Missouri Wrestling Revival

By Brian Kelley

2012 has started off red hot as many of the promotions are packing the buildings for their shows to see some of the top young talents in the sport today. In January two of the longest reigning champions in the MWR coverage area have been dethroned.

NEW MMWA-SICW Champ Brandon Espinosa (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

Coincidently,it would be on the same night, as MMWA-SICW and New Midwest Wrestling each ran on January 21st. Let’s start with the action from the historic South Broadway Athletic Club in ST. Louis Missouri where the 2011 MWR wrestler of the Year Brandon Espinosa look to prove that the third time is indeed the charm as he met the MMWA-SICW champ Gary Jackson in a Lumberjack match.

Jackson had been able to get two victories via Disqualification, the last one being due to interference thanks to The Big Texan dressed as Santa jumped in the ring to attack the champ.

Gary Jackson would not go down without a fight.(Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)

With the animosity running high, MMWA-SICW officials felt that the match needed extra manpower to contain these two hated warriors. Thus a Lumberjack match was scheduled and it would not end without controversy. Wrestling reporter Patrick Brandmeyer called it like he saw it, with the two going at it back and forth the Ricky Cruz and Dave Vaughn tension from the previous match spilled over into this one, leading to Vaughn spearing Jackson while the referee was holding back Cruz.

Dave Vaughn and Ricky Cruz has been at each other’s throat’s recently, and this feud is about to become out of control if the MMWA-SICW officials don’t come up with a plan. (Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)

That gave Espinosa the opening to deliver the frog splash and pin Jackson for the title! Cruz and Vaughn brawled after the match and it took quite some time to restore order in the ring area…

We would like to congratulate Brandon Espinosa as he is now the MMWA-SICW Heavyweight Champion for the first time.

While our friend Mike Van Hoogstraat was photographing that historic and crazy moment. Dubray and I traveled to Springfield Illinois to the Lamphier High School to cover the very first show of the year for New Midwest Wrestling.

A great night of wrestling that was headlined with the New Midwest Wrestling Heavyweight Champion Ryan Phoenix trying to defy the odds as he would not only face one man but two in a three way dance. Phoenix has been a fighting champion since last January 29th, 2011 when he defeated the powerhouse Jonathan Magnus.

Tyler Priegel and Tom Arson double team the champ.(Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

Phoenix is no doubt one of the top wrestlers in the Midwest but the two men he was taking on were just as dangerous. First off you had A1 Tom Arson, who is as cocky as he is good. Then you have the “Dodgeball Superstar” Tyler Priegel, who has been a winner at everything he has done. Priegel is a champion Dodgeball player and if you don’t believe him, he has a plaque to prove it.

From the start Phoenix was at a disadvantage as Arson and Priegel decided to work together in taking down the champ. After several minutes of beating down Phoenix, Priegel decided to jump on the opportunity to get the pinfal and the title but before the ref could count to three, Arson pulled him off to stop the count.

Ryan Phoenix locks Priegel in a brutal figure four around the turnbuckles (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

Priegel looked to dominate as he threw Phoenix in a vicious backwards toss onto the bleachers. Back in the ring

Phoenix would continue to fight back landing big shots to both men, and was able to lock in a figure four as he was on the outside while Priegel was inside the ring, while using the turnbuckle as a weapon.

Back in the ring Arson would get the edge once again, and had Priegel position for a moonsault but at the last moment the “Dodgeball Superstar” moved just in time.

Then out from the back came Attitude Inc., and Jonathan Magnus to assist Tom Arson. It was looking as if A1 Tom Arson had the perfect plan as he locked in Phoenix for piledriver onto a chair. As Arson was recovering himself, Priegel swooped in on top of Phoenix while the ref count to the mat 1-2-3…….NEW Champion Tyler Priegel had just got one over on Arson and Phoenix and ran to the mat along with the title championship.

MWR named Tyler Priegel one of the 12 men to watch in 2012, even though he had lost the NMW Central Illinois title to young upstart Tony G. In less than a month into the year he has proven us right by become the New Midwest Wrestling Champion.

All he does is win...NEW NMW Champ Tyler Priegel

Congratulations go out to Tyler Priegel for this great accomplishment in his career. We believe that he will be a man that you will hear about for years to come.

Continue to support both New Midwest Wrestling and MMWA-SICW to see if Tyler Priegel and Brandon Espinosa can retain their titles. MMWA-SICW will return to the South Broadway Athletic Club @ Saint Louis, Mo this Saturday .

New Midwest Wrestling will return on March 10, 2012 at the Lanphier High School in Springfield, Illinois, 1300 N 11th St .

UPDATE : RYAN PHOENIX WILL GET NO REMATCH

Due to a loophole surrounding the circumstances in which Former New Midwest Wrestling Champion Ryan Phoenix won the title almost a year to the day before he lost it, Line Producer, Lucious P. CoTrane has informed New Midwest Wrestling officials that Phoenix WILL NOT receive the customary rematch for the championship. The ruling stems from the fact that when Phoenix won the title, he did so in an impromptu, unsigned match.

LPC noted that it was a slight oversight throughout Phoenix’s reign, and was only pointed out to him just recently by the man Phoenix beat for the title in January of 2011, Jonathan Magnus. And as it stands right now, Phoenix is not in line to challenge the new champion “The Dodgeball Superstar” Tyler Priegel anytime in the near future.

Phoenix is said to disagree with the decision, and looking to dispute it. Executive Producer, Justin Clark has declined to comment on the situation