Missouri Wrestling Revival

By Kari Williams

Since debuting in Oct. 2005, Brandon Espinosa has undergone a series of eccentric transformations. From The Latino Espy to The Crow to Fantasma and, currently, the epitome of cocky, “Thee” Brandon Espinosa—as one half of B.A.B.E.WATCH with Brandon Aarons—Espinosa’s character has evolved nearly as much as the man himself.

Like many others just starting out, Espinosa considers his initial persona more of a rip-off than anything else.

“I was trying to start fresh, and when I first started—of course you know every wrestler…normally mimicks somebody, whether it’s their trainer or maybe the one they idolized most, and, of course, I idolized Eddie [Guerrero].,” Espinosa said.

As much as he admired Latino Heat, Epinosa feels that he took the necessary steps to progress himself as a wrestler.

“I went into The Crow just because I’m a big fan of the movie. Then the Phantom of the Opera thing was just to slowly transition out of The Crow. And then, becoming ‘Thee’ Brandon Espinosa was just to go with my cocky attitude as well; it just fit me better than any of the other gimmicks,” he said.

The conversion of characters enhanced his performance in the ring because it allowed him to be himself—no strings attached. In addition to the shifts in personas, the use of his real name enhanced the image he projected, which Lethal Wrestling Alliance (LWA) first allowed him to do in Dec. 2006. Within a year, Espinosa found himself preparing to team up with LWA and NWA-Dynamo Pro wrestler Brandon Aarons to form B.A.B.E.WATCH, which stands for Brandon Aarons and Brandon Espinosa.

“To be honest, at first I was like, ‘This sucks, of the people I could have tagged with,’ but now it’s the exact opposite. He has come a long way in very little time. Brandon is one of those guys that really has the heart and determination to make it in this business. He devotes so much into everything he does in his life and makes wrestling his top priority because he is 100% dedicated,” Aarons said.

B.A.B.E.WATCH “clicked from the moment [they] met each other back in December of ’07,” according to Espinosa, who hopes that the tandem can claim championship gold in the near future, along with traveling across the Midwest and possibly to both coasts.

Aarons foresees B.A.B.E.WATCH becoming a major force on the Midwest tag team scene.

“When people see B.A.B.E.WATCH being promoted on a show, I want those people to be like, ‘These guys don’t mess around.’ I think me and Brandon have a lot to offer as a team, and I know that we can, and will, be a ‘team to beat’ in the Midwest.

“I look at teams like The Phoenix Twins, The North Star Express, The LONRS and The Ego Express, [and] when you see these teams on a show you know that not only are you going to be entertained and get your money’s worth, but you are going to see teams that have passion for this great sport and give it their all in the ring,” Aarons said.

On a more casual note, Aarons utilizes the most evident similarity between himself and Espinosa.

“We do have the same name so anytime anyone says stuff about me, I just play it off like they meant to say it to him,” Aarons said.

For Espinosa, the transition from his former self to B.A.B.E.WATCH came at a steady, gradual pace.

“I slowly stopped ripping off actual wrestlers, and I ended up deciding to be myself, which really adapt[ed] to what Brandon Aarons is all about as well. So, [my character] and his character are very similar, very much alike,” he said.

Espinosa’s career began just over three years ago at the South Broadway Athletic Club in St. Louis, MO with the help of a close friend. In such a short time, he has already wrestled for nearly 30 companies—one of which podcasted the show on the internet (Juggalo Championship Wrestling) and another which broadcasted on national television (NWA-Central States, now NWA-Dynamo Pro).

Throughout his time in wrestling, Espinosa two main heroes in the business.

“My biggest influence watching tv-wise was definitely Eddie. Then after that, when I started teaming up with Brandon, it became him. Me and him started clicking very well, we were very good friends, from the moment we met each other,” he said.

This dynamic duo will reunite at LWA’s Yuletide Terror against Shorty Biggs and MMWA-SICW Junior Heavyweight Champion A.J. Williams—for the first time since competing against Steve and Johnny Boland in August.