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It's a bit of a madhouse.
Of course, that's what one expects when they are talking to eight vibrant personalities at the same time.
But we aren't talking pro wrestling, but we sort of are.
Just as we're talking baseball, but we're sort of not.
We're sort of having a conversation, but we're not.
As everyone throws zingers and laughs and cross-talks across each other, it's obvious I've lost all control of this interview.
I'm completely overwhelmed and it's infectious in the best way.
So, I sit there and smile and take it in.
I'm officially in the Banana Zone, and it's hard not to just fall in love with the moment.
Earlier this morning, I sat on a Zoom call with a bevy of personalities working and performing for the hottest thing in sports-entertainment, including, in many ways, WWE - The Savannah Bananas.
There's tons going on today in pro wrestling. TNA Sacrifice takes place tonight, Maple Leaf Wrestling is hosting a packed weekend in Windsor, Ontario, and of course, the industry is barreling toward WrestleMania in Las Vegas, where seemingly everyone and their mother connected to the genre will be in town - but there’s something else happening in the world of sports=entertainment—something that’s growing bigger by the day. Tomorrow night, March 15th, a sold-out Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, will play host to one of the most unique spectacles in sports: The Savannah Bananas.
Yes, the same stadium that once hosted WrestleMania will now be home to Banana Ball, the wildly popular, entertainment-infused version of baseball that is selling out venues across the country....and as unlikely as it may sound, The Bananas have outdrawn WrestleMania.
"This is a big deal for everyone," says former WWE Tough Enough competitor AJ Kirsch, now entrenched as a member of The Party Animals, who will face The Bananas tomorrow. "A small collegiate summer league baseball team that had a 4,000-seat stadium is now selling out major venues like Raymond James Stadium, which, as you said, is a WrestleMania venue, and it was also a Super Bowl venue."
It's their own WrestleMania moment for baseball, or as the Bananas call it, “BananaMania.”
What started as a collegiate summer league baseball team in Grayson Stadium (Savannah, Georgia) has exploded into a phenomenon bigger than anyone expected. Banana Ball is an alternative, high-energy version of baseball, where rules are designed to keep the action moving:
*No bunting (because, in their words, "bunting sucks").
*Batters can steal first base.
*If a fan catches a foul ball clean, it counts as an out, so every fan sitting in the foul zone now has a chance to legitimately impact the game.
*Every game has a time limit to maximize excitement.
But it’s not just the rules that set Banana Ball apart—it’s the show. Players perform choreographed dances. Umpires moonwalk. There's characters and parodies and guest stars and skits. Fans become part of the game. Every moment is entertainment-centric, described by several this morning as "Fan-first" and every game is sold out well in advance. If you think I'm kidding, go try and buy a ticket. Not happening.
The Bananas have been featured on TruTV, have popped up on STADIUM, and their fan base continues to grow at a staggering rate. Three to four million people entered a lottery to get tickets for this year’s Banana Ball tour—an almost absurd number for a sport that was once considered a minor-league novelty. If you want a ticket to their show at Yankee Stadium this May, good luck. You'll have a better chance of walking up on The Yankees' opening day to get a seat behind home plate. The only way to get into the Bananas' games at this point is to be part of their mailing list, alongside 3.5 million other fanatics.
Of course, fanaticism is no stranger to many in The Bananas' employ - as many of them come from the world of independent wrestling themselves.
It's no happy accident, either. The Bananas’ success is deeply rooted in professional wrestling philosophy. In fact, many of the Bananas’ most entertaining personalities come from the wrestling world. The aforementioned Kirsch, Rad Boy Mikey (of The Ugly Duckings), Cody Fluffman, Stunt Marshal, and CB Suavé are all indy wrestling veterans who found a natural home in Banana Ball.
“Wrestling and Banana Ball are the same in a lot of ways. The energy, the crowd work, the moments—it’s all about getting the audience involved and making them feel like part of the show," noted Space Cowboy Stacee Alexander, a former student of Lance Storm and Tyler Breeze, himself taking part in a seamless transition from the squared circle to the baseball diamond.
