It’s often said that professional wrestling is about the moments.
Maybe too often in the modern era of the social media age, a time when tribalism or the dreaded debate about star ratings take priority over entertainment, sometimes even the most passionate fans can miss the forest through the trees, at least on the national level.
It’s not quite as glamorous, as it’s not hosted in a stadium or has millions of dollars from the corporate sponsors, but there’s something inherently charming about independent wrestling. And, it doesn’t require fans to take out a second mortgage to be able to afford tickets.
Just a few weeks ago, there was a prime example of what’s so endearing about the independent scene, those that are involved aren’t there because of a guaranteed contract or an endorsement deal. Regardless of if they are aspiring rookies looking for that potential big break, or seasoned veterans that give back to the business, the vast majority of independent wrestlers are there for the love of the game.
A prime example of that is Axel Law, a throwback pro from the Pittsburgh scene of the late-90s that saw his career cut short when a broken neck in 2000 and the subsequent fusion surgery to repair it eventually led to the end of his days in the ring.
Axel moved on, relocating to the southern United States and working as a drug enforcement agent for two decades until he retired from the force. But, the fire for the performance still burned inside his heart.
So, when he found himself back at Ryse Wrestling’s Stronghold training center a few years ago, he floated the idea of a comeback to the squared circle, mostly so that his son Hunter, who never had the chance to watch him compete, would get to see his dad in the ring.
Law hit the weights and the mat consistently for several months, determined to not only make a comeback, but to do so in the best way possible. He was ready to lace up his boots at least one more time before not only his wrestling dreams, but his life was in danger the night before Thanksgiving last November.
He hit a patch of ice, rolling his truck, and the car accident left the grizzled grappler quite literally in several different pieces. He ruptured his spleen and broke two vertebrae in his back, which were relatively close to the damage that he sustained from the original wrestling injury nearly 25 years prior. He spent five days in the Intensive Care Unit then three months in a recliner after he was sent home from the hospital. He was barely able to get around his home and basic tasks were grueling on a day-to-day basis.
Axel Law was built on grit, and as the recovery process went on, he found that his flame for the ring couldn’t be extinguished.
“Once the doctors released me to go back to train, I concentrated on strengthening my back and neck as much as possible. It was not easy at first, standing in a public gym with ten pound dumbbells, but I was locked in, I wasn’t going to stay down. I’ve been down this road before, and I always get back up. Once I started feeling strong in the gym, I slowly started running some light drills at training and rolls. Running the ropes was really hard at first as the rope rope hits my back directly where it was broken. Day by day, week by week, I kept coming back and slowly doing more each time. I had not planned on coming back after my accident, but now there was a fire in me that I could not contain,” he explained.
Axel cites the tight-knit group at the training center as one of the main reasons he was able to work his way from the ICU months earlier back into the squared circle.
“The amount of support that I felt from fellow Stronghold students and trainers was a driving force as well. Brandon K, Dean Radford, Glenn Spectre, Jace Mara,and all the guys and girls at the Stronghold training center all helped me in one way or another. And I will be forever grateful,” he commented.
Finally, after months of rehabilitation just to get back to some sense of a normal life when he had to work his way back from a hospital bed to his first cautious steps back in between the ring ropes, the day arrived that Axel Law would make his comeback. At Ryse’s annual showcase at the Fayette county fair, he was scheduled to compete against the serious professional and longtime veteran, Glenn Spectre, who made a return to the sport of his own a few years ago after an extended hiatus. Spectre has continued to add to his extensive resume, winning championships in 2025 after he was the first “gaijin” or foreigner to win the DDT tag titles in Japan more than two decades ago. Management selected Glenn as the opponent because it was rather poetic that Axel returned to the ring against someone from his original era.
“I think I understand Axel’s return more than most. Like me, Axel has a chance to rewrite a chapter in his wrestling story. After observing his toughness and resolve first hand, I wish him nothing but success. He wants it,” said Spectre via phone.
“It’s how passionate he was and how he was able to get the crowd emotionally invested. He had a no quit mentality, which made him always a pleasure to be around. It was very nice to see him show up at Ryse not long ago,” added CJ Sensation, one of Axel’s original peers that now works behind the scenes of the Pittsburgh circuit as an organizer and producer.
When the music hit, Axel bounded through the curtain, and his enthusiasm was infectious, as the crowd in attendance responded with their own energy toward the wild man that was there to put on a show for them.
“Coming through the curtain again was like a dream. The goosebumps I had, when the fans at Ryse accepted me and showed me love is exactly why we do this. Just before I come through the curtain, I always say a prayer thanking God for protecting me another day and giving me the privilege to come out the curtain. When I came through the emotion that y’all saw was not an act, it was all real life,” he remarked.
“As far as Glenn Spectre, if I was gonna make a comeback, I was definitely going to test myself. I have so much respect for Glenn both as a worker and trainer, but I told him before the match to not hold back on me. I wanted the test. I feel like Glenn tested me throughout the match,” he added.
Throughout the contest, the intensity elevated as the bout tilted back and fourth. At one point, Spectre thought that he might be able to get Axel to reconsider his return and give up. but there was no quit in Axel Law. After a fierce battle, Glenn got the three count, but Axel Law still won the fight, his fight against the adversity of life and the scenario that saw him shattered in literal pieces eight months earlier from the car wreck that brisk November night. Post-match, Spectre got on the house mic and commended his opponent, embracing him as an example of the bond they share through the squared circle.
“What you saw at Fayette County fair was two warriors, with mutual love and respect for each other, get in the ring and give everything we had for the fans of Ryse,” said Law.
But, it wasn’t until after the bell that Axel Law realized, despite the result of the contest, just how much of a winner he was when he was surprised with a guest to share the ring with him in the post-match celebration, Hunter, his son that inspired the comeback in the first place.
“Glenn and Dean did not tell me anything about bringing him in the ring. It really was surreal to stand in that ring, with my son, with the fans chanting welcome back. I really felt the love in that moment. Part of the reason I do what I do is the love I feel when I come through the curtain. And I’m so grateful to everyone at Ryse for making it a reality,” he said.
However, Axel doesn’t intend for this to be a one-off scenario. He wants to continue to work as a member of the ring team behind the curtain, as well as at least a semi-regular in front of it. To say that Axel Law is an example of pure toughness would be an understatement.
“I’m not back to be anyone’s stepping stone, and I am still as locked in as ever. I will continue to work hard in the gym and on my cardio. I’d like to take this chance to shed some light, I write ’22 a day’ on my wrist tape because 22 US vets lose their battle with PTSD every single day, and that’s just unacceptable,” Axel concluded.
For more information about Axel Law, you can go to https://www.facebook.com/axel.law.2024
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Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
Email [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @jimlamotta89
