The Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (KSWA) is a

professional wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...

promotion Promotion may refer to: Marketing * Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...

that was founded in

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

in 2000 by Lou Zygmuncik and Shawn Blanchard. KSWA's longtime ring announcer Bobby O purchased the promotion in 2005. It is the only promotion based in Pittsburgh and one of several groups in the

Pittsburgh metropolitan area Greater Pittsburgh is the metropolitan area surrounding the city of Pittsburgh in Western Pennsylvania, United States. The region includes Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County, Pittsburgh's urban core county and economic hub, and s ...

including the International Wrestling Cartel and

Pro Wrestling eXpress Pro Wrestling eXpress (PWX, also known as NWA East) is a professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion that was founded in North Versailles, Pennsylvania in 1994 by Jim Miller and Sean "Shocker" Evans. It is the longest-runnin ...

. It currently operates in the Lawrenceville section of Pittsburgh.

History

The Keystone State Wrestling Alliance was established in

by Lou Zygmuncik and Shawn Blanchard in early 2000. Its debut show was held on February 18, 2000, at Peabody High School. The promotion slowly grew in popularity during the next few years. Bill Peduto, the

mayor of Pittsburgh The mayor of Pittsburgh is the chief executive of the government of the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, as stipulated by the Charter of the City of Pittsburgh. Prior to the 1816 city charter, the Borough of Pittsburgh had its c ...

, has attended KSWA events. In 2005, the promotion was a feature cover story in both ''The Front'' and the ''

Pittsburgh City Paper The ''Pittsburgh City Paper'' is Pittsburgh's leading alternative weekly newspaper which focuses on local news, opinion, and arts and entertainment. It bought out ''In Pittsburgh Weekly'' in 2001. As of April 2015, ''City Paper'' is the 14th ...

''. Tony Norman of the

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving Greater Pittsburgh, metropolitan Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the fi ...

wrote that the KSWA was "one of the purest and most entertaining examples of Americana in Pittsburgh". In 2013, ''

Pittsburgh Magazine Pittsburgh Magazine is a lifestyle magazine covering the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. It hosts an annual "40 Under 40" featuring prominent young Pittsburghers. It's known for listicles including Pittsburgh's 25 Best Restaurants, Best of the 'Bur ...

'' called KSWA's live events one of the city's best tourist attractions in its "Best of the 'Burgh" column. A year later, the promotion was profiled by the ''

,'' the ''

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review The ''Pittsburgh Tribune-Review'', also known as "the Trib", is the second-largest daily newspaper serving the Greater Pittsburgh metropolitan area of Western Pennsylvania. It transitioned to an all-digital format on December 1, 2016, but rema ...

,'' and ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

''. In August 2016,

CBS Pittsburgh KDKA-TV (channel 2), branded CBS Pittsburgh, is a television station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is owned and operated by the CBS television network through its CBS News and Stations division alongside WPKD-TV (channel 19), a ...

named the KSWA among the best locally based independent promotions along with the International Wrestling Cartel,

and

Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...

. KSWA's "Brawl Under the Bridge II", an outdoor show which took place underneath

Homestead Grays Bridge The Homestead Grays Bridge, also known as the (Homestead) High Level Bridge, was built in 1936 and spans the Monongahela River between Homestead, Pennsylvania, Homestead Borough and the southernmost tip of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh's ...

, was covered by

ABC News ABC News most commonly refers to: * ABC News (Australia), a national news service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation * ABC News (United States), a news-gathering and broadcasting division of the American Broadcasting Company ABC News may a ...

that summer. On July 22, 2017, Demolition Ax wrestled his last singles match at "Brawl Under the Bridge III".

Birth of the KSWA (2000–2005)

The organization held six more events after its debut and saw the heavyweight title change hand twice between Skippy Hawke and Shawn Blanchard later in the year. Most of these events were in Bloomfield, at the Bloomfield VFW, where their fan base began to build. The promotion expanded its area of influence within the city. On August 26, 2000 the KSWA began running events in Lawrenceville, at the Candlelight Lounge. On August 14, 2004, with an established fan base, KSWA found a home in the Lawrenceville Moose Lodge which was dubbed the "KSWA Arena". In August 2005, "The Front" was the first media exposure for the organization, which focused on Anthony Alexander's victory over Biker Al for the Golden Triangle Championship. Later the same year, KSWA made its first appearance at Millvale days in September. The previous year,

Hurricane Ivan Hurricane Ivan was a large, long-lived, and devastating tropical cyclone that caused widespread damage in the Caribbean and United States. The ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane, and the fourth major hurricane of the active 2004 Atlantic h ...

severely flooded and damaged the small community by dumping 11 inches of rain in under 36 hours. Being the first fair post storm, the borough brought the KSWA in for an extra morale boost.

