As you probably know, this Saturday night, October 20th, I will publish the final show in PWA history, Everlasting Epic VIII. This will conclude the three-year project known as PWA: The Rebirth which, to be honest, went on quite a bit longer than I'd originally planned. But before we get there, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for reading and watching these shows and for making this rebirth of PWA so worthwhile for me. Obviously, a LOT of hard work -- most of which I have no idea how I found the time for -- went into producing these three seasons, but knowing that I had the support of a loyal audience, whatever size, pushed me to keep going and to keep trying to create better and better storylines, matches, and shows.

There are a few people who deserve special thanks and recognition for their efforts throughout the PWA's Rebirth Era, but none more than Greg Tarascio. The amount of work Greg did during Season One, when we were trying to get the video effort up and running, was way beyond the call of duty, and absolutely essential to our growth. If he hadn't done the work he did in producing those first few video packages and helping our dream of seamlessly incorporating video into the presentation become a reality, what we accomplished this season would never have been possible. Greg has also been an integral part of the recording process -- both in the Rebirth Era and previously -- and I simply would not have been able to do this without the work he's put in over the years.

I also need to thank and recognize James Carr, who has been my writing partner and right-hand man with this project for the past decade. In the original run of PWA, when we produced new episodes every Tuesday night for 210 consecutive weeks, I leaned on James quite a bit to help me make our deadlines. Though he didn't write nearly as much during the Rebirth Era, James contributed quite a bit, writing most of Jaguar's segments throughout the three-year run, along with producing a few of our specials -- such as the Everlasting Epic VI preview show in Season One, and the Hall of Fame and Awards specials this year -- and booking 90% of our live events. But James' biggest contribution during this Rebirth Era has been his role as my sounding board. I can always rely on him to nurture my good ideas and call me out on my bad ones, and that back-and-forth has been vital in shaping PWA into what it has become, particularly here in the Rebirth Era.

Then there's Dan Spitaliere, a longtime PWA reader whose enthusiasm for restarting this project and willingness to do whatever necessary to pitch in went a tremendously long way in motivating me to dive back in. Dan helped me record many matches over the past three years, but perhaps his largest contribution to the project was in being an architect of the PWA's cruiserweight division. In launching the cruiserweight division for Season Two, Dan created two new characters -- Asai Moon and Fenix Clarke (along with Emily Walker) -- and was largely responsible for writing that division’s top matches throughout the season. Though his responsibilities were scaled back for this final season, Dan can look at that cruiserweight division today and know that he played an enormous part in its success. And I am very grateful for that.

Of course, I have to thank my beautiful, multi-talented, and incredibly understanding wife Abby, who has sacrificed her time, her sanity, and her husband to this project at various points throughout the past three years. This season in particular, I have spent many a night and a weekend on the computer either writing or editing video all through the night, oftentimes preventing me from spending any time with her, and she has dealt with it like a champion. But it goes WAY beyond that. For those that aren't aware, my wife has also served as "virtual stylist" of the Rebirth Era, taking the lead on designing the costumes and color schemes for our characters when they're being created in the newest video game. Not to mention the fact that, when I screen the pay-per-views for a select few each year, Abby very ably serves as "hostess extraordinaire." And, in Season Two, when I found myself buried under an incomprehensible amount of work, Abby bailed me out in the most impressive fashion -- by doing a damn good job writing backstage vignettes in the exact tone and voice that has become synonymous with this project. Her unending support and willingness to help out in any way possible has allowed me the freedom to admittedly not be the best husband I could be over the past few years in the interest of wrapping up creative loose ends, and I cannot even begin to express how much that has meant to me.

Last, but certainly not least, I need to thank all of you. Without those of you that enjoy this content, this would be nothing more than an extremely time-consuming vanity project. The fact that something I enjoy doing actually resonates with other people is intensely gratifying, and I will certainly miss the instant feedback on my work that this format provides. As any creative writer will tell you, that is a pretty intoxicating feeling. Whether you've been with me since the very beginning like Jay Carnevale, since the first PWA run like Justin Schenck, or joined on for The Rebirth like Evan Seckular, I appreciate each and every one of you, even if I haven't mentioned your name, or if I don't even know it. The fact that you'd take any time out of your day to step into this wacky universe I've created means the world to me.

