MARS HILL, Maine — It was a rambunctious evening Saturday, Aug. 19, at the Mars Hill Community Center as independent pro wrestlers fought for the hardcore championship title.
In the final round of the Crown of Maine Wrestling’s Summer Hardcore Havoc 2, last year’s champion J.P. O’Reilly took home the title after a lengthy hardcore match against Pete Corvus. A hardcore match involves wrestlers hitting each other with metal chairs, ladders and bamboo sticks inside and outside the ring.
“We’re just a bunch of guys who love wrestling, and they don’t have much up here for entertainment purposes,” said Von Taggart, owner of Crown of Maine Wrestling, which became a limited liability company this year.
A crowd of more than 50 people showed up for the event to cheer on their favorite wrestlers as they slammed each other in and around the ring. Independent wrestling has the audience interact with the wrestlers more, and insults get thrown around as much as the metal chairs do.
Crown of Maine Wrestling has been going for five years and provides entertainment for northern Maine, while also raising money for various causes.
Last year’s Summer Hardcore Havoc happened in Limestone, and Taggart is looking forward to more fans to come back after the COVID-19 pandemic put the brakes on the independent wrestling organization’s momentum.
Along with O’Reilly and Corvus, wrestlers competing in the ring Saturday included Allen Prophet, Michael Ares, Wyatt Holiday aka “The Outlaw,” D.L. Santos, Jason Maverick, heavyweight champion Lucha Kid and newcomer Chad Casanova.
The Crown of Maine Wrestling’s next show is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 10 in Van Buren, but the venue hasn’t been determined, according to Taggart.
“We’re getting there. It has been a lot of hard work, but my team for [Crown of Maine Wrestling] have been outstanding,” Taggart said.
Correction: A previous version of this story listed the incorrect date of the event, which was held Saturday, Aug. 19. The story was modified to reflect the correct information.
