Missouri Wrestling Revival

FIST Returns with Combative Forces

By Kari Williams
It has been over a year since FIST (Finest Independent Superstars Today) has run in the St. Louis area, but on July 26 – rechristened as FIST Combat – the promotion will rise from the ashes of its former-self in Granite City, Illinois.

Former ECW Referee John “Pee Wee” Moore became fully in charge of booking for the company, prompting the return. However, Moore looks at FIST Combat as a new company entirely.

“I just realized that Mike Gordon did not start FIST. It was some other guy. So we changed it to FIST Combat. The FIST does not stand for finest superstars in wrestling today. This is a NEW company; the FIST stands for the fist of Revolution,” Moore said.

Within that revolution will be the Lansing, Michigan native, C.J. Otis, who understands the concept of the slight name variation.

“To me, adding a word like ‘Combat’ really means it’s not just the finest stars today but the best grapplers of today, the best strikers today, and the best straight up fighters of today, and that’s what I am looking for. To face and defeat the best,” Otis said.

When one pursues such an undertaking, one typically seeks out individuals who will aid in the quest. Moore has done just that.

“I plan on bringing in ample competition in C.J. Otis, Conrad Kennedy III, Drake Younger, The Soul Shooters and other top Midwest wrestlers. My goal is to create a strong base of strong, young, technical wrestlers. And then natural rivalries will create themselves,” Moore said.

Because Moore has multiple contacts within the wrestling business, he also plans to bring in “Tracy Smothers, Sabu, Teddy Hart, Jack Evans, Ruckus, and possibly even Rob Van Dam.”

With such a high caliber of talent lined-up, one can imagine that FIST Combat will attempt to personify its namesake.

“It will be a competitive atmosphere. I will have the best young wrestlers in the Midwest. And they will be judged on their wrestling ability,” Moore said.

Wrestling for just over five years, Otis came to an agreement with FIST “for the soul reason that [it] wants to bring wrestling back to the sport.” Through his involvement, he feels that he will allow FIST supporters to bear witness to his uniqueness.

“I will bring an explosive puro style, the likes that no FIST fan has ever seen before,” Otis said.

Certain elements from both Moore’s nearly seven-year tenure with the original ECW and his two years training at the New Japan Dojo will coincide and direct the company.

“I learned a lot from Paul E. As for pace and flow of the show, it will be paced like ECW. I also learned a lot from Riki Choshu. So it will be a lot more Japanese than ECW ever was, Also I will try to stay away from the hardcore stuff,” Moore said.

Approximately eight to 10 shows have been planned for the remaining months of 2008. However, in the coming year, Moore hopes for 50 plus shows, all in the St. Louis area.