Saturday Night Sports at Fitton Field

A Unique Night of Baseball and Wrestling

Worcester — Chris Dijak will spend the afternoon of July 26 celebrating the fifth birthday of his daughter, Amelia, with family and friends. After opening gifts, blowing out candles, and enjoying a slice of cake, he will head to work.

“I’m going to be spending Saturday celebrating my daughter’s birthday and then heading to the wrestling show at the baseball stadium,” said Dijak, a 2005 Lunenburg High graduate who now lives in Brookline, New Hampshire, with his wife, Ashley, and their children, Connor, 7, and Amelia. “So that’s kind of a fun thing.”

A wrestling show at a baseball stadium? For Dijak, it's just another day in the life of a professional wrestler. The 6-foot-8, 265-pound athlete, who previously wrestled on the WWE platform and now performs on the independent circuit, has appeared at various venues, including LeLacheur Park in Lowell and Maimonides Park on Coney Island.

This time, however, the event is different. Dijak, known in the ring as Donovan Dijak, will face Spencer Slade, a hearing-impaired pro wrestler from Pennsylvania, in a special challenge main event while a baseball game is being played at Fitton Field. This unique combination is part of an event called Basebrawl.

A First-of-Its-Kind Event

“Basebrawl. The first time ever that I can think of that I can think of that wrestling and baseball are taking place simultaneously on the same night in the same venue,” said Caleb Seltzer, the promoter and executive producer of Marlborough-based Rebel Spirit Pro Wrestling. “I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

The Futures League-leading Worcester Bravehearts will play against second-place Vermont in a marquee matchup starting at 6:30 p.m. Meanwhile, the wrestling event will take place under the event tent in the left field pavilion and is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.

Seltzer is excited about the potential for crossover action between the two events. “If there’s a regulation game going on when there’s professional wrestling happening within yards of it, I wouldn’t put it past anybody to see some action actually spilling out onto the field,” he said, sounding like a carnival barker.

One rumor that has gained traction is a showdown between mascot rivals Jake the Lion of the Bravehearts and the evil Twister of the defunct Worcester Tornadoes. While it may sound far-fetched, Seltzer isn’t ruling it out.

“The mascots have some heat, and I think they finally have a venue to settle their score once and for all on the 26th,” Seltzer said with a sly grin.

A Passion for Sports and Wrestling

Dijak, 38, played baseball as a child and even caught the attention of the late Ron Lamothe, a Blue Knights Hall of Fame coach, during his eighth-grade year. However, he eventually followed in the footsteps of his older brother, Jason, a 2002 LHS graduate, and became a three-sport athlete in football, basketball, and track.

“I probably more than any other sport I played, there is a precision to baseball in terms of hand-eye coordination (I don’t quite have),” Dijak said. “I don’t think I missed my calling or anything by throwing the shot put and discus instead. But, yeah, I’ve always loved baseball and enjoyed the sport. I was a huge Red Sox fan growing up.”

After high school, Dijak played football and basketball for four years each at Bridgewater State University, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal justice. He began his wrestling career in 2013, signed with WWE four years later, and remained with the organization until his release 13 months ago.

Now, as a road warrior on the independent circuit, Dijak has performed in cities such as Chicago, Louisville, Atlanta, and even New Delhi, India, after an 18-hour flight.

A Homecoming for Dijak

Wrestling close to home for local promotions like Rebel Spirit Pro Wrestling, Lucky Pro Wrestling, and Beyond Wrestling is a welcome change for Dijak.

“I’ve really been all over the world this year, so anytime I have the opportunity to wrestle five minutes down the road in front of my kids, that’s what I love to do,” Dijak said.

Tickets for the event, which include admission to both the baseball game and wrestling show, start at $22 and can be purchased at rebelspiritpro.com and worcesterbraveheartsstore.com.