Written By: Summer Joy Quinn, a current Journalism student at Ramapo College of New Jersey

*The WrestlePro ring set-up taken from the walk-out area during intermission.*

Date: Saturday, September 28, 2024

Location: The Rahway Recreation Center in Rahway, New Jersey

Promotion: WrestlePro

Event: “All Hail the Maharaja”

In case you haven’t heard, WrestlePro is a professional wrestling promotion based in New Jersey that is linked with the Create-A-Pro NJ professional wrestling school. WrestlePro is owned by Create-A-Pro NJ head coach and All Elite Wrestling (AEW) VP, Pat Buck. Create-A-Pro NJ is the sister school to the Create-A-Pro Wrestling Academy in Hicksville, New York. Brian Myers, who is a current Total Nonstop Action (TNA) wrestler, and Pat Buck are the head trainers for the Create-A-Pro Wrestling Academy.

WrestlePro shows often feature Create-A-Pro NJ talent and trainers, Create-A-Pro Wrestling Academy talent, local talent, and talent from other promotions, such as Total Nonstop Action (TNA), Ring of Honor (ROH), All Elite Wrestling (AEW), or former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstars. “All Hail the Maharaja” was certainly no different.

The tickets for WrestlePro shows are always very affordable, which allows my family and I to sit much closer than we can at most other shows. We purchased three front row tickets as soon as this show was announced back in June, when it was set to be titled “SeptemBRAWL”. We did not wait for any of the matches or talent appearances to be set because we knew WrestlePro never disappoints in creating a really good time. We ended up needing to purchase a fourth ticket after my mom, dad, and I could not stop talking about how amazing the past shows had been, which eventually convinced my sister (who was a little skeptical of the professional wrestling business) to join in the fun.

We hit a few setbacks that delayed our arrival at the venue and turned the usual hour-long car ride into around an hour-and-a-half. So, we ended up getting to our seats less than five minutes before the action started. As we were walking into the Rahway Rec. Center and getting our wristbands, my dad spotted Jay Lethal, a current AEW wrestler and former ROH and TNA star. He appeared to have just been warming up for his match later in the night. My dad, who is a big fan of the “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Jay Lethal, especially his character the “Black Machismo”, took this opportunity to fistbump Lethal and thank him for coming. This encounter took the title for my dad’s favorite moment of the night.

We were still adjusting to the electricity of the atmosphere when the dark match began. I unfortunately experienced emotional overload and legitimately forgot parts of the night because I was at such an emotional high, with the dark match being included. Honestly, my dad and I were just happy to have gotten there on time after a chaotic ride filled with delays that were beyond our control. Nevertheless, the night started with a six-man tag team dark match with the first team being Big Flex J-Heru and the Rat Bastards, Adam Kirkland and Zander Torres. Their opponents were the team of “The Fashion ICON” Johnlee Kirk, "Loverboy" Brian Rosario, and Yoscifer El. One moment that really stood out and snapped us into “wrestle-mode” was when Yoscifer El came to stand directly in front of us and roar. My dad and I looked at each other laughing and were thankful he was able to snap us out of the emotional fog. All of these wrestlers are incredibly entertaining and were fantastic at working the crowd, thus setting the stage for a night of constant action.

*Yoscifer El celebrating a move outside of the ring.*

The first official match of the night was a five-way scramble match between GKM, El Magnifico, TJ Crawford, Cheeseburger, and KC Navarro. The match was originally set as a fatal four-way, but TNA needed to postpone their shows due to Hurricane Helene. This left KC Navarro available for the night and he was an outstanding addition to an already stacked match. The crowd was fully invested and tore TJ Crawford to shreds anytime they were afforded the opportunity. El Magnifico added a bit of lucha libre flair, making the match even more dynamic and full of jaw-dropping moments. “The World Famous” Cheeseburger, a former ROH wrestler, was a crowd favorite, for more reasons than just his being from Trenton, NJ, as he was able to showcase the reasons he is the WrestlePro Alaska Last Frontier Champion. GKM, who was victorious, involved the crowd, especially all of the children, adding to the magic of the night.

*GKM posing for the fans during his walkout.*

Next up was a singles match between "The Dominican Destroyer" Vargas and Colton Charles, who has made appearances on ROH. Both Vargas and Colton Charles are amazing athletes and certainly helped carry the energy from the previous matches into the rest of the night. They also kept the crowd engaged throughout, with Charles’ arm movements and Vargas’ sheer intimidation factor. After delivering quite the spear Colton Charles was able to pick up the victory.

*Colton Charles celebrating his victory in the ring with a megaphone, while Vargas make his way backstage. Referee Kevin Keenan can be seen behind Vargas.*

Then came The Iron Savages, Bulk Bronson and Boulder, in a tag team match against Dark STG and Dark Fallah. I have to say that I do not always enjoy the creepier characters in professional wrestling, but that aside this was a spectacular match. The Iron Savages, who are former students and current AEW wrestlers, certainly know how to entertain and always tend to be a crowd favorite. Dark Fallah taking a sip of the “Savage Sauce” and the resulting reaction was a nice comedic touch that was greatly appreciated by the fans in attendance. We felt like the tension built between Dark STG and Dark Fallah following their loss was done nicely as well.

