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The following press release was issued:
XCITE WRESTLING TO PRESENT THE FIRST LIVE PRO WRESTLING EVENT ALLOWED BY THE NYS ATHLETIC COMMISSION
Xcite Wrestling LLC is proud to announce it has been granted permission to run the first NYS Athletic Commission authorized professional wrestling event in New York State in five months. The event called There Can Be Only One, will take place at the newly christened X Drive In East at the Oakdale Mall in Johnson City, NY on Saturday, August 22. This event was brought together by months of planning between Xcite Wrestling, The Oakdale Mall, The Village of Johnson City, and the NYSAC.
The Covid-19 pandemic shut down all live events in NY State in March. At present, no mass gatherings are allowed beyond 50 socially distant people. Pro Wrestling is considered a professional sport in New York State and it has been deemed no professional sporting events can take place with spectators. However, drive in theaters are allowed. So Xcite Wrestling decided to try to merge the two to be able to bring live professional wrestling, with a live audience, in the safest way possible. Fans watching the action from their cars, just as they would watching a Hollywood blockbuster. Using a template provided by other wrestling companies who have done the same in other states, Xcite Wrestling will bring the first drive in wrestling event to New York State.
The process to get this event off the ground took over two months of planning. First Xcite Wrestling had to, with the support and help from the Oakdale Mall, repurpose the Mall parking lots to be able to use for Drive In events. Eventually the Johnson City Village Planning Board and the Village Trustees unanimously voted to allow these events to take place. Then the NYSAC had to get the guidance to allow professional wrestling to even take place. Once that guidance was released, the plan for the two allowed businesses had to be approved by the State. Even now, as it is approved to take place, NYSAC views pro wrestling the same as any other professional sports team resuming play. With that comes safety plans for both a professional sport and a drive in theater. All staff and talent must be Covid-19 tested prior to the event. Numerous health checks must be performed, and guidance on sanitation must be followed.
“August 22 is a huge day for professional wrestling in NY State”, stated Xcite Wrestling owner Jonathan Musok. “We will be given the chance to give the NYSAC a viable option for other wrestling companies to be able to run a show this year. With the help of the commission, we hope to build a template to allow many shows to take place, in a safe way, for everyone to enjoy in person”, Musok continued. “There is an extreme amount of pressure to get it right, as we want to help give pro wrestling a chance to survive in New York State.”
Barring any kind of complications with the state, as the Covid-19 Pandemic has created a fluid and chaotic situation for any future planning, the Xcite Wrestling return Drive In event will take place on Saturday, August 22nd. Ticket information and safety protocols can be found at www.xcitewrestling.com..
About Xcite Wrestling
Xcite Wrestling debuted on March 16, 2012. Operating primarily out of Binghamton, NY, Xcite Wrestling has put on events featuring some of the biggest names in pro wrestling today. These include current national television superstars such as Cody Rhodes, Matt Hardy, John Morrison, Ricochet, Drew Gulak, Johnny Gargano, Adam Cole, Luke Gallows, Curt Hawkins, Kassius Ohno, Tommaso Ciampa, MJF, Ethan Page, and more. Xcite hosted Impact Wrestling for a live Pay Per View event in 2018. It airs live events on independentwrestling.tv. It is also part of the United Wrestling Network, a group of elite pro wrestling companies headed by Dave Marquez, a world traveled television producer who has worked for every big wrestling company in the world. Xcite Wrestling looks to add a weekly television product starting early 2021.
For more information on The X Drive In, The X: Exhibition Hall, Xcite Wrestling, the Xcite Training Centerand our next event on Saturday August 22nd, please email XciteWrestlingLLC@yahoo.com, visit XciteWrestling.com, Facebook.com/XciteWrestling, or @xcitewrestling on twitter
