Zach Johnson, Sports Director – Madison County & On-Air personality –
Professional wrestling was always my first passion. From a very young age, I was drawn to the incredible athleticism, the over-the-top characters, and the drama. I was so young when I started watching it that I don’t even remember the first time I watched it. It has always been a part of my life and is mainly responsible for my entire broadcasting career. I’ve always wanted to be part of that world, and I thought being a pro-wrestling play-by-play guy or ring announcer would be my ticket, but the opportunity to do so regularly has yet to materialize. I have done ring announcing or commentary on a spot show here and there, but I had never found that wrestling “home” where I had a regular gig.
Fast forward to this summer when Indiana Powerhouse Wrestling, a local promotion based out of Muncie, reached out to me. They wanted to know if I would be interested in popping in as a special guest for a big show they did in conjunction with the Delaware County Fair. The idea was that I would be the guest ring announcer for a couple of matches and get some mic time in the ring to promote MAX and my afternoon radio show. I decided to go for it because it seemed like a fun idea.
I got there the night of the show and realized that some of the guys running the show were guys I had met several years ago doing some of those one-off shows. I immediately felt like I was “home” with old friends again. We go out and do our thing; I killed it during my segments on the show, and by the night’s end, they were asking me if I wanted to come back. I agreed to be a regular part of IPW shows going forward as long as it doesn’t conflict with my high school sports schedule. At the most recent show, their regular ring announcer informed me that he was taking on more of a between-match emcee role and that the ring announcer job was solely mine.