Hard steel legs ground green leather chairs that surround the ring. All that separates you from the action is a steel fence barricade. More than 600 people wait in anticipation for a 7 p.m. bell time. 

Five rows of seven chairs line the ring on each side. Fans fill the seats, eagerly waiting, sitting with red entrance stamps on their right hands. Tickets have been ripped, and the pizza is hot. The stage has been set. It’s Saturday night, and it’s a night for wrestling at the Eastbrook Center in Mansfield.

Nearly 30 minutes before bell-time and the building is packed. On February 7, 617 people made their way inside the Eastbrook Center, leaving the frigid 32-degree temperature at the door. 

Fans piled inside, ready to watch the American States Wrestling Alliance latest show, “Saturday Night Slam.” In so doing, they will watch Ashland University graduate Cody White deliver them the wrestling matches they desperately want to see. 

The show is standing room only, even after extra chairs were brought out to the main floor.

For many who are unfamiliar with professional wrestling, the ASWA is an independent wrestling organization located in the Mansfield/Ashland area. The ASWA was started in 1989 and has been serving local wrestling fans ever since. 

Sanctioned by the Ohio Athletic Commission, the promotion has been featured in numerous magazines, newspapers, radio programs and TV shows throughout the years and has featured some of the top stars of the business from World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and Impact Wrestling.   

The crowd was hyped and ready for some action-packed wrestling, thanks in large part to 

the young ASWA ring announcer White, a 2012-graduate of AU. 

Nearly an hour-and-a half before bell-time, White personally greets fans throughout the venue. You would be hard pressed to find him getting from one place to another without stopping and either taking pictures or shaking hands with some of the local fans. 

Before the action gets underway, White is in the ring, promoting a variety of things, from raffle tickets, to the next ASWA local event, Spring Sting, on April 11. He excitedly urges the fans on-hand to purchase tickets for the next event as soon as possible so they do not miss out on what ASWA calls, “a night full of thrills, chills and bone crunching spills.”

During the action, White spends most of his time looking upon the matches from a table located at ringside. While the intense action unfolds in front of him, he looks on with great anticipation. 

In the blink of an eye, White is ready to energetically announce the winner of every match, acknowledging the winner in the middle of the ring. Following the match, White keeps the action moving by vibrantly introducing the upcoming match, setting up the scene as the competitors make their way towards the squared circle. 

His intense introductions are one-of-a-kind among the independent wrestling scene. He even gets the occasional shove from an in-ring competitor, but that doesn’t change the professionalism White has during each and every ASWA show he announces.   

White arrived at AU in the fall of 2008 and got involved in many different on-campus activities.

 “I was involved with the band program, the choir program, I wrote for the Collegian for three years,” says White. “I was with the Ashbrook program for five semesters. I worked for the International Club for two years, worked with Information Technology for a little bit, and I worked with the AU office of public relations, which was my main job on campus.” 

He even wrote about minor league professional wrestling for The Collegian once.

During his time at AU, White was a speech communication major with an emphasis in public relations. He also minored in journalism, sparking his interest in The Collegian. White was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon as well as the Kappa Kappa Psi band honorary.

White got his start in professional wrestling during his junior year, spring of 2011. He was a good friend with former AU wrestler Jake Southwick, now known professionally as Sawyer Fulton of WWE’s developmental organization, NXT. 

At the encouragement of Southwick, White began to attend a local gym that other ASWA talents train at. At this time, White was interested in becoming a wrestling manager. However, in December of that same year and at the request of ASWA talents, White began his time as the official ASWA ring announcer. 

“Professional wrestling is, in my opinion, the greatest art form in sport,” says White. “No one does it better than the American States Wrestling Alliance. We combine that perfect mix of old-school wrestling with new-school talent.” 

White wants to reassure fans that the ASWA is not a “fly-by night organization.” The ASWA holds to the motto that the organization “has and will always hold true to the history and tradition of professional wrestling as well as keeping things fresh and current to entertain its mass of fans.” 

In regards to professional wrestling and how it can relate to AU students, White has a strong opinion. 

“Every student should come to an ASWA show, simply because it is better than Club 42, it is better than staying in and watching whatever CAB movie is going on,” says White. “You will not find a more entertaining experience in the Ashland/Mansfield area, than with the American States Wrestling Alliance.” 

He encourages students to step outside their normal routine and comfort zone and to try something different, maybe something you have never done. 

“And if you’ve never even seen a wrestling match, you have got to put that on your bucket list,” says White. “That is a must for any AU student is to come see an ASWA show. They will not be disappointed.”