Empire State Wrestling returns today to Medina, N.Y., with Spring Smash 2024 to host another fundraiser event for the East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company.
Spring Smash will once again be held at Medina High School. Previous fundraiser events took place at the Orleans County Fairgrounds in Albion. The switch led to an increase in attendance.
“We’re thrilled to partner with ESW for the fourth time on a fundraiser for our fire department,”
– said event organizer Ryan McPherson.
“Last year, we moved the event to Medina Jr. Sr. High School and got our biggest turnout to date at over 450 in attendance.
This year, we hope to have over 500 attendees and continue to grow what has become an extremely popular event for the community.”
Several wrestlers with connections to Orleans County are booked for Spring Smash. Gavin Glass and Maxx Cannon both hail from Medina. Kevin Blackwood is a native of Albion.
“I think last year was just a taste of what we can do and this year we are going to bring it to a whole new level and show Medina that professional wrestling is alive and well,” Glass said.
“Having the opportunity to compete after some time away taking care of my newborn daughter is such a blessing,”
– Cannon said.
“Because at the end of the day I absolutely am a competitor, I want to be the best and I love wrestling.
And to be able to do it in my old high school is like a fever dream. It was incredible last year but we didn’t know what to expect.
Medina is a small town compared to the places ESW is usually held but last year the fans were incredible and the amount of support we had spoken volumes about what this community really represents and I know afterwards the entire roster was hoping we would be back.”
Glass will face Edge of Hope’s Darren Crowe. Glass returned to action in March when he defeated Kevin Bennett in the Anthony Gaines Tribute Match. Crowe teamed with his Edge of Hope stablemates to face Tommy K, Matt McCoy, Channing Decker, and Robby Vegas.
“Darren Crowe is a wild card,”
– Glass said.
“I had a hand in helping him train when he first broke in and I saw a lot of potential early on. He’s unpredictable but that just means I must be too.”
This will be Cannon’s first bout back since the previous Spring Smash. He will take on Frank Feathers in a rematch from last year.
Feathers is coming off a match against Vinnie Moon in March that led to Moon’s manager Will Calrissian announcing he was coming out of retirement to team with Moon against Feathers and Randy P at Brawlfest 2024 in May.
“Although I may not agree with how he carries himself and the company he keeps he’s always been a wrestler that I respect,”
– Cannon said.
“He’s the longest reigning ESW Interstate Champion and a man that has from time to time taken me under his wing.
Wrestling has taken a back seat for me for the last few months, but I’ve been working hard to get myself ready for Frank and the erupting Medina crowd.
I know he wasn’t thrilled to get beaten by me last year, and I have no doubt he will do whatever he thinks he needs to for revenge. But at the end of the day, I’m Maxx Cannon.
This is my gym and I always bet on myself.”
Blackwood will square off against Yoya. Both competitors stated their excitement for this matchup on social media. Blackwood defeated TNA Wrestling’s Jason Hotch in March. Yoya’s previous ESW appearance was last year in a scramble match.
Spencer Slade will defend the ESW Interstate Championship against To Infinity & Beyond’s Colin Delaney. Slade retained the title against Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Sean Legacy in March.
Delaney and his tag partner, Cheech, defeated The BackSeat Boyz in their last ESW appearance in January.
The ESW Tag Team Championship will also be on the line. The current champions, CXR, will square off against Greed. CXR defeated PME in March in their first title defense since capturing the belts.
Spring Smash 2024
Greed will consist of Price Purgold and Julio Diamante. Purgold made his ESW debut against James Sayga last year. Meanwhile, Diamante will make his ESW debut in the match.
A women’s triple threat match is scheduled to occur. The competitors will be Adrianna Fury, Haley Dylan, and Shilo. Dylan teamed with Christina Marie in ESW’s first-ever all-women’s tag team match in March.
This will be Fury’s first match back in ESW in several years. Shilo will make her ESW debut in the match.
The rest of Edge of Hope will take on Starburst and Sayga in a 6-person tag team match. Starburst consists of Kenny Star and Keenan Moore. This will be Star’s ESW debut.
Moore’s last ESW match involved tagging with Sayga and Vinnie Moon against Edge of Hope. Sayga beat Nick Ando in March.
A five-way scramble match is planned featuring Cheech, Tommy K, Vegas, Shayne Stetson and Zach Nystrom.
Stetson made his ESW debut last year against Slade. This is Nystrom’s first singles match in ESW, as he regularly tags with Elijah Dean as part of Money Shot.
Spring Smash 2024 starts at 6 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door.
