“With tears in his eyes and a championship in his hand, Tad Jarvis is the champion, the Ryse Grand champion!”
Those were my closing remarks on the broadcast of the main event of the Ryse Wrestling ninth anniversary event, the crescendo of a wild segment with twist and turns until its final bell, a way to finish a chapter in an unpredictable year for the organization. A slew of injuries, scheduling conflicts, and inclement weather made it a tough year behind the scenes. But, scrambling of the pieces is simply the nature of the beast of independent wrestling so the true takeaway is how each organization adapts to those changes along the way.
Just a few hours before Jarvis stood in the ring with the newly won belt, I was carefully walking toward the venue doors, a former Sears space, of the Uniontown Mall on a blustery December afternoon, as my roller bag, complete with my suit, black dress shirt, and trusty comb, bumped along the uneven parking lot. Longtime pro, Jeff Davenport, who has thirty years in the business and works as a key assistant behind the scenes, held the door open for me. As I shuffled into the building to escape the harsh windchill, I said hello to a few people as I made my way backstage, a maze of rooms that used to stock appliances during the venue’s heyday as a supply store. I found my usual seat and cracked open an energy drink with the hopes that the caffeine would propel me through the night into pro wrestling prosperity.
Just as I was getting my suitcase set up, Tad Jarvis, a homegrown Ryse grappler from the organization’s Stronghold training center, popped into the doorway, wearing an obnoxious Christmas sweater that only he could pull off. The former military man was trained for combat and served his country honorable, but when he wasn’t wearing the uniform of the nation, a duty that he took with the upmost seriousness, the stoic approach to service was replaced by an easy going, light-hearted guy that was very easy to get along with. In fact, even in the shark tank of the pro wrestling business, you aren’t going to find anyone to say something negative about him, which is rare, as almost everyone has an axe to grind somewhere in the notoriously difficult sports entertainment genre.
“When I enlisted back in 2015, I started out as a private in an Aviation Unit and worked as a 92F, which is Petroleum Supply Specialist. In between my time in the service, I had found out about the Stronghold Training Center and acquired a tryout. I was training three times a week while serving on orders and drill weekends. Within the time of service, I was with a new transportation unit and that halted me from becoming promoted to Sargent. I went to school to become heavy equipment operator then I became a Sargent. I finished my career and chose to continue wrestling because that’s where my heart was,” Tad explained.
“Short term was to get through training and take in everything I can to become a good wrestler and to be on shows. My grandfather was a big influence for me as he was could to training and watch on to see how I was progressing,” he added.
By the time Tad had his first match, against a fellow stalwart of the Ryse ranks, Lewis in 2019, it opened the door for him to grow, not just as a performer in the ring, but as an individual outside of it. Jarvis saw a parallel between the lessons of the grappling arts and the lessons of life.
“Ever since then that’s when I realized that I wanted to prove my grind, my dedication, my hustle for this business, my family and for myself. That hasn’t changed to this day. That’s what helped me become who I am today, Jarvis commented.
“When you think of Ryse Pro Wrestling, you think of what thrives a company, and its heart and soul. Insert Tad Jarvis, from day one has scratched and crawled from training at the Stronghold to finding himself as the social media icon. Tad has gone through so many times of changing it up, but all he had to do was believe in himself and what works,” added Dean Radford a nearly 25-year veteran of the sports and one of the head organizers of Ryse.
Underneath the military uniform, in a sharp contrast to how strict and dutiful he was in the service, he has a slew of 90s-inspired tattoos, with homages to Toy Story and Nickelodeon scattered across his arms. In a permanent decoration in his service to others, much like his time in the military, Jarvis has a puzzle piece tattoo, a symbol of his dedication toward his previous work as a caretaker for those on the autism spectrum.
Tad’s approach to the pro wrestling game was the same as he took when he served the country, he was available and ready for duty. On this chilly night for the biggest event on the calendar for the organization that is based in his hometown, he was simply asked to be there in case he was needed so without any guarantees of an opportunity, he showed up with his gear, willing to help any way he was asked.
