'It's a fun event': Galleria to host professional wrestling event

Russ O Reilly, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·2 min read

May 15—Leaping from the top ropes to attack an opponent will certainly be possible with the ceiling height at the Johnstown Galleria in Richland Township, All or Nothing (AON) wrestling promoter Rick Lyttle said.

AON professional wrestling is set for a showdown at 7 p.m. June 19 at the Galleria at 500 Galleria Drive.

Will a rival Altoona band of wrestlers show up?

"We don't know, but they do have rivals in Altoona," he said, hinting at the likelihood for ramped up competition.

Sports venues are AON's usual settings, but Galleria management was receptive when Lyttle visited the mall with the idea.

"We have not done anything like this before," Galleria General Manager Monica Peterman said. "We are excited to have them, and our tenants are really excited to have the event here."

Lyttle, of Ebensburg, said he hopes people go to the Galleria to shop before the show, and he envisions having regular wrestling events at malls in the region.

"I'd like to have two more shows there at the Galleria this year," Lyttle said.

"Living local, I see how bad things are getting at both malls (Logan Valley Mall in Altoona and the Galleria). I figure if we can get wrestling involved there, maybe we can draw more attention to the mall, we can keep the shows going."

Tickets will be available at the Galleria the night of the show, he said.

But they will also be available in advance at AONwrestling.com.

"From what I understand, it would be a huge draw," Peterman said.

Lyttle has been promoting AON wrestling for about 15 years.

The wrestling shows bring fans of all ages. The action draws children as well as people in their 80s, he said.

"It's a family atmosphere. They enjoy booing the bad guys and cheering the good guys," he said. "It's a fun event."

Part of the consideration for malls as wrestling venues was the result of COVID-19 restrictions.

"The way COVID has been with everything, there was a time when we couldn't have fans," he said.

"And then that changed to a requirement that fans had to be separated specific distances from each other and from the ring. That meant we needed a bigger space. The mall works out perfect for that."

Lyttle encourages support of local businesses.

"We all live here, we need to support each other," he said. "That's why we are bringing this to the malls, to get them moving again."

Russ O'Reilly is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @RussellOReilly.