Cash Bordin has tried for six years to beat Christian Rose, but did he finally get that win? Scott Parker finally had to go face-to-face with Shank Barzini since his injury.
The bounty was still active on Shank, but was anyone able to get the prize?
The Club Championship was on the line, but, more importantly, did A.T. Brooks win the respect of Matt Cage?
Has Alex Castle finally won the IWAU Heavyweight Championship this past Saturday, or did Joey O’Riley have another successful title defense?
Relive the show in the DVD version of “Survival Mode,” with commentary and some bonus videos.
Make sure you get your copy of IWAU’s “Survival Mode!” on DVD when it comes out.
Brian Kelley 1) Missouri Wrestling Revival has been on hand from the start to see your first match but for the new fans, please let them know where you got your training?
Santana G trained under one of the very best in the past thirty years in St. Louis at Dynamo Gym under Dingo. Dingo has thrilled fans at SLA and Metro Pro Wrestling this past year. Here at Metro Pro Wrestling Dingo goes full tilt against Dan Walsh (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)
Santana G -My training started in St Louis, Mo at Dynamo Gym-there I trained under Dingo for a few months until I moved back to Florida where I started training and currently train in Orlando at the Team Vision Dojo under Chasyn Rance, Larry Zbyszko, and Scott Hall
2) You’re father TNT Keny G was also a wrestler who was trained by Dory Funk Jr. and is currently the promoter for High Voltage Wrestling. What are some of your favorite memories growing up around the sport in Florida?
Santana G -Looking back, my favorite memory is just spending time with one another, wrestling was one of many of our common interests and made our father-daughter relationship that much stronger.
I also remember when I was younger my mother used to send me to school in these fancy/fluffy dresses, and when I was with my dad, he let me wear what ever I wanted. This usually consisted of my Stone Cold Steve Austin t-shirt with jeans. To this day I am still the girliest tomb boy you’ll ever meet.
Santana G has always been a sweet girl that has shown respect to her fans and love for her family. Here she poses with her brother LIL Keny. (Photo Mike Van Hoogstraat)
3) What kind of advice has your father given you that has helped you at this stage of your career?
Santana G -Those who know my father knows he always has something to say. Therefore, over the years he has given a lot of great advice which has molded me into the girl I am today. One thing is to never change for someone else. Another is to not do anything that I may regret. I have this rule, when it comes to wrestling, I do not anything that I wouldn’t be comfortable doing in front of my father or my little brothers.
Santana G’s dad HVW promoter TNT Keny G did not take it easy on his daughter early on in her career as she was sent to the wolves when she took on the best women’s wrestler in the world MsChif in a early matchup. Though Santana was overmatched, she would earn the respect of the queen of the green mist for her never give up attitude and heart.
4) You have since moved to Florida, to continue your training. Who has been the most helpful in molding you into the star that you are today.
Santana G -Prior to moving back to Fl, I had minimal training. So when I got here I needed a place to train, I checked out Dory’s school and a few others, but I ended up meeting Chasyn at a show and he offered to me, an opportunity to train at his school. For the past two years, he has helped me stay on track with juggling my bookings, work, and maintaining a healthy body and mind. Not only has he been an amazing trainer, but also my best friend.
Santana G with former WWE/TNA star Orlando Jordan. (Photos courtesy of Santana G’s facebook)
5) For a short time you were brought in with Orlando Jordan on SPIKE TV for TNA as a valet. Describe that experience for the fans.
Santana G -During my time there, I met many different wrestlers who have seen the ins and outs of this business and we’re willing to offer advice and answer any questions I may have as an up and comer. It was a good way to get my foot in the door and just a great opportunity.
The 2010 MWR Female wrestler of the year Amy Hennig was able to keep Santana G from the WLW Women’s title. The Midwest sweetheart feels that if that match was to happen today she would hold onto Harley Race’s Women’s title. Today she would have to go through current WLW Ladies champion Stacey O’Brien. A rematch MWR has been waiting for since last spring. (Photo credit Bill Smith)
6) Since then you have returned to the Midwest on a few occasions, notably for Harley Race’s World League Wrestling challenging then champion Amy Hennig for the title. Did the 8-time NWA World Champion Harley Race give you any feedback on your matches and looking back at the title match, how would you of went about getting the title off of her now?
Stacey O’Brien is considered to be the best in the MWR coverage area not named MsChif, many experts believe that Santana G has the beauty and talent in the ring and is on the verge of stardom in the sport for years to come. Will these two paths cross at either Dynamo or Metro when the Midwest sweetheart returns ? (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)
Santana G -Harley was great! After my match w/ Amy I sat next to him at the merch table. He said to me, I knew you could actually work from the very first shoulder tackle -it only took one bump and he had already formed a positive opinion. It was quite an honor. As for getting the title off Amy, at that time I still had a lot to learn, it was very early on in my career. If given the opportunity again, I strongly believe the outcome would be much different.
Santana will be a part of one of the biggest cards in Florida, not named Wrestlemania when Adam Pearce, James Cornette, Chance Prophet vs Kahagas and Santana G and Chasyn Rance vs former TNA STARS Jessie Neal and Christina Von Eerie with special ref Sunny.
7) You are active wrestling in Florida, how many shows a month do you wrestle and for what promotions.
Santana G -Pretty much my life consists of working, driving, and wrestling. I am always so busy, but loving every minute of it. I average anywhere from 4 to 10 matches per month.
I work for many different promotions in Florida which includes: NWA Ring Warriors, I Believe In Wrestling, Coastal Championship Wrestling, Slammin Ladies, Pro Wrestling Xtreme, United States Championship Wrestling, United States Wrestling Alliance, and many more.
