From The Ticket Table: My Road to Anniversary VIII
- Tom Swan
- Jul 26
- 6 min read
What does Anniversary VIII mean to the guy who oversees the finances and event coordination for the #1 Pro Wrestling company in Arizona?
Everything.
However, it has nothing to do with what you might think I’d say.
It’s the fulfillment of a 3 year old’s childhood dream to be a part of the greatest thing he ever witnessed on his television screen. The 10 year old who watched with complete awe as Bret Hart got held up by his peers after winning the championship.
This was the coolest thing I had ever seen, and somehow, some way, I wanted to be a part of it.
I’m Tom. You might know me as the guy at the ticket table when you come to one of our events. Aside from handling the ticket table, I’m also the CFO and Event Coordinator for PCW.
I’ve been very blessed to have integrated with PCW over the last 2 ½ years, and to work with Dom Vitalli & Jon Wolfgang to help take PCW to the next level.
To understand how I got here and what it means, let me briefly take you back a few years.
7 years ago I met Dom Vitalli at a wrestling show for the first time shortly after I moved to Arizona. Being a wrestling fan for the last 40 years, I have a tremendous amount of respect for every person who steps through those ropes and puts their body on the line. It was great to find this again on the local level.
The first time I met Dom, he struck me as different than most. We had very brief interactions, and I began following him on social media. Watching that event play out, which at the time was for a different promotion, I thought to myself, “This was a fun experience.”
That show was good, but nothing that knocked your socks off.
A few years later in 2023 after attending a couple more indy shows, I re-connected with Dom and he invited me to his next event, which would be my first introduction to Phoenix Championship Wrestling, and the night that CLAS won the PCW Heavyweight Championship.
That event… That felt different.
The energy in the crowd. The way that every match kept you on the edge of your seat.
Something here was different from my previous experiences in the local scene.
I was hooked and I wanted to be a part of it, but I had one problem. I was set to move back east for a business venture I couldn’t pass up. I told Dom “keep doing what you’re doing, because you’ve got something special. Maybe our paths will cross again in the future, but until then, I’ll see ya down the road.” And off I went.
Life has a funny way of working itself out. As fortune would have it, that business venture fell through, and 6 months later I ended up back in Arizona with a wide open future.
At 39 years old, I said “it’s now or never to take a shot at this wrestling thing.”
I re-connected with Dom, and in May of 2024, had my first wrestling tryout. Unfortunately, Father Time is undefeated, and a combination of underlying injuries flared up and I had to stop my pursuit of active wrestling by October as a head injury knocked me out for good.
Fortunately, that allowed me to leverage my real strengths and my entrepreneur experience to move into the office, and start really focusing on the growth and future of this company as a whole.
I came to PCW to make a difference and to leave my mark on the wrestling world in some way, shape or form. I’m very blessed that Dom & Jon were gracious and willing enough to welcome my ideas and give me the opportunity to leave a mark in this incredible, crazy business we call professional wrestling.
I’ve had the privilege to be a part of this organization for 2 ½ years and to watch the growth not only of the company, but everyone inside of it. PCW is not just an independent wrestling company. We are a force to be reckoned with, recognized on a national scale, and it is an honor to even be associated with this company.
The New Standard isn’t just a catch phrase Dom & Jon thought sounded good when they started this company. They wanted to uphold a standard in the professional wrestling space that has gotten lost over the last few decades, and it’s proven in every show that runs under the PCW umbrella.
I’ve gotten to watch a guy like RJ Wylde have his first match, just figuring things out, grow to being one half of the fastest up and coming tag teams in wrestling, Yung Money, challenging for the PCW Tag Team Championships in a 2 out of 3 Falls main event spot with his partner Jaden Monroe.
RJ is one example of about 30 that I could give of watching the growth of our men & women, growing from endless brutal training, building their confidence, and stepping out of that curtain to begin their career that makes me unbelievably proud to be a part of what we are building.
The New Standard means we don’t need big names that have been on TV to build our events, because we do wrestling the right way. Our talents have proven themselves and built their own names to be just as big as anyone else in wrestling, and it shows in every event that we put on in front of the largest and best independent crowds in the state and the country.
Which brings me to why I’m so hyped for September 19 at Skyline High School.
2,000+ fans.
4 Championships on the line.
One ring.
Countless memories waiting to be made.
PCW Anniversary VIII will be THE event that people remember and talk about for years.
ALL of the stars will be in the house.
You DO NOT want to miss this one.
Zamaya has grown from a girl with a dream to a champion to a full blown Zuperstar who is recognized nationally and in demand across the country. WHO will step up to challenge her?
What will happen when Kevin Koa looks to get his revenge after CJ Valor overcame the odds to win the PCW Heavyweight Championship?
Can Yung Money finally defeat their rivals Pretty City Xpress, or will Devin Reno and CLAS find some new way to sneak out with the championships yet again?
Can Jakob East break out and take the SlamU Championship back to the mosh pit? Will another contender step up or will Remy Marcel walk out with his championship reign still intact?
One thing I know for sure is that this event will set THE NEW STANDARD for all wrestling shows in Arizona and beyond for years to come. PCW is here for the long haul and we are JUST getting started.
Anniversary VIII will be the biggest and best event yet in PCW history. It’s also only the beginning of what the future holds for PCW, Arizona, our superstars, and our fans.
THANK YOU to every single fan who has been a part of this growth journey for PCW and supporting us to make all of this happen. Without you, there is no PCW and we exist to put on the greatest events possible for you.
It has been my honor to be a part of this journey with you all and I look forward to seeing you at the gate in September for one of the best nights of our lives.
Tom Swan
CFO / Event Coordinator
Phoenix Championship Wrestling
Comments