SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — West Coast Pro Wrestling is taking over Fluid 510 in Oakland this Sunday, Oct.12 — and the Bay’s own wrestling promotion is ready to make it a night to remember.
Kor and Tor got the chance to talk with West Coast Pro founder Scott Bregante, who broke down how the promotion came to be, what makes it so special to the Bay, and what fans can expect from their Oakland debut.
Bregante said West Coast Pro started with a phone call from longtime trainer Sparky Ballard, who ran The Goldmine in Pacifica. “I was really involved in going to a lot of local shows and a lot of shows in Los Angeles,” he said. “He was like, ‘Hey man, you should give this a shot.’ We started our show in Pacifica, and really became West Coast Pro and got our identity in South San Francisco at the State Room. The rest is history — we’ve just been upwards and onwards the entire time.”
So why does Bregante think West Coast Pro is so important to the Bay Area? “Because it is the Bay Area,” he said.
That Bay Area pride is what drives everything they do. “We named our shows after prominent Bay Area albums,” he said. “Everything we did, I wanted it intertwined with the culture. I’m a very proud person to be from the Bay. Whenever people come to our show, they see it on our graphics, hear it from our playlist — they know exactly what they’re getting themselves into.”
West Coast Pro also runs the West Coast Pro Academy in Pacifica, where names like Vinnie Massaro, AEW’s Aaron Solo, and Starboy Charlie train the next generation. “I’m a firm believer that everyone can contribute to the world of pro wrestling,” Bregante said. “When they come to our center, we assess where their heart’s at, where their head’s at, and if they’re up to the capabilities we’re looking for. We have a very high standard.”
He talked a lot about Starboy Charlie, who he’s basically watched grow up in the business. “Charlie’s basically family,” Bregante said. “He grew up in front of our very eyes. He was just a young rookie, and now he’s leaps and bounds ahead of the curve. Wrestling is his life.”
This weekend’s event — “Put That On Somethin’” — is a nod to Oakland and its culture. “We’ve been wanting to come to Oakland for the longest time,” he said. “The Town is The Town, man. You can’t mention Oakland without mentioning Hoodslam — they’ve been running it forever. We wanted to come over there, show love, and bring our representation to Oakland. That name was just a nod — a sign of respect.”
West Coast Pro has become known for its mix of homegrown talent and stars from AEW, WWE, and Japan’s Marvelous. “You’ll see people at a West Coast show who’ll be on TV a few years later,” he said. “Jacob Fatu was our champion, and now he’s all over WWE. We’ve had Lee Moriarty, Brian Keith, Daniel Garcia — a lot of people the fans say were ‘adopted by the Coast.’”
Beyond the matches, Bregante said the energy of the shows is what makes them special. “We do our best to make sure everyone is safe and feels welcome,” he said. “We don’t want elitism or tribalism — just people coming to enjoy the greatest thing on Earth: pro wrestling.”
So what can fans expect this Sunday in Oakland? “The best pro wrestling you can afford at this level,” Bregante said. “If you ever wanted to know what pro wrestling looks like at its highest form before people get signed, this is it.”
For anyone who can’t make it in person, the show will stream for free on YouTube at West Coast Pro Wrestling. Tickets are available at westcoastpro.eventbrite.com, and fans can use the code WCOAK15 for 15% off.
“Put That On Somethin’” happens Sunday at Fluid 510 in Oakland.
As Bregante said — “This is W’s Up, West Coast.”
