AIW looking to save home venue from shutdown

Absolute Intense Wrestling out of Cleveland, Ohio is looking to save its home venue, Turner Hall, from shutting down, which would leave AIW without a venue to run shows in for the foreseeable future. They posted the following on their website about how fans can help keep the building running so they can continue to run shows going forward:

The Turners organization started in the 1800s in Germany. Many Germans immigrated to the US during the civil war. They started and maintained Turners Halls across the country where there were large German populations. These were social clubs where people would meet and promote athletics, talk politics and support labor movements. Now in modern times, they specialize in helping under privileged children and promoting athletics in children.

In Cleveland, the Turners organization bought a building on 7325 Guthrie Ave in 1993. The Cleveland Turners STV thrived with hundreds of members and events every weekend. But like most things of the 1990s, eventually there was a crash. Some key member’s deaths, and the general poor econonmy of Cleveland caused the organization in 2014 to be a shell of it’s former self.

A run down building on Cleveland’s west side doesn’t seem like much but for Cleveland Professional Wrestling’s history, it means everything. While there are rumors of shows in the past, most remember the start of wrestling with Cleveland Turners when JT Lightning started running Cleveland All Pro Wrestling there. He would run events until 2007 there. In that time, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Colt Cabana, Mickie James, Beth Phoenix, Samoa Joe, Rhyno, Alex Shelley, Frankie Kazarian, Nigel McGuiness, Amazing Red, AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Chris Sabin, Jessicka Havok, Corey Graves, Angelina Love, Homicide, ODB, Madison Rayne and many others came to Turners Hall to try and make a name for themselves. Mixed in were wrestling veterans like Harley Race, Raven, Abdullah The Butcher, Jerry Lynn, Super Nova, Tracy Smothers, New Jack, Billy Gunn, Chris Hamrick and others. Also, guys like Gregory Iron, Johnny Gargano, Matt “MDogg20” Cross, Raymond Rowe and Josh Prohibition not only trained in the basement of Turners but had some of their debut matches there.

When wresting returned to Turners in 2012, with AIW, we wanted to maintain the history of the building. Valued to Cleveland like the ECW Arena is to Philadelphia, you can feel the history of the building as soon as you step into it. AIW picked up the legacy of CAPW and Turners bringing in some of the best wrestlers in the world to the venue. The Briscoe Brothers, Adam Cole, Kevin Steen, Michael Elgin all debuted in the building. People like Veda Scott, Ethan Page, Josh Alexander and more all made their names in AIW at Turners. Guys like Tracy Smothers, Johnny Gargano, Christopher Daniels, and more returned to Turners thru AIW. Johnny Gargano even trains students in the same basement where he trained.

So that brings us to today. Recently Turners said they would have to close the Cleveland venue, we at AIW stepped in and are attempting to save the building. The Cleveland Turners have fallen behind on taxes and utility bills.

The building means everything to us, but it also means so much to the history of professional wrestling in Cleveland, Ohio. With YOUR help, we can keep Turners Hall open. See below for possible ways you can help:

1. For only $20 (Plus $1 PayPal fee) you can sign up to become a member for Cleveland Turners for 2015. The money supports them and keeps their organization thriving. There is no obligation for joining. You’ll be mailed a membership card in early 2015. With a Cleveland Turners Membership, you’ll have first entry at AIW events with membership card, and we’re working on exclusive Member-Only meet and greets and events.

2. US SHIPPING ONLY: For $25, plus $5 shipping, there is an exclusive #SaveTurnersHall tshirt. There will only be the amount made that are ordered. They will be ordered on December 1st, 2014 and shipped soon after.

3. International SHIPPING ONLY: For $25, plus $25 shipping, there is an exclusive #SaveTurnersHall tshirt. There will only be the amount made that are ordered. They will be ordered on December 1st, 2014 and shipped soon after. We can only ship USPS Priority Shipping at this time.

3. Cleveland Turners Hall is famous for the ceiling tiles above the ring at Turners. Now YOU can have your name above the AIW ring. For $100, we will customize a ceiling tile with your name or message and hang it right above the AIW ring. Purchased ceiling tiles will be hung by early 2015.

4. Straight donation: Our PayPal can also accept straight donations that will all go to supporting Cleveland Turners Hall. 

We appreciate any support. Together we can keep the lights on and maintain wrestling history!

For more on how you can help save Turners Hall, go to http://www.aiwrestling.com/saveturnershall 

Total
0
Shares