WPXI WPXI (channel 11) is a television station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, affiliated with NBC and owned by Cox Media Group. The station's offices and studios are located on Evergreen Road in the Summer Hill (Pittsburgh), Summer Hill ...

featured parts of a match as part of their rebound coverage; From then on, the KSWA has appeared in Millvale annually in the parade and performing. In November of the same year, the Pittsburgh City Paper now featured a show, bringing in even more fans the following show in December, which featured "La Lucha" and Justin Sane defeating Del Douglas for the tag team championship. The show continued adding to the now plentiful fan base which was dubbed the "KSWA Krazies" by

Ring Announcer A ring announcer is an in-ring (and sometimes on-camera) employee or contractor for a boxing, professional wrestling or mixed martial arts event or promotion, who introduces the competitors to the audience. In boxing and mixed martial arts bouts ...

Trapper Tom. These "Krazies" began a tradition of donating toys to

Allegheny County Allegheny County ( ) is a county in Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,250,578, making it the state's second-most populous county, after Philadelphia County. Its county seat and most populous city is Pit ...

's "Holiday Project" campaign. This now annual show was dubbed "FanFest", and has brought thousands of toys to needy children in the

Modern era (2005–present)

The year 2006 began a turning point for the KSWA. Early in 2006, the City Paper featured the group once again, interviewing several fans. All told the paper how much they enjoyed the show after moving in from other areas. 2006 featured 13

cards {{Redirect, CARDS, other uses, Cards (disambiguation){{!Cards The CARDS programme, of Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilisation, is the EU's main instrument of financial assistance to the Western Balkans, covering spec ...

, including "Clash Against Cancer" that drew more than 300 people the KSWA Arena to benefit cancer research. Quickly following that, more than 320 fans attended the 2nd Annual FanFest and Toy Drive. Organizers believe that this is the first time in which attendance topped 300 for two consecutive KSWA events. "Battle Bowl" was introduced in January 2007. The annual

Battle Royal Battle royal (, also battle royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules, where the winner is the one who registers the most wins. In recent times, the term has been ...

event, brings in current and former, as well as surprise participants. Anthony Alexander won this first event, and quickly made the event a staple of the KSWA yearly rotation. During the rest of the 2007 calendar year, KSWA began appearing in more Pittsburgh area venues, Hosting a fundraiser in McKees Rocks and appeared twice at the nearby Obey House Tavern in the Crafton Heights section of the city. Several of the personalities also appeared on the "Humanity Matters" local cable TV show in the City of Pittsburgh. Once again, FanFest broke the KSWA's attendance record and ending in Anthony Alexander winning the Heavyweight Championship. The KSWA held 14 events in 2008, including, on March 29, the first Joe Abby Memorial Tournament. It was named in honor of "Killer" Joe Abby, a mainstay on ''

Studio Wrestling ''Studio Wrestling'' was a live professional wrestling show broadcast from WIIC-TV Channel 11 in Pittsburgh every Saturday evening. In 1959, WIIC began broadcasting professional wrestling from their studio located in Fineview. The show was hos ...

