Masters of Mayhem

For local pro wrestling organization Action Zone Wrestling, there is no better way to mark another year of high-flying mayhem than to welcome back the sensation who helped ring in its first anniversary.

Independent pro wrestling standout Matt Cross vaults back into the AZW ring on Monday as the group notches its sixth year of entertaining fans with antics both audacious and athletic.

The former competitive gymnast, also known as M-Dogg 20, will compete in the main event at Anniversary Annihilation 6, challenging current heavyweight champion "Mr. Athletic" Jeff Cobb for the title. Both men boast acrobatic wrestling skills, ensuring the match will be one of the biggest AZW has seen since it was founded by local actor Daryl Bonilla in March 2005.

According to Bonilla, the Cleveland native contacted him in 2005 about appearing in an AZW show. Cross got his chance at the organization’s first show in June 2006, but has not been back since.

"What I remember specifically is how friendly and welcoming everyone was," said Cross, who had already spent five years making himself known in the wrestling world before his guest appearance in Hawaii.

Cobb said he is "absolutely thrilled" to defend his title against Cross, who earned two gold medals at the 1999 AAU Junior Olympics.

"He is an awesome performer and I am looking forward to putting on a five-star match," said Cobb, whose athletic chops are equally impressive. The Hawaii native, who moved to Guam when he was 12, wrestled throughout high school and college and competed in the 2004 Olympics for Guam in freestyle wrestling.

Though Cobb joined AZW only a couple of years ago, he has become one of the organization’s marquee performers thanks to his good-guy personality, and his soaring backflips and world-class grappling skills don’t hurt, either.

Cobb and top-notch visiting wrestlers like Cross are two of the reasons AZW continues to survive in a market where independent pro wrestling has struggled to take off. Hawaii has been home to a slew of small groups since the close of Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling in the 1980s, and AZW is the only one still standing.

Bonilla said he is "pleasantly surprised to see that interest in AZW has grown with each show and continues to grow."

"I truly hope to get AZW on a bigger scale on the independent landscape," he said. "It’s hard since we are in such an isolated place in terms of bringing in outside talent or sending our talent abroad.

"I want to continue to grow."

Still, AZW has overcome both obstacles throughout the years. It frequently attracts visitors from the mainland and Japan who are eager to test the Hawaii market, and AZW wrestlers have returned the favor.

Several also have had the opportunity to try out for national organizations. Cobb, for instance, has tried out for TNA, or Total Nonstop Action, and was a finalist in casting for "Tough Enough."

"I know we are not like the big promotions like WWE and TNA, but for a smaller (market) we have better shows and better crowds, and that will alway push us to be better," said Daniel Schuster, aka Kaniala, a veteran of the Hawaii wrestling scene.

People often dismiss pro wrestling as little more than a circus sideshow starring Spandex-clad men in compromising positions, but it takes years of training to pull off the daring stunts and fast-paced action that make the sport so entertaining for its fans. Wrestlers rarely walk away from shows unscathed, often sporting cuts, bruises and the occasional sprain or dislocation.

Cross, the heavyweight title contender, said he broke his big toe in three places only two months ago, and has broken his nose and pinky finger. He also mentioned the many stitches required over the years to close up a handful of injuries.

"It’s the nature of the beast that at some point, you’re going to get hurt," he said.

Despite the risks, many on AZW’s roster say they thrive on the discipline and dedication the sport requires.

"It’s easy to be a fan, but you have to have the heart to be a wrestler," said longtime competitor Kenjiro Katahira, originally of Japan. "It’s not something that anyone can do."

"I’ve witnessed a lot of athletic and muscular guys try out and quit after the first practice," he said.

Darnell Gamiao — Bobby "The Lightning" Bolt in the ring — wrestled in high school, but there was no opportunity to pursue Olympic-level wrestling in Hawaii. Pro wrestling, he said, "is another way of participating in such athleticism on a different level."

Several wrestlers said they were inspired by family members to get into the ring.

Both Edwin C. Flores — better known as Kaimana — and Katahira said their grandfathers played a major role in steering them toward pro wrestling, watching matches with them when they were children.

"When he passed away I thought to myself, ‘That’s what I’m going to do to make my grandpa proud,’ " Flores said. Katahira likewise said his wrestling is a tribute to his now-deceased grandfather.

Above all, the AZW wrestlers said, it’s the fans who matter most.

Flores and Richard Hamasaki, one of several referees in AZW, said the shows are a way to put aside the stresses of life for a few hours and entertain the audience.

"Even when we get injured, the fan reaction makes it priceless," Gamiao said.

Cobb, the heavyweight champion, agreed.

"I never get tired of wrestling because I love what I do. If I didn’t, I would not put my body on the line at the shows and for people I don’t even know personally.

"But if they are entertained and go home happy, then I am happy."