But, despite how much the PWA has meant to me, and despite everything I’ve gotten out of it, it is time to move on. The simple fact of the matter is that I’ve been working on this project at various intervals for the past 14 years, and free time is simply at too much of a premium for me to not challenge myself to grow. For a while, that will mean trying to live life without an all-consuming project that distracts me from doing the things I need to in order to take the next steps in life. But before too long, I will be writing again -- it just won't be about wrestling. If you want to keep in touch, or be kept in the loop regarding my eventual next writing project, I can still be reached at mike@pwatherebirth.com. I'd love to hear from you.

But don't forget -- we're not done here just yet! Earlier this morning, I posted the Rebirth Awards, the final piece of content before this Saturday's finale. And be sure to check back starting around 8 p.m. Eastern on Saturday night for PWA Everlasting Epic VIII, a show that I am insanely proud of and can say quite confidently is the greatest thing I've ever produced over the life of this project. I hope you've all enjoyed these three seasons of PWA: The Rebirth, and I can't wait for you all to see Everlasting Epic VIII!

Until next time,
Mike Scarchilli


PWA contributing writer James Carr (10.17.12)

As the PWA is nearing its end, I’d like to take some time out to reflect and thank everyone involved with the project that has entertained so many for so long. Upon my first interactions with Mike in 1992, it was easy to see he had a very creative mind. Now 20 years later, he’s grown into a visionary, thanks in large part to this project.

Once I understood the nature of the product, I committed to helping make it the best it could be, and began co-writing programs in 2002. While the PWA was not my direct vision, I appreciated having such a large impact in the directions of events and angles to entertain our readers. It allowed me the chance to explore my own creative writing side, and whether it was my own show -- Overdrive -- or pay-per-view matches, house shows or Award shows, I truly enjoyed the impact that our finished products made on people. We have been read all over the globe, and were introduced to people from Alaska, California, Canada, etc., who applied as characters and helped drive us forward.

The more I look back and reflect on what was accomplished, I realize that certain PWA twists and turns have been used to reach global audiences. It was us in December 2005 who came up with the idea of “cashing in” a rematch clause at an opportune time to crown Jackie Baccaro PWA Champion, only to see some other guy do it on pay-per-view less than two weeks later. It was Justin Schenck who gave us the nickname of “The Legacy” for his own stable, only for us to see it also on television down the road. The wrestling business is always cyclical, and original ideas are rare these days. But the PWA was the home of originality for its entire existence. Words typed on keyboards from Franklin Square or Jacksonville or on a train somewhere would later impact the wrestling business in some small form, and whether we realize it or not, this effort made its own tiny dent in wrestling pop culture.

This avenue has allowed me to connect with numerous folks I consider great friends in life. Jason Carnevale, Greg Tarascio, Evan Seckular, Jason Catania, Dan Spitaliere, and several more are great people I would not have had relationships with, without the avenue of the PWA. I also appreciate the efforts of my friends Andre Dixon, Josh Schwartz, Geoffrey Chiang, Justin Schenck, Paul Beerhalter & Jason Albert, and on and on, for taking the time to create characters and allowing us to mold and shape them into larger than life superstar personalities. Abby has been like a sister-in-law to me and I’m so thankful for her being the sole woman on the planet who would put up with this craziness. There’s no way my wife would have granted me the time needed to do half of what Mike has done.

The amount of work it took to bring the PWA to life cannot be understated, but the results were always worth the efforts. I’ve been fortunate to have a great friend who wanted me to be a part of the project, and I was glad to help in any way I could, big or small. What began in 2002 as essentially a two-man duo had grown into a full team effort by so many. I’m very grateful for the work that Abby, Greg, and Dan took the time to put in, as I certainly was limited in many ways by living in Florida. With their help, not only did we never miss a beat, but We became bigger and better than ever. The visual aspects have allowed a whole new generation of readers to follow along now, and the tremendous archive that Mike put together ensures this work will live on whenever we want to read it.

I’ll be boarding a plane back home tomorrow for one more night of the team together. It’s been over six years since my last time at an event, and I’m looking forward to another night of camaraderie as a PWA family. To everyone who has taken the time to read our work, and invest time in us at any amount, I thank you for being a part of it. This has been a tremendous ride, and while I won’t miss my booking notebook very much, I will miss the entertainment and excitement we were able to bring to so many people for the past decade. Thank you!

James Carr II