ECWA Returns to Atlantic City
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T will be on hand for photos and autographs.
ECWA made a big gamble on expanding its territory, and luckily, it paid off.
After debuting in Atlantic City in November, the longest-running independent wrestling promotion in the United States is making The Showboat its permanent home. Aside from the world-renowned Super 8 tournament taking place in New Castle, Delaware, in April, ECWA will be holding monthly events in the Bourbon Room, formerly known as the House of Blues.
“The sound system is amazing and it’s going to be pay-per-view production quality,” says ECWA promoter Mike Tartaglia.
The new era kicks off this Saturday with ECWA Joker’s Wild, featuring top talent in the Northeast indie scene as well as WWE Hall of Famer Booker T. The five-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion will be signing autographs before the event and according to Tartaglia, he’ll be involved in some capacity during the show.
It will be a night of championship action as all ECWA titles will be defended, including Azrieal defending the ECWA Heavyweight Championship against grand slam champion Kekoa in the main event. “That’s my pick for match of the night,” Tartaglia says.
The odds will be stacked against Joe Gacy as the “Pro Wrestling Maniac” challenges Mid-Atlantic Champion Chris Wylde, who will be accompanied by Joel Blackhart and The Draw. Last time ECWA came to AC, Gacy was screwed out of the Heavyweight Championship, so this time he’s hellbent on walking out with a few extra chips in his pocket.
Speaking of The Draw, members One Mean Team (Brian Johnson & Justin Pusser) will be defending the Tag Team Titles against DOA (Frankie Pickard & Tahir James) in a rematch from January. “That was the hottest match on the show,” Tartaglia says. “Frankie has improved a lot since he started with us, never missing an ECWA Showcase show at our Pro Wrestling Academy. And Tahir is definitely Super 8 material.”
In a No DQ match, newly crowned Women’s Champion Damaris will take on Christina Marie. “Christina is a powerhouse,” Tartaglia says. “She is getting booked all over the place and is a name to look out for.”
In other action, Breaker Morant will face Adam Chandler in a rematch from January. There will also be a 10-man tag team match pitting ECWA legend Mr. Ooh La La with Vinny Talotta, newcomer El Guerrero, Super 8 participant Ty Awesome and Tommy Bowie against Mike Law, Aaron Bradley, Killian McMurphy, Damon Dark and Rick Rekon.
Of course, you can’t forget the special attraction: Shockwave the Robot goes one on one with Jean-Jean LeBon. “This match happened in 2012,” Tartaglia says. “You talk about hardcore? There were knives, there were guns.”
ECWA Joker’s Wild comes to The Showboat in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on March 24.
For tickets and more information, visit ecwaprowrestling.com.
Admission to Booker T’s seminar before the show costs $75. Email ecwaprowrestling1@yahoo.com to reserve your spot.
You can also join the ECWA Pro Wrestling Facebook group for the latest news, match announcements, promos and more.
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