Phoenix Championship Wrestling Looks to Break Arizona Independent Wrestling Record on September 19th at Anniversary 8 Wrestling News Source – Latest WWE, AEW, Pro Wrestling News, AEW All In: London 2026 Results

We are just over 2 weeks away from what promises to be the biggest independent wrestling event in Arizona history as Phoenix Championship Wrestling presents Anniversary 8 celebrating 8 years of wrestling excellence. What started out as a dream by promoters Dom Vitalli and Jon Wolfgang celebrates 8 years of being a reality. The card is stacked. And, you can be there on Saturday, September 19th at the Skyline High School in Mesa, Arizona as 2,000 plus wrestling fans make history together! Get your tickets now at www.PCWAZ.com! If you have never attended a PCW event, maybe it can help you “restore the feeling” as it did for me! 

A few years ago, Will Ospreay came onto the scene in AEW and kept using the expression “restore the feeling.” To some, that is just a tag line that might look cool on a T shirt. I had a Philadelphia Phillies “Catch the Fever” T shirt in the mid ’90’s and I’m  not at all certain what “fever” I would be catching especially considering I was a life long Mets fan and wearing that T shirt should have burned my flesh like if you sprinkle Holy Water on a witch. But, I understood entirely what Will Ospreay meant by “restore the feeling.” When you have been a wrestling fan for as long as I have, you know that there are times you watch wrestling because you always have and that the wrestling you are continually watching no longer satisfies you. In other words, there are times during wrestling’s more dark days that you do lose that intangible feeling you get – That nostalgic yet optimistic feeling that you feel in your belly when a really good wrestling angle comes on your screen and for just a moment, you remember why it is you fell in love with this stuff as a kid and why you’ve devoted so much of your time to it over the years. In short, all of us sometimes are trying to “restore the feeling.” But, it wasn’t AEW that restored my love of pro wrestling – Not even when they play to stadium all the way in London. I didn’t even need to leave my adopted home town to “restore the feeling” because Phoenix Championship Wrestling is what did it. 

In 2024, I saw Matthew Roblez (who you may have seen on Dark Side of the Ring recently) posting about an event in Mesa, Arizona – where I live, that was going to have his girlfriend Missy Hyatt, Val Venis, and Jerry Lynn appearing. As a guy who grew up in Northern New Jersey, I attended more than my share of Dennis Caruso promoted independent events. I also attended a few events promoted by Jim Powers and Mario Savoldi in addition to the multitude of WWE events I went to. All of the independent events had one thing in common – The poster would advertise one or two known wrestlers and the rest of the card would be made up of local guys. So, I sat through a number of “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka and Metal Maniac matches in my youth. But, I also saw Nikolai Volkoff, Tito Santana, Sgt. Slaughter, Demolition Ax, and a lot of other guys from the glory days of the WWE wrestle in smaller venues in New Jersey… And, I also got to see some local talent go on to make it to TV and make a name for themselves. One of the guys that comes to mind that did that was “Crowbar” Devon Storm. Another was the late Chris Candido. When you saw these guys on the independent circuit and then saw them on TV, you felt like you were a small part of their journey and you found yourself rooting for their continued success.  

Well, Phoenix Championship Wrestling might have drawn me in with the established big names they had appearing. But, that isn’t what won me over. Don’t get me wrong! It was cool to get my Missy Hyatt book signed and to shake hands with Jerry Lynn who I’ve been a fan of since 1991 in the Global Wrestling Federation. But, it was the young lions that put on a fantastic show in the ring that won me over. And, the wonderful experience of meeting the talent and discovering that each and every one of them, without exception, has a good head on their shoulders. In fact, at the second show, I met a few of the same guys and went to introduce myself and got stopped, mid sentence, by more than one of them, “I know who you are, James.” That is cool. I know it might be corny to say but the Cheers theme is right! Sometimes you do want to go where everybody knows your name and they’re always glad you came! 

PCW’s roster is made up of trainees from the Arizona Pro Wrestling Center located here in Mesa as well. Dom Vitalli, Jon Wolfgang, AEW Security Guard Gabriel Gallo, and others help train the wrestlers for success. Before I even went to my first PCW show, I interviewed Jon Wolfgang who insisted that the talent they present be quality huamn beings. At the time, the line meant little to nothing to me. But, as I’ve gone to a few shows and spent some time chatting with Dom Vitalli, that is not just a line or something that looks good in print. In reality, the guys and girls of PCW go out of their way to make the fans feel special. In fact, going in to the most recent July 4th show, Zamaya shook my youngest’s hand, he’s just turned 17 so he’s not a little guy anymore, and said “thank you for coming.” To have one of the bigger names, an MLW star, aknwoledge you as you’re quite literally trying to find the best seat for the best angle of the ring is really cool. But, it is indicative of the PCW experience. 

