It’s Summerslam weekend in the Northeast, and the tri-state area is brimming with wrestling events. This Saturday, the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey will be hosting it’s first-ever wrestling show. The venue recently hosted a live Jim Ross Q&A, and we’re hoping that the good brothers over there will be bringing more squared circle action to Slayerville’s favorite concert hall.
The event will be promoted by popular Jersey promotion Pro Wrestling Syndicate – a promotion known for presenting absolutely stacked, and star-studded cards. This one is shaping up to be no different. PWS ‘commissioner’ and WWE Hall of Famer, Mick Foley will be in attendance as will as the legendary luchador and former WWE superstar Rey Mysterio Jr. in what will be his first indie appearance in the Garden State. Also on the bill will be ECW legends and notorious bloodletters Sabu and New Jack, as well as former WWE Tag Team champion, ‘The Prince of Queens’ Brian Myers (FKA Curt Hawkins) who can be seen on Impact Wrestling on Destination America. Indie sensations Kenny Omega, Kevin Matthews, Dan Maff and The Amazing Red will also be wrestling as will PWS mainstays – Fallah, The New Heavenly Bodies, Mario Bokara, Habib and Matt McIntosh.
Recently we caught up with the gang at Starland Ballroom to talk about the upcoming show – how exactly will this concert venue host wrestling, will we see more wrestling and who they’re stoked to see. (Click here for tickets.)
The Starland Ballroom is known for hosting great concerts years round – why bring in pro wrestling?
We are known for concerts, but people sometimes don’t realize that we also hosts a lot of other events. We have had MMA in here in the past, movie screenings, weddings, and so much more. We are a multi-purpose club. A few months back, we did a cool Q&A session with wrestling legend Jim Ross, which went over well. That somewhat got our brains churning, along with other organizations who saw that we do more than just concerts. There are a lot of wrestling fans in this area who also love rock concerts; we thought it was a perfect fit to try something new.
There’s a plethora of wrestling promotions in the tri-state area, why work with Pro Wrestling Syndicate?
These guys have a very active approach on every event that they do. It’s only a few guys who execute the whole event, and they have a strong knowledge of the market and the talent. Pro Wrestling Syndicate is taking off, and they have hosted some very successful events in the area. We thought it was a good match to start with.
Let’s talk about the physical set up of the show. A lot of people are wondering how in the world a wrestling show can even be pulled off in the venue. Where’s the ring? Where will people be sitting? Is the ceiling high enough for the wrestlers to dive off the ropes?
Our stage will be completely broken down and removed. The ring will be in the middle of the floor with seats set out along the ring and the rest of the club. The ring is 16 x 16 which is a bit smaller than other places, but allows a faster paced match. There will be plenty of high flying action from the top rope.
The show is stacking up to have some pretty legendary names on the show like Mick Foley, and Rey Mysterio. Who are you personally looking forward to see on the show? Also, for fans who might be coming out for the former WWE legends, what wrestlers on this card would you personally recommend people keep their out for?
We have to agree on Mick Foley. He is such a legend, in more ways than one. When you think of professional wrestling, his name has to come to mind. We also know how animated he is, and what a personal relationship he has with his fan base, so it should be cool to see him in a smaller atmosphere. He has been so engaging with this event, talking to fans about it on social media, and how excited he is to come to Starland Ballroom. There’s a few things PWS does and one of them is brand new stars like Mario Bokara, Kevin Matthews, and Matt Macintosh. Also keep an eye on current independent superstars like Amazing Red and Kenny Omega.
If this event is successful, could we see Starland Ballroom become a new haven for pro wrestling in New Jersey?
We would hope to say YES!(YES! YES!) Wrestling and music fans have a strong crossover, and we hope to bring more events like this to the club. We think it’s a cool outlet for our fans, as well as people who may have never been to Starland, to see what we are capable of on a larger scale.
