For fans of professional wrestling in Pittsburgh, that means the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (KSWA). It also means Independence, Opportunity, and Service. For at least three Megastars, July 4 has special meaning.

It was only a few weeks ago that the country recognized and honored Veterans of the military who have passed away. The KSWA remembered Mike Buda, a wrestler who served overseas and became a Megastar in Pittsburgh before his sudden and tragic passing.

And in the annuals of the KSWA, there was B.A. Baracus, a military veteran and wrestler who took on the villainous Ali Kaida, before feeling underappreciated by the fans. He joined Joe Perri’s iconic stable “The International Thugs” and became a tag team champion. After a short time away from the tride and true of the Red, White and Blue, Baracus returned as a fan favorite by spearing Ali Kaida. A neck injury shortened his career, but the Ary veteran who was Baracus, James Jarosz, lives a more solitary life with his wife and family in Western Pennsylvania.

However, there are veterans, torchbearers for the Red, White and Blue still associated with the military to this very day. Most notably is “All American” Dennis Gregory, the former KSWA Heavyweight Champion, tag team champion and Class of 2022 Hall of Famer. Still a proud member of the United States Air Force to this very day, Gregory may never have been better inside the squared circle than he is right now. Long an athlete who thumbed his nose at wrestling authority, Gregory has embraced a new attitude that includes disco dancing to and from the ring. Always happy to wrestle in Western Pennsylvania, Gregory has found a new utopia in the KSWA.

And most recently, Army Specialist Hunter Huffman is waving the Stars and Stripes to an adoring audience. The youngest of those KSWA Megastars mentioned here, Huffman has found an enthusiastic following whether he rides a golf cart to the ring at Hickory Heights Golf Course or shares a salute with ultimate Mario Ferraro Sr. Memorial Tournament Cup Champion Tyler Grayson, Huffman is the latest in an exclusive set of KSWA Megastars poised for opportunity. Huffman was one of the many KSWA Megastars who visited the Partners for Quality and Citizen Care for their summer picnic.

As his social media moniker claims, Hunter Huffman is “the son of a teacher, The Cinderella Man of professional wrestling and my stories just begun.”

In addition, none of us can remember the service of KSWA Kommissioner Tim Steiner, an active member of the Civil Air Patrol who helped secure the FanFest "Presentation of the Colors" that was never more significant than when they welcomed "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan to the Main Event to take on "Nasty Nick Crane" in 2014.

All of these brave and courageous men have embodied with the importance, the verve, the opportunity that arises in the United States, and as default, the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance.

Opportunities abound as the KSWA Megastars eagerly prepare for Brawl Under the Bridge in Homestead, PA on Saturday, July 15. For Huffman, he and the debuting “Big Tony” will team up for the very first time to take on the imposing Freek Show with Freek E. Doyle and the 400-plus-pound Man-Child. Both teams look to impress what is the biggest crowd of the year under the historic structure.

And in a KSWA Tag Team Title Golden Ticket Match, Gregory is set to take on the formidable Edric Everhart. The winner of this showdown will be able to chose a partner and at a later date take on the KSWA tag team champions, currently “Rev” Ron Hunt and “The Regent” Joshua Kavod, known collectively as the Apex. All four of these Megastars have held gold in Pittsburgh—the KSWA—and the goal of any wrestler is to add to their legacy.

There’s plenty of reasons why Americans celebrate opportunity, their Independence--their Freedom--on the 4th of July. Some may say it's never been more important to represent the United States of America in a popular light. And the KSWA leads in its own way.

Happy 4th to all of the Megastars and KSWA Krazies.