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Santa Clara native and resident, Stevie Balla, better known in wrestling as "Ironman" Kimo Kanaloa.
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At TroopSlam, the first-ever professional wrestling event in Santa Clara on Saturday, May 10, Santa Clara native and resident Stevie Balla will be wrestling as ³Ironman Kimo Kanaloa,² hoping to earn a spot in the main event match.
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Known in wrestling circles as "Irresistible" Jason Styles ‹ a cocky,arrogant and charismatic wrestler ‹ Jason Rogers is a Santa Clara native now residing in nearby Campbell.
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TroopSlam Brings Fun to Fundraising:
Professional Wrestling Show to Honor Local Veterans, Raise Funds for Santa Clara VFW Misison Post 3982
By Robert Haugh
While the popularity of professional wrestling has grown exponentially in recent decades, becoming an ever-clear part of American pop culture, it’s no wonder that there’s a myriad of small independent wrestling shows transpiring in towns across America on any given day.
However, it’s surprising to know that history will be made, as the first-ever professional wrestling event will be held in Santa Clara on Saturday, May 10.
Among the wrestlers in action at the benefit show honoring local veterans and troops include a former Wilcox Charger and a former Santa Clara High School Bruin.
While they won’t be pounding each other into the mat or knocking each other upside the head Santa Clara natives Stevie “Ironman Kimo Kanaloa” Balla and Jason “Styles” Rogers will be among over 20 wrestling stars slamming and banging, performing an array of wrestling maneuvers in the squared circle on May 10th.
Currently working as a test programmer for a Santa Clara-based printed circuit board manufacturing company, “Ironman” is hoping to do his friends and family proud --- many having never seen him wrestle in-person before. However, he has many obstacles ahead.
A Santa Clara resident having attended Pomeroy, Buchser and Santa Clara High Schools, he will be vying to compete for a shot at the coveted TroopSlam championship belt. By duking it out with fellow Big Time Wrestling stars Mike Silva and “Glamorous” Ryan Von Kool of San Jose, he has a shot at advancing into the main event match.
Whoever fends of his BTW comrades by winning the Young Lion’s challenge three-way match, their evening will be far from over, as they will move advance face fierce competition with wrestling stars El Chupacabra, Brian Cage and Ridiculous Mike Rayne in a four-way battle for the TroopSlam title.
“It’s going to be great. I’ve always wanted to wrestle in my hometown, it’s a dream come true,” says an excited “Ironman.”
Outside of pile-driving foes into the mat, “Kimo” enjoys riding his Suzuki GSX-R motorcycle, playing basketball (he plays for San Jose’s Asian Basketball League) and spending time with his family --- especially his cousins and his fiancé Maricia Contente.
“My cousins and I like to get together for group day rides and go wherever the road takes us … we have a special bond and try to spend as much time as possible together.”
“Kimo” says he never expected to become a wrestler, as throughout high school, he was only about 5-foot-8 and 130 pounds. He wrestled briefly during his sophomore year, but never became very involved in athletics until after high school when he blossomed into a stronger and bigger frame --- now 5-foot-11, 210 pounds.
Before getting into wrestling, he spent time playing basketball at Central Park, stating that the giant fountain at Franklin Mall by the bus stop was one of his favorite childhood “hot spots.”
Known in wrestling circles as “Irresistible” Jason Styles --- a cocky, arrogant and charismatic wrestler --- “The Irresistible One” is a Santa Clara native now residing in nearby Campbell.
A 1988 graduate of Wilcox High School, Jason featured as Santa Clara Weekly’s athlete of the week in 1987 --- for stellar play on the gridiron. He also played football for the Mission City Gridiron Club [Pop Warner].
“I still consider Santa Clara my home. It was a cool City and still is a great place,” says “The Irresistible One.”
Jason recalls cruising El Camino (now illegal), Cinema 150, Moonlite drive-in, Moby Dick Bike shop and Stan’s Donut’s as some of his favorite Santa Clara past times.
Living in Santa Clara until he was 19, when he left California to attend Benedictine College in Kansas on a football scholarship, he eventually returned to finish his education in the Bay Area.
“It’s cool to come back to Santa Clara,” he adds --- winking humorously while thinking how he will go about annihilating his TroopSlam foe, Chico Navarro --- who is one his students at The House of Wrestling training school in Fremont.
“TroopSlam: A Wrestling Show Honoring Veterans and Troops,” takes place on Saturday, May 10 at the VFW 3982 Hall, 1313 Franklin Street (at Monroe). Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids under 12. Call 408-893-7190 or E-mail
TroopSlam@aol.com for more information.
To make a tax deductible donation on behalf of TroopSlam to Santa Clara’s VFW Hall, mail checks payable to “VFW 3982” with “TroopSlam” on the memo line to VFW, 1313 Franklin Street, Santa Clara, CA, 95050.