That right there is such an underrated aspect of the finer points of the professional wrestling genre, especially on the local level of the independents. There aren’t corporate sponsors or mega media contracts to bolster the leagues. Pittsburgh is known for its wrestling and on any given weekend has at least one, if not two cards somewhere in the region.
Tad Jarvis isn’t the biggest, the tallest, or the faster, but he’s one of the most dedicated and hardest-working wrestlers in the storied region of Pittsburgh pro wrestling. He’s the guy that is the first to tighten the ropes or straighten up the rows of chairs before the paying customers are in the building. He’s as humble today as he was when he first started in the business as a trainee six years ago. Regardless of how many organizations that he’s worked for over that time span, becoming a staple of the local leagues, he’s kept his dedicated approach to his wrestling career.
That’s why when Ryse was in need, it was apropos that Tad Jarvis answered the call.
Throughout the year, it was revealed that the villainous David Lawless, a devious lawyer, used his legal prowess to seize control of power of the organization. Desperate to that control back, the legendary Brandon K, the founder of the organization, put his thirty year career on the line to get his company back. When the villains on the roster rushed the ring to assist Lawless, Brandon found himself in peril before anarchy erupted, as the trio of Ron Mathis, Bruce Grey, and Tyler Vox mad the save for the Ryse founder. As wrestlers flew in every direction, the dust eventually settled before Brandon landed a super kick to get the three count to reclaim the company. Post-match, Brandon demanded that Lawless defend the championship, proclaiming that Tad would challenge for the belt right now.
After a tense back-and fourth exchange of near falls, and dramatic peaks and valleys, Jarvis nailed a spear to get the win. As music blared, Tad clutched the title in triumph for the teary-eyed scene explained earlier.
“Honestly, words can’t describe it. From the disbelief of seeing all the hard work paying off of the ups and downs you go through in this business to hearing the crowd cheering and chanting ‘You deserve it!’ gave me chills,” Jarvis said.
This championship victory was certainly a long way from the first days that Tad stepped into a ring to learn how to land safely on the stiff canvas, as well as the in-ring maneuver when he wasn’t learning how to use heavy machinery for the military on the weekends.
“I was tearing up as Brandon K hugged me and telling me how proud he was of me. It’s a feeling you have to experience as it floods all your emotions,” Tad said.
“Tad Jarvis is said to be the heart and soul of Ryse, and I couldn’t agree more with that sentiment. Tad represents what I really wanted Ryse to be about, hungry young talent getting a chance to perform, get better, and excel in this business. Tad has not only worked super hard for us in the ring, but also out of it. Wherever we do appearances for charities and local events to help promote Ryse, he’s always the first to volunteer. I can’t wait to see what he’s got in 2026,” said Brandon K.
As much as realizing a pro wrestling dream was a surreal experience, Tad has an even bigger occasion on the horizon, as his daughter is scheduled on March 19, 2026 to make her debut in the world.
“This is my first child that is biologically mine as I do have a son and a daughter that are my step kids, but are pretty much they like are my own and nothing would change that. You want to do everything right and you always want to be there to protect them. Starting off with a new born baby is ever scarier for me but I am excited and ready for a new learning experience. I love my family and we can’t wait for our little girl to come into this world,” Jarvis said enthusiastically.
As mentioned, Tad Jarvis wasn’t the biggest, the tallest, or the fastest. He had ordinary traits that he transformed into championship qualities through dedication and and a tireless work ethic. In the simplest of terms, Tad Jarvis earned the Ryse Grand Championship, a path that he forged through skill and being dependable, regardless of the assignment. The championship victory was the culmination of six years of earning that spot at the top of the organization that he calls his home.
For more information about Tad, you can go to https://www.facebook.com/RealTadJarvis
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Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
Email [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @jimlamotta89
