5 days Ago By Lohud | The Journal News
Former WWE wrestler Giovanni Roselli's pro wrestling career took him worldwide. He performed on live international TV at Madison Square Garden in 2005. One venue he always dreamed of wrestling in was his hometown Westchester County Center.
Roselli, who grew up in Harrison, gets that chance at 7 p.m. May 10.
He'll perform in what's promoted as his retirement match at Northeast Wrestling's WrestleFest XXVIII at the County Center. His opponent has not yet been announced.Roselli wrestled from 2000 to 2017, mostly under the name Romeo Roselli.
He wrestled for industry leader WWE from 2004 to 2007. He attended matches as a child at the County Center and looks forward to wrestling in front of his daughter for the first time."I've always had my eyes on working the County Center before I was done," said Roselli, who lives in Del Ray Beach, Florida, and works in the health and fitness industry.
"I want her to see me perform in the ring. It's a building that has a lot of history that means a lot to a lot of people."Roselli's daughter Juliet is 7 years old.
"I don't want to make it seem like Daddy is really going into the ring and fighting for his life," Roselli said. "She doesn't know if I am going to win or if I'm going to lose. She knows Daddy is going to keep himself safe in his last match.
"Local sports: Alex Berisha of Fox Lane headlines 2025 Westchester/Putnam boys wrestling all-starsNortheast Wrestling debuts at the County CenterWrestleFest is a huge event on Northeast Wrestling's calendar. New Windsor-based NEW is in its 30th year of operation. The event at the County Center begins with a 3 p.
m. meet and greet. Bell time for the wrestling card is 7 p.
m. Tickets are available at the County Center box office or via Ticketmaster and start at $40.Appearing at WrestleFest will be The Hardy Boyz, Kane, Mick Foley, Shelton Benjamin, MVP, Mickie James, Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, Lex Luger, Jerry "The King" Lawler, Boogeyman and Tito Santana.
The event is basically a combination of a fan fest and a wrestling card.Northeast Wrestling president Michael Lombardi has worked with Roselli, on and off, for 25 years. Roselli wrestled for NEW before he entered WWE in 2004 and after he left in 2007.
Lombardi said Roselli first started attending NEW cards as a fan and later as a photographer before he became a wrestler."There's a lot of history here," Lombardi said. "Everybody who's anybody has wrestled in the County Center from Bruno Sammartino to Hulk Hogan to Andre The Giant, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Cody Rhodes.
Romeo's wrestled in all the major arenas, but not this one. The County Center is the premier facility in the Hudson Valley and north of New York City. We couldn't ask for better partners than we have at the Westchester County Center.
"Why Romeo Roselli is returning to the ringWhy come back to the ring? Why now?"It was something me and Michael Lombardi talked about quite a bit," Roselli said. "It was a building I almost always wanted to work in and the stars kind of aligned and it came together. And my daughter is at a ripe old age where she has an understanding of what's going on.
We called the County Center and they had like one open date."Roselli remembers sitting in the balcony seats at the venue for the first time when he was a kid. His father and uncle owned a gas station in White Plains and Roselli said someone gave them tickets to see wrestling at the County Center.
Roselli was hooked that night and didn't miss a wrestling card there for years. He still has most of the match programs from the shows he attended.What Romeo Roselli has done outside of wrestlingIn his health and fitness career, Roselli trains clients, does presentations and workshops, as well as continuing education for trainers.
It's also led him to interesting connections, most notably training drummer Max Weinberg ahead of E-Street Band tours.Roselli said Weinberg is one of his biggest success stories."Max is no spring chicken.
Banging on the drums really hard for 3 hours-plus takes a lot out of you." Roselli said, "He has a great work ethic, so we work well together."Roselli said Weinberg was using a back brace on tours when they first started training together, but moved away from using it after training with him.
"It's one of the nicest success stories I could have heard," said Roselli, who also briefly trained E-Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt. "Helping someone get out of pain and not rely on some kind of medicine or equipment. He was stronger at 72 than he was at 52.
It's a credit to both of us working together."Romeo Roselli and his family coming homeRoselli said when he went to to the County Center as a fan, he always tried to get a seat in the front row at the corner where the wrestlers entered, so he could slap their hands. He added that his mom used to go to the County Center box office to get him tickets and would often drive him to the matches.
He said he expects many family and friends within a certain radius to come to the County Center May 10 to see him lace up his wrestling boots one last time."I think everybody knows what an important night this is for me," Roselli said. "It's my retirement where I'm going to go out.
For some family members, it's the first time they're going to see me wrestle. I can't think of a better way to close this chapter."What's Roselli most proud about in his wrestling career?"I'm proud of a lot of things, but what I'm most proud of is that I made a living as a pro wrestler," Roselli said.
"That's something that a lot of people didn't think I would be able to do. To have a job and being able to say, 'I'm a pro wrestler and I make a good living.' Not only when I was under contract (to WWE), but outside of that contract, as well.
"If you go: Northeast Wrestling's WrestleFest XXVIIIWhere: Westchester County Center, White PlainsWhen: Saturday, May 10. Meet and greet, 3 p.m.
; Wrestling card, 7 p.m.Appearing: Kane, Mick Foley, Mickie James, Lex Luger, Jerry "The King" Lawler, Boogeyman, Tito Santana, Velvet Sky.
In action: Romeo Roselli, The Hardy Boyz, Shelton Benjamin, MVP, Breezango (Fandango & Tyler Breeze), Mustafa Ali, Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, Swipe Right (Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes), Wrecking Ball Legursky, KC Navarro, Waves & Curls (Traevon Jordan & Jalen Brandyn).Tickets: Available at County Center box office and via Ticketmaster and start at $40. Inquiries for group, military and first responder discounts by email at newwrestling@yahoo.
comPhil Strum is an editor who oversees local sports for The Journal News/lohud.This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Westchester County Center to host NEW WrestleFest May 10. What to know.
