This Saturday, Ryse Wrestling, a blue collar league located in the equally blue collar location of Uniontown, Pennsylvania at the Uniontown Mall, will celebrate it’s ninth anniversary with a stacked card. The project was initially launched by Jason Clements, known professionally for almost three decades in the ring as Brandon K, in 2016. The originally home base was a re-imaged cinema, where professional wrestling was quite literally on the marquee before the COVID-19 pandemic that shuttered the entire world forced the organization to relocate. With the past few years, in an effort to revitalize the community, Ryse Wrestling has hosted its training school, Stronghold and live matches at the Mall. The venue is a former Sears location that was transformed into a sports entertainment arena, complete with lights, a video wall, concessions, rows of chairs for the attendees, and of course, the squared circle.
The past nine years of the existence of Ryse has been a learning experience, both for the aspiring hopefuls that take their first steps into a pro wrestling ring at The Stronghold Academy in their pursuit of the sport, and for Clements himself, who took on a completely different type of grappling challenge when he became the promoter of an organization as opposed to strictly just an in-ring talent as he had done the previous two decades.
“I could fill your article with the amount of things we’ve learned by messing up and course correcting over the 9 years. I think the biggest thing is the fact we are not afraid to change. As the wrestling business evolved, we strive to evolve with it. I think a lot of companies get stuck in the past and want to stay there, we continue to look forward,” Clements commented.
In many ways, the pro wrestling venture has always been, in some form or fashion, a family business. When Clements started training to learn the ropes in his late teens as the Attitude era was starting to propel the popularity of the genre in the United States, Clements’ parents, Don and Cheryl, were always his biggest fans. Today, both Mr. and Mrs. Clements remain a fixture in Jason’s pro wrestling adventures, as you can spot them at every Ryse live event providing the fans with food and refreshments at the snack bar.
Jason’s wife, Kristy K takes ticket orders at the door and works in a public relations role for the organization, as Ryse has become a staple of community events in Fayette county. Understanding the economic uncertainty of modern times, the Ryse management team aims to keep live pro wrestling affordable to families, with ticket discounts for early purchases and discounts for kids tickets as well.
“Ryse wrestling has been more than just a wrestling company. It is a home to the most dysfunctional people in the world and it’s a home where you’re fully accepted for who you are,” said Tad Jarvis, one of the pillars of the organization that trained at the Stronghold Academy before he made his debut almost seven years ago.
The goal in mind for any independent league is to establish and serve its audience in an effort to remain a viable business commodity. Ryse has spent the past nine years building its brand and its audience, the celebration of the nine-year mark is no different, as a stacked card looks to entice hundreds of fans to take their seats at The Uniontown Mall this weekend to watch the finale event of the year.
True its mission statement to provide a place for young talent to learn and thrive within the genre, two youngsters from the previously mentioned Stronghold will showcase their skills in the ring when the fast-paced Daniel Nova squares off with the newcomer Fox Catcher. The high-flying Pat Angel is scheduled for a bout against the slick rookie, Clayton King. Independent icon, Chance Prophet will challenge Jace Mara in a casket match. Grapplers from two different ends of the spectrum will collide when the young upstart John Lee Kirk steps into the ring with Pittsburgh legend, Gory, who celebrated 21 years in the industry earlier this year. The Ryse Ascension championship, arguably the organization’s most competitive division, will be defended by Tyler Jordan, an agile athlete with only a few years of experience under his belt, but a poise for the ring well beyond his years of experience.
There will be an international flare to the card when two athletes that previously made waves on the other side of the globe in Japan will settle their differences in Uniontown. Glenn Spectre, a serious professional who broke into the business nearly a quarter century ago, was the first “gaijin” or foreigner to win the DDT tag titles when he toured with the organization in the early-2000s. When the man known as “The Big Boss” made a comeback to the sport in 2021, the grizzled veteran became an immediate asset to the area, working as a trainer so it was a natural step for him to get involved with Ryse. Glenn’s opponent this Saturday is the 27-year-old AJ Alexander, who is just now scratching the surface of the prime of his career. One of the reasons for that is that last year, Alexander was invited to live, train, and compete in Japan with the Kyushu Pro group, an organization anchored by the legendary Yoshihiro Tajiri. Since AJ returned to America with a new attitude and an even sharper skill set, he has forged a path as one of the premier young talents in Pittsburgh.
Speaking of premier young talents, women’s action will be featured on the ninth anniversary event when the upstart Ava Books will challenge the accomplished Mika. Ava cut her teeth in western Pennsylvania and debuted in the ring last year, but she has already wrestled literally coast-to-coast, traveling to different states on any given weekend.
The high stakes main event will put everything on the line, as the devious Ryse Grand champion, David Lawless, known as “The Gavel” because of his work as a lawyer outside of the ring, puts up his controlling interest of the company against the nearly 30-year career of Brandon K. There has been speculation over the years that as Brandon shifted gears to become a promoter that retirement might be next. Could the ninth anniversary event be the end of his legendary in-ring career”
“Match is control of the company vs. career. Brandon K will never get a shot at the Grand Championship while I hold it. But, the opportunity to take full control of his company and retire him permanently is something I’ve wanted to do since Ryse’s inception. The Dangerous Nights Cowboys embody everything that makes professional wrestling the sport of kings. On December 6, I end his career for good and finally usher Ryse into the full vision that only The Gavel and The Dangerous Nights Cowboys can offer,” Lawless said.
Despite the high press scenario where his company and career are on the line, Clements looks forward to the future of the organization as it continues to evolve, as a platform for talent to learn and showcase their skills for the dedicated Ryse fan base.
“We want to separate ourselves from the pack. Pro wrestling in this area looks and feels the same through all the companies. I want us to create a different feeling when it comes to events,” Clements concluded.
For more information about Ryse, you can go to https://www.facebook.com/rysewrestling
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Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
Email [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @jimlamotta89
