2020 started out pretty scary. There were fires in Australia and the threat of nuclear conflict in Iran. There was the Impeachment trial that kept Congress on pause while, behind the scenes, the true story of 2020 was building up steam. Reports of a virus spreading in China became an epidemic while a Republican Senate was deciding on whether Donald Trump would remain President. Thankfully, it was only one person in Washington State that had this new virus.
That was just in January. The same month where Jay Delta, Mister Tibbs, Stockade, and Lance Anderson advanced to the VPW King of New York Finals. The same month where Karen Bam Bam squished the prayers from Areila Nyx and became VPW Women’s Champion, and where Alvin Alvarez’s spoiler alert from October came true and the Absolute Brand became VPW Tag Team Champions.
In February, this epidemic started building up more steam. China had more deaths from this virus in just a few months than they did with SARS. We put restrictions on air travel and declared a public health emergency. People started buying, of all things, toilet paper and cleaning supplies. Otherwise, it was business as usual for everyone.
For Stockade, that meant becoming the 2020 King of New York. Megan Mason became the number one contender to the VPW Women’s Championship. Aaron Rourke was betrayed by his partner Percival the Third, and Fighter Cat said goodbye to wrestling.
In March, we celebrated 14 years of Victory Pro Wrestling with an incredible show where Megan Mason again showed her dominance in the women’s division. We were introduced to Percy Ryan, who declared that he was “The One” people were coming to see, and to Phillip Cardigan, who has a great 401k package. The Influence stacked the odds against Eric James, but he came out on top as New York State champion, and Coach Mammone whipped Kyler Khan to retain the VPW Championship.
A week after this show, WHO declared the COVID-19 a pandemic. President Trump declared a national emergency. Many states closed down, including New York, leaving only essential businesses open. We started hearing “flatten the curve” as a part of daily life. People lined up to be tested, and hospitals were stressed in the Northeast.
April didn’t fair much better as we stayed at home, worried about what was happening and what would be next. Our “Spring Showdown” show was postponed, then cancelled. May’s “Upper Limits” was postponed, then cancelled. Stay at home orders for two weeks became four, then six, then eight weeks. Talks of reopening focused more on staying closed to “flatten the curve.” We were already talking about a second wave before the first wave was done.
In the summer, states started to reopen, some faster than others. New York was to reopen in four phases, but the fourth phase came with empty promises for restaurants, gyms, and sports. Shows and events expecting to come back in the fall either closed down or packed up and took their shows to neighboring states, leaving Long Island fans loyal to their brands empty handed.
With the fall came uncertainty. The Presidential elections came and went, and unless you reside in the East Wing, Joe Biden won the election. With Thanksgiving come and gone, infection rates are rising as are deaths due to COVID-19, and weary Long Islanders are struggling once again with the idea of a possible stay at home order lingering over our heads.
Several vaccines are around the corner. Some will be distributed as early as December to those in nursing homes and high-at-risk points where nurses and doctors that are put in close proximity of COVID-19. President-elect Biden is asking everyone to ride the wave and wear a mask when you’re not at home. The CDC is suggesting that we do the same.
Victory Pro Wrestling, with new management, is keeping a close eye on how we can proceed moving forward. Questions on health protocols such as vaccination, masks, and social distancing being reviewed for the locker room and for our fans.
Some reports say that we should be good to go back to “normal” by March. Others are saying June, and some even say the earliest to “normal” will be the Fall of 2021. We are looking at not just when we can return, but how we can do so that will be safe for everyone.
If you have not done so already, we encourage you to follow us on social media for updates regarding our upcoming shows.
We ask that you also support Victory Pro Wrestling and some of our stars by visiting our virtual merchandise table.
| Property of VPW | Classic VPW | The Influence |
| Absolute Brand | Bryce Donovan | Eric James |
| Even Stevens | Karen BamBam | Nevaeh Chantelle |
We also encourage you to follow the CDC for official news and information regarding COVID-19, New York State’s and Suffolk County’s dashboard for reopening metrics, or local media such as News 12 Long Island.
Victory Pro Wrestling thanks you for your support and your patience.
Be safe, and we will see you soon.
