Baltimore Banner Spotlights Local Wrestling Scene
As WrestleMania 41 captures national headlines, The Baltimore Banner is highlighting the local impact of professional wrestling with two in-depth features timed to the biggest week in the sport. In one story, reporter Tramon Lucas profiles Baltimore’s own Brian H. Waters, who has turned his lifelong love of wrestling into a full-time media career with The Ringer, covering WWE and producing top wrestling podcasts (read here).
In a second piece, Lucas teams with Greg Morton and Kristen Griffith to examine the pivotal role of MCW Pro Wrestling in Maryland’s independent scene. The article spotlights MCW’s training center in Joppa, where aspiring wrestlers from across the country, including standout Myles Hawkins, are preparing for careers in major promotions like WWE and AEW.
“MCW’s got a school you hear about,” said trainee Hellfire McGuire, who moved from Winnipeg to Baltimore for the opportunity. Hawkins, a former college baseball player, said the physicality of wrestling was unlike anything he had experienced: “There’s nothing that can prepare you for the impact of the ring.”
MCW co-owner Dan McDevitt described the training pipeline as “college football for wrestling,” estimating that around 20 out of hundreds of trainees have made it to the national stage. One of them, Action Andretti, now competes in AEW alongside fellow MCW alum Lio Rush.
Director of operations Tara Meyer added that developing in front of small crowds is essential to future success. “If you can do that in front of 50 8-year-olds,” she said, “then you’re probably gonna be able to do it in front of 500 30-year-olds.”
Together, the two stories illustrate how Maryland continues to serve as both a platform for rising wrestling talent and a base for professionals working at the highest levels of the industry.
Note: It’s great to see The Baltimore Banner covering professional wrestling during WrestleMania week. Hopefully, this attention to Baltimore’s wrestling media and independent scene will continue beyond these features. Over a year ago, I encouraged some contacts there to consider moving in this direction and it's encouraging to see that coverage now taking shape.