'' during the 1960s and 1970s. The Joe Abby Tournament became a way of honoring Pittsburgh's contributions to the pro wrestling industry, and saw Abby and Frank Durso, another Studio Wrestling regular, as the first wrestlers inducted into the KSWA Hall of Fame. Blanchard, with Durso in his corner, defeated Kris Kash in the finals of the inaugural Joe Abby Tournament. That same year, the KSWA begin its association with the Lawrenceville Community's yearly “Fireworks Celebration” at Arsenal Park. On December 6, 2008, Demolition Ax was brought in by the KSWA for its third annual FanFest supercard. In the main event, Ax and Kris Kash defeated "VIP" members Blanchard and Martin. In January 2009, the first sweepstakes was held during the "Battle Bowl". Shawn Blanchard was the winner and received a shot at the World title and will remain the reward for a few years. In March 2009, Demolition Ax made his KSWA return at the second annual Joe Abby Tournament. He was admitted as the third member of the KSWA Hall of Fame by owner Bobby O, however, Ax later lost his match against Shawn Blanchard later in the night. On July 3, KSWA was invited back to the Lawrenceville Fireworks Celebration. "The Latin Assassin" took home $5,000 in a "Winner Take All" Battle Royal and

Lord Zoltan Ken Jugan (born October 16, 1957), better known by the ring name Lord Zoltan, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, manager, promoter, referee, and trainer. Jugan has been a mainstay in the Greater Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania an ...

made his debut in the KSWA ring. Zoltan, a long-time Pittsburgh-area independent wrestler, became one of the KSWA's biggest assets. The following day, the group traveled to Lake Latonka in Mercer County, PA. The event ended with Kris Kash chasing Lou Martin into the lake. In September, a fundraiser was held in the Ross Township Community Center. Called "Drop Kick Diabetes," the event raised funds for a

Diabetic Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

sufferer who had his legs amputated due to the disease. A then-record 406 fans attended the successful fundraiser. An undisclosed amount of money was raised for the man, but with the Chinese Auction and admission, it is estimated to be as much as 14,000 dollars. Another first for regulars occurred in October, when the KSWA debuted in the " Teamster Temple", on Butler Street in the Lawrenceville neighborhood. This time the group was there to help raise funds for the St John Neuman's Catholic School. Which would be a taste of events to come. The same month, Demolition Ax re-appeared with his Demolition partner, Smash, to face off against the reigning Tag Team Champions, Lou Martin and Shawn Blanchard. They won the match, but unable to return, relinquished the titles the next event. The match was featured in ''

Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...

''. At FanFest, on December 5, 2009,

Dominic DeNucci Domenico A. Nucciarone (January 23, 1932 – August 12, 2021) was an Italian-American professional wrestler and trainer better known by the ring name Dominic DeNucci. He held over a dozen championships around the world in the 1960s and 1970s. H ...

wrestled Frank Durso in DeNucci's first KSWA appearance. This match was later realized to have featured the two oldest participants professional wrestling history, and was enjoyed by fans of Pittsburgh's

. DeNucci and Durso would again wrestle against each other in March 2010, as part of a six-man tag team match at the Joe Abby Memorial Tournament. The tournament also saw female wrestler Donna Christianello inducted into the Hall of Fame; Christianello died a slightly over a year later from complications of

COPD Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by chronic respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. GOLD defines COPD as a heterogeneous lung condition characterized by chronic respiratory s ...

. At the same show, then city councilman Bill Peduto declared March 27, 2010 to be "KSWA Day in the City of Pittsburgh." In May 2010, the KSWA experimented with a series of internet TV shows but chose not to pursue the concept any further. On July 31, the group traveled to

Monongahela, Pennsylvania Monongahela, referred to locally as Mon City, is a Local government in Pennsylvania#Third class cities, third class city in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,149 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Pittsburgh ...

for a fundraiser benefiting a local football organization. Later in 2012 they did the same for the

Guyasuta Guyasuta (c. 1725–c. 1794; , "he stands up to the cross" or "he sets up the cross") was an important Native American leader of the Seneca (tribe), Seneca people in the second half of the eighteenth century, playing a central role in the di ...

youth football team and cheerleading association in Sharpsburg, PA. On November 6, 2010, the KSWA partnered with the Sharpsburg

Volunteer Fire Department A volunteer fire department (VFD) is a fire department of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction. Volunteer and retained (on-call) firefighters are expected to be on call to respo ...

