The ODU Libraries and Virginia Championship Wrestling (VCW) will conduct “Beyond the Mat, Behind the Curtain: A Pro Wrestling Panel and Q&A” at the University Theatre on June 2. The event is free and open to the public. Panelists will include ODU associate professors Myles McNutt and Marc Ouelette along with VCW wrestler “Mr. Xcellence” Brandon Scott, Director of Operations Jerry Stephanitsis, and Talent Coordinator Jonathan Elliott. On June 3, the VCW will stage two shows at the ODU Volleyball Center – Matinee Mayhem at 2 p.m. and Primetime Pandemonium at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 per session and can be purchased online. Dean of University Libraries Tim Hackman co-hosts a WrestleMania podcast.
Campus Events to Highlight History and Culture of Pro Wrestling in Hampton Roads
By Joe Garvey
When Timothy Hackman, dean of University Libraries, learned that a professional wrestling show was scheduled for ODU’s campus, he couldn’t believe his good fortune.
“This is the coming together of my personal and professional interests,” he recalled thinking. “I can’t ignore this.”
The result is two events that will highlight the history and culture of pro wrestling in Hampton Roads.
At 7 p.m. June 2, the ODU Libraries and Virginia Championship Wrestling (VCW) will conduct “Beyond the Mat, Behind the Curtain: A Pro Wrestling Panel and Q&A” at the University Theatre. Hackman will serve as moderator for the discussion. Panelists will include ODU associate professors Myles McNutt (whose Ph.D. is in communication arts) and Marc Ouelette (who discussed pro wrestling on an episode of “With Good Reason” in 2021 and in a 2016 scholarly article) along with VCW wrestler “Mr. Xcellence” Brandon Scott, Director of Operations Jerry Stephanitsis (an ODU alumnus) and Talent Coordinator Jonathan Elliott. This event is free and open to the public.
Dean of University Libraries Tim Hackman co-hosts a WrestleMania podcast.
On June 3, the VCW will stage two shows at the ODU Volleyball Center – Matinee Mayhem at 2 p.m. and Primetime Pandemonium at 7 p.m. The evening card will feature a title match pitting Scott against Virginia heavyweight champion Boar. Tickets, which are $25 per session, can be purchased at this link.
Joshua Knibb, facilities manager for the Goode Theatre, and his student theater staff will provide production assistance for the shows.
Hackman’s interest in pro wrestling dates to his youth.
“When Hulkamania was running wild in the late ’80s, I was at that perfect age – right around 10 or 11 – to have it really grab me,” he said. “It was like a real-life cartoon. The characters were bigger than life. All my friends were into it. We would play wrestling in the backyard.”
Hackman drifted away from wrestling but would come back to it periodically over the years. However, meeting fellow librarian and wrestling fan Rich Sigwald at a conference in 2015 eventually took their fandom to another level.
During the height of the pandemic in 2020, when they “had a lot of time to fill, like everybody else,” they decided to watch all 37 WrestleManias (the annual event often called “the Super Bowl of pro wrestling”) in order and blog about them, Hackman said. After about a year, they tapped out on…
