Verona’s Battle in the Borough 4 benefits first responders

An event to benefit first responders wrapped up, fittingly enough, in an ambulance.

Verona’s Battle in the Borough 4 took place Aug. 20 at Cribbs Field, with the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance putting on a series of matches pitting “babyfaces,” as they call fan favorites, against villainous “heels.”

Culminating the festivities was KSWA Five Star Champion Joshua Kavod defending his title vs. Harley T. Morris, settling the score with an ambulance match: The only way to win is to stuff your opponent into the emergency vehicle and shut the doors. An EMS crew then drives off to treat the defeated.

As for the winner, no spoiler alert here.

The fourth annual fundraising wrestling extravaganza was organized by the Lower Valley Athletic Foundation and Verona Parks and Recreation Board — Timothy Long serves as president of both — with proceeds going to first-response entities including Lower Valley Ambulance Service, Verona Volunteer Fire Department and the borough police department.

“This was our best year to date, with well over 300 in attendance, including volunteers and the first responders who we were there to honor,” Long said. “Look forward to seeing the show again next year, tentatively scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 19.”

The event is structured to be entertaining for everyone, an aspect that impressed Trish Hredzak-Showalter, a member of Verona council.

“What I love about it is that it’s just such a family-friendly evening for all ages,” she said. “Everyone gets so into it, and it raises money for a lot of great causes. I didn’t realize how family-friendly it was when we initially put the event together a few years ago, but it really is a lot of all-ages fun.”

‘They are totally digging it’

Battle in the Borough 4 kicked off at 3 p.m. with members of School of Rock South Hills in Castle Shannon warming up the crowd with a wide variety of popular covers. The band also played entrance music for some of the wrestlers, in addition to keeping the crowd entertained during intermission.

School music director and general manager Dan Moore of Dormont said he brought the house band, which features nearly a dozen students ages 11 to 18. The students have performed at Verona Garden Club’s Botany and Booze fundraisers as well as other borough events over the years, and they were excited to showcase their talents again.

“It’s awesome. Kids are doing great and they are totally digging it,” Moore said. “I’m looking forward to them playing again next year, for sure.”

Lifelong Verona resident Ryan “Bubs” Alberts sung the National Anthem.

‘She helps out greatly’

During the event, Shirley Davis of Verona’s Hilltop neighborhood was recognized for her 30-plus years of volunteerism for the borough.

She received a certificate at intermission while accompanied by Long and Verona council member Vince Flotta.

“This is the second year that she’s volunteered for the concession stand (at Battle in the Borough),” Flotta said. “She helps out greatly. She also runs the Verona community dinners the last Wednesday of every month.

“She does a lot for the community, and not just Verona. She works with the churches in Oakmont.”

Davis is also involved in the food bank at Verona United Methodist Church, a summer youth camp at Cribbs Field and many other programs.

“The council wanted to recognize her, and we figured this was the best place to do it,” Long said.

Davis, 79, made quick work of the celebration and went back to helping people at the concession stand.

“I never expected anything,” she said. “You just help where you can help.”

She also played down her role in the aforementioned efforts and accolades.

“I don’t just do it myself,” Davis said. “There’s other people that help, too, just so many of us that help with the community dinners. Every month it rotates, but it’s always at Verona (United) Methodist Church.”

And the winner …

Champ Kavod and challenger Morris battled it out through the crowd, with Morris being thrown into a trash can and put through a table by a splash from Kavod off the top rope.

All the while, the match’s “heel” had to endure chants of “Harley sucks!” It got to the point where Morris had to respond. He took a fan’s megaphone and replied, “I don’t suck.”

Whatever the case, the champ would eventually retain his title with what appeared to be inadvertent help from Lower Valley Ambulance Service operations manager Jamey Lavelle, who shut the second door of the ambulance with Morris inside.

Lavelle had narrowly escaped a collision with Kavod, who dived out of the ambulance and onto Morris earlier in the match.

Earlier in the program, winners were Tyler Grayson over Sin Born, Justin Sane and “The Ram” Anthony Drake over Yinza The Pittsburgh Luchador and “Big Country” Matt McGraw, Dennis Gregory over Edric Everhart, “Face of Pittsburgh” Lou Martin over Shawn Blanchard in a lumberjack match, and KSWA heavyweight champ J. Ru defending his title against Shane Starr.

KSWA senior referee Shawn Patrick, known in wrestling circles as “The Pride of Springdale,” put it this way after the show was over:

“Nobody died. All right!”