PCW recently appeared on FOX 10 here in Arizona with a glimpse into the Arizona Pro Wrestling Training Center. You can watch that video below. 

The community aspect of PCW doesn’t end with the kind nature of the talent. Aside from the “Live on Broadway” shows they do at the Eagles Convention Center every other month, the company holds different events such as appearing, for the past few years, at the Mesa Fireworks display. They always do something special at these side shows. This year, at the 4th of July Fireworks, they featured a match with “Mr. USA” (Dom Vitalli under a mask) and Zamaya taking on a pair of British Loyalists. The masked “Mr. USA” worked the Hulk Hogan gimmick which was beautiful on every level. It was masterfully done and ticked so many boxes. And, in a strange way, it might have taught the young talent in the match that the old stuff still works. Because, it does. 

Back in June, PCW presented a show to benefit Make a Wish Arizona. The event saw a special appearance by Doink the Clown, perfect for the kids, and gave those kids a chance to not only see live wrestling up close but even to be a part of the show involving themselves in the match to help Doink win. To say that show warmed even my cynical heart would be an understatement. 

The ironic thing is the first show I went to PCW for was the only one that ever really leaned on the legendary names appearing to sell the show. Every other show I’ve been to since has put the burden upon the young stars to sell the tickets. That strategy has worked! Every year, PCW runs SKyline High School just down the road from me for their Anniversary show and with a professional set up, they draw more and more every year. Anniversary 6 drew more than 1,500 fans while last year’s Anniversary 7 drew just shy of 2,000. This year, the goal is to exceed 2,000 people in the building which would indeed set the Arizona record for largest independent wrestling show ever. 

Part of the reason I discovered PCW was because I was in that head space where I needed that something to “restore the feeling.” I needed something to look forward to in pro wrestling that wasn’t going to be a disappointment. The truth is I haven’t really been a “WWE guy” in many decades as I was more a fan of WCW and ECW. When AEW started, I had such high hopes but those hopes never really were answered. While I’m still a fan of AEW, the style of wrestling they present doesn’t do it for me. I need the personalities! Give me a good blood feud with an easy to understanding reason for wanting to see these two guys go at it! I’ve never been excited about “dream matches.” And, what might be a dream to some might be a nightmare to others – See the All In main event as it doesn’t work for me, brother. Anyway, PCW presents pro wrestling the way I’ve always believed it should be presented. There are clear good guys and bad guys. There are clear reasons for matches and stakes in place for most matches as well. Very little that happens on a PCW show is haphazardly put together. Plus, the wrestlers never lose sight on what the focus should be – The live experience. 

The main event of PCW Anniversary 8 will feature the defending tag team champions of “Pretty City Xpress”, Christopher Landen Anthony Streeter and Devin Reno against the young team of “Yung Money” Jaden Monroe and RJ Wylde with Money Mac. This is a rematch from last year’s Anniversary 7 show where, by hook or by crook, “Pretty City Express” walked out as champions. In matches since, “Pretty City Xpress” has retained over “Young Money” in 3-way dances and by draw. This time, perhaps the last time if “Yung Money” isn’t successful, it is 2 out of 3 falls so the cunning champions will have to make the rising young challengers slip on a banana peal more than once to retain the gold. I’m excited to see what happens. 

In addition, the PCW Heavyweight Title is on the like as WWE ID and EVOLVE star CJ Valor, who PCW fans know as Jimmy House, defends his title against the frightening former champion Kevin Koa. PCW Women’s Champion Zamaya defends her gold against indy sensation B3CCA. Also on the card is Tommy 2 Scoops as he looks to end the long-standing war with MBW and you know “MK” Matthew Roblez will be lingering around that one somehow. And, Stanley Logan takes on Joey Hendrix. 

Tickets for PCWAZ’s Anniversary 8 event are available now at www.PCWAZ.com. If you live in Mesa or the Metro Phoenix area, make your plans to attend as I have a feeling this evening of action will truly be something special. They’ve not disappointed me yet!

While I’m writing this to advertise PCW, I encourage everyone to get out and support your local wrestling. If you aren’t in Arizona, go to your local independent shows and see if you can find a group that lights your fire the way PCW has lit mine. Don’t ever forget that while the major promotions might go through peaks and valleys, the hunger of the talent on the independents is always out there. Support your local independents!