With Total Inferno, a collaboration between Arena Kage Wrestling (AKW) and Women’s Championship Wrestling (WCW), just days away on Saturday August 29th, The Pharaoh: Tony Ricca (WWE) is locking up with an old rival in Johnny Street Justice again.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Ricca, real name Thomas Ricca, said the professional wrestling grudge match is 34 years in the making, as they fought back in the day. But this time it is for four belts: AKW Championship, WCW title, in the men’s division, his Yo, Yo, Yo and Oh, Yeah straps, as well as to settle an old score.
The two federations began in 1999/2020, but the COVID 19 Lockdown ceased it after one match took place before New Jersey went totally dark. Ricca always had it in the back of his mind. But it will soon become a reality, nonetheless, and provide another opportunity to inspiring female pro grapplers.
“I wanted it again, but it was slow walking,” said Ricca, who is the founder, and was a promoter, for both outfits, and now serves in an advisor role to the promotions run by his son Tommy Ricca, Jr. “We just kept things on hold until the time was right. I started WCW to bring women into today’s wrestling world, to give them an open door to professional wrestling.”
As far as winning or not, Ricca said he just wants to entertain the pro wrestling fans.
“I’m not worried about getting pinned,” the Hammonton, N.J., native said. “I just want to make it work. Everything is about the story that has been written.”
Ricca first got his big break in July 1991, as he wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) on a Superstars of Wrestling taping against WWE Hall of Famer Hacksaw Jim Duggan.
Trained under the legendary Larry Sharpe at the iconic Monster Factory pro wrestling training facility for a few years, Ricca came up with his present in-ring character after seeing the Ten Commandments on T. V. one day.
“I was watching the Ten Commandments in 1992, and I was at my house, and said, ‘that’s it. That’s the persona I want,'” recalled Ricca, a former taekwondo World Champion and accomplished powerlifter. “That’s where it hit.”
Moreover, he wanted to stand out from other wrestlers, so he sought out to learn a move that not many pro wresters were performing at the time.
“I asked for private lessons from a Bolivian man at the gymnastic center where I took my daughter,” Ricca, who has not lost a match as The Pharaoh, remembered. “I wanted to do a certain type of moonsault (a top rope flip facing away from the supine opponent), close to the turnbuckle, and fast. Remember, a lot of wrestlers weren’t doing it back then. I learned to do it by stacking mats together to land on them. I never did it in a ring.”
Then came that faithful match when Ricca executed it for the first time in a squared circle.
“I went to the top rope, and looked at the crowd, and said to myself, ‘what am I doing?”‘ chuckled Ricca, who has wrestled for 36 years. “It was probably the best one I ever did of all the ones I ever did. The velocity was fast, and the (crowd) pop was big. I got the pin.”
That moonsault opened up a slew of inquiries for his pro wrestling services, he noted. “I was getting calls from everyone,” he said. “It was crazy. You don’t know with those kinds of moves what will happen.”
Things were progressing well with WWF in his first year with the promotion, with a three-year deal in the works, he recalled. But he busted his wrist in a car accident.
“What a mess it was at that time,” Ricca said, with worry in his voice as he remembered the trying time. “I was told everything was still on the table. But things changed. I got married. My wife was talking kids. I would’ve been on the road a lot. Plus, my wrist took a long time to heal.
“I talked to Gorilla (Monsoon, a WWE HOFamer). “I’m not saying no, but he understood where I was,” he continued. “He understood family came first. I don’t regret a thing.”
He now has two children: daughter Gabby Ricca, who was the United States Association of Independent Gymnastic Clubs/International Association of Independent Gymnastic Clubs (USAIGC/IAIGC) Gymnastics International World Championship two-time gold medal winner in 2014 at the age of 12, was an up-and-coming pro wrestler, and now a works as a ring girl for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. And his son Thomas Ricca, Jr., who operates Cannoli Capeesh in Hammonton, N. J., a food truck, and other successful business ventures including being a part of the pro wrestling creative team at AKW and WCW.
Presently, Tony Ricca keeps himself busy by working at the family-owned Italian bakery, competing when he can, and owning a strong social media presence on platforms such as Instagram, where he has over a million followers.
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Photo: AKW and WCW.