as a fundraiser. It eventually evolved into an annual event called the "Mario Ferraro Sr. Memorial Tournament". In the tag team main event of this tournament, titleholders Kris Kash and Shane Starr were accompanied to the ring by the manager of champions J. J. Dillon. However, as is customary for Dillon, the leader of The Four Horsemen, he turned on his team and hit one in the head with his loafer, then watched as Blanchard and Martin won the tag team championship. During the March 26, 2011 Joe Abby Memorial Tournament, the KSWA inducted Bobby “Hurricane” Hunt and Ron Romano into the Hall of Fame. Before this event, Hunt had been the subject of a feature story in the “New Pittsburgh Courier.” In July of the same year, the KSWA would travel to Plum Borough for the town's annual Community Festival at Larry Mills Park. They were again invited in 2012, but did not perform due to inclement weather. On December 3, an estimated 500-plus fans visited the KSWA Arena, nearing the building's permissible capacity to see a glimpse of George "The Animal" Steele. Tony Norman, columnist for the

, appeared as a guest ring announcer along with

Lanny Frattare Lanny Lawrence Frattare (born March 23, 1948) is an American semi-retired sportscaster. For 33 years he was a play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates, the longest such tenure in the team's history. In 2008, he was ...

. The Post-Gazette included an article written by Norman, detailing his experience. Earlier in the day, KSWA owners and wrestlers attended a

roast Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least from an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting can enhance the flavor through caramelizatio ...

in Greentree, PA as his induction into the

Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (PWHF) and Museum was an American professional wrestling hall of fame and museum located in Wichita Falls, Texas; following the postponement of its 19th induction ceremony, planned for May 2020, and an annou ...

was announced, then in

Amsterdam, New York Amsterdam () is a city in Montgomery County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 18,219. The city is named after Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The city of Amsterdam is bordered on the northern and ea ...

. City Councilman Bill Peduto proclaimed December 3, 2011 as "Dominic DeNucci Day" in the City of Pittsburgh with an emotional bond to

and his grandfather. Later that night, several attendees to the roast appeared at Fan Fest; Including DeNucci, Irish Davey O'Hannon, "Pretty Boy" Larry Sharpe, and

Cody Michaels Mark Keenan, better known by his ring name Cody Michaels, is an American former Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. After suffering a serious neck injury, Michaels retired and has worked behind the scenes as a Glossary of professional ...

. "The Battman" Tony Marino made an appearance as well, restarting

and Justin Sane's team "Party Gras" match, causing them to remain the KSWA tag team champions.

Pittsburgh Police The Pittsburgh Police (PBP), officially the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, is the largest law enforcement agency in Western Pennsylvania and the third largest in Pennsylvania. The modern force of salaried and professional officers was founded in 1 ...

reported to the KSWA that an estimated 250 fans were turned away due to the Occupational Ordinance.

Civil Air Patrol Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a Congressional charter, congressionally chartered, federally supported Nonprofit corporation, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliaries, auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CA ...

Color Guard In Military, military organizations, a colour guard (or color guard) is a detachment of soldiers assigned to the protection of Colours, standards and guidons, regimental colours and the national flag. This duty is highly prestigious, and the mil ...

presented the

Colors Color (or colour in Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is the visual perception based on the electromagnetic spectrum. Though color is not an inherent property of matter, color perception is related to an object's light absorpt ...

for the

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...

. During the show of November 17, 2012, KSWA held its first fundraiser for Connecting Communities. This organization provides assistance to

mentally disabled Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...

persons. They would later hold a second fundraiser. December 8, 2012, during the annual FanFest,

Bruno Sammartino Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino (October 6, 1935 – April 18, 2018) was an Italian-American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with the WWE, World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). Sammartin ...

inducted into the Hall of Fame by owner Bobby O. A few months later, Sammartino was also inducted into the

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

. Sammartino attended the event along with his friend, Domenic DeNucci, where a record setting attendance of 523 fans was recorded. Tommy Faime, a KSWA "Original", was the first alumnus to be inducted, which occurred at the Joe Abby Tournament in 2013. Prior to KSWA's "Summertime Bruise" 2013, ''

'' wrote an article featuring the upcoming show about their atmosphere. Later in the year, they would also be featured in the "Best of Pittsburgh" for "Best Place To Stand Around With a PBR." On March 26, 2016, at the 9th annual Joe Abby Memorial Tournament, the KSWA held its 200th event. On September 10, 2016, U.S. Senator

Pat Toomey Patrick Joseph Toomey Jr. (born November 17, 1961) is an American businessman and politician who served as a United States senator from Pennsylvania from 2011 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he served three terms as the U.S. represen ...

presented the promoters with a special certificate recognizing the KSWA as the "longest-running professional wrestling organization in the city's history". It was similarly honored by Governor

Tom Wolf Thomas Westerman Wolf (born November 17, 1948) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 47th governor of Pennsylvania from 2015 to 2023. He previously served as chairman and CEO of his business, The Wolf Organization, and l ...

