By Stephen Witt
Get ready to rumble! Professional wrestling is coming back to Brooklyn for the first time in over 10 years to benefit a community center and former Catholic school that has kept thousands of kids on the straight and narrow. The show, featuring such Pro Wrestling Legends and Hall of Famers as Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, Tito Santana and Captain Lou Albano, will take place at 8 p.m., Friday, January 13 at The Regina Pacis Youth Center’s “The Regina Arena,” 1258 65th Street. Also on the bill are International superstars Low Ki and Josh Daniels, plus current superstars Mike Kruel, Crowbar, John Walters, Prince Nana, Rob Eckos, Mike Tobin, Arch Kincaid, Andrew Ryker, Scotty Charisma, Billy Bax, Brian and Matt Logan. “The goal of the Regina Pacis Sports Program is to keep the children of our community off the streets and on the courts and fields,” said Anthony Passaro, executive director of the Regina Pacis Sports Program. “On ‘Friday the 13th’, the children and families in our neighborhood will be in the ‘Regina Arena’ watching their childhood heroes and current role models engage in a fun filled night of action they will never forget,” he added. Regina Pacis, built in the 1930s, served as a K-8 school. The Regina Pacis Youth Sports Program was started 15 years ago, Passaro said, but after the school closed about three years ago the sports program began to flounder. That’s when Passaro, his brother and a few friends – all alumni of the sports program — sprang into action and infused new life into the same program that kept them off the streets. “We wanted to make sure to give kids the same opportunity we had and had a place to go off the streets,” said Passaro. The Regina Pacis Sports Program now boasts one of the strongest baseball leagues in the borough as well as a basketball program and anti-graffiti clean-up program coordinated with the NYPD. Passaro said the idea for the wrestling event came out of a discussion he had with Mike Mayo, a.k.a, Mike Kruel. The two grew up and wrestled together at Xavarian High School. Mayo’s father also did some professional wrestling under the name Bodyguard for Hire. “His dad used to wrestle at all the local events,” recalled Passaro. “Professional wrestling used to be very popular among Catholic parishes in Brooklyn, but there hasn’t been an event here in Brooklyn in over 10 years,” he added. With Mayo’s help, the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) became involved in the upcoming show as well as Jim Ketner, on of the top wrestling promoters on the East coast. “We want to stay away from the vulgarity and hand gestures shown on TV, and instead have a wrestling show that a father can bring his son to or a grandmother can come to,” said Passaro. Passaro said tickets have been selling fast, and if all goes well the organization may start having regular professional wrestling shows. Tickets are $20 and are available at The Regina Pacis Rectory, 1230 65th Street; The Regina Arena, 1258 65th Street; Dolphin Fitness Center, 1645 86th Street; Not Just Chicken, 1687 86th Street; and 6622 Avenue U (Key Food Plaza). For further information, call 772-7471 or email reginawrestling@aol.com.
