Missouri Wrestling Revival

By Kari Williams

After battling in a losing effort for the Lethal Wrestling Alliance (LWA) Tag Team Championship with NickTyson, Dingo talks with fellow wrestlers backstage after the show. His endearing personality engages his Dynamo Training Gym Student Brandon Aarons. They joke about events of the past few days. Despite the calm exterior, a burning desire for pride and success lies within the Independent Wrestling Association-Mid South (IWA-Mid South) Heavyweight Champion.

“I want to go across the world. I want to work for Vince McMahon one day, eventually. I know all the independent guys [say], ‘Oh, I want to work for Vince,’ but I really, really do,” Dingo explains with intense determination burning in his eyes.

Dingo has traveled the country working for promotions such as Ring of Honor, Combat Zone Wrestling, and Full Impact Pro (Florida), as well as numerous Midwest Promotions.

“I mean, that’s the top of the mountain, what else are you going to aspire to? Work for World Wrestling [Entertainment]…I step back to the box, and I realize I’m a little guy, and is it possible for me to win the championship? It is; it’s not beyond means, but is it probable? I don’t know. We’ll see what happens in the future,” he continued.

With the future still uncertain, Dingo focuses on the present, where he travels the country working for Combat Zone Wrestling, Ring of Honor (ROH), Full Impact Pro (FIP) and an assortment of other companies. His ‘big break’ came from Samoa Joe when they worked on the same card, and he told Dingo to come to Chicago, IL. Although Dingo did not wrestle on the show because it was booked full, another opportunity came his way.

“Joe looked at me, and he said, ‘Right now, you make your promise that you’ll come to Detroit, and I’ll make sure that you wrestle in Detroit.’ Joe was retiring that night from Ring of Honor because he was moving on to TNA, and I said, ‘I make you that promise right now,’ and he goes, “Okay.” So, I went to Detroit, and I got on, and that was the rocket that just blew my ass into independent wrestling,” Dingo said.

From that moment on, Dingo immersed himself in his new world and never looked back. Perhaps seeing that burning passion, ROH Star Davey Richards gave Dingo another means with which to excel.

Dingo battles with Kahagas at High Voltage Wrestling on Jan. 10, 2009 as Referee Eric Davis officiates. Photo by Brian Kelley

“Davey Richards really, really helped me out. Davey Richards, as much of a hardass as he can be, every now and then just a tiny bit shines through and if you grab on to it, Davey’ll fuckin’ help you out. But you pay for it. You pay for it. He’s a tough dude. He’s a tough dude…God, he’s tough. He’ll beat the crap out of you.

“Davey helps me—and I know a lot of people too—but very few times is it like, ‘Hey, you’re invited,’ based on your work ethic. And that just really helped me seal the deal,” Dingo said with pride emmiting from his being.

Both Richards and Dingo act as Co-Trainers at the St. Louis-based Dynamo Training Gym, which Dingo, Jim Yount and Crystal Yount opened approximately two years ago. According to Dingo, Dynamo acts as, “a conservatory for wrestling where people can hone their skills,” and not worry about company affiliation.

One of Dingo’s students, who wishes to remain anonymous, attributes nearly all of his success to the training he has received at Dynamo.

“[Dingo has] helped me with everything wrestling wise. He taught me 95 percent of the things I know from wrestling; he’s taught me about respect and what not to do and how to act, in front of fans and in front of other wrestlers, and he’s gotten me to IWA already, and I’m sure he’ll get me to bigger and better places in the future,” the student said.

Dingo pummels Pierre Abernathy in his and Nick Tyson's attempt to win the LWA Tag Team Titles on May 30, 2009. Photo by Kari Williams

The IWA-Mid South Heavyweight Champion can attest to that claim through his own experiences and his own connections in the wrestling industry.