Covid-19

After the February 22, 2020 match, all subsequent KSWA events were cancelled, due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, and Governor Tom Wolf's executive shut down order. Outdoor events resumed on May 14, 2021.

Charity work

The promotion has long been involved with both Pittsburgh-based and international charity organizations. KSWA typically runs 15 shows for charity each year. Its shows have raised money for

cystic fibrosis Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder inherited in an autosomal recessive manner that impairs the normal clearance of Sputum, mucus from the lungs, which facilitates the colonization and infection of the lungs by bacteria, notably ''Staphy ...

research,

volunteer fire department A volunteer fire department (VFD) is a fire department of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction. Volunteer and retained (on-call) firefighters are expected to be on call to respo ...

s and local

food bank A food bank or food pantry is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to those who have difficulty purchasing enough to avoid hunger, usually through intermediaries like food pantries and soup kitchens. Some food banks distrib ...

s. KSWA's year-end "Fan Fest" supercard, co-hosted by the Allegheny Holiday Project, is held for local children as a holiday toy drive and has collected an estimated 7,500 toys since 2005. Another annual event, "Brawl Under the Bridge", was started in the summer of 2015 as a benefit show for children in Allegheny County.

Roster

Wrestlers

Managers and valets

Referees

Other on-air personnel

Alumni

Both active and former members are listed under the "All Time K.S.W.A Megastar Roster" on the KSWA website. HOF indicates Hall of Fame. * Anita Bush * Anthony Alexander * Alex Arcadian * Angie Minelli (HOF) * Brett Paradise * Bob Thomas * Billy Rich * Bosco Baracus * BC Steele * Blue Bat * Bobby O * Biker Al * Billy Glander * “Big” Bubba Balbowski * Bobby Badfingers * Bobby “Hurricane” Hunt (HOF) * “Bushwhacker” Luke Williams *

(HOF) * “Big Bully” Busick (HOF) *

Bill Apter William Stanley Apter (born October 22, 1945) is an American journalist and photographer specializing in professional wrestling. He was an editorial staff member and photographer for several magazines during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, notably ''P ...

(HOF) *

Baron Mikel Scicluna Mikel Scicluna (July 29, 1929 – March 20, 2010) was a Maltese professional wrestler who gained his fame during the 1960s and 1970s. He reached the peak of his success in WWWF where he was 2-time tag-team champion, having held the United ...

(HOF) * BROhemoth (Ian Taylor, debuted 2017) * Bubba The Bulldog *

Brian Hildebrand Brian Curtis Hildebrand (January 21, 1962 – September 8, 1999) was an American professional wrestling manager, wrestler and referee who sometimes went by the name of Mark Curtis. Although trained in brawling, technical, and high-flying wrestl ...

(HOF) * Cousin Elmer * Chopper Davidson * Cobra * Chasity * Chaos * Cody Michaels (HOF) * “Chilly Billy” Bill Cardille (HOF) * “Cannonball” Chuck Martoni (HOF) * Curt Wootton ( Pittsburgh Dad) * Cleveland Bruiser * "Dr. Devastation" Lou Martin (Lou Zygmuncik) * Devil Bhudakahn * "Drunken Luchadore" Joey Quervo * D’Licious * Dave Diamond * Demolition Ax (HOF) * Donna Christantello (HOF) * Demolition Smash *

(HOF) *

Doink The Clown Doink the Clown is a professional wrestling gimmick originally and most popularly portrayed by Matt Borne, who debuted the Doink persona in the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) in 1992. Doink is a clown wearing traditional clown makeup (or ...

* Dave Marbell * Dennis Gregory * Eric "The Electric" Love * Eric Extasy * Edric Everhart * El Skeletorious * Eugene Palermo (HOF) * Frank Durso (HOF) * Frank Holtz (HOF) * "Flying" Ryan Burke * "Gentleman" Joe Perri * "Gorgeous" Greg Wallace * George "The Animal" Steele (HOF) * Gino Slice * Howard Kernats (HOF) * Harley T. Morris * "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan *

Hillbilly Jim James Morris (born July 5, 1952) is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and current radio host, better known by his ring name, Hillbilly Jim. He is best known for his appearances with the WWE, World Wrestling Federa ...

