Final Bell Rings Familiar, Family Toll

Mike Perri, aka referee Jimmy James, embraces KSWA Owner Bobby O. Photo courtesy of P.J. Steele.

By Trapper Tom, Editor, KSWA Digest

Emotions ran high for the final Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (KSWA) event on December 6. For a quarter century, the KSWA wrestlers, known as the Megastars, were featured in matches in front of the fans, which were dubbed “Krazies” for 20 of those years.

Hundreds of athletes and personalities represented the KSWA since that first event at Peabody High School in February 2000 until the Final Bell at the American Legion in Sheraden.

Each of the men and women who worked under the KSWA banner have their own unique stories. The Perri family was one of the most instrumental in the annuals of the KSWA.

“Gentleman” Joe Perri was a beloved member of Western Pennsylvania’s wrestling community. A man who wore many hats, Joe was a referee, trainer manager and owner of a professional wrestling ring. In the KSWA’s early days, his squared circle was loaned out to the burgeoning organization. Somewhere along the line he started to bring a ring bell to each show and he’d clank the side after warming up the motion with a flutter of his right wrist.

During his time, Perri served as a top-tier manager of wrestlers. His “Gentleman’s Club” had a respected reputation for years before it was introduced to the KSWA’s fans in the Lawrenceville neighborhood within the city of Pittsburgh. And when the dastardly “International Thugs” dominated the scene with the likes of Ireland’s “Big” Mike Malachi, Afghanistan’s Ali Kaida, and even rogue military man Bosco Baracus, it was “Gentleman” Joe Perri leading the way.

"Gentleman" Joe Perri. Photo courtesy of Howard Kernats.

Later, Perri became a fan favorite and KSWA Kommissioner whose calm demeanor and steadfast decisions helped guide KSWA Owner Bobby O as well as KSWA Championship Committee. Always seconded to any show by his long-time girlfriend Cindy Klein, Perri was inducted into the KSWA Hall of Fame in 2017.

Not long after Perri entered the KSWA nearly 20 years ago, a young referee was right behind him. The young and impressionable Jimmy James made for a steady addition. He would work alongside a flurry of referees, from L. Justin Smith, the first Head Referee David Fedor, Mark Charles III and most notably, personal friend, Western Pennsylvania’s most revered rule enforcer and KSWA Hall of Famer Shawn Patrick.

Jimmy James learned a lot and put in his dues. When other referees weren’t available, Jimmy James served as the only in-ring authority and earned the moniker “The Iron Man” of the KSWA. It was an informal sash Jimmy James wore with pride.

In May 2020, Perri passed away after a long battle with cancer. Long-time friend Shawn Patrick called Perri a great “advocate” for the sport.

Around that same time, referee Jimmy James was starting to enter his mid 30’s and his boyish good looks started to resemble another familiar face. For the first time, Jimmy James was starting to look like his father.

Mike Perri gets emotional when KSWA Owner Bobby O gifts the "Joe Perri" Memorial Bell to Perri's only son. Photo by P.J. Steele.

Michael Perri long shared the same attributes as Gentleman Joe. Both men cared about the lives of the “family” they shared the ring with. And outside of the ring, both men shared incredible work ethics. There were times in which Mike Perri held down two full-time jobs simultaneously and still never missed a KSWA event.

After Joe Perri’s passing, the KSWA’s ring bell was repainted red and emblazoned with the name the “Joe Perri Memorial” bell. It was retrieved from a hard plastic carrying case. The tool, which ushered in hundreds of cards, dozens of title changes and thousands of matches, officially became iconic.

Right before The Final Bell on December 6, Owner Bobby O identified a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Jimmy James was seated in a wooden chair, patiently awaiting the Main Event. Bobby O took walked over and sat next to the referee. Bobby O explained the lineage of the bell and its importance to professional wrestling in Pittsburgh. And Bobby O said that Mike Perri would take his father’s prized possession with him after the night was to conclude.

Mike Perri broke down as Bobby O, who has been more like an Uncle than a standard-bearer for the KSWA, provided a familial hug, just like he and Gentleman Joe gave countless times over two decades.