A professional wrestling school, advertised as one of the largest such facilities in the world, has opened in Brodheadsville. With the school comes monthly pro wrestling shows which often feature top stars in the profession including WWE stars.

The school is being run at the Battlefield Performance Center off Route 209 (behind the CVS store) by Afa Anoa’i. He is the son former WWE tag team champion Afa “Samoan” Anoa’i, a cousin of WWE superstar Roman Reigns and relative of more than a dozen other top pro mat star performers including former WWE champion and movie star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Like The Rock, Afa graduated from Freedom High School in Bethlehem. Afa said when he was a child The Rock was his babysitter.

The next pro wrestling show at the Battlefield, which is the home base of Afa’s Battlefield Pro Wrestling promotion, is at 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26.

Afa, who now resides in the Pleasant Valley School District, is in an eight-man tag team match in Sunday’s show. Also scheduled to appear is former WWE superstar Tyson Kidd, currently a WWE producer who has fought in several main events.

Gene Snisky, a former Nesquehoning resident and graduate of Panther Valley High School, is slated to wrestle.

Afa’s father and uncle, Afa and Sika Anoa’i, were known as The Wild Samoans when they wrestled in the WWE. They had a wrestling school in Allentown and Hazleton for many years, but it was closed because of the pandemic. The younger Afa had his training at the Hazleton site.

After that, Sika then went to the WWE Performance Center in Florida where he continued as a trainer.

The Samoans also promoted the WXW wrestling shows, which aired weekly on Blue Ridge Communications TV 13. The younger Afa said he is hoping a TV arrangement can happen with the new Battlefield Pro Wrestling promotion.

The elder Afa and Sika are responsible for training many wrestling superstars including Hulk Hogan, Dave Batista, Michael Hayes, Bam Bam Bigelow and Snisky, who for a while was an upper tier performer in the WWE.

Battlefield Wrestling is training more than 50 perspective grapplers, including six women. Most pro wrestling schools have only about eight candidates, Afa said.

He said anyone interested in becoming a wrestler can connect with Battlefield through Facebook. All applicants will be evaluated and those deemed capable of the rugged training regimen are contacted for a tour of the facility.

Afa has been at the 80,000-square-foot Battlefield Performance Center, which has ample off-street parking, for about a year. The Feb. 26 show will be the third monthly wrestling event held there.

He partnered with AJ Hiller of Signature Training Academy, who opened a large gym on the premises.

Besides wrestling, the Battlefield Performance Center has other training options including boxing, Jui jitsu and kick boxing.

“We’re looking for all athletes,” Hiller said.

The younger Afa got into professional wrestling 25 years ago when he was just 13, opting to debut in Europe because he was too young to wrestle professionally in the United States.

His first match was in Vienna, Austria, where he fought Chris Bambi Killer. He won the match but lost to Chris in rematch.

During his career, Afa has sustained numerous injuries. Once he broke his hip during a bout in South Africa. He finished the match and then flew home for treatment.

Another time he cracked his sternum during a wrestling performance.

Just some of the Anoa’i family members who are former or present members of the WWE besides Johnson and Reigns are” The Usos (current WWE tag team champions), High Chief Peter Maivia, Yokozuna, Rikishi, Umaga, Samu and Solo Sikoa.

Asked who in large wrestling family he most idolizes, he said without hesitancy, “my dad (Afa Samoan),” He said, “I try to walk in his footsteps as much as I can. He trained a lot of other wrestlers and he gave them the best facilities.”

The younger Afa, who wrestles in various wrestling promotions, is the Polynesian Legacy Champion of Uce Wrestling based in Hawaii.

There have been efforts to have him elevated to the WWE roster. At one time he was called to the WWE Performance Center in Florida where he was signed to a development contract.

He is an award-winning choreographer, getting the New Jersey Broadway World Regional award for the off-Broadway musical “The Last Match.”

Several big names in the wrestling entertainment industry have visited Battlefield Training Center, with a number of them conducting seminars. There also have been music videos shot here.

Most recently, a crew from the WWE Network Studios shot a segment for their series “WWE Hidden Treasures.” Present for the shooting were Bob Backlund, Tito Santana, Bob Orton Jr., and Kurt Angle. The theme was “Searching for Yokozuna’s Wrestlemania Robe.”

Eric Esch, better known as Butterbean, stopped at the facility. So did D’Lo Brown and Luke Gallows, the latter being in a top WWE storyline now.

Butterbean conducted a seminar last week.

Pro wrestling referee Earl Hebner will have a seminar next weekend.

Afa said he opened the wrestling school in Brodheadsville “because I’m trying to give the Poconos something unique.”

He said he loves the area and wants to help better the community.

Regarding the continued dynasty of the Anoa’i family, he said, there are a number of other relatives interested in following in the footsteps of his father, uncle and cousins. Among them are his son, Storm, age 11, and daughter Rayna, age 11.

Afa said he also has some promising trainees, including 23-year-old Ox Adam, who is 6-10, 315 pounds.

Tickets for the Feb. 26 wrestling show at the Battlefield Performance Center are available at the door. The opening bell is 5 p.m. The main event is The Samoan Dynasty (Afa, Sean Maluta, Lance Anoa’i and Jacob Fatu) against Bull James (formerly Bull Dempsey in the WWE) and Championship Material). Tyson Kidd and Gene Snisky are also listed for the event.