Seth Rollins showed up in person Friday night to say goodbye to one of the buildings that helped shape his career.
Rollins made a surprise appearance at AAW Wrestling’s show at the Berwyn Eagles Club in Illinois, one of the final wrestling events at the historic venue. The building announced earlier this year that it will no longer host professional wrestling following an altercation between wrestlers and a fan at a show in March that included a fake stabbing incident.
Rollins opened the show by coming out to his WWE music, but the crowd immediately acknowledged his history in the region, breaking into chants of Tyler Black, the name he used throughout his independent wrestling career. According to Cagematch, Rollins wrestled 36 matches at the Berwyn Eagles Club between 2005 and 2010.
He addressed the crowd with an emotional message, plugging his Black and Brave Wrestling Academy located a few hours from the building and noting that several of his students were on the show. He told the crowd that he felt compelled to be there.
“Not just at WrestleMania, but to wrestle in rings like this, in places like the Berwyn Eagles Club, for promotions like AAW, for promoters and human beings like Danny Daniels, and in front of fans like you, because you are just like me,” Rollins said, thanking the crowd for letting him live out his childhood dream.
He closed by expressing gratitude to the fans for their support of himself, AAW, and professional wrestling as a whole. The final wrestling event at the Berwyn Eagles Club is an indie lucha show scheduled for Sunday.
SETH ROLLINS JUST SHOWED UP AT CRUSH & DESTROY!
For the first time in 15+ years, WWE Superstar, @WWERollins returned to AAW and where it all started, the Berwyn Eagles Club as we say goodbye to the historic venue.#AAWDestroy @WWE pic.twitter.com/n3U8K6h7Tr
— AAW Wrestling (@AAWPro) April 25, 2026