“If you really want to earn it, and you do earn it, we’ll help you go to places like IWA, places like FIP, if you want to go to Ring of Honor. We have connections with TNA. I came up in the same school as Delirious and MsChif and Daizee Haze and Evan Bourne. We’re all from the same group. We’re all from the same mold. We’re all doing things on the road. Delirious, and MsChif and Daizee all work for Ring of Honor and Shimmer. Evan Bourne works for the [WWE]. That’s what we do. We provide the ability to move it on,” Dingo said.

As a student of Dingo’s since July 2006, Aarons can attest to his trainer’s statement.

“[Dingo] has more experience and knowledge as a wrestler than anyone one in the area, and he knows what you have to do to take it to the next level. He wants the best out of the wrestlers he trains, and he is willing to work with you if you are willing to give it all you have,” said Aarons.

A protégé of Dingo’s, “Spitfire” Davey Vega, has earned a wealth of knowledge in the three years that the two have worked together.

“He has increased my stamina, my agility and my overall confidence in myself as a person and a wrestler. He has also helped me get my name out by allowing me to travel with him and the opportunity to learn from him and my peers,” Vega said.

Dingo takes on Michael Strider in a Dog Collar Match at CSW on March 8, 2008. Photo by Brian Kelley

Dingo looks at wrestling as a ‘you get what you give’ type of business that he holds dear to his heart.

“Basically, wrestling is about paying it forward, and if you earn your keep [at Dynamo] through rigorous physical activity, I will show the wealth of what I’ve learned. And that’s the way I was taught. You give this gift, and if you’re deemed worthy, you’ll get the receipt of the gift. And it’s really hard. It’s very, very hard. Very rigorous. People think that it’s not all that bad, but it’s amazingly hard,” Dingo said with a sincere seriousness about his voice.

Aarons echoes Dingo’s warning. After three years of training with the IWA-Mid South Champ, Aarons continues to learn. On April 18, 2009 Aarons had the opportunity to wrestle his mentor in LWA. This was Aarons chance to prove that he is a legitimate competitor, that he could hang with, in his opinion, the best in the Midwest.

“I knew what to expect coming into the match, but Dingo is amazing. He has so many things he can puill out of know where, and even though I have been training with him for three years, he still caught me off guard—Proof that with experience comes great skill, which he attains to the maximum degree,” said Aarons.

Brandon Aarons (center) has trained with Dingo since July 2006, which has helped him advance his career. Aarons and Dingo are pictured with A.J. Styles from when Aarons began training. Photo courtesy of Brandon Aarons

A number of wrestlers, including “Thee” Brandon Espinosa and Aarons, have named Dingo as one who taught them the most about the business. Aarons went so far as to say that he “would not be the wrestler I am today without him. I would not have the confidence and intelligence on the business that I have today without him.”

With nervous laughter, Dingo said, “I feel very worried and very blessed and very honored by that. I worry because I don’t want them to get hurt or ruin themselves doing stupid stuff that I did because I tell them to go out there and give there all. And sometimes their all means they’ll put themselves at very, very big risks, but I feel very blessed and honored at the same time. I don’t have any children, but I liken it to seeing you put that thought process [in their heads], and they turn around and make good out of it.”

The zeal with which Dingo both trains and performs in front of the crowds makes him a role model for other wrestlers just breaking into the business.

“There is nobody in the world that I look up to more than Dingo. Nobody. Not my parents. Not Bruiser Brody. Not Jesus. Nobody,” the Dynamo Trainee said.

Dingo prepares to go to war against Jeremy Wyatt in the NWA-CSW title match from August 2009. Photo by Kari Williams

In the next five to 10 years, Dingo hopes to go to Japan and earn a contract or work for TNA or WWE. He realizes the difficulty that sits in front of him, but has no desire to hang up the boots. He will push forward and pursue his dream.

“It’s hard to imagine because I’m a small person. I’m not going to deny the fact of what I am, but at this point in this time from this moment on, I’m putting myself on the line because it’s now or never,” Dingo said.

From bell to bell, from New Jersey to Florida, whether he wrestles the first match on the card or the last, one can rest assure that Dingo will not leave professional wrestling without leaving his mark—not only in the Midwest, but throughout the country.