When the opening match starts at Gem City Madness this Saturday, a new era of pro wrestling will be ushered in to Erie, Penn.
On March 9, Pro Wrestling Rampage will return to its longtime home at the Saga Club. PWR began holding events in 2007 and moved its events to the Saga Club in 2011. The last PWR event took place in June 2023.
However, Gem City Madness will be under PWR’s newest owner and operator: the Buffalo, N.Y.-based Empire State Wrestling.
“I’m very excited to begin promoting events out of the Saga Club,”
said ESW owner Brett Stymus.
“We’ve looked to run additional events to feature ESW talent that don’t necessarily get the spotlight on our regular shows and give opportunities to younger talent from several of the region’s wrestling schools.
Being able to run in a state like Pennsylvania with its more reasonable wrestling regulations helped this to happen.”
The main event for Gem City Madness will feature a triple threat match including wrestlers that each previously in scrambled matches on ESW events.
The match will see Cleveland, Ohio’s Alex Daniels, the Pittsburgh, Penn-based “A1” Anthony Young, and Brayden Lee from Indiana.
A title will be defended at Gem City Madness. Lake Erie Champion Dakoda Orion will put the belt on the line against Mattick from Edge of Hope.
Orion was originally set to face Delsin Alekzander, but Alekzander was pulled from the match after suffering a leg injury. Orion defeated another Edge of Hope member, Jeremiah Richter, last year to retain the title.
Gem City Madness Presented by Pro Wrestling Rampage
In singles action, Amish wrestler Levi Everett will take on “Italian Excellence” Cristiano Argento. This will be Argento’s first match back in PWR since facing current World Wrestling Entertainment star Carlito in 2022.
“Rockstar” Robby Vegas will face one of his Buffalo Wrestling Academy students and Edge of Hope member “The Gashed” Darren Crowe. Crowe is no stranger to PWR as he faced Paris Sahara in March of last year.
Haley Dylan wrestled regularly for ESW over the last year and for numerous promotions across North America.
At Gem City Madness, she will face Canadian wrestler Shilo – a staple of the Ontario independent wrestling scene. Her presence is sure to gain the ire of those in attendance as looks to cement her place on the card.
One of PWR’s most recent regulars, Dave Bentley will be in action. Bentley, a product of Grapplers Anonymous, will take on “Real One” Matt McCoy, who trains out of BWA. Bentley defeated Clay Wilson in his last PWR match in June 2023.
Ryze, another PWR regular, will hit the mat at Gem City Madness. He will lock horns with “The Wavemaker” Kyle Boone from Canada. Ryze’s last PWR match was a victory over Edge of Hope’s Cerin Rahne last June.
The tag team Starburst is scheduled to appear. The duo consist of Kenny Star and Keenan Moore and train out of Ground Zero in Rochester, N.Y.
In remembrance of Anthony Gaines, fans are encouraged to wear purple to Gem City Madness. Gaines was an integral part of PWR for several years and continued to compete in the Erie scene in recent times.
His passing deeply affected many people in the wrestling business that he worked with and his fans alike.
T-shirts and 8x10s will be on sale in his memory, with the proceeds going toward his funeral arrangements. Shipment orders will be taken at a later date.
Tickets can be purchased at the door, and a limited number of front row seats are still available. Doors open at 5 p.m. with the opening bell at 6 p.m.
