Author: DJ Jarka

Hello, everybody. Here is the lowdown on my latest stop in my referee journey in Erie, Penn. for the return to Revenge Pro Wrestling. This was a solid card, top-to-bottom and a lot less physical time for me compared to my last booking at Revenge. But before we dive in, I must state that this blog was written with a heavy heart. Since the mass shooting on the East Side of Buffalo on Saturday, my thoughts have been with the victims and everyone else affected by this act of hate. It disgusts me that someone is capable of committing such…

Spring Breakdown presented by ESW. Hello, everybody! Thanks for returning for the latest update on my journey as an independent pro wrestling referee. This entry is about my time at Empire Empire State Wrestling’s (ESW) latest event as they present “Spring Breakdown” on March 5 at the Frontier Fire Hall in Niagara Falls, N.Y. But, first, let’s jump into the details of this awesome show. This is the second consecutive Empire State Wrestling (ESW) event at Frontier. The continuity of running events here is nice, as well as staying in ESW’s traditional geographical footprint of the northern suburbs of Buffalo.…

As the days of winter wane and the snowbanks and ice sheets subsided across Western New York, the local wrestling scene will heat up alongside the weather when ESW presents Spring Breakdown. Spring Breakdown will be Empire State Wrestling’s (ESW) first event of 2022 when it takes place at Frontier Fire Hall in Niagara Falls, N.Y. this Saturday. The event will be loaded with prime independent wrestling talent supplemented with wrestlers from throughout the Upstate New York region. The headlining match will be ESW Heavyweight Champion “The Aesthetic Crippler” Kevin Blackwood against “The Remix” Kevin Bennett. The match was set…

The Battle of Lake Erie 2022 Hello, everybody! This blog entry is on my latest referee booking for Revenge Pro Wrestling’s The Battle of Lake Erie 2022, which took place on Saturday, February 5. Normally, I push out event blogs within a week of the show, but my workload at my full-time job increased recently, and outside of work, my family life schedule is busier than before.  Regardless, I am glad to write about this event that was a real physical experience for me. Let’s jump in! This show was in Erie, Penn. If you are unfamiliar with the city,…

‘TID The Season 2021. Hello, everybody! Earlier this month, I received the opportunity to once again referee on the wrestling portion of metalcore band Every Time I Die’s Christmas Show at Buffalo RiverWorks. Here is the lowdown on what occurred at one of the coolest events I get to participate in. ETID’s ‘TID The Season’ event is held regularly at Buffalo RiverWorks around the middle of December and draws thousands of fans from all across the country. The first time I attended one was at a bowling alley in North Tonawanda, N.Y. in 2008, eventually moving to downtown Buffalo music…

Wrestlebash 2021. Hello, everybody! Welcome to another entry into my journey as a referee on the independent wrestling scene. This blog is about my time at Empire State Wrestling’s last show of 2021: Wrestlebash. This was an all-around great day so let’s jump right into it. Over the years, Wrestlebash evolved into one of ESW’s “super shows” and typically is held at larger venues than its old “home” venue, St. Johnsburg Fire Hall. This year’s Wrestlebash was hosted at the Frontier Fire Hall in Niagara Falls, N.Y. The last time ESW was at Frontier was for Wrestlebash in 2018. After…

ESWs Wrestlebash Ilio DiPaolo Memorial Cup. Along with the heavily anticipated main event between Daniel Garcia and Kevin Blackwood for the Empire State Wrestling Heavyweight Championship, “Wrestlebash” will also feature the return of one of Empire State Wrestling’s marquee matches: the Ilio DiPaolo Memorial Cup. ESWs Wrestlebash Ilio DiPaolo Memorial Cup The 2021 rendition of the DiPaolo Cup match will be the most star-studded version since its inception in 2013. The 6-person elimination bout will feature two current Impact Wrestling stars. Former IMPACT World Champion Josh Alexander makes his Empire State Wrestling (ESW) return, and Matthew Rehwoldt (formerly known as…

Empire State Wrestling’s Wrestlebash Garcia vs Blackwood. This is the first of a two-part preview of Empire State Wrestling’s next event, “Wrestlebash”. Part one will examine the main event match between Daniel Garcia and Kevin Blackwood. After successfully defending the Empire State Wrestling Heavyweight Championship against Davey Richards in October, “Red Death” Daniel Garcia briefly relished the victory in front of his hometown fans – his first match back in Western New York in nearly 18 months -before finding out his next challenger. Empire State Wrestling’s Wrestlebash Garcia vs Blackwood One of his best friends, Kevin Blackwood, appeared on the…

Xcite Wrestling presents One Will Fall. Hello, everyone! I am super “xcited” to blog about my latest stop in my referee journey at Xcite Wrestling this past weekend. This Binghamton, N.Y.-based promotion held its “One Will Fall” event at the Oakdale Mall in Johnson City, N.J., in what was a fun and memorable event. Let’s jump into the details! This is my first time working for Xcite in over five years. It was the only promotion I refereed for a few months after two others I worked for shut down and before I started back with Empire State Wrestling. The…

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the 4th and Gold 2021 review. I am glad to return to blogging about my experiences as a referee, even with a 3-month layoff in between posts. During normal times, I would consider that a long drought. However, with the prior gap in show blogs being 18 months, I do not feel quite so bad about the space between them. The latest event I refereed on was Empire State Wrestling’s 4th & Gold at Buffalo RiverWorks on Sunday, October 10. Here were the things that went down for me at this event: A few years…