Indy Pro Wrestling - NWA Upstate to Cease Operations

[CBCyclone]

Just an FYI to fans in and around the Rochester, NY area. NWA Upstate, the fantastic indy wrestling fed run by "Hellcat" Mike Rosario, will be ceasing operations as of July 12, 2008, after four plus years of operations.

Here's the official word from The Boss himself (Hellcat), as posted to the NWA Upstate website:

"A Message from the Owner of NWA Upstate

I would like to thank all those that have been involved with NWA Upstate over the years making it by far Rochester's most successful wrestling promotion. But all good things must come to an end. So with a heavy heart I am sad to announce that as of July 12th NWA Upstate will cease operation."

NWA Upstate has a show scheduled June 28th at the Main Street Armory in Rochester and another show on July 11th at the Dome Center Arena in Henrietta, NY as part of the Monroe County Fair. Those will be the final NWA Upstate shows.

According to a post that Hellcat made to the NWA Upstate/NWA Empire message board (http://s6.zetaboards.com/kayfabedojowrestling/index/), NWA Empire, which is NWA Upstate's sister fed and operates out of North Tonawanda, NY (near Buffalo), will not be affected by Upstate's closure. NWA Empire will remain in operation, and has a show scheduled this coming Saturday (June 21) at St. Johnsburg Firehall in North Tonawanda. NWA Empire also has shows scheduled for August 23rd, October 4, and December 6, all at St. Johnsburg Firehall.

[CBCyclone]

*******BREAKING NEWS******* NWA UPSTATE TO CONTINUE UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

Yesterday afternoon (Monday June 16, 200 NWA Upstate / NWA Empire owner "Hellcat" Mike Rosario stunned WNY wrestling fans with the announcement that his Rochester fed NWA Upstate will be ceasing operations as of July 12, 2008. What a difference a day makes!!!

This afternoon it was announced on the NWA Upstate website that the fed will not be closing down after all, but will be continuing on under new management. Rosario's best friend and former Team 420 partner Chip Stetson has apparently stepped in and rescued the fed. This equally stunning announcement was posted less than an hour ago on the fed's official website (http://www.nwaupny.com). The announcement reads as follows:

"New Boss breathes life back into NWA Upstate

Chip Stetson has taken over all operations of NWA Upstate and has
made the announcement that Upstate will not be closing, and that Sept
27th The Upstate 8 IndyTational will be the highlight of that show."

This should be great news to fans attending NWA Upstate's Continuing the Tradition IV show, which is being held June 28th at Rochester's Main Street Armory, as well as the fed's many workers. The main event of the show is scheduled to be a WarGames style cage match pitting five members of the NWA Upstate roster against five wrestlers from rival Syracuse, NY fed Squared Circle Wrestling (2CW). A definite damper was felt to fall over the show, and especially the
main event, in light of Mike Rosario's announcement of the closing of the fed. With new management on the horizon, the Upstate roster should be revitalized by the announcement that the fed has been saved.

Keep checking the NWA Upstate website for more information as it becomes available. Mike Rosario had stated previously that sister fed NWA Empire, which operates out of the North Tonawanda (Buffalo/Niagara Falls area), NY, would not be affected by Upstate's closing. Whether or not that is still the case in light of Chip Stetson's takeover of NWA Upstate is not known at this time. The speculation is that Stetson will be running NWA Upstate while Rosario will be running NWA Empire, but it is purely speculation at this point.