*Bronson (left) and Boulder (right) rally the crowd during their walkout. Dark STG (back right) is yelling to Dark Fallah, who is blocked in the photograph.*

*Bronson (top) and Boulder (bottom) prepare to delivery a two-man slam to Dark Fallah.*

After that tag team match it was time for some lucha libre action featuring a singles match between Fuego Del Sol, former AEW star, and Ichiban, a long-time independent wrestler. The match was full of high flying action spilling outside of the ring multiple times. Fuego Del Sol ultimately took the victory, but both men showcased their overwhelming talent and created a beautiful match.

*Fuego Del Sol pumping up the crowd before the match.*

WrestlePro Silver Champion and Create-A-Pro NJ trainer, Shawn Donavan put his belt on the line against Luke Hawx, founder and CEO of WildKat Sports. Donavan, who is known as the “messiah of old school”, was able to put his unique, hard-hitting style on display, contributing much to the story the match told. Luke Hawx, who has been seen on "Heels" and "Young Rock", also had his moments of control, attempting a couple high flying moves, including an impressive moonsault. While watching the match back, my dad and I could not help but chuckle at one of the commentators remarks that Hawx was not ready for this match against Donavan because “this isn’t some fake TV show where you go and you play wrestler. This is real.” This match became an instant classic for more reasons than one, with Donavan earning the victory after hitting Hawx with a well executed DDT.

*Shawn Donavan (back right) honors his WrestlePro Silver Championship title before his match with Luke Hawx (front left).*

*Luke Hawx engages with the crowd during his introduction by ring announcer Ryan Peterson. Shawn Donavan looks on from behind.*

*Shawn Donavan has his hand raised by referee Steven Dumeng after his victory and title retention.*

The team of The Savage Gentleman, who has made appearances on AEW, and Traxx represented Devastation INC. and put their WrestlePro Tag Team Championships on the line against Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum, The Outrunners. The Outrunners, who currently make appearances on AEW and ROH, are true entertainers who know exactly how to promote themselves and work the crowd. Throughout the match, the Outrunner who was on the apron waiting for the tag would either be interacting with the crowd or posing for the photographer nearby. When it seemed as though The Outrunners were about to pick up the victory, Shawn Donavan came to the aid of fellow Devastation INC. members, pulling referee Kevin Keenan out of the ring just in time. This led to The Acclaimed, Anthony Bowens and "Platinum" Max Caster, running out to help The Outrunners and level the playing field. Ultimately, The Outrunners secured the victory, becoming the new WrestlePro Tag Team Champions much to the dismay of Devastation INC., but the delight of the crowd. The way WrestlePro stacked the interruptions made by Donavan and The Acclaimed made for a great end to the match and left the four of us in disbelief the whole way through. On the car ride there we had been discussing how The Acclaimed, a popular AEW tag team and former Create-A-Pro students, were at the “Sun Day Light WrestlePro” event last September and how we hoped to see them in WrestlePro again soon. As it turns out, we did not need to wait very long at all.

*Turbo Floyd (front left) poses for the photographer nearby, while Truth Magnum (front right) prepares to wrestle with The Savage Gentleman (back right).*

*The Savage Gentleman (right) talks to the fans in attendance, while Truth Magnum (left) recovers on the floor.*

*Turbo Floyd poses for the fans in attendance while waiting to be tagged into the match.*

*Shawn Donavan (right) delivers an old school style punch to Truth Magnum (left).*

*Traxx (back left) deals with Truth Magnum (front left) while Shawn Donavan (middle) and The Savage Gentleman (back right) beat down Turbo Floyd (far right).*

*Max Caster (right) levels the playing field against Shawn Donavan (left).*

*The Outrunners celebrate their victory with The Acclaimed in the ring after the match.*

*Truth Magnum (front) and Turbo Floyd (back) celebrate their new championship reign with the fans in attendance.*

After a short intermission, complete with two raffle drawings to win “All Hail the Maharaja” signed event posters, there was a singles bought between Justin Corino and Jay Lethal. Lethal, who hails from Elizabeth, New Jersey, was by far the crowd favorite, especially when it came to the kids in attendance. While Lethal may be the “illegitimate son of ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage”, his father was in attendance at the Rahway Rec. Center, adding to the magic of the moment. Justin Corino could not catch a break, as Jay Lethal stole his robe in the beginning of the match in order to pay proper tribute to Ric Flair. This moment and many others throughout the match caused a group of children to start a “Let’s Go Lethal” chant, to which he gave a special finger point of acknowledgement. This act definitely made a positive impression on the crowd and earned the title of my sister’s “favorite moment”. Lethal was victorious and gave a shout of respect to Corino, who did not reciprocate the sentiment.

