The worlds of little league baseball and professional wrestling collided once again in Merrick earlier this month for a night of athleticism and entertainment.
On Oct. 4, the Brookside Center in North Merrick hosted the second annual “BASEBRAWL,” an independent wrestling show organized by Create-A-Pro Wrestling to raise funds for the Merrick Bellmore Little League. The event drew dozens of fans and raised more than $4,000 to support the organization, according to executive director Jay Rogoff.
The evening featured an exciting mix of hometown pride and professional wrestling star power. Among the performers were WWE Hall of Fame legends the Dudley Boys, along with Long Island natives Matt Cardona and Brian Myers — both veterans of the independent wrestling circuit and co-founders of Create-A-Pro. For Cardona, a Merrick native and Calhoun High School graduate, the event was a special homecoming.
BASEBRAWL brought families, wrestlers and local residents together under one roof, blending the theatrics of the ring with the camaraderie of community sports. The show not only celebrated wrestling but also highlighted the shared values of teamwork and perseverance that define youth athletics.
This marked the second major fundraiser for the Merrick Bellmore Little League this year. On July 19, the league partnered with Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling for a charity softball game at Calhoun High School that raised roughly $6,500. Those funds, combined with proceeds from BASEBRAWL, will go toward field renovations and facility upgrades that benefit hundreds of local players each season.
Rogoff hinted that a “really cool plan for next year” is already in the works for another league fundraiser.
