Author: DJ Jarka

Hello, everybody! As the summer keeps grinding on, I am slowly working on getting my blogs updated. This one is about my time at Empire State Wrestling’s Friday Night Heat their June event. Friday Night Heat took place at the Frontier Fire Hall in Niagara Falls. A major reason it was held on a Friday instead of a Saturday was due to Forbidden Door happening in Toronto that weekend. If the event went down on the following Saturday instead, I would have missed it due to my daughter’s recital being that day (and the next one). On top of that,…

Empire State Wrestling will debut in a second new location this Sunday as ESW presents Mayhem at the McCarthy in Batavia, N.Y. The event will feature many of ESW’s regulars, plus a meet and greet with a World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Famer. “I’m excited to expand ESW’s footprint further with Mayhem at the McCarthy,” said ESW promoter Brett Stymus. “I think the Batavia fans are going to have a great time at this event after experiencing the best wrestling product based in all of Western New York.” The main event match for Mayhem at the McCarthy will be ESW…

Hello, everybody! It’s been a while since my last blog update. This one is about my time at Revenge Pro’s latest event that went down in May called Revenge Takes Off! After this event, my life was consumed with family obligations and doing behind-the-scenes work for Empire State Wrestling. I do apologize for taking as long as it did for this one. Nonetheless, less jump in and take off! It was about a year ago since I last appeared with Revenge at its old home, the Avalon Hotel. This event took place at the Erie Sports Center, a multisport complex…

Empire State Wrestling’s events this year showcased many of the top wrestling stars currently on the independent wrestling scene. But its next event, Friday Night Heat, will give Western New York’s best local talent will more time in the limelight. On Friday, June 23, at the Frontier Fire Hall in Niagara Falls, N.Y., fans in attendance will get extended looks at many of ESW’s established stars. However, there will still be a few new names debuting with the promotion. Empire State Wrestling presents Friday Night Heat ESW Tag Team Champions High Seas will defend the belts at Friday Night Heat.…

Hello, everybody! I am excited to present my latest blog on my time as a referee. This one covers the latest Empire State Wrestlings Brawlfest 2023 event. This was a busy time for me. Let’s jump in! The buildup for Brawlfest was incredible. With Matt Cardona as the headliner, we received a heavier-than-normal amount of online buzz. That, coupled with some promotion by WBUF 92.9 FM I think, fueled a lot of the fan excitement for Brawlfest. The Thursday before the show, I was a guest lecturer on being a referee at the Buffalo Wrestling Academy. It was a blast…

Hello, everybody! My latest entry on my referee journey is about my return a few weeks ago to Buffalo Championship Wrestlings Chaos in Cheektovegas. This event was a little different from my recent shows but was still very fun. Let’s jump into this super cool show! Buffalo Championship Wrestling was first formed in the early 2000s and is considered one of the original modern-day independent wrestling promotions in the Buffalo-Niagara area. BCW ran events in several parts of the Buffalo metro area over the years, settling in recent years in the “East Towns”. Many names have come and gone over…

For several years, Brawlfest served as Empire State Wrestling’s hallmark event of the spring. This year’s version continues in that vein. Headlining Brawlfest 2023 will be one of the hottest names currently on the independent wrestling circuit: “The Indy God” Matt Cardona. The former World Wrestling Entertainment star exploded across the indie wrestling scene since his release from the company, winning several championship belts along in numerous promotions. Empire State Wrestling presents Brawlfest 2023 Cardona will look to add another title to his collection this Saturday at Buffalo RiverWorks when he challenges ESW Heavyweight Champion “The Remix” Kevin Bennett for…

Empire State Wrestlings Spring Smash Hello, everybody! This blog post is about my time at Empire State Wrestlings debut in Medina, NY called “Spring Smash”. This event is a bit different than the last several ESW shows but still delivered and was fun. Let’s jump into my experiences on it! Spring Smash was a fundraiser for the East Shelby Vol. Fire Dept. In prior years, this fundraiser event was held across at the Orleans County Fairgrounds in Albion, N.Y. This one was held at Medina High School, which provided better amenities all around for the fans, wrestlers, and staff alike.…

Confident, focused, and determined are just some of the ways to describe ‘Red Death’ Daniel Garcia. The native of Buffalo, N.Y., has made a mark for himself over the last few years. He has been on the independent scene in the Northeast United States and Canada and looks to continue to build on this momentum in the near future. These qualities that kick-started his wrestling career were rooted in him before he even began to wrestle. Raised in the South Buffalo section of the “City of Good Neighbors”, Garcia grew up a fan of professional wrestling, often attending World Wrestling…

It was early on Sunday morning of January 6, 2019, when the lives of Kevin Blackwood and his fellow “Buffalo Brothers” changed dramatically. The group of four wrestlers based out of Buffalo, NY was driving back from a show in Montreal, PQ. When their vehicle hit a patch of black ice and crashed into a highway guardrail near Batavia, N.Y. This is Kevin Blackwood – Defining UNKILLABLE. All four Buffalo Brothers needed medical attention. Kevin Bennett and Puf were treated and released that day. However, Blackwood and Daniel Garcia’s injuries were more serious. Blackwood and Garcia required inpatient hospital stays…