My Second Family: How Wrestling’s DIY Spirit Thrives in Worcester
Guest Writer Jay Rubin is the ultimate Beyond Wrestling fan. Did you know you can catch professional live wrestling at White Eagle every Thursday? It’s a sport and,and many athletes train right in West Boylston at School Yahd. Get in on the action as Jay introduces What’s Up Worcester to this unique community.
The Set-up
What’s up Worcester, I’m Jason Rubin. If you had told the mid-30s me—the guy who was becoming less social and searching for authenticity—that I’d find my second family in a wrestling hall across Kelly Square, I wouldn’t have believed you.
My fandom started here, back when the Centrum hosted giants. But my heart always belonged to the intimate, chaotic energy of the local punk scene1—the kind of feeling you get seeing a band before they hit the big time. When I needed that energy again, I found Beyond Wrestling, a wrestling community that
The Moment of Connection
I first heard about a promotion that mirrored those early punk shows: small rooms, packed crowds, and fans standing right at the ropes, banging on the mat and shouting their lungs out. It sounded raw, real, and a little dangerous—just what I was looking for.
When I finally went to a show, I was anxious. But as I stood in line, chatting with fans about everything from old-school icons to Japanese promotions, I immediately felt at home. That night, I witnessed incredible athleticism, but the real shock was what happened after the final bell: the wrestlers came out, not as untouchable stars, but as real people, hustling, selling their merchandise, and talking about their life on the road.
I traded my anxiety for an obsession. I started attending every show, trading my front-row seat for a spot ringside, packed in tight, chanting alongside a community I barely knew but instantly trusted.
Building a Home, Not Just a Show
That community followed Beyond Wrestling to Worcester. First at The Electric Haze, and then making the ambitious leap to the White Eagle Hall. Suddenly, our scrappy independent promotion was running weekly shows, bringing future television stars to my city.
But the true victory came in 2022 with Wrestling Open. For just $10, I could witness the genesis of future legends. This wasn’t about glitz; it was about the hustle. It was about watching young wrestlers pay their dues, right here in Worcester, and it became my favorite thing in the world to watch them grow.
Today, on any given Thursday, when I climb the stairs at the White Eagle, I’m not just going to a wrestling match. I’m walking into a giant room where strangers have become my extended family. The feeling is electric: the cheers, the shared vulgarities, the deafening sound of hands hitting the mat.
Beyond Wrestling didn’t just find a venue in Worcester; it became the anchor for my personal community. It proved that the toughest, most hardworking, DIY spirit—the one I loved in punk rock—is alive and thriving every week, right here in our city.
The story of this community, however, is far from over. The dedication of everyone involved has already led to the creation of the Beyond Institute of Professional Wrestling, a school building the next generation of talent right here in Worcester. While Wrestling Open at the White Eagle continues “FOREVER,” this DIY engine is expanding its reach, now cultivating the scene in Cranston, Rhode Island, too.
Stay tuned for Part 2, where we’ll delve deeper into the training, the unique personalities forged in the ring, and how these local wrestlers are truly changing the game.
Meet Guest Writer Jason Rubin. 
Jay Rubin is your dedicated guide to the booming professional wrestling scene in Central Massachusetts. A passionate, lifelong fan and aspiring ring announcer, he focuses on the incredible weekly action from Beyond Wrestling/Wrestling Open at the White Eagle in Worcester. When he's not writing about the action or working his day job, you can find him making memories with his 8-year-old daughter, or planning his next caribean vacation.His mission? To inspire you to get off the couch and experience a local show!
Writer: Jay Rubin for What’s Up Worcester, Editor: Betsey Taft Kennedy, Contact: betsey@whatsupworcester.com or press@whatsupworcester.com
- Learn about Wormtown Punk history in this WCVB video on Youtube, featuring Tim Murray! ↩︎
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