Pro Wrestling Explosion Returns
Close Re-Encounter takes place Oct. 2 in Philadelphia.
After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 crisis, Pro Wrestling Explosion returns this Saturday with Close Re-Encounter.
In January, PWE owner Erik Viking denounced the notion of independent wrestling shows running during a pandemic. Worried about the obvious health risk, Viking told The Wrestling Estate: “I will run a PWE show when society is ready to not wear masks in public.”
Heading into summer, that seemed to be the case. As mass vaccination spread throughout the country, states loosened their restrictions. In May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that fully vaccinated individuals, in most situations, no longer needed to wear a mask. Optimistic that the worst of the pandemic was in the rear view, Viking booked the PhilaMOCA in Philadelphia and begun planning for the return of Pro Wrestling Explosion.
Unfortunately, card was subject to change. With coronavirus cases surging due to the Delta variant, Philly venues like the PhilaMOCA now require patrons to be vaccinated, as well as masked.
“I love the wrestling part of being a promoter, but all the rules coming into play stresses me out,” Viking says. “I just want to book a good show and write storylines and have fun. But now I have to be a doctor and check up on people.”
Since 2016, PWE has held a few shows each year, blending science fiction with the Memphis territory. “A variety show for all ages,” you can see an alien, robot and yodeler all compete in the same evening. Hyper-focused on the aesthetic, Viking prefers running in small, intimate venues. “I want people screaming and smashed together like you’re in the front row at a concert,” Viking told The Wrestling Estate in January. “I need the audience to socially undistance.”
In February 2019, the PhilaMOCA hosted PWE’s Galactic Resolution, in which Bobby Dempsey replaced Tracey Williams to beat Alex Payne for the PWE Championship. Later that year, the DIY-music and film space shut down after the city’s Department of Licenses and Inspection determined it wasn’t zoned for live performances and found a string of fire code violations, WHYY reported. Reconstruction was further delayed by the pandemic.
This past July, the venue reopened after receiving over $45,000 from fundraising and spending nearly $80,000 in repairs. One month later, L&I returned to warn that the structure was unsafe and would be demolished if major repairs were not completed within 30 days. PhilaMOCA manager Eric Bresler has filed an appeal, insisting that all events will go on as scheduled.
“As a lifelong wrestling fan, I’m always excited to have anything wrestling-related in the room,” Bresler told The Wrestling Estate, adding that legends like Jake Roberts, Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine have been previous guests. (Legendary wrestling journalist Bill Apter also frequents PhilaMOCA, both for hosting duties and karaoke.)
“It takes a special kind of wrestling promotion to approach a former showroom for mausoleums with the idea of doing a wrestling show,” Bresler continued. “We’ve only hosted PWE once, but at the end of the day, I was really impressed with the level of professionalism and the skills of the performers themselves, many of which participate with the degree of entertaining silliness that attracted me to the sport in the first place. Long live PWE, they’ll always have a home at PhilaMOCA.”
Pro Wrestling Explosion provides a smorgasbord of action for its return, including a couple tasty grudge matches you won’t see anywhere else. For example, MegaByte Ronnie, a competitive eater turned pro wrestler, will attempt to devour Hotdog Starkes. “The outfit doesn’t come off when Hotdog Starkes wrestles because he’s an actual hot dog,” Viking says. “Meanwhile, MegaByte Ronnie can kill villages of hot dogs if he wants. I don’t think Hotdog Starkes appreciates his family of pork being disrespected.”
Then, there’s a different spin on the employee-employer rivalry that was the heart of Stone Cold vs. Mr. McMahon.
Luigi Primo is a third-generation pizza maestro and Tony Chini is his delivery boy. For almost two years now (with in-house dining closed), Luigi has been cranking out the pies, but Tony has been working twice as much without a single raise. Despite delivery ramping up to an unprecedented pace, Luigi expects Tony to continue business as usual.
Meanwhile, Tony has been telling his friends at weekend keggers that he thinks he can make pizza just as good and is tired of being an over-worked, minimum wage delivery boy. As Tony argues with Luigi at the parlor on a daily basis that pizza is easy and simple, Luigi cites cookbooks from centuries ago while lecturing Tony about Yelp reviews complaining about late deliveries.
Naturally, they’re going to settle the issue in the ring. “I’m totally relating to all those high school kids who are pizza delivery boys and when they get back to the parlor, their boss goes ‘keep it moving, kid.’ At the PhilaMOCA, Luigi has promised the crowd free pizza and he expects Tony to deliver it,” Viking says.
Of course, we have to talk about the main event. In August 2019, Viking fired former PWE Champion Alex Payne for all the crimes he had committed throughout the promotion’s history. Well, Payne orchestrated a plan to continue the anarchy, recruiting the still-employed Smash Bradley. After Dempsey retained the PWE Championship against surprise opponent Matt Tremont, Payne and Bradley (cloaked in masks) hit the ring to assault the champion.
The crowd chanted for Tremont to make the save, and when the “Bulldozer” returned to the ring, he stunned everyone by joining in on the attack. All three villains hoisted Dempsey up and drove his head into the belt with a vicious spike piledriver. Viking slid into the ring to check on his champion, but was snatched and assaulted as well. When the pack of wolves was finally satisfied with their carnage, Dempsey wobbly grabbed the mic and challenged Payne to a future bout.
It’s been two years in the making, but Dempsey finally gets his wish this Saturday at Close Re-Encounter.
“Bobby has been with me since I started PWE,” Viking says. “He was the first person I booked and he helped build the first PWE ring. So, I’ve rehired Payne for one match just so we can get him in the building and Bobby can get his revenge.”
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