To drive the connection home, this group of wrestlers-turned-Banana-Ball-entertainers calls themselves the KWO—the “Potassium World Order”—a tribute to the legendary New World Order (NWO) of WCW fame.
"The KWO. I got these shirts to commemorate this weekend because, for us, this is our WrestleMania moment," proudly boasted The Young Professor, Matt Graifer, who not only is the host for the events, but doubles as the head of casting for The Bananas. Independent wrestling ring announcing led him to The Savannah Bananas and now he gets to pay that good fortune forward by offering opportunities to other independent wrestling talents.
It’s sports entertainment without the ropes, but with all the hype. When Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley battled at WrestleMania 37 in this very stadium, the event was hampered by pandemic restrictions, allowing only a fraction of the usual crowd. Tomorrow night, the Bananas will sell out the entire venue. But, even with that asterisk, think about it for a second. A baseball team that was playing in front of 4,000 fans just a few years ago is now packing the same stadium as WWE and the NFL.
"When we all started this, people thought we were nuts. Now, here we are, in front of 65,000 people. It’s a moment of validation for everything we’ve done."
For some of these performers, tomorrow night is more than just a show—it’s a personal milestone. For Big Daddy Cheese, this is more than just another game—it’s his hometown moment.
"Yeah, I'm deeply connected to this community. I've been here for quite a while. It’s just a dream come true. When I trained under Jay Lethal to become a pro wrestler, I was just gonna do one match because I watched wrestling with my late grandparents. It was our big thing together, and I was just gonna do one. And now here I am, 100 matches later, on a stage that is so much more amplified than an indie wrestling event."
For Cheese, Tampa represents more than just another stop on the tour—it’s home.
"This area has a strong sports community, and all the people here love coming out to events. This is a big deal for me. Every single time I think about it, I get chills. I'm happy to be a cog in the wheel helping to turn this machine and amplify it."
Performing in a sold-out Raymond James Stadium, in front of friends and family, is something independent wrestlers and performers dream of. And for Cheese, it’s the ultimate validation that all the sacrifices, all the grind, were worth it.
With Banana Ball reaching stadium-level status, what comes next? For some, the dream is an international tour—perhaps Wembley Stadium. Others want a direct crossover with WWE, which might not be as far-fetched as it sounds. John Cena has appeared in a Banana Ball game to promote his Prime Video film Ricky Stanicky. WWE President Nick Khan converses with Banana Ball owner Jesse Cole.
From R-Truth to Scott Steiner to Sting, The Bananas all have pro wrestling personalities they’d like to see make appearances and get involved during games. However, the hope is not for a WWE crossover or to be seen as The Harlem Globetrotter's baseball equivalent.
Indeed, those working for The Bananas hope to change not just baseball, but the world.
"Some people say this is a mockery of baseball, " AJ Kirsch commented. "I say it’s a reinvention of sports entertainment. Look at the crowd sizes. Look at the energy. This is something new. This is something special."
The Savannah Bananas are more than a baseball team now. It's impossible to deny they are a cultural movement, a fusion of live sports, pro wrestling, and interactive fan engagement that is changing the game—literally. For a culture that wants to be engaged in their entertainment and not sit there lazily watching it unfold, The Banana Era could not come at a more purposeful time.
“Banana Ball vs. MLB. WrestleMania 45. Winner takes all," one of the players blurts out when I ask what they hope for the future of the organization.
Another wants Sesame Street’s Big Bird to take bat in a game.
Yet another shouts out Banana Ball on the Moon.
It sounds crazy…Then again, so did the idea of 65,000 people buying tickets to a baseball game where the umpire moonwalks, players do choreographed dances, and fans can literally get an out by catching a foul ball.
And yet, here we are…and it’s all the best of what we love about pro wrestling. Silliness. Athletics. Bragadociouness. Reality. Fun.
In 2025, may we all find ourselves Sports-Entertained by The Savannah Bananas.
Lord knows we need more happiness in our lives.
For more on all things Savannah Bananas, visit www.TheSavanahBananas.com.
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