Tempers ran high, and the crowd was wild in the parking lot of AMVETS Post 48 on Hawkins Road in Ronkonkoma.
What may have started out as a fundraiser for the vitally important lodge – now concurrently home to a VFW lodge – was a brawl that left fans on the edge of their seats. It’s unknown if Post Commander Charlie Wats knew what he was getting himself into when he got involved with Victory Pro Wrestling (VPW) in his fundraising endeavors.
To the best of Wats’ knowledge, this was not the first time this type of fundraiser was done. He elaborated that this is “the first time doing it under my administration.”
It may have been the first time in a while that the post did this type of fundraiser, but dozens of VPW fans were mixed in with lodge regulars and first-timers all around, fully invested in the mayhem.
In the first round, The Amityville Project versed Dante Drago. The Project had the upper hand for most of the matchup, keeping Dante on the ropes and dishing out some painful maneuvers. However, Drago hardly played fair. Two of Drago’s “goons” distracted The Project, allowing for Drago to secure a last-minute pin in a questionable call by the referee.
The Amityville Project might not have won, but he would not be humiliated. He ripped the paddle out of the hands of one of Drago’s associates. He then subjected Drago and the two associates to a severe paddling they aren’t likely to forget soon. The Project, in jest, nearly subjected the referee to the same treatment before changing his mind – much to the audience’s amusement.
The next matchup was Sebastian Sicar versus Kaide Lothbrok, the latter announced by Foxy Foxxy. Sicar entered to the sound of Spanish guitar and quickly began listing his grievances, saying he would fight anyone – a request he would soon learn to regret.
His opponent stood like a fully stocked armoire: heavy and broad. After the match, Sicar probably wished he faced Foxxy instead.
The next matchup involved a Scotsman named KJ Mack, coached by longtime fan favorite Silk E Smooth, and Millz Hendricks, hailing from the Tremont section of the Bronx. KJ Mack was thrown from the ring at one point and, in a brogue as thick as satin – and much too thick for a reporter from Long Island to understand – expressed an intense dissatisfaction. With no clear crowd favorite, the two tussled until Millz Hendricks claimed victory.
A section of Silk E Smooth fans cheered, nevertheless.
A tag team match began right before intermission with Even Stevens versus the Cool School. Even Stevens, known for their sweater vests, are also known as the “vest in the world.” That matchup saw the tagline ring true, with Even Stevens truly being the vest in the world.
The event was successful, its food sales and raffle baskets used to supplement the money raised from ticket sales. The event even attracted the likes of Assemblyman Doug Smith and a candidate for senate, Dean Murray. Wats eventually announced the two in the ring, with a member of the New York State Athletic Commission present, for their own matchup.
We cannot be sure for certain who won the round, but it is worth mentioning that Murray caught Smith in a wicked headlock, the likes of which the state’s health insurer will grimace at when they receive the bill.
AMVETS Post 48 will be hosting a comedy night on Thursday, November 17, at 1627 Smithtown Ave, Bohemia, New York, long after the bruises have healed from this current fundraiser.
AMVETS (American Veterans) is the nation’s most inclusive Congressionally-chartered Veterans service organization, representing the interests of 20 million Veterans. AMVETS is open to and fighting for all who honorably served in the United States military, including the Reserve and Guard.
Founded in 1944 and chartered by an act of Congress, the AMVETS organization has more than 250,000 members nationwide. AMVETS exists to enhance the quality of life for all veterans, their families and survivors. Membership in AMVETS is open to anyone who honorably served or is currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reserves.
AMVETS has made a long-term economic impact by providing assistance, jobs, and services to Veterans and their communities for more than 70 years.
Victory professional wrestling performs in Centereach, Deer Park, Babylon, Islip, Sachem, Hofstra University, Brooklyn, and Queens. They were started in 2005 in a warehouse in Amityville with a small training program. They have grown consistently since then, with many of their stars rising through the ranks to WWE, Impact, Ring of Honor, All Elite Wrestling, and more.
