world will join forces, as talent from every major independent group in the region will come together for what has become the steel city’s super show of the year for the fourth edition of Stomp Out Cancer, a fundraiser that donates 100% of the event’s proceeds to the American Cancer Society.

The efforts to put together this annual event began in 2017 when Matt and Kenny Tressler, two brothers that focused their fandom and passion for professional wrestling toward a cause close to their hearts. Matt and Kenny are two of the most familiar faces on the independent scene, attending events on a near weekly basis for more than twenty five years. Over those nearly three decades, the brothers have worked in a variety of roles for nearly every local organization and developed friendships with several performers. Promotional materials, commentary, ticket tables, merch tables, and work as organizers of live cards are all on their extensive resume. Quite simply, the Tresslers became as known around the circuit as many of the athletes that had matches in the ring. They recruited their longtime friend, who they often cite as one of their brothers, Jesse Forney to design all the graphics and marketing campaign for the charitable cause. Jesse has built websites and designed posters for several independent groups and has been in the industry nearly as long as the Tresslers. Their Freebird-type faction poured their efforts into the fight against cancer, as the disease has such a devastating impact on so many from all walks of life.

Sadly, very similar to many people, cancer had a profound impact upon the Tressler family. Matt and Kenny’s mom was diagnosed with cancer in late-2011 and passed away shortly afterwards at the age of just 54. Mrs. Tressler was always known as a very caring lady, something she displayed often in her career as a nurse before her untimely passing so the brothers wanted to use the avenue of sports entertainment to honor her memory, as well as contribute to those that battle the terrible illness today.

As mentioned, the project was launched in 2017 and immediately became a must-see event for the loyal crowds of the Pittsburgh area. Over the course of the three annual events, an all-star cast of Pittsburgh talent, as well as guest stars, put on memorable performances all in the name of a noble cause, to stomp out cancer. Names like Lee Moriarty, Dennis Gregory, Troy Lords, The Mane Event, Chase Owens, Shirley Doe, Chris Hamrick, Dominic DeNucci, and numerous others have appeared on behalf of the Stomp Out Cancer efforts.

“Stomp out cancer has always been a top priority show for me to be apart of. In my life, I’ve lost two family members to cancer and friend of the family that was like a father figure to me. I’m just happy to help raise money for cancer research and hopefully one day we can finally stomp out cancer,” said Ronnie Starks, pesky ringside manager that has been a staple of the tri-state area for several years.

As we know, the COVID-19 pandemic that hit in early-2020 shuttered the entire world, with a profound effect on the pro wrestling business at every level. National organizations paused their live touring schedules in favor of closed set tapings with the safety nets of hefty television contracts to maintain their companies. For independent groups, ticket sales are such a critical part of a successful business plan that the concept of no audience for events wasn't financially realistic. Only a handful of live cards were held in the Pittsburgh area during the pandemic with limited capacity and accommodations made for safety protocols.

Obviously, the jam-packed audiences that support the Stomp Out Cancer project are what allow funds to be donated to The American Cancer Society from the ticket sales so without the option to safely run events with as many fans as possible, the Stomp Out Cancer series went on a hiatus to make sure that the event could maximize its contribution to the research efforts to combat the disease.

It wasn't until 2022 that the Pittsburgh circuit truly began to emerge from the pandemic, and it took each organization a period of time to get back on its feet with regular events to bring back its usual fan base. Now, the Pittsburgh area is thriving, with live matches held by a variety of organizations almost every weekend. Stomp Out Cancer will be the only event that will bring grapplers together from all of those stellar organizations. The International Wrestling Cartel, Prospect Pro Wrestling, Renegade Wrestling Alliance, Ryse Wrestling, and others will all be represented on the card.

After five years away, Stomp Out Cancer:The Reboot is looking to bring back the biggest and most important event of the year for Pittsburgh wrestling. Organizers, staff, and the grapplers are anticipating the return of the fundraiser.

"I took a  six-year sabbatical from the wrestling business, and in that time a group of the first guys that I met and befriended in wrestling put together these three benefit shows. I’ve popped in and out a few times since then, but considered myself retired until I was asked to participate in this year’s event. This is going to be meaningful for a few reasons. First and foremost, it’s for a great cause. I’ve lost people I love to cancer and am more than happy to give my time and some personal donations towards cancer research. Aside from that, it’s a great way to give back to some guys that have supported me since the beginning," said Dash Bennett, a former cornerstone of the NWA-East group that will lace up his boots one more time to return to the ring for the good cause.

"Stomp Out Cancer is a show that I greatly appreciate and support. The reason being that my grandmother was diagnosed with liver cancer back in Mid 2012. After fighting a tough battle, she passed in December 2012. So this show, it’s a memorial and a big support to Stomp Out Cancer," added Tad Jarvis, one half of the current Ryse Tag Team champions.

The August 17th card will be held in Uniontown, PA as well-respected veteran grappler Brandon K donated the use of his Ryse Wrestling venue, a converted Sears building in the Uniontown Mall, to host the event. With dozens of athletes slated to appear on the card, Stomp Out Cancer:The Reboot will be the biggest in the fundraiser’s history, a project that donated nearly $11,000 total to the cause over the course of three stellar events with hopes of raising the biggest funds yet for The American Cancer Society this year.