8) You have matched up against many of the best females in Florida. Take the time to tell the fans just who are among the top challengers and why.
Santana G -There are many tough female competitors here in Florida, some of which I have faced are Jessika Haze, Becky Bayless, Angel Rose, Leva, Su Young, Jessie Belle Smother, Rain, Kimberly, Jamie D, Rosie Lotta Love, and Calypso. I’d have to say out of all of them my top challenger remains to be Christina Von Eerie. She is extremely tough and has a bad girl attitude which in many cases has caused her to come up short in her matches.
Photos courtesy of Santana G’s facebook
9) Scott Hall had mentioned that you become the first female WOLF PACK member, that’s quite an honor. We know that he has kept an eye on your training at times, what have you taken from the former N.WO member?
Santana G -Scott has been a great mentor, taking me under his wing and giving me the titles, “The She Wolf, The Fastest Rising Female Star, and The First Female Member of The Wolf Pack” which indeed has been an honor. He has helped me develop not only as a wrestler, but an entertainer. If you ever get a chance, youtube Last Call with Scott Hall and watch him critique a match. He has a brilliant mind.
10) MWR fans are thrilled that you are finally returning back to the Midwest in April. It wont be easy though as you will meet one of your arch rivals and former TNA Star Christina Von Eerie on two separate nights, first in Glen Carbon, Illinois for NWA Dynamo on April 6th, then on April 7th for the 2011 MWR Promotion of the Year Metro Pro Wrestling. Explain the background of the two of you as this is a war that has been ongoing and is about to explode in the Midwest.
Santana G -When it comes down to it, CVE and myself are considered the top 2 female wrestlers in Florida. We both train hard to better ourselves in this sport and we have both proven why we are the best.
Can Christina Von Eerie ruin Santana G’s homecoming?
Her and I have had many matches this past year, and with each match our feud only escalades, as we are both trying to prove who really is the best. We have shown the fans in Florida what we are all about and now we are taking it to the MidWest, my second home.
FREE TODAY! Mar 18 Wrestling Observer Live: Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive preview the TNA PPV, talk Cena vs. the Rock, WrestleMania, TUF review, all the news from the past week and so much more.
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive returns today to talk all the news in wrestling and MMA including a full preview of the TNA Victory Road PPV, a look back at last week’s Raw with the Rock Concert and John Cena’s battle rap, the Road to WrestleMania with two weeks left, lots of MMA news including thoughts on this week’s Ultimate Fighter, and more. Best of all it’s FREE, so please post the link or file elsewhere and help spread the word about wrestlingobserver.com! And if you like what you hear, consider signing up for a subscription as Dave and I do 3-4 shows per week in addition to the other 15-20 brand new shows, plus members have full access to our thousands of hours of audio and hundreds of new and archived Wrestling Observer and Figure Four Newsletters. It’s a steal, so sign up and join the fun! Only at wrestlingobserver.com
Matt Cage is accepting the challenge of “The Best in the World”, Davey Richards on March 25th at IWAU’s Sunday Night Wrestling as part of the #DefendIWAU movement.
Dan Walsh is one of the very best in the game today. Taking beatings from powerhouses like Kevin X at Dynamo Pro forced the young star to step up his game. (Photo Credit Amanda Blasé)
Kevin X(aka Kevin Sharp) has been a staple of the St. Louis wrestling scene for over a decade, dating back to the days of Midwest Renegade Wrestling(MRW).
He entered Gateway Championship Wrestling(GCW) in 2000 with his eye on the Heavyweight Title held by Pete Madden, but he was double-crossed by Big Bad Ben after Ben won the championship. The two fought for months until Sharp finally captured the title in a no-DQ match in the spring of 2001.
Kevin held the title for most of the calendar year, defending against tough challengers at every show…in the end, it took two tough opponents to end his title reign. On a night when he was scheduled to defend against Jack Adonis, Nikki Strychnine inserted himself into the situation and the match became a triple threat encounter. The numbers caught up to him and Strychnine ended his title reign…leaving Sharp incredibly bitter about the circumstances of the title loss.
Kevin underwent an attitude change in the ensuing years, transitioning from the self-absorbed “Pretty Boy” into a gangster mentality. Changing his name to Kevin X, he formed “Thug Inc.” with Shawn Almighty and D’Mon G to run roughshod over the GCW roster. He would be a mainstay in the championship picture of just about every promotion in the Midwest!
MWR honored Harley Race’s student Brian Breaker with the 2011 MWR Future Star Award but Kevin X could care less what we think of the future of this rising star. Here he delivers a crushing blow to Breaker. (Photo Stephen Jones )
Kevin X fought Adam Raw for the LWA Title at one point and also held the MMWA-SICW Heavyweight Championship, continuing a long-standing feud with veteran Gary Jackson.
Gary Jackson and Kevin X has been to war many times over the years. Here at East Carondelet for SICW, the action spills outside the ring. (Photo Credit Amanda Blasé)
In recent years, Kevin has competed for Dynamo Pro Wrestling as well as Gateway Championship Wrestlingin the Kansas City area.
Metro Pro Fans and Pete Madden knows full well how dominating Kevin X can be (Photo Bill Smith)
Wrestling fans in the St. Louis area wish Kevin X the best of luck in the future…one could say that his career was “just too pretty!”
Missouri Wrestling Revival Book Review: The Somebody Obsession- A Nobody’s Desperate Journey to Stardom by Matt Murphy
People are often discussed with the notion that societies are black and white. In the world of wrestling it is magnified even more so: promoters are people looking to use their wrestlers, the wrestlers are loose cannons, and the fans, well, we are all missing a few pieces to the puzzle