It’s a big weekend for people who love carrying oversized championship belts in public, for crotch-chop enthusiasts, and for dudes who love unironically calling each other “brother.”
For starters, WWE SummerSlam is taking over the U.S. Bank Stadium for two days, bringing in over 70,000 black T-shirt-clad, catchphrase-screaming fans from all over the country. ESPN will have a nightmarish ice cream truck roaming the city during the day, and a bunch of bars are hosting WWE-themed nights.
Then there’s Minnesota’s own F1RST Wrestling. For nearly 20 years, attending a F1RST Wrestling show has been a rite of passage for local wrestling fans. But Arik Cannon has truly outdone himself this weekend, producing six full-scale shows over the course of just four days.
“I would never recommend anyone do [that],” Cannon says, in the tone of a man resigned to bodyslamming his sleep schedule. “When WWE first announced they were coming to Minnesota… I knew we had to do something.”
Last October, Cannon started putting the pieces in place for a pro-wrestling extravaganza that will truly have, as they say in the biz, something for everyone.
“The madness starts on Wednesday night after the Mall of America closes,” Cannon says, explaining his hectic schedule. He’s setting up shows each morning, making sure the evenings run smoothly each night, and concluding with set breakdowns on Sunday night.“Then Monday, I will be in a coma. I will take the longest of naps,” he adds.
The lineup kicks off Thursday night with a 21+ event at the Uptown VFW, before the gang heads to an all-ages extravaganza at Mall of America and a late night Hardcore Wrestling bloodbath on Friday. Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), the largest independent wrestling organization in the world, will be partnering with F1RST for two big shows at First Avenue Saturday and Sunday. Throw in F1RST’s premiere event, Wremix, at First Avenue on Saturday night, and you’ve got enough skull-crushing action to make even the most hardened fan piss their John Cena jorts.
“I knew we couldn’t present the same show six times in a row,” Cannon says. “Every show is going to have different variables and present a different hook. I want you to be able to go to all six shows and never see the same match twice. That’s a huge headache for me as the producer, but it’s a headache I embrace.”
While a handful of other out-of-town wrestling options are following the carnival into the Twin Cities this weekend, Cannon says that he feels a responsibility to carry the flag for the hometown wrestlers and crew that bust their asses here all year long—even the ones who aren’t part of F1RST.
“I’ve seen independent wrestling start chasing these big events when they take over cities, and it starts to turn into a money grab,” he says. “It’s frustrating for me as someone who is rooted here and has spent so much time trying to build and improve the local scene here in Minnesota.”
One of the ways he’s fostering that hometown pride is Friday night’s Hardcore Wrestling show, which will feature wrestlers from several independent wrestling organizations in and around Minnesota, including Destination Pro Wrestling in Thief River Falls, Higher Ground Wrestling in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and Madhouse Wrestling over in Iowa.
“I reached out to these promotions who I have good relationships with and said, ‘Let’s do something like this,’” Cannon says. “It’s their opportunity to have their brand represented on this wacky weekend.”
Cannon himself will be minimally involved in the actual in-ring action, save for a Sunday matinee finale during the GCW vs. F1RST Wrestling show where he’ll face off against GCW champion Atticus Cogar.
Cannon anticipates around 3,000 attendees between the six events, making sure that pros like Darin Corbin, Devon Monroe, Brandon Gore, and Badger Briggs will leave fans forgetting that Logan Paul is a WWE wrestler for some reason.
“All of the eyes of pro wrestling will be on Minneapolis and we’re going for it,” he says. “I might be the one that steers this ship, but I have an amazing crew behind me. I couldn’t do this without them, and that is what makes F1RST Wrestling tick.”
Hell yeah brother.
F1RST Wrestling Summer Smash Weekend
Click here for tickets to ALL shows
F1RST Wrestling Unleashed
When: 8 p.m. Thursday, July 30
Where: James Ballentine "Uptown" VFW - Post 246, 2916 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis
Tickets: 21+; $37.92. Find more info here.
Friday Night Nitro
When: 7 p.m. Friday, July 31
Where: Mall of America, 60 E. Broadway, Bloomington.
Tickets: All ages; $20-$50. Find more info here.
Hardcore Wrestling
When: 11 p.m. Friday, July 31
Where: James Ballentine "Uptown" VFW - Post 246, 2916 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis
Tickets: 21+; $31.95. Find more info here.
GCW Rude Awakening
When: 1 p.m. Saturday, August 1
Where: First Avenue, 701 N. First Ave, Minneapolis
Tickets: All ages; $53-$82. Find more info here.
F1RST Wrestling Wremix
When: 10 p.m. Saturday, August 1
Where: First Avenue, 701 N. First Ave, Minneapolis
Tickets: 18+; $43.84. Find more info here.
GCW vs. F1RST Wrestling
When: 1 p.m. Sunday, August 2
Where: First Avenue, 701 N. First Ave, Minneapolis
Tickets: All ages; $43-$68. Find more info here.
