Wrestlers battle for a good cause
Published 9:06 pm Thursday, April 12, 2018
The exciting showmanship of wrestling is coming to Suffolk this Saturday to raise money for crucial programs.
Vanguard Championship Wrestling will hold a fundraiser with veteran wrestler matches at the Salvation Army Community Center on Bank Street. The doors will open at 6 p.m. to allow audience members to meet with the evening’s headliners before the matches start at 7:30 p.m.
There will be seven bouts, three of which will be championship matches. VCW Heavyweight Champion Billy Gunn of “Degeneration X” will defend his title against Al Snow. Gunn is a veteran of World Wrestling Entertainment and Snow of Extreme Championship Wrestling, with decades of ring experience between them.
VCW United States Liberty Champion “Platinum Icon” Phil Brown will fight to keep his title from Chris “Superstar” Silvio. There will also be appearances by “Mr. Xcellence” Brandon Scott, Noise Pollution, Benjamin Banks and special guest Brian Pillman Jr., the son of the famous “Flyin’ Brian” and his legacy of airborne wrestling moves.
“Our wrestling events are second to none,” said promoter Travis Bradshaw. “For the two to three hours that we’re there, everyone is having a good time and nothing else matters. They just get lost in the show.”
Bradshaw, a Suffolk native, said the Suffolk Salvation Army Corps helped his family when his father was a child. This will be the fourth year that VCW has partnered with Suffolk Salvation Army Corps to raise money for its programs, according to Suffolk Salvation Army Corps Capt. Johnny Anthony.
Last year’s event raised $800 that supported temporary housing programs for the homeless, Anthony said.
“If someone comes in for emergency housing, then we can put them in a hotel or motel for a day or two,” Anthony said in a phone interview.
Tickets are $20 and are free for kids ages 5 and younger. Call 539-5201 for more information.