A.J. “Tony” Petrucci of Jim Thorpe and his wife Marjorie have quite a contrast in style.

Marjorie is a volunteer in a local older adults group.

A.J. works out in the gym, where he lifts 700 pounds. And, he is a professional wrestler.

Even at age 70, Petrucci still remains active in the ring. He’ll be stepping through the ropes on Saturday night in McConnellsburg, Fulton County as the headliner in a tag team bout.

The fact is, he has been semiretired. But it’s hard for him to say no when a promoter calls. And they keep calling.

He wrestles with tag team partner Doug Stahl. Together they’re the Super Destroyers, who have the distinction of being the longest reigning ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) tag team champions, holding the title for 283 days.

On Saturday night, he and Stahl will be part of a six-man tag team match. The Super Destroyers will be teaming with Butch Hess to oppose former WCW star Bobby Starr and The Pony Express. The manager for Petrucci’s team will be another local resident, Gabe Fritz.

Bell time is 6 p.m. with proceeds benefiting the Special Olympics. Petrucci is volunteering his time for this event because it is a benefit close to his heart. Tickets will be sold at the door.

A lifelong resident of Jim Thorpe, Petrucci formerly wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation (now called WWE - World Wrestling Entertainment) where he faced such superstars as Tony “Mr. USA” Atlas, The Junkyard Dog, Hillbilly Jim, Ernie Ladd (who was also a pro football star) and Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake.

In the WWE, Petrucci traveled to Hawaii, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Australia and New Zealand. He was with the WWE from 1984 to 1989.

After leaving the WWE, Petrucci joined ECW, which at the time was the third-largest entity in professional wrestling.

Since then, Petrucci has been involved in various wrestling promotions. Earlier this year, he was inducted into the USWF Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame. On April 21, 2012, he was also inducted into the IPWA (Independent Pro Wrestling Association) Hall of Fame.

In 2004, Petrucci won the NWL heavyweight championship. A year later, he was wearing three belts at once: the heavyweight championship, the TV title and the tag team championship.

Pro mat career

wasn’t planned

Petrucci is a 1969 graduate of Jim Thorpe High School. He is the son of the late Anthony “AJ” and Irene (Snisky) Petrucci. His wife is the former Marjorie Gasker, also a Jim Thorpe High School graduate.

They have two children, Jason and Suzanne, both adults. Neither is involved in pro wrestling.

After graduating from high school, Petrucci went to work for Bethlehem Steel. He got laid off in 1982 and waited to be called back. Meanwhile, he was getting out of shape and ballooned to 340 pounds.

His father convinced him to lose some pounds, so he decided to start working out. While jogging one day, his life unexpectedly changed forever.

Petrucci never planned to be a professional wrestler. He didn’t even watch wrestling on TV.

He was a friend of the late Tom Chapman, a Jim Thorpe resident who at the time was one of the main referees in the WWF. Chapman was a regular ref on the televised TV wrestling shows.

One day while Petrucci was running in his exercise routine, as he approached the Jim Thorpe monument, a large black car pulled up next to him. Inside was Chapman and professional wrestlers Chief Jay Strongbow and “Captain” Lou Albano.

Chapman asked if he would like to go with them to see a pro wrestling show at the prestigious Madison Square Garden in New York. He did and saw his first wrestling show.

Chapman then persuaded him to attend a show in Agricultural Hall in Allentown. There he met Atlas.

One thing led to another and on Dec. 26, 1983, he decided to go to professional wrestling school conducted by Tony Altemore in Orange, Connecticut. By now, his weight was down to 300 pounds.

Three months into training, at the age of 29, he had his first match in Phillipsburg, New Jersey against B. Brian Blair. He was down to 240 pounds for that bout. He was put into the Blair match without prior notice. So quick was the decision made to have him wrestle that he had to borrow wrestling tights from Atlas.

In 1985, Petrucci got to wrestle in Madison Square Garden. He was billed as The Masked Assassin and teamed with The Spoiler. They lost a match to Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda.

Although Petrucci had been promised success in the WWF, he was never given that upper card billing. A highlight with the organization was when he and Hulk Hogan were given the task of “training” (a wrestler) called Hillbilly Jim.

Still, he was prominent enough within WWE to be taken on their tours abroad.

It was in 1991 that he and Stahl formed the team “The Super Destroyers” in the ECW. He left ECW in 1994 when his father was diagnosed with lung cancer.

After the passing of his father, Petrucci returned to wrestling in 2005 with NWL/HOPWL. With that promotion, he was awarded the Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year plaque.

Also during his time out from wrestling, Petrucci continued his education, attending Kutztown University where he obtained a B.S. in criminal justice.

A very vigorous

workout routine

Petrucci remains in shape by working out vigorously.

He goes to the Zoo in Lehighton, a gym, three times a week and shrugs over 700 pounds.

He also rides bicycle three times a week, five miles per day.

While he treasures the time spent in WWF, Petrucci said his venture in the ECW was the most rewarding. In the WWF, he was mostly used as a jobber. In the ECW, he became a headliner.

Once in the ECW, he said, “people were no longer making fun of me, no longer telling me I was making Carbon County the laughing stock of the world.” That’s because he was not only winning matches, but winning championships.

In 2006, the prestigious genre magazine, Pro Wrestling Illustrated, named The Super Destroyers the “Tag Team of the Year.”

Stahl, at 55, is younger than Petrucci, but it is A.J. who generally picks up the win for the duo with his somersault off the ropes. Even at 70, he insists he can still do the finishing move.

Petrucci said he has never been seriously injured, suffering only dislocations and busted blood vessels.

He remains in good health, saying, “My cardio is unbelievable.” He said part of the reason is because he has never smoked.

He last wrestled two years ago in Fredericksburg, Virginia when The Super Destroyers beat a team called Carnage.

Of his career, he said, “It was a great life. I would never change a thing.”