Hoodslam, the raucous, inclusive and often bewildering wrestlefest that usurped the heart of Oakland and the greater independent wrestling audience, is set to end its year-plus hiatus with a duo of events on Aug. 6 and 8.

Speaking with Outsports, Hoodslam owner and out pro wrestler Dark Sheik confirmed Hoodslam’s return to live events with crowds at its home venue, the Oakland Metro Operahouse.

“The Oakland Metro [Operahouse] has put together an outdoor setting that, oh let’s say, could fit 250 people with a ring,” Dark Sheik told Outsports. “This is something that I’m looking forward to doing.”

The August return marks the first proper Hoodslam event since March 6, 2020’s Moonsault Sonata 2020 event. The company’s last event before going on a pandemic-induced hiatus was held under its GLAM banner, Deadly Alliance 1.5, on March 13, 2020.

Dark Sheik

Dark Sheik held her LGBTQ Pride show, Fearless, on June 25 but stressed it isn’t being held as a proper Hoodslam event.

Dark Sheik stated that tickets were likely going to be more expensive due to the restrictions on crowd size and doesn’t know when, or if, Hoodslam events will move back indoors with full capacity. But she remains excited to bring the Bay Area favorite promotion back in its hometown on its original schedule of running every first Friday of the month.

“Maybe we’ll go back to doing first Fridays in this place for a while until we know that we want to be inside a building again,” Dark Sheik said. “I’m not in a rush to endanger anybody. I’m vaccinated, but the future is uncertain … I don’t want anyone to feel like I sold them something that they didn’t know they were getting into.

“After that, do we go back to where we used to be? Will it be awesome and huge like it once was? Will it be so awesome outdoors that we never want to go back? Who knows, but my vision is in motion.”

Hoodslam’s return also comes with a tease from Dark Sheik about some possible crossovers with Game Changer Wrestling, a popular independent promotion Dark Sheik has wrestled for multiple times throughout the pandemic. GCW is currently scheduled to run an event in Los Angeles on Aug. 7.

“[GCW is] probably going to be on the West Coast around that first Friday in August. Maybe I can get some of them to come play with us,” Dark Sheik said. “Wouldn’t it be fun to do Dark Sheik vs. Joey Janela; maybe Drugs Bunny vs. Allie Catch?”

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