BY VINCE BRIGA

New York state's history with professional wrestling stretches over 70
years, from the territory days of Vince McMahon Sr., to the sold-out WrestleManias of today.

But for decades, promoters from the WWE to local independents have been hampered by strict regulations and heavy scrutiny from the state’s
athletic commission.

Now, Sen. Tim Kennedy is looking to step in.

For many, professional wrestling is an art form, and the ring is their
canvas. It’s a proving ground for the superstars of tomorrow and a dream
to headline some of the top companies in the world.

A dream Xcite Wrestling owner John Musok wants to make a reality for this
group

"At the end of the day, everybody that's here, it's because we love pro wrestling,” Musok said. “I mean, when we were a kid, we watched it. We
saw the superheroes. They're real life. And now we get to do it.”

But putting shows in front of New York fans isn’t easy, especially for smaller companies like Xcite.

Professional wrestling, under the current state athletic commission, is
held to the same standard as boxing and mixed-martial arts. This sports entertainment is considered a combat sport under New York regulations.

For Musok, that means spending thousands of dollars per show just to
entertain fans, and that’s before he pays the wrestlers.

"We have to have a yearly license. We have to have a $20,000 surety bond.
You have to have an ambulance at every show,” Musok said. “And an
ambulance can cost you $100 an hour. I pay $300 an hour for the ambulance
and you run a three-hour show. You're paying almost $1,000 just for the ambulance.”

It’s a pricey endeavor, but one that could change in the near future.

Sen. Tim Kennedy has introduced a bill to review the state’s regulations
for pro wrestling, hoping to see it treated differently than boxing and
MMA. That could mean less fees, and more ways for promotors like Musok to
make a living doing what they love.

While he doesn’t want to see all regulations go away, he does agree there needs to be some happy medium

"We don't want to necessarily get rid of ambulances or doctors,” Musok
said. “There's got to be a good compromise on what we can do for costs. A
lot of ambulance companies don't have staffing, so they're charging more
or they can't do the events at all.”

In one case, Musok nearly had to cancel a show altogether when the
scheduled doctor pulled out the night before.

This, after he had already spent thousands of dollars on flights to bring talent to Xcite.

But these run-ins with the commission aren’t anything new.

"We were the only company in New York state that ran for 15 months by
working hand in hand with the commission to come up with regulations so wrestling companies like mine could run,” Musok said. “And as soon as
shows started happening again, two months later, I got fined.”

A $1,000 fine at that, for allowing Brodie Huber, the son of fallen pro wrestler Jon Huber, into the ring during a tribute to his father, because
he was a minor.

But despite all the challenges and regulations that come with the job, Musok’s goal remains the same.

"We just want to keep doing it, and we want to entertain fans and we want
to have kids come and have that same experience,” Musok said. “But they don't have to spend all that money on a WWE show. They can come here in
our own little arena and experience it like we did. That is the best
thing ever.”

read more at: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/binghamton/news/2023/06/18/wrestling- with-regulations--n-y--state-could-make-changes-to-pro-wrestling-laws

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