Missouri Wrestling Revival

By Brian Kelley

The NWA was once the King of wrestling. In my heart the three letters combined will always have a place in my heart as well as many fans around the world.

Many believe that the NWA is long and gone, but I have faith that the King will rise from the ashes to become a true player in the very near future. If it is to happen it will have to start in 2011.

When two champions the NWA World Champion the Sheik was stripped of his belt and the NWA Junior World Champion Craig Classic walked away from the title, it put the world on notice. How would the mighty NWA respond to the actions of Sheik and Classic?

With the rumblings of a tournament for the NWA Junior title I have looked closely at the players that can bring honor and prestige back the NWA as they prepare for their NWA Junior Tournament on Oct 7th.

Four  men stand out among the rest.

Photo Credit Brian Kelley

First off we have Tony Kozina , a former two time NWA Junior Champion, Kozina has been very vocal in his desire to regain the NWA Junior Championship. While Kozina has trained none other than ROH World Champion Davey Richards as well as rising superstar Kyle O’Reilly he still is a main event player.

Recently, Kozina has been seen wrestling for Ring Of Honor and top notch promotions around the country . A master of controlling a match from start to finish, no wrestler is more focused to become the NWA Junior Champion.

One of the most traveled stars in the sport today Kozina has felt that Classic was his for the taking and had a match set up in October with Classic prior to the Champ surrendering the title.

Kahagas vs Joe Bravo, Dominican Wrestling Entertainment

Also in the running would be none other than the Tokyo Monster Kahagas. The feared veteran of the sport has traveled worldwide while taking on a who’s who in wrestling today. He quickly became a draw in the Midwest in a very short time while many await his return.

This year on June 18, 2011, in Sherman, TX, Kahagas participated in the first ever GWT Indy World Championship and earned runner up for the title. Legendary Judges that were present throughout the Bracket on Sunday and the Championship match were Harley Race, Mando Guerrero, Tugboat Taylor, Stan Hansen Iceman King Parsons, Col. Buck Robley, WCW’s Awesome Kong, Chris Youngblood, Head Ref. James Beard and Japan’s NOAH, GM Ryu Nakada. According to the Judges, it could have gone either way; both wrestlers have tremendous Talent and work hard. Going into Sunday’s 32-Man Bracket, the Tokyo Monster Kahagas swept the first three days of the round robin tournament had a Bye in the 1st Round with the highest overall score. In the final match of the tournament Kahagas would lose by one point to 16 year Heavyweight veteran Tim Storm.

Kahagas has been in the ring with former NWA World Champions Dusty Rhodes, Blue Demon JR, Tony Kozina and many other top stars in the world.  Several of today and yesterday stars have contacted MWR to let us know that they feel as if Kahagas can restore honor back to the NWA.

Jason Jones has left many men Frustrated with his wrestling skills in matches in 2011. *Photo Credit Bill Smith*

Then one of the hottest rising stars in the Midwest, Jason Jones. Jason Jones in 2011 won the first ever two day tournament for the Harley Race Invitational earlier this summer cementing him as one of the top men in the sport. With victories over Jeff Strong, Mark Sterling and Ryan Drago. Jones would receive his trophy from two legends that night in Race himself and WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Pipper. Jones is currently one of the top contenders for Harley Race’s World League Wrestling title and with training from both Harley, Pro Wrestling Noah and WWE scouts at the WLW/Pro Wrestling Noah Camp in October in Eldon Missouri there is no doubt that he is about to get that much more dangerous.

Jeremy Wyatt can match holds with any men in the sport today. (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

Last, but not least we have the NWA Central States Champion Jeremy Wyatt . The NWA in its heyday had the NWA Central States title known as a stepping stone for the NWA World Title. Jeremy Wyatt this year alone captured the NWA Central States and Missouri title in 2011 along with the 3XW and HVW championship.Wyatt joined an elite class of the only people to hold the NWA Central states and Missouri Championship at the same time along with Harley Race and Cowboy Bob Orton Jr.

3-time MWR matche of the year winner, Wyatt has won so many titles that he is named the “Belt Collector”  and a classic 60 min Iron Man match this year with Mark Sterling is why many fans in the Midwest feel as if he is the number one wrestler not signed by WWE/TNA or ROH today.

What a crime it has been to have a man that has headlined the most main events around the Midwest for the past four years not even mentioned in either the NWA Junior and World title.

It is time for the NWA to bring the best to showcase their skills in the NWA Tournament in 2011.