*Jay Lethal (middle) flies through the air to attack Justin Corino (right) while referee Kevin Keenan (far left) looks on.*

*Jay Lethal (right) fakes a move from the top rope.*

*Justin Corino (left) gives the double middle fingers to Jay Lethal (right) who shows respect towards Corino.*

The crowd was then given a special performance by Elijah on guitar during his walk out. Elijah, formerly known as Elias during his time with the WWE, sang a special diss track directed towards his opponent, Dan Maff. After some colorful lyrics about Maff, he burst through the entryway and started beating down on Elijah from behind. My dad and I rewatched a video he took of his moment multiple times afterwards and during each rewatch we couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Maff’s execution and Elijah’s selling of the beatdown were on point to deliver some awesome wrestling style comedy, according to the fans in attendance. During this beatdown of Elijah, the two wrestlers took the fight into the bleachers, creating a moment that will not be soon forgotten by many. Elijah eventually picked up the victory, causing an excited uproar within the crowd.

*The fans in attendance get to walk with Elijah on the top rope.*

*Dan Maff delivers a back elbow to Elijah.*

*Elijah (left) prepares to give Dan Maff (right) a powerful elbow.*

*Elijah (far left) stalks Dan Maff (far right) in attempts to deliver a finsher.*

*Elijah celebrates after securing the victory.*

The WrestlePro Women’s Championship was on the line in a triple threat match between champion Serena Deeb and challengers Lena Kross and Lady Frost. Serena Deeb, a current AEW wrestler, gifted her dojo flag to a young girl during her walkout. All three women were able to showcase their extreme athleticism, with Lena Kross displaying why she is a former WrestlePro Women’s Champion. Lady Frost, who is a current ROH wrestler and has made appearances for AEW, is known for her “murder gymnastics”. These were the highlight of the night for my mom, who could not stop mentioning a move Frost calls “Frostbite”, which is a corkscrew moonsault off of the top rope. With this move and many others, Frost secured the victory and added to her WrestlePro legacy by becoming the first ever two-time WrestlePro Women’s Champion.

*Serena Deeb presents the WrestlePro Women's Championship title during her walkout.*

*Lena Kross (right) prepares to throw Serena Deeb (left) into the barricade.*

*Serena Deeb (bottom) delivers a German suplex to Lady Frost (top).*

*Lady Frost in mid-air to deliver Frostbite on Lena Kross.*

*Lady Frost celebrates with the fans after winning the WrestlePro Women's Championship.*

*Lady Frost makes her way backstage with her title.*

The main event featured WrestlePro Gold Champion CPA and Raj Dhesi in a spectacular championship match. Dhesi, formerly known as Jinder Mahal during his time with the WWE, came out looking like he was ready for war. I have to say, at this moment we were all a bit worried for CPA’s safety and championship reign. Dhesi showcased his size and power, often throwing CPA around as if he weighed nothing. In turn, CPA put his character on full display, using theatrics and the crowd to rally him. The match was certainly an entertaining one and did not disappoint. CPA was able to overcome the odds and retain his title with much crowd support.

*CPA (front) rallies the crowd before his title defense while Raj Dhesi (back right) and referee Kevin Keenan (back left) look on.*

*Raj Dhesi has CPA in a headlock as he surveys the crowd.*

*CPA uses his size to leap over Raj Dhesi from the ropes.*

*Raj Dhesi (left) shows respect towards CPA (right) after he retained his title.*

Overall, this show was absolutely packed with amazing wrestlers, not only more established stars, but the talent pool from the school itself is full of entertainers and future stars. The surprises kept us guessing and just added to an unforgettable night that we had the opportunity to witness first hand. If you missed it live, the show is now available to watch on the WrestlePro Youtube Channel.

Not only was the show fantastic, but the crowd was also a really good group of fans. We have been to shows for other promotions in the past where the crowd energy caused the night to stall out at some points or create a negative vibe. This show truly felt like a celebration of what these athletes are capable of doing. There were also lots of children in attendance and the care the wrestlers took to make sure they specifically had a great experience was really nice to see.

The Rahway Rec. Center as a venue makes every show in there feel like you are getting a special viewing of a special show with how close all of the action is to each fan. This atmosphere and energy reminds me of how I imagine wrestling shows felt like when my dad was a kid. It also makes me feel as though they are keeping that vintage wrestling spirit alive. I do not think there is a bad seat in the place, especially because of how WrestlePro keeps the fans engaged, between matches spilling out into the crowd and the performers making sure to talk to the crowd whenever possible. I can only imagine all of the work that goes into creating such a magical event and if anyone from WrestlePro happens to be reading this, thank you so much for all of your hard work and never failing to entertain in the process. Also, if you have read anything anywhere in this post that you feel is inaccurate, please contact me on Instagram, The Lighter Side Lounge, or through email, lightersidelounge@gmail.com.

I am no professional wrestling expert; I am just a fan that some might even call “a mark”. However, as someone who is going to college for journalism, and is otherwise just a sucker for good story-telling and good professional wrestling, the WrestlePro events always have it all. If you ever have the opportunity to go see one of these shows, myself and my family recommend you experience the magic in person.

*My family and I capturing a selfie in front of the walkout during intermission.*

All pictures throughout this post have been taken and edited by my dad and I. Thank you very much for reading!

Ringside at Rahway: One family’s experience at WrestlePro’s “All Hail the Maharaja”