Empire State Wrestling Returns With Brawlfest
It’s been 16 months since the New York promotion held a show.
After a 16-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 crisis, Empire State Wrestling returns this Saturday with Brawlfest.
The top independent wrestling promotion in Western New York debuts at a new venue, Buffalo Riverworks, for the city’s first wrestling event since the pandemic began. Not surprisingly, when tickets went on sale, the first and second rows sold out within 15 minutes. “The New York State Athletic Commission is more stringent than other athletic commissions,” says referee David Jarka, who’s been full-time with the promotion since 2016. “Thankfully, New York has a very high vaccination rate, so I hope we can keep it up and announce more shows. It’s all about getting our momentum back.”
Founded in 2002, Empire State Wrestling usually draws crowds of up to 400 people by presenting a mix of local talent and more nationally known names, as well as legends and hall of famers. In the past, WWE and AEW stars like Kevin Owens, Matt Hardy, MJF, MVP, Johnny Gargano and many more have competed in the promotion.
At Brawflest, indie standouts KTB and Façade will be making their debuts at Empire State Wrestling, taking on Anthony Gaines and Kevin Bennett, respectively. “We pride ourselves on knowing who the hot indie stars are and bringing them in,” says Interstate Champion Frankie Feather. “But don’t sleep on the local guys. We have some of the most talented wrestlers in the country.”
Feathers, who has held the Interstate Championship since 2018, hasn’t wrestled since the last Empire State Wrestling event in February 2020. Having recently turned 36 years old, “His Royal Freshness” says he doesn’t have much time left in the sport, so he needs to make the most of it. “I’ve enjoyed the time off to heal a bunch of ailments, but at the same time, I haven’t been in the ring in well over a year,” Feathers says. “I’m naturally talented at professional wrestling – I miss it. So, I have to go balls to the wall now.”
At Brawlfest, Feathers defends the Interstate Championship against Gavin Glass, Jerk Cockins, Keenan Moore, Jeremiah Richter and the debuting Eric Corvis. “I can’t wait to knock them all down a peg or two,” Feathers says.
Although fellow fan favorite “Invincible” Vince Valor has competed in other promotions during the pandemic, the 11-year veteran considers Empire State Wrestling to be his home. “We miss the audience just as much as they miss us,” Valor says. “We go above and beyond to give a great family-friendly experience.”
At the dawn of the COVID-19 outbreak, Valor wasn’t sure when he’d be able to get back in the ring. So, he and his brother-in-law “Big Time” Bill Collier – arguably the top star at Empire State Wrestling – invested thousands of dollars and built a home gym. “It wasn’t a matter of getting ready for wrestling to return,” Valor says. “It’s a matter of staying ready.”
He’s had to wait all year, but he’ll get his bucket list opponent this Saturday: Sean Carr, the 2017 ECWA Super 8 winner. “There’s no bad blood, I just really respect him,” Valor says. “We’ve all taken the time to reinvent ourselves in some sort of way so we can give the fans a new experience while giving them something their familiar with as well.”
Brawlfest takes place July 31 at Buffalo Riverworks in Buffalo, NY.
For tickets and more information, visit eswwrestling.com
Prior to the start of the event, ESW will host a tailgate party. For $10, fans can get 10 dunk tank throws, which will feature several of ESW’s top villains, plus 24% off all other Buffalo RiverWorks attractions that day, such as the ropes course, kayaks, silo climbing and the zip line.
Follow Empire State Wrestling on Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – YouTube
About Author
