On Thursday, Feb. 23, Rowan After Hours (RAH) presented their live wrestling event “wRAHstlemania” at the Chamberlain Student Center for all Rowan students to watch for free. The event was held in The Pit, which was decked out with custom posters on the wall, a DJ that controlled the music and a giant ring placed in the center. For one night, The Pit went underground.   

The wrestling promotion that helps put on the show is an independent company called Dangerous Adrenaline Wrestling Gladiators (DAWG.) Wrestling. This is the same promotion that came last year to present the same event.

Students that showed up when the doors first opened at 9 p.m. had the luxury of choosing seats that were next to all sides of the ring. If you couldn’t make it in time you were still able to watch the event from the stairs and balconies in the student center. 

Wrestler Ty Thomas graduated from Rowan in 2018 and couldn’t wait to make his return after how successful the event was last year.  

“It’s always exciting to come back and show off my Rowan pride,” Thomas said. “I’m glad to be able to give the student body a show.”

From championship matches to six-man tag team matches and ferocious four-way elimination matches, Rowan students were treated with a very entertaining, action-filled show that had them on edge the entire night.

RAH also provided students with free food and beverages, including tater tots, pigs in a blanket, water and lemonade.

Colin Dyce, a freshman theater major, is a big wrestling fan and didn’t know what to expect before coming to the event.

“It’s amazing, I had a great time with all my friends to watch some great wrestling,” Dyce said. “The energy from the crowd is what really made this whole thing special.”

The students were constantly chanting and reacting to every hard hit, echoing chop and thundering slam.

The fan favorite from the event was the mystery partner of the DAWG Tag Team Champions for the six-man tag team match. That partner ended up being a massive and athletic 300-plus pound wrestler named Wrecking Ball. 

Wrecking Ball was flying all over the ring and heard students chanting his name during the entire duration he was wrestling. Even when he was on the side of the ropes, students were screaming for Wrecking Ball to come back into the match.

When the match concluded and during intermission, Wrecking Ball was walking around the student center taking pictures and chatting with students.  

Marketing Coordinator for RAH Jonathan Dale, who is a second-year Elementary Education major, was happy with the Rowan student turnout.

“I’m very pleased with how many students came out tonight,” Dale said. “We were only expecting to have 75 students but instead, over 125 students have shown up… wRAHstlemania is one of my favorite events for the staff and students.”

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