You know it’s fake, right?

Yeah yeah, we know. We figured we’d get that snarky comment out of the way. Yes, professional wrestling has scripted outcomes, but so does your favorite television show. Plus, the athleticism, conditioning and choreography that goes into wrestling cannot be faked.

And now that athleticism is on display in Everett.

Without A Cause (WAC) is the first promotion to pop up in Everett since the late 90s, and Max Zaleski, owner and Everett High grad, is excited to bring wrestling back to Mill Town.

“I was born and raised in Everett.” Zaleski said. “(Everett) has always been my home. Riverside is where I grew up.”

“I remember the (Everett) Armory across the way from our venue having wrestling in the late 90s early 2000s,” Zaleski said. “I figured there were too many things down in Seattle why not bring (wrestling) up to Everett.”

Zaleski and WAC are drawing talent from all over the world to step between the ropes at Normanna Lodge.

“Thunder Rosa, who is Kobra Moon on Lucha Underground… she came in. She was incredible,” Zaleski said. “All of the names that we’ve reached out to are, A, very excited to come in or B. inquisitive."

“They’re like ‘well wrestling’s not a thing up there yet,’ but it’s changing now. With people talking good words about (wrestling in the Pacific Northwest) people will give us more of a chance.”

If you haven’t been following wrestling since the days of Hulk Hogan or even The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, times have changed. Gone are the over-the-top fantastical characters of the 80s or the crass and crude antics of the “Attitude Era” in the late 90s.

Wrestling today, especially on the independent scene, is more of a display of athleticism and skill, with the story being told inside of the ring more than on a microphone.

That being said, WAC’s events have a bit of an edge rather than WWE’s smooth and kid-friendly model.

“Its definitely kid-friendly, but it's not geared toward kids like a WWE show is … geared toward younger children,” Zaleski said.

Usually independent wrestling events attract wrestling fans in their 20s and 30s that enjoy both the athleticism and the business and booking side of wrestling.

WAC is bringing its second event, Shatter The System, to Normanna Lodge November 18.

“We wanted to do something a little bit different (with Shatter The System). We saw that there wasn’t a lot of women talent coming up to this area so we wanted to make sure that someone like a Holidead could come in and wrestle,” Zaleski said.

Speaking of Holidead, she’ll be going up against Bambi Hall for the 3-2-1 Solid Steel Championship.

The main event will feature Pitfall Jones vs. Effy.

“Effy is a wonderful wrestler from Florida. They’re LGBT friendly … and a promo machine,” Zaleski said. “Pitfall Jones is a name that everyone in the area knows. He was 3-2-1 Battle’s Seattle Underground Wrestling Champion for a long time.”

Zaleski and the WAC crew are in it for the long haul in Everett—the next two shows are coming next year, with the first already booked out.

“Janurary 13,” Zaleski said. “We’re bringing in seven independent names. It’s going to be the biggest showcase of all different sorts of talent that Washington State has ever seen.”

“It’s going to be bananas.”

As long as the January show is a hit, WAC will be in Everett for a long time. “I don’t see us not being around for another two or three or five or seven shows,” Zaleski said.

We hope that Without A Cause will be around for many more than that.

Ohhhhh yeahhhh.

WITHOUT A CAUSE VOLUME 2: Shatter the System

Tickets and info

Henry J is a writer, editor and podcast producer for Live in Everett. He lives in the Northwest Neighborhood and one time high-fived John Cena at a WWE house show in Portland and has video proof just ask.