For 17 years, the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (KSWA) has provided Pittsburgh with professional wrestling “The Way You Like It.” On Saturday, September 18, the city’s longest-running promotion of its kind celebrates with hard-hitting action, old favorites, new faces, and some of the most loathsome athletes Pittsburgh has ever seen.

But first, just a reminder as from where and when the KSWA originated. Here are the results from that very first event, held February 18, 2000 at Peabody High School.

Eric "The Electric" Love pinned J-Ru.

Veronica Von Irons pinned Manic.

Cobra pinned Gorgeous Greg Wallace.

Blade pinned Soul Fighter.

La Lucha pinned "Mr. Tenacity" Tommy Faime.

Cousin Elmer pinned Shaun Adams.

"Dr. Devastation" Lou Martin pinned "The Misfit" Jeff Lockhart.

Super Hentai pinned Vince Viper.

K.S.W.A. Heavyweight Champion Skippy Hawk pinned "The Enforcer" Shawn Blanchard to retain

On that same day, new Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert addressed reporters about his goal of communicating better with coach Bill Cowher and Gene Lamont was gearing up the Pittsburgh Pirates to debut in Spring Training. The Jaromir Jagr-led Penguins were 25-26 in the NHL season.

Fast forward 17 years. At 7:30 p.m. the bell rings on another KSWA Saturday Night.

KSWA Champion Mitch Napier, who outlasted a fiery former champion in Jay Flash, defends against Bobby Badfingers for the most coveted single’s title in the Commonwealth. Badfingers, a former tag team and Golden Triangle Champion, will be led to the ring by the most revered manager in Pittsburgh, Mayor Mystery. This matchup between two accomplished, technical yet ready-to-brawl Megastars will be ferocious.

The KSWA Five Star Title is on the line as champion Harley T. Morris (w/”Starmaker” David Marbell) tangles once again with International Megastar Ice Machine. The two young athletes have had a brewing feud over the past few months, one that led to Tommy Faime losing ownership due to a match. Ice Machine has beaten Morris for the title, but had it stripped a short time later for refusing to unmask. Now that Faime has the Golden Triangle Championship instead of an ownership stake, it will be interesting to see if he holds any sway in this contest. Morris has improved and gotten a lot more competitive in the past year. This promises to be another marquee matchup.

It's arguable that the KSWA Tag Team division has never been more competitive. The new tag team champions Jester and T-Rantula are set to take on Zak Hunter and the debuting BROhemoth, known collectively as the “Big Game Hunters.” Hunter debuted in Battle Bowl and cut his teeth in Pennsylvania’s most important over the top rope battle royal. Hunter’s friend and tag team partner BROhemoth believe they have what it takes to compete against the formidable Jester and T-Rantula. BROhemoth, at 6’3” and “20,000 mega pixels” physically fares well against the enormous T-Rantula.

Regardless of who wins that match, the KSWA Championship Committee has put together a tag team tournament to determine who the new #1 challengers for the KSWA tag team titles will be. Two different matches will help boil that down.

In another showdown of legendary tag teams, the VIPs—Shawn Blanchard and Lou Martin—take on Party Gras—Lord Zoltan and Justin Sane. Each time these teams match up, something new is seen. Longtime foes, all four men know each other in and out. That has always led to some interesting contests. Each team, which has stellar accomplishments on Pittsburgh’s biggest stage, has a lot riding on this match.

Another team, Kris Kash and Shane Starr, long for an opportunity to once again top the tag team division. They take on Golden Triangle Champion Tommy Faime and former KSWA Champion Jay Flash. Faime’s improbable march to the top of KSWA competition would take an incredible leap forward if he can somehow make this match great again. Jay Flash, who lost his rematch for the KSWA Heavyweight Championship against Mitch Napier in January, remains in title contention, but a win here could vault him back to the top of every division. Regardless, the winner of these tag team matches will face off against each other and then take on the KSWA tag team champions, whoever they might be after February 18.

The match between Dennis Gregory and MV Young has already been profiled. Gregory, the longtime veteran, remains as athletic and formidable as ever. He now faces a world-traveling, strong style striker in MV Young. This will be a battle of “old versus new,” as the always-crafty Gregory (who has gone up against it all) wrestles MV Young, a talent just emerging on a bigger scale. With trips to Europe and now Pennsylvania’s premier promotion, Young is poised to make an impact.

The 7-foot-tall Jack Massacre takes on newcomer Gino Slice in one on one competition. Slice, who like a number of new athletes, debuted at Battle Bowl. Can the Metal Assassin make a dent in the massive giant Jack Massacre? This is a perfect opportunity for a youngster to prove he belongs in the major leagues of professional wrestling in Pittsburgh. It’s also an opportunity for Massacre to show the KSWA Championship Committee that he can challenge for some single’s gold.

In a match of cagy ring veterans, "The King" Del Douglas faces off against “The Drunken Luchadore” Joey Quervo. In recent months, Douglas has not fared well against many of the premier athletes in the KSWA; however, that never stops the resilient King. For many years, Douglas has served his “rabble” well as King of the KSWA. He gets to show the Krazies that he is still competitive and a player in the KSWA Champion Committee view finder. Joey Quervo is Joey Quervo. We just hope he can find Spirit Lounge.

The KSWA 17th Anniversary show is this Saturday, February 18 at the KSWA Arena at Spirit Lounge, 242 51st Street in the Lawrenceville neighborhood within the city of Pittsburgh. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for kids. Bell time is 7:30 p.m. Card is subject to change.