Empire State Wrestling (ESW) returns to the Frontier Fire Hall, 2176 Liberty Drive, Niagara Falls, on Saturday, Nov. 25, featuring former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstars M.V.P. and Matt Sydal (Evan Bourne). Second row tickets are $20, while general admission tickets are $13. Ticket prices increase $5 at the door. Doors open at 5 p.m. and bell time is at 6 p.m.
M.V.P. is best known for his time with WWE. During his tenure, he captured the WWE United States Championship twice and won the WWE Tag Team Championship with Matt Hardy. He also wrestled for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and Impact Wrestling.
Sydal is a former WWE Tag Team Champion as well, winning the titles with Kofi Kingston. The high-flyer currently wrestles for Impact Wrestling but has also worked for NJPW, Ring of Honor (ROH) and MTV’s Wrestling Society X.
ESW Heavyweight Champion R.J. City is set to put his title on the line against Impact Wrestling’s Braxton Sutter. City successfully defended the belt against Brandon Thurston after interference from Thurston’s former faction member Mikey Everynite.
Meanwhile, Sutter extended his impressive year-long winning streak by beating fellow Impact star Ethan Carter III at the last event.
The Ilio DiPaolo Cup match will make its return to ESW. DiPaolo Cup qualifier matches were won at the last event by Bill Collier, Kevin Bennett, Sean Carr and Kevin Blackwood, with the final two spots yet to be determined.
The rest of the card will be filled with many of ESW’s fan favorites and villains. Ethan Page will be back after battling Frankie Feathers to a no-contest, costing both wrestlers a spot in the DiPaolo Cup match. ESW Interstate Champion Coconut Jones will also be putting his title on the line against Anthony Gaines.
ESW promotes eight shows a year, primarily held at the St. Johnsburg Fire Hall in North Tonawanda, boasting crowds of over 400 wrestling fans who come to cheer the good guys and boo the bad guys of the sport. Larger “super show” events have been held at the Kenan Center in Lockport and the Frontier Fire Hall in Niagara Falls, drawing crowds of up to 1,000.
