September 21, 2026
Article and Photo by Pat Donahue
The Obetz Zucchinifest was the site of a big milestone for Pickerington North senior Alyvia Bartley. It was her debut in professional wrestling and the introduction of “APB.”
It was an event that had been in the works for more than a year, beginning when she started her training. It was also the realization of a dream she has had since she was a little girl watching WWE wrestling with her dad.
Some of her professional wrestling training took a back seat when she joined the Pickerington North girls wrestling team during its inaugural season last year. She had never wrestled or trained for high school wrestling before joining the Panthers. She had tried different sports, including cheerleading, gymnastics and volleyball, but none of them captivated her like hitting the mat.
Being new to a sport as demanding as wrestling often requires a learning curve. Alyvia says it started out slowly, and she had to take some losses in the beginning, but she got better as the season went on. She wrestled her way to a winning record for the season and placed fourth in the sectional tournament, earning her a chance to represent Pickerington North in the 170-pound class at the district tournament. There, she claimed her 16th win of the year but suffered a UCL strain to her elbow that required some recovery time before she could return to training.
Alyvia’s training was taking place at the New Ohio Wrestling (NOW) Training Center in Gahanna. NOW offers a variety of training options, including training to become a professional wrestler or simply training like one. It also offers WrestleFit Strength and Cardio, a fun array of exercises geared toward a wide range of participants, including seniors and juniors.
She has been part of the NOW Elite Pro Wrestling Academy, where athletes can train with other wrestlers who know what it takes to perform the stunts and take the hits and falls in a way that helps avoid injuring themselves or anyone else.
NOW owner Donnie Hoover found humor in the fact that most people spend their whole lives trying not to fall, while at the academy, they practice it.
Hoover said Alyvia did an amazing job getting back to business, working hard and even helping out and working at other NOW events. He said that a couple of months ago, he and the other coaches decided it was time for Alyvia to take her shot and take the stage at this year’s Zucchinifest. NOW has become a regular fixture at the festival, as well as at other events throughout the year.
Alyvia’s target for taking the stage was after her 18th birthday, which happened in July. Hoover said some people can reach that point in a few months, while others can take a couple of years, but it’s important not to take that leap until you are completely ready. They thought she had reached that point.
With the help of her family, Alyvia used those months to train even harder to make sure she would be ready when the time came. She worked on her character and costume and produced merchandise to get ready.
She had originally been looking to mimic Beth, the wife of Dog the Bounty Hunter, whom she admired for how relentlessly she would go after the bad guys. It then evolved into the “All Points Bulletin” call that uses the initials APB when it’s time to go after the worst of villains. It just happened to be her initials as well.
The stage was set.
Sept. 7 was slated for her debut, allowing her to follow in the footsteps of the wrestling stars she had enjoyed since she was a little girl and share the NOW wrestling stage with the likes of Superman Onyx, The Masked Assassin and her opponent, Big Mama.
Her match was the third of the day, and a pretty good crowd had built up around the NOW tent.
When asked, Alyvia confessed that she was “above and beyond nervous.” Donnie had similar recollections from just prior to the match.
When she came around the corner and it was showtime, she was greeted with her intro song, “Shut Your Mouth” by local artist Attack Attack! The switch started to flip. Alyvia said that when she entered the ring, surrounded by fans whose cheers threatened to drown out the music, she had found where she belonged. Alyvia quickly became comfortable with it all, and indeed, it became showtime.
She was joined in the ring by her opponent, “Big Mama,” whose name indicates a size advantage and an experience advantage as well. Big Mama has been a professional wrestler since 2009 and is a former NWA world champion.
She didn’t seem pleased and barked at the fans who were cheering on the newcomer. Then, to APB’s actual surprise, she produced an APB hat from her costume, threw it onto the floor and proceeded to stomp on it with a force that shook the whole ring.
The show was on.
The match lasted about 15 minutes and was filled with a number of near-pins that produced the amazing escapes you come to expect from professional wrestling. There were also several failed attempts by APB to take down Big Mama, with one resulting in APB flying around with her feet in the air, along for the ride as her opponent spun in the center of the ring.
The wrestling first-timer also tried a couple of high-diving attempts from the turnbuckle to bring down the bigger wrestler. They came close, but no cigar.
The crowd, on numerous occasions, echoed the now-familiar chant: “A-P-B!” It had to sound like music to the ears of Alyvia Bartley.
One thing all wrestlers learn is that you can’t win ’em all. That was the case in her first professional attempt.
APB staggered out of the ring, battered and bruised after her first match. The smiles on the faces of her friends and family were clear evidence of how fantastic they thought she did.
She soon returned to get a clear lesson that this was just the beginning.
She said that the biggest surprise to her during the performance was the fans. She had never signed an autograph before and was pleased that the first went to her uncle, but she went on to sign dozens more. She was also caught off guard by the number of people who wanted a photo with her.
She especially liked seeing the little girls who came to meet her.
The future for Alyvia looks to be a busy one as she continues to train for professional wrestling while looking forward to her senior year at Pickerington North and wrestling with the Panthers. She hopes to improve and go further than last year.
She also hopes to wrestle in college and study business. She’s looking forward to seeing what’s on the other side of the door she opened with her professional debut.
Donnie Hoover said that he, too, will work to accommodate her high school schedule and demands to help her do both. He also explained that wrestlers who come out of the NOW Elite Pro Wrestling Academy can have opportunities to work with NOW or other promoters who are part of a network of professional wrestling organizations that share the same standards and safety guardrails. That gives trained wrestlers more options.
Getting seen, developing your brand and building a network of people who know you are all part of the business.