* "Iceman" Tony Johnson * “Irish” Davey O’Hannon * Ice Machine * Justin Sane * Justin Idol * Jake Garrett * JT Rodgers * Jameson T. Samson * Joe Abby (HOF) * J Ru * J. J. Dillon (HOF) * Jack Massacre * Jonny Axx * Jay Flash (debuted 2010) * "Jumpin" Johnny DeFazio (HOF) * Kingdom James * Kaida (also Ali Kaida) * Kris Kash * La Lucha * Latin Assassin *

(HOF) *

Larry Zbyszko Lawrence Whistler (born December 5, 1951), better known by the ring name Larry Zbyszko, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is perhaps best known for his Feud (professional wrestling), feud with his mentor, Bruno Sammartino, during ...

(HOF) * “Luscious” Johnny Valiant (HOF) * Lucio Deveer * Michael Blade * Mike Malachi * Mantis * Mad Mike * ”Midevil” Mike Wrath * Mercedes * “Mr. Puniverse” Bob Atlas * Midnight Biker * Mike Buda * ”Mr. 8x10” Michael Cruz * Manic * Mitch Napier * Mayor Mystery * MV Young * Marcus Knight * “Nasty” Nick Crane * “Night Train” Wes Fetty *

Nikolai Volkoff Josip Hrvoje Peruzović (October 14, 1947 – July 29, 2018), better known by his ring name Nikolai Volkoff, was a Croatian-Americans, Croatian-American professional wrestling, professional wrestler from Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, ...

* "Officer" Dan Murphy * "Pretty Boy" Larry Sharpe * Paul Jordane * Pie Traynor (HOF) * QB Blitzz * ”Ring Announcer” Hank Hudson * “Referee” Donald Brasher * ”Referee” Kevin Weeks * “Referee” Chris Kakapalis * “Referee” Harold Potter * “Ring Announcer” Michelle Cox * “Referee” Dick Wigglesworth * “Ring Announcer” Michael Lysy * "Ring Announcer" Trapper Tom * “Referee” Matthew Calamare * “Referee” Shawn Patrick (HOF) * ”Ring Announcer” Adam Montgomery * "Referee" Jimmy James * Ric Rumskey * "Referee" Justin Smith * "Referee" Dave Fedor * Ron Romano (HOF) * “Referee” Bucky Palmero (HOF) * Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat * “Referee” Adam Jugan * Remy Levay * "Referee" Trick McSorley *

Ricky Morton Richard Wendell Morton (born September 21, 1956) is an American professional wrestler, currently performing on the independent circuit. For most of his career, Morton has performed with Robert Gibson (wrestler), Robert Gibson as the Rock 'n' Roll ...

* Robert Gibson * Skippy Hawke * Shawn Blanchard * Soul Fighter * Shaun Adams * Shane O’Shea * Selest * Super Hentai * Shirley Doe * Shadow Strike * Star * Sam “The Hammer” Slej * Sheik Mohammed Abu * Shane Starr * Sara Brooks * Sam Squatch * Super Ginger * Sniper * Stan Squatch * Sheriff Steele / Preston Steele * Sylvester Scarpone * Tommy Faime * The Great Toyota * “The Misfit” Jeff Lockhart * The Kazmanian Devil * The Black Scorpion * "The King" Del Douglas * "The Natural" Terry Van Horn * “The Snake Man” Deven Michaels * TJ Phillips * The Blood Beast * The Asian Persuasion * “The Revoultionist” Jamie Blaze * Tyler Cross * The Bulldozer * The Jester * "The Battman" Tony Marino * Tommy Horror *

The Honky Tonk Man Roy Wayne Farris (born January 25, 1953) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) from 1986 to 1991, where he performed under the ring name The Honky Tonk Ma ...

* T Rantula * "The Gavel" David Lawless, Esq. *

Tito Santana Merced Solis (born May 10, 1953), better known by the ring name Tito Santana, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, Professional wrestling school, trainer, and retired school teacher. Solis has stayed a Face (profession ...

