Missouri Wrestling Revival

Editor’s Desk…
by Josh Ray

Indy wrestling is crazy enough most of the time, but when my day job and personal life became more hectic over the summer I took a break of sorts.  With a new house, an ill son, a new job, and a few other things, I needed to save wrestling energy for the November 14th MWR show in Granite City, IL.   Brian and Kari have been aware of all of these changes and have been very supportive.  I couldn’t ask for two better people to help me with Missouri Wrestling Revival.  All three of us are ready to put together an excellent show.

Even with some of the recent disorganization, MWR has been receiving attention both publicly and behind the scenes due to hard work from the crew.  I had to turn down two separate sponsorship offers because of an actual offer to buy the MWR site!  All I can confirm is that their have been negotiations on specific details of a “buyout” for nearly two months, but that nothing has been finalized.  I am making sure that the offer affords members of the site to continue working more in depth with the indy wrestling community in the area.  If the deal materializes into something more concrete, the news will be broken here first!  The November show is in no danger of being cancelled, because the earliest the transaction could happen would be December 2009.

I’m excited about the MWR show on November 14, 2009 in Granite City, IL at the River’s Edge Reception Center.  It’s a small venue that packs a lot of potential when utilized correctly.  Some of my excitement  was stifled for the show, however, when last Saturday at a High Voltage Wrestling show the 2008 Wrestler of the Year, “The Rebel” Jeremy Wyatt, decided that he was upset about not having a match at the show.  I had originally invited him to appear at the High Voltage Wrestling show this past Saturday with the blessing of HVW owner “TNT” Keny G.  Wyatt was supposed to talk about his November 14th main event showdown with Dingo to defend the Wrestling Revival Cup that was awarded to him this past year.  Instead, he took offense to the fact that I hadn’t set up a match for him that night and decided to take it out on the fans…  going as far as putting his hands on me in an attempt to intimidate me.

Wyatt at one point told a child that the young boy looked as if a firecracker had blown up in his mouth!  I’d venture to guess that during our short interaction in the middle of an HVW ring, at least four people attempted to fight him.  He’s easily one of the most hated men in the area.  To get him to leave the fans alone, I relented and offered to get him an opponent for HVW’s October 10th show.  “TNT” Keny G once again stepped in and allowed a match…  I’ve got a scrappy individual in mind that will give Wyatt more than he wants on October 14th.  Win or lose, Wyatt will go one-on-one with Dingo for the Wrestling Revival Cup on November 14th. 

Kari Williams, MWR’s MVP, will be headed to college shortly.  Her mom was the MVP of the October 10th HVW show in the eyes of a certain security worker and some of the wrestlers, as she brought a cake to commemorate the occassion.  I didn’t have any of the cake, but I certainly wish Kari the best of luck.  She’s a breath of fresh air in an atmosphere that can be more than a little frustrating for this lover of discipline and order.  In my humble opinion, she would make a fine addition to any sports publication or website writing staff!  Pro Wrestling Illustrated, are you reading this?

Speaking of PWI, MWR staff worked hard to sing the praises of many in the coverage area for this year’s PWI 500.  I’d say that between Kari, Brian, and I there was a lot of representation in the PWI 500 nominating, but only a few made the cut.  All were deserving, as the Midwest tends to be underrepresented in my opinion, but still having as many non-WWE,TNA, and ROH Midwest talents on the list meant a lot.  It was also a huge boost for Missouri Wrestling Revival, as MWR was given a nod in Jeremy Wyatt’s PWI 500 entry. 

A promotion that does get as much coverage on the site is IWA Productions.  The IWAP shows continue to draw well and feature some of the best in the area on a consistent basis, in addition to some young lions.  Guys like Shane Rich, Steven Davis, Mississippi Madman, Curly, Jay Spade, and more compete there weekly and I personally take the hit for not giving them more recognition.  They tend to do well in the monthly awards, and wrestlers and promoters alike around the area respect what IWAP is doing week in and week out.

Two more men that I feel have really come into their own as a tag team in the past four to six months are Pierre Abernathy and Evan Gelistico, who wrestle as both the Bandana Mafia and Submission Squad.  Currently the LWA Tag Team Champions, these two wrestled a nearly flawless match this past weekend, and have wins over Dingo/Nick Tyson, the Hooligans, and Ego Express recently.  I personally extended a hand to each man this weekend, congratulating them on a great match against Neil “Diamond” Cutter and Blackhart.

Mark Bland versus “The Future” Donovan Ruddick will finally happen on October 10, 2009.  My belief is that the longer this match goes, the more it will benefit Ruddick, as Bland is a very explosive wrestler…  but lacks the cardio for a longer bout.  Expect Bland to get a lot of cardio training in during the weeks leading into the match.  I know that some people have expressed disapproval for how long this match has taken to get signed, but if something is interesting like this feud is, then it is worth waiting for.  I know both men will be giving it their all.

3XWrestling had a very successful 4th Anniversary celebration and on August 21st will roll that success into an event that features the King of Des Moines Tournament.  The night will see Jeremy Wyatt challenging for Devin Carter’s newly regained 3xW Heavyweight Title.  If you are in the Des Moines area on August 21st or don’t mind a drive, go check it out.  The event will be held at the Des Moines Social Club…  a great venue for pro wrestling!  The men behind 3XWrestling are some of the most intelligent, professional, and passionate men in professional wrestling.  Some of the best talent in the area goes through 3XW!

I am but one man, and covering every promotion in the area as well as I’d like might be asking too much of me.  Nonetheless, I love pro wrestling and MWR is committed to making wrestling in Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, and Kansas better!