Death match wrestling claws its way to Southern Illinois

Stride Pro Wrestling Academy hosted a taping of their wrestling event, “Stride Pro Wrestling: Chaos,” on Sept. 12, in Carterville, Ill. Two wrestlers, known professionally as Zakk Sawyers and Dalton Diamond, took the time to speak with the Daily Egyptian. 

Gallery • 3 Photos

James B. Allen | @skyclopsphotojamboree

Dalton Diamond braces for an incoming chop from Zakk Sawyers on Saturday, Sept. 12, in Carterville, ILL. Diamond and Sawyers have been preparing for their debut event for over a year, and have utilized the connections they’ve made in the wrestling business to ensure they can book the talent they want. “A lot of the talent I’ve booked I’ve known personally. I’ve known these guys for a lotta years some of them, some I’ve never worked with before but I know they have great potential. Everybody is working to produce a great artistic product. You’re gonna see hard-hitting abrasiveness, violence, and bloodshed for the sake of bloodshed outta these guys,” Sawyers said.

Sawyers and Diamond are both experienced wrestlers with over a decade of experience in the independent wrestling scene. In recent years Sawyers has been in retirement, instead choosing to begin working on his own wrestling promotion. With the help of Diamond and a team of several others, that promotion has come to fruition in the form of a hardcore wrestling promotion. 

Being longtime fans of classic hardcore wrestling promotion company Extreme Championship Wrestling, Sawyers and Diamond aims to make their new promotion, “Anna Fight Underground,” a faithful recreation of ECW’s style and aesthetic in a modern context.

“We’ve really gone to great lengths to book our card. You know, we grew up watching some of these guys, and the fact that they’re at our show really means something to me. I mean, it’s New Jack, that’s crazy to me,” Sawyers said. 

Sawyers said he aims to make “Anna Fight Underground” a true hardcore show, with weapons and all.

“We really wanna treat the art form with the respect it deserves. The kind of violence we’ll be portraying won’t be for the faint of heart, but it’s our art and this is how we express it,” Sawyers said. 

With a large card and celebrity meet and greets, “Anna Fight Underground” is set to debut Oct. 15 in Anna, Ill.

“We’re really excited for the show. Nervous for sure, but excited. I really do think we’re gonna have a fantastic opening show and I’m beyond proud of the work everyone has put into the show up to this point,” Sawyers said. 

Advertisement