Author: DJ Jarka

Hello, everybody! In my next installment of my comings-and-goings as a referee in the independent wrestling scene, I will go into detail on my experiences at Empire State Wrestling’s “ Brawlfest 2019” in North Tonawanda, N.Y. My story starts the day before Empire State Wrestling’s (ESW) biggest event of the spring. That Friday, I received a PET scan to evaluate my ongoing medical condition (thankfully everything turned out fine). Brawlfest 2019 Due to the substances required to administer the scan, I was considered to be radioactive afterward and was restricted from being around infants, small children, and pregnant women for…

Hello again, everybody! It’s been a while since my last post dedicated to the comings and goings of my referee life back in 2019. Before diving into Empire State Wrestling’s Rochester, NY area debut “Empire State of Mind,” there are a few things that need to be addressed. As my life was a bit tumultuous since last November. After Empire State Wrestling’s “WrestleBash”, I was uncertain when the next time I would referee on a wrestling show. In December, there were two possibilities but both fell through. Then in January, I dealt with a medical issue that I hinted at…

In 2018, after being pulled into the ring post and smashed in the leg with a chair by new Empire State Wrestling commissioner The Caesar, a severely deteriorated Kevin Blackwood was left in a precarious situation. This was done by his former manager. Here is what took place at the Ilio DiPaolo Cup Finals. Related Reads: Kevin Blackwood – Defining UNKILLABLE The Aesthetic Crippler  “Red Death” Daniel Garcia seized this opportunity to apply his variation of the sharpshooter to Blackwood, in which he leans back and applies additional pressure onto this opponent, making one of the most effective submission holds…

Hello, everyone! I am back with another update on my life as a pro wrestling referee! This entry will be on my time reffing at Empire State Wrestling’s October 2018’s show “Overdrive”. We produce the latest edition of The Jarkaster Journey | Overdrive. Before I dive into the event, I considered this show to be my anniversary of sorts. I made my referee debut on September 8, 2007, so this would be my latest show since my 11-year referee “birthday”. It feels weird saying it was over 10 years ago since I reffed my first match in a roller skating…

DJ recounts his experience at the recent Sky Is The Limit event and what took place.

Hello, everybody. It’s been almost a full year since I sat down and wrote a blog on my times as a pro wrestling referee. 2025 was a hectic year for me, filled with ups and downs both inside and outside the ring. I will do my best to recap it here. My last blog left off looking ahead to March 2025 with two Empire State Wrestling events that were coming up. One was an ESW Keystone event called Crisis in Erie, Penn. and the other was an ESW’s Tough Luck ‘25 in Niagara Falls, N.Y.  Crisis was the last ESW…

In 2018, in my first blog post, I will outline my expectations for this blog and provide some background information about myself, as well as share a referees tale. This is a referee’s tale. I started off as a pro wrestling referee in September 2007. I was reffing my first match for New Era Pro Wrestling (NEPW) in Painesville, Ohio after completing my training at the Buffalo Pro Wrestling Gym the prior summer. From there, I reffed for various promotions mostly across New York state. My home promotion is Empire State Wrestling (ESW), which runs primarily in the Buffalo, N.Y.…

As Empire State Wrestling nears the end of its event schedule for the year, it looks to close out 2025 in a major way. ESW will conclude the year at WrestleBash XV at Buffalo RiverWorks on Friday night with a slew of highly recognizable names to many wrestling fans. Empire State Wrestling presents WrestleBash XV World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Famer Teddy Long will be in attendance. A meet and greet will be held for fans to interact with Long. But the marquee names do not end there. Former Total Nonstop Action Wrestling World Champion Mike Santana will make his…

With Empire State Wrestling’s “4th and Gold” now in the books, my focus turned as I was labouring through  September. Due to outside circumstances, September was an off month from refereeing for me. Friends from out of the area came in for Labor Day weekend and I also hosted my fantasy football draft (now in its 19th season) so I could not make the last Southern Tier Wrestling show in Jamestown, N.Y. I cannot make the next Empire State Wrestling show in Salamanca, N.Y., due to my day job as I am laboring through September. Laboring through September But wrestling-oriented…

In 2018, I explore my experiences over the latest independent wrestling show I worked on. Empire State Wrestling’s “4th and Gold” event in at the St. Johnsburg Fire Hall North Tonawanda, N.Y. (a suburb of Buffalo). This event was different from previous events held at St. Johnsburg as before the show there was a superfan tailgate party. The party featured games, food, beer, and other activities the fans could partake in alongside ESW wrestlers and staff. There was one activity I was a part of that left me a bit drenched: a dunk tank. As the party kicked off, I…