* Veronica Von Irons * Vince Viper * Van Hughes * Vinnie Stone * YINZA * Zero *

Zach Gowen Zachary Mark Gowen (born March 30, 1983) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and promoter. He is primarily known for his stint tenure with WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment from 2003 and with other promotions such as Im ...

* Zak Hunter

Other guests

Shane Douglas Troy Allan Martin (born November 21, 1964) is an American professional wrestler, manager, and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas. He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship ...

* Bill Peduto

Stables and tag teams

Events

Joe Abby Memorial Tournament

The Joe Abby Memorial Tournament is an annual professional wrestling single-elimination tournament produced by the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (KSWA) promotion, which has been held since 2008. It was briefly held as a tag team tournament from 2012 to 2013 and as a four-man tag team tournament from 2015 to 2016. It is held in memory of "Killer" Joe Abby, a ''

'' star during the 1970s, who died from a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

on November 14, 1996.

Mario Ferraro Sr. Memorial Tournament

The Mario Ferraro Sr. Memorial Tournament is an annual professional wrestling single-elimination tournament produced by the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (KSWA) promotion, which has been held since 2013. It is held in memory of Mario Ferraro Sr., a local Pittsburgh wrestling fan, who died on July 9, 2013.

Fan Fest

Every December, KSWA holds its annual "Fan Fest". Comparable to the larger organization

's WrestleMania, it draws their largest crowd and many championship opportunities and feuds build to this event. The event has Chinese auction raffles, giveaways, and a visit usually, a visit from

Santa Claus Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...

. This event also hosts "big ticket names," and routinely draws more than 500 people. Fan Fest, which is co-hosted by the Allegheny Holiday Project, is held for local children as a holiday toy drive and has collected an estimated 7,500 toys since 2005.

Millvale Days

Every September, the KSWA has been invited to Millvale Days, a community

street fair A street fair celebrates the character of a neighborhood. As its name suggests, it is typically held on the main street of a neighborhood. The principal component of street fairs are booths used to sell goods (particularly food) or convey informa ...

held on Grant Street for a weekend. The KSWA performs Friday and Saturday nights on the street, drawing large crowds every time due to the high risk of performing on the streets. The second day, usually a Saturday, ends in a "

" where the winner is crowned "The King of Millvale". Wrestler "The King" Del Douglas is the self-proclaimed "King of Millvale" after being the reigning champion of the event for several years since KSWA's first appearance at the fair.

Brawl Under the Bridge

Starting in 2015, the KSWA has been invited to

Homestead Homestead may refer to: *Homestead (building), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses * Nguni homestead, a cluster of houses inhabited by a single extended family, typically with a kraal ...

to participate in their street fair, which features the ring set up under the

, generating the name "Brawl Under the Bridge". The event was featured in a spot on ''

'' by Michael Koenigs as he cycled across America. Wrestler Nikolai Volkoff, who began his professional wrestling career in Pittsburgh as a "Mongol," sang "God Bless America" before the event, was interviewed by Koenigs, was a featured guest. In 2017, Bill Eadie (Demolition Ax) wrestled in his last match as a single's competitor, against KSWA mainstay Shawn Blanchard. The contest was for the "Brawl Under The Bridge" championship. Eadie received a proclamation from Governor Tom Wolf, recognizing his career, and Demolition Ax won the "Brawl Under The Bridge" Championship.

KSWA Hall of Fame

The KSWA Hall of Fame is an American

hall of fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

maintained by the Pittsburgh-based

Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (KSWA). It was established in 2008 to honor wrestlers who have wrestled for the promotion and select wrestling personalities who have made significant contributions to professional wrestling in Pittsburgh and the Northeastern United States. The KSWA Hall of Fame has become the de facto "Pittsburgh Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame." KSWAhalloffame

;Inductees

Championships

Current championships

The KSWA currently has four regular Championship Titles and one annual title.

Former championships

Sources

References

External links

*
''KSWA Digest''Keystone State Wrestling Alliance on Wrestlingdata.com
{{Professional wrestling in the United States American independent professional wrestling promotions based in Pennsylvania 2000 establishments in Pennsylvania Entertainment companies established in 2000