In the modern era with so much technology that is exponentially easier to access and use than any other time before in history, any yo-yo with a voice app and a wifi connection can claim to produce content online. However, there are a select few throughout different fields that bring such a polished and professional approach to the genre that it stands out among the slew of amateur hour imitators on the internet.
For Pittsburgh, a region known almost as much for its wrestling as the steel it once produced, Mike Sorg is the top producer of pro wrestling podcasts, but also of live event video production through his Sorgatron Media group. Mike and his crew are covering at least one, if not two events every weekend someone on the east coast, as his production turf spans throughout Pittsburgh into other states.
When he isn’t calling camera shots for body slams and headlocks, he and his team work with everyone from corporate clients to universities throughout the country. It’s often a non-stop grind, but it’s a dream job for Sorg, as he parlayed his passion for video production into a career that allows him to be a vital contributor to the industry that has enthralled him since his youth. if he’s traveling for corporate assignments, when he’s off the clock, it’s not uncommon for him to find new live wrestling to attend just to be able to indulge in as many flavors of the unique genre as possible.
“My days are pretty long and I get a full day off maybe 1 or 2 times a month. I am very fortunate that I’ve put myself in a place that anything I’m working on is something I really want to do. Whether it’s a wrestling show, a podcast or client work. I’m exhausted a lot, but I don’t cuss the busy day like I used to when I had the day job. I get to do cool stuff. I have a great crew of people around that come along for the ride,” Sorg commented.
The live wrestling cards that he streams on his indywrestling.live network keep him busy, as he juggles not only the responsibility of capturing the action of a live presentation, but also must maintain the live broadcast of that event online as well. A tight-knit, dedicated team keep the sports entertainment wheels on the tracks, as Sorg calls camera shots to his ringside videographers with a wall of screens and accompanying equipment in front of him.
Sorg’s track record for the past several years is very well-regard, both inside and outside of the Pittsburgh scene. When New Japan Pro Wrestling is on the east coast for one of their US events, Sorg is often behind a camera somewhere because of the Japanese league’s trust in his skills.
But, he didn’t just jump into video production, a studio space, live streaming, and podcasting at the start.
In fact, there are twenty years of experience, effort, and cache put into this career path for him. Long before nearly everyone had the ability to record themselves and upload it to the internet, Mike Sorg launched The Wrestling Mayhem Show, a pro wrestling podcast that brought friends together to discuss the happenings of the industry, in 2006. The venture grew from its humble beginnings into one of the most well-known platforms that it is today with its own studio, live guests each week, and even a pizza sponsorship.
“The faces and voices have changed, but the mission has been relatively the same. It’s the place we can gather and talk about this weird, wonderful thing we all like. It’s a community, it’s my personal release. It’s still the project where I can unapologetically say the F-word,” Sorg explained.
The platform worked hand-in-hand with the live event side of the production company. With most of the major wrestling organizations of the western Pennsylvania independent scene distributed through the Indy Wrestling Network, a slew of wrestlers regularly appear on the live video podcast each Tuesday to promote their upcoming events. It goes without saying that the steady stage that Mike provides for the area online has allowed the exposure to the steel city to grow exponentially compared to where it was years ago.
“I used to think that one of the greatest achievements in Pittsburgh area wrestling was to be invited to be on WMS. Sorg has seen so much wrestling and talent all over the world, for him to be interested in your story would seem to be extremely meaningful,” said Clayton King, one of the top young lions in the region.
Through the years of producing live broadcast, interviews, and distribution, Sorg has quite the Rolodex of names from through the wrestling circuit so after more than a decade of filming live events, he decided to run his own with “The Wrestling Mayhem Show Presents April Fools” on April 1, a nod to the holiday when anything is possible.
“There’s always been a little bug, but I never felt like I should because I respect what everyone does so much. We used to do these backyard concerts paired with all of us doing backyard wrestling almost twenty years ago so that’s always been in the back in my head. We looked at shows we could run and how to do it but I always backed off for one reason or another. I never thought I had an idea that was different than what others were already doing in such a saturated pro wrestling city like Pittsburgh,” Mike remarked.
The live wrestling event will be held at The Warehouse, the same venue that hosts 880 Wrestling, an upstart league that was named after its original location in New Kensington, PA that was founded on its inclusive and accepting mission statement. Initially a training school project, 880 has grown substaially in just the past few years, as they have an open door policy for anyone that wants to test themselves in the pursuit of being a pro wrestler. The project brings live weekly cards with free events every Thursday on Sorg’s platform with Thursday Night Fights, a series that has seen several talents make a name for themselves by sharpening their skills through the valuable experience of live performances. Through Sorg’s efforts to provide a spotlight on the upstart league, 880 gained enough of a following online that they host ticketed live events each month as a compliment to the Thursday Night Fights series. Names like Gianni Emricko, MV Young, Nix Wilde, Keith Haught, Liberty L, Tatiana, and others have become fixtures of the success behind the organization.
“When we hit twenty years, everyone telling me I should try this one out, and I really wanted to celebrate that milestone with something different. That gave me the push, I have three big ideas I want to pull off now. April Fools is the first. 

The vibe is ‘What if our weird group booked a show.’ We have so many friends in the business that are up for trying out our weird ideas. Now, I’m inspired by the old Chikara and the new Mystery Wrestling vibes. That’s something I don’t feel we have here in the city unless Kaiju Big Battle comes to town,” Mike said.
A myriad of 880 grapplers have already been announced for the live-up, with a mixture of talent from throughout the area also scheduled to compete at the event.
Derek Dillinger and Katie Arquette, a duo that have made waves throughout Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and even into Canada are signed for the Mayhem Show presentation. The Combination of Tyler Klein and Calvin Couture, The Runway, one of the best tag teams on the independent scene, are scheduled to appear. The pesky Clayton King and his sidekick, Some Guy Named John are on the line-up. The agile and talented Mikey Montgomery will be in the house as well. The main event will have championship implications when the Renegade Wrestling Alliance, a blue collar promotion that runs events in West Netwon, PA each month, No Limits championship will be on the line. The newly-crowned champion, Gory, an icon of the squared circles of the steel city for more than two decades, will defend the title against the former champion, The Beastman. After three successful tours of Japan, most recently as a part of the Big Japan Tag Team Deathmatch Grand Prix, The Beastman has also became a regular for Game Changer Wrestling and Juggalo Championship Wrestling, as one of the most traveled talents based in the Pittsburgh area.
“We have a Freaky Friday match where Calvin Couture and KC Warr are swapping places. A Pittsburgh Parking Chair Match, another Top Rope Table Top Rules match, Martian Mayhem, and we have the Bakery Boys against The Production. We have an RWA No Limits Match between Beastman and Gory. It’s going to be fun, wacky, and all that weird stuff I love to share. Wrestling purists will probably hate it. 
 I also hope to do some things with presentation on this show I’ve seen from other promotions across the country I’ve worked with or wish we could do with some of the promotions around here,” Sorg concluded.

For more information, you can go to https://www.facebook.com/wrestlingmayhemshow
To purchase tickets, you can go to https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/sorgatronmedia/wrestling-mayhem-show-presents-april-fools?fbclid=IwY2xjawQxl0xleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE4bzkzZGxWdlVSNkd6dnJEc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHgptQQkGh2E-VvfsreCIJEcwnzY7Pk5L6eOpcWj5V86b2T9pa6zam3wv2Hjb_aem_CsRIu1ZeQiYvknZlyrhD9w
What do you think? Share your thoughts, opinions, feedback, and anything else that was raised on Twitter @PWMania and Facebook.com/PWMania.
Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
Email [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @jimlamotta89
