How Shane Chojnacki Went From Pro Wrestling to Banana Ball's Firefighters

Shane Chojnacki had spent years trying to find the big stage.

Professional wrestling took him around the world. He fought professionally in mixed martial arts and boxing. He became a personal trainer, actor, stunt performer and even a comedy host.

Then an invitation from a friend took him to a Banana Ball game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

By the second inning, Chojnacki says he knew he had found something different.

“I was in love,” he said.

Today, Banana Ball fans may know Chojnacki better as Smoke Show Savage, a member of the Firefighters' Calendar Crew. But his unlikely path to Banana Ball helps explain why the 40-year-old Pittsburgh native seems so comfortable inside an entertainment product built around baseball, dancing, improvisation and nonstop fan interaction.

Banana Ball reminded him of WrestleMania

Chojnacki already knew about Banana Ball before attending his first game, but he says he didn't understand its scale.

He walked from his home in downtown Pittsburgh toward PNC Park and encountered the pregame festivities surrounding the venue.

Then he got inside.

One moment particularly caught his attention.

Chojnacki remembers watching Pittsburgh native Ryan Cox make an elaborate entrance incorporating recognizable locations around the city before ultimately appearing at PNC Park.

For Chojnacki, who had spent roughly a decade in professional wrestling, the comparison was immediate.

“You know what it reminded me of? WrestleMania.”

That was a language he understood.

Then came the dancing, entertainment, trick plays and the rest of the Banana Ball experience. MrBeast was also part of the event, which only reinforced Chojnacki's impression that he was watching something much larger than an unusual baseball game.

By the end of the night, he wanted in.

An opportunity that didn't come immediately

Chojnacki knew several performers connected with Banana Ball through professional wrestling. They encouraged him to introduce himself to Young Professor.

He did.

“I would love any opportunity to show and prove,” Chojnacki remembers telling him.

Professor told him to watch for future opportunities.

Chojnacki eventually reached out.

Nothing happened.

“Ghosted,” Chojnacki said with a laugh.

So he continued with his life.

That life had become complicated.

His marriage had ended. A business partnership involving a gym had fallen apart. He had returned to professional boxing after years away from competition, only to tear his biceps before another scheduled fight.

He fought anyway, won and then underwent surgery.

Unable to train clients normally, wrestle or fight during his recovery, another unexpected opportunity appeared: comedy hosting.

It would eventually prove surprisingly useful.

The message from Young Professor

Months after Chojnacki's initial attempt to connect, a message finally arrived.

Professor had an opportunity and wanted Chojnacki to make an audition video explaining—in character—why he belonged in Banana Ball.

Chojnacki went all in.

Without actual firefighter gear, he improvised. He cut the sleeves from a red shirt, found khakis and put on a red fedora. Then he headed to a fire station near his downtown Pittsburgh home.

While he was filming, an actual fire truck returned with lights and sirens.

Instead of stopping, Chojnacki kept going.

He later added footage from the Banana Ball game he had attended and filmed himself curling fire extinguishers in his building's boiler room.

He stayed up until roughly 3 a.m. finishing the video.

The response came quickly.

He had earned an interview.

Then another.

But still no offer.

Finally, his phone rang.

Chojnacki remembers Professor asking him a question he hasn't forgotten:

“Are you ready to join the circus and run away with us?”

His answer was easy.

“I would absolutely love to.”

A strange résumé suddenly made sense

Look at Chojnacki's career before Banana Ball and it can appear almost random.

Professional wrestler.

Professional fighter.

Personal trainer.

Comedy host.

Actor.

Stunt performer.

Entrepreneur.

Dancer.

Marketing and branding.

Live entertainment.

Inside Banana Ball, however, those seemingly disconnected experiences suddenly fit together.

Professional wrestling taught him how to perform in front of crowds and improvise when plans change.

Fighting gave him athletic credibility.

Training shaped his physique.

Hosting taught him how to control an audience.

Marketing taught him how to build a character.

And Banana Ball gave him somewhere to use all of it at once.

“This is what I want to do,” Chojnacki said. “This is the rest of my life here, as long as they have me.”

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