A longtime wrestling duo with deep roots in Oshkosh will step into the ring one last time to give back to the community that helped shape them.
Dylan Postl, a former decade-long WWE superstar known as Hornswoggle, will host his final tag team with Nick Colucci on Friday, April 24 at 6 p.m. for a local charity event at Oshkosh West High School.
“I’m the godfather of his son,” Postl said. “His kids are like my kids. My son looks up to him so much, not only in wrestling but in life. It’s just one of those things where I’m really lucky to have a best friend for 30 years and still be closer than ever.”
Postl and Colucci have worked together in wrestling for decades, even becoming business partners starting back in 2013 when they launched All-Star Championship Wrestling (ACW). However, Colucci is planning on closing the professional wrestling side of his career, while maintaining his business endeavors.
“The emotions are definitely there,” Colucci said. “It’s a weird mix for me. Like the feeling of fulfillment or accomplishment, but still sad in a way.”
This will allow Colucci to be even more hands-on at the ACW shows because he no longer has to worry about wrestling. The ACW started as a small show with 125 fans, quickly thriving into an organization with 250-300 attendees per show. It has brought in crowds of more than 2,000 at larger venues and runs more than a dozen events each year.
The ACW has two separate classes, a beginner class and a mid-range class, where wrestlers train twice a week, ranging in age.
Postl’s favorite part is when the students on graduation day sit down and talk about the biggest takeaway from training.
“Their answers are the most rewarding things that come from it,” Postl said. “It’s not (about) being able to put on shows with the talent that we coach (or) that we teach.”
Most of the ACW shows are students who graduate from the training program.
“Now our shows, while we still have local talent, outside of our training school, our shows are 95% students from our training school,” Postl said.
The company was built on the bond of Postl and Colucci’s friendship.
“Our paths differ pretty drastically throughout our careers, but that’s a huge part of our success as partners,” Colucci said. “We look at things from different angles to make the best product.”
The charity event at Oshkosh West is special because Postl and Colucci both have teenagers that attend the school.
The two other charity events the ACW did to raise money for the school’s athletic department raised more than $10,000.
“I think it’s important to give back to the community in any way we can,” Colucci said. “My son is a senior at West this year, so it’s cool that we get to have a show while he’s still there.”
The event also holds personal significance for Postl, a 2004 graduate of Oshkosh West, where eight current roster members also attended and two former teachers are still on staff.
“The city of Oshkosh holds a really special place in my heart,” Postl said. “I’ve lived here my whole life. I’ve been all around the world with WWE, but no place has ever felt like home, and (Oshkosh) West is a big part of that. I just have so many memories at that school, and now my son is going there,” Postl said.
The devotion from the fans makes it easier for the wrestlers to want to give back to the city.
“We’ve had such awesome support from our fans and from the community,” Postl said. “It all goes back to the athletic department.”
The largest Wisconsin wrestling event, WaterCity Wrestling Con, will be hosted at the Oshkosh Convention Center on May 16 with doors opening at 4 p.m., followed by a greet and meet, and showtime starting at 6:30 p.m.
“This year, we have the most stacked lineup we’ve ever had,” Postl said. “There will be ten matchups with WWE Hall of Famers and living legends in attendance, like ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan, Mark Henry, Mickie James, Chavo Guerrero, Tyson Kidd, Mustafa Ali, Eddie Kingston, etc.”
Postl said wrestlers spent their mornings walking downtown Oshkosh and enjoying what the city has to offer before matches.
“They always say how much they love this city,” Postl said. “How cool is it for me to be able to bring these guests who have been all around the world, major markets, small towns, and how much they just love the feeling of small-town Oshkosh?”
Colucci’s final match will come against Kingston in a highly anticipated showdown.
“I want to make sure I give the fans what they want to see,” Colucci said. “At the end of the day, I don’t get to live my dream for 23 years without the fans, so it was important to me to deliver on my side by having the match they want.”
Postl and Colucci’s ACW wrestling business has helped spread wrestling locally in the Fox Valley; that’s no different with the charity at Oshkosh West on April 24 and WaterCity Wrestling Con on May 26.
“I describe pro wrestling like ice cream — not everyone likes every kind, but there’s something for everyone,” Postl said.
