Atlantic All-Star Wrestling Shuts Down
Atlantic All-Star Wrestling, an independent wrestling promotion based in New Jersey, has officially shut down following the retirement of co-founder Dino Biello.
The closure was announced in a statement posted by the promotion and signed by Nate Hart. The group’s final event, titled One Last Ride, marked Biello’s last in-ring appearance.
“It’s never easy to say goodbye—but here we are,” the statement said. “With Dino stepping away and One Last Ride now in the books, the remaining members of the AAW family have decided it’s the right time for Atlantic All-Star Wrestling to retire along with him.”
The promotion was founded in 2021. In the farewell message, organizers thanked fans, wrestlers, and staff, calling the promotion “a labor of love” that required significant time and energy from its team.
In September 2024, AAW canceled its September Showdown 2024 event due to a scheduling conflict at American Legion Post 133 in Woodbury, N.J. Despite reserving the venue months in advance, AAW said a double booking made it unavailable. In a public statement, the promotion suspended all remaining events at the venue for the year and began seeking a more dependable location.
Later, Biello publicly accused the venue’s leadership of dishonesty and discrimination. He claimed that while he was hospitalized, venue staff gave the date to a birthday party organized by a Legion member and falsely claimed AAW was not on the schedule. Biello alleged bias against AAW, noting that its staff were not members and did not drink, unlike many Legion members. He also expressed frustration with the group’s liaison, writing, “Our liaison Al Justice just showed his lack of balls… so screw us.” Biello said the group had recently donated a 55-inch television to the venue and estimated $7,500 in lost revenue and expenses, announcing his intent to pursue legal action.
Despite the dispute, AAW returned to American Legion Post 133 on Feb. 8, 2025, for an event titled Reemergence 2025.
The following month, the promotion sparked controversy when Biello posted a politically charged message to Instagram that appeared to call for violence against former President Barack Obama. The same message was briefly shared on AAW’s Facebook page before being deleted but remained on Biello’s personal account. The post drew concern from fans and members of the wrestling community about the promotion’s public messaging.
“To the talent—thank you for trusting us with your time, your bodies, and your stories,” the statement said. “We always saw you as more than just bookings; you were our partners, our brothers and sisters, and our extended family.”
The promotion said it will keep its social media pages online temporarily so fans and talent can save photos and other memories. It noted that photos from One Last Ride are still being edited and encouraged talent to follow photographer Brian Schweiker for updates.
The statement concluded with a message encouraging fans to continue supporting local wrestling.
“Most of the people in indy wrestling—wrestlers, promoters, staff—aren’t doing it for money,” the promotion said. “They do it for love. So show them some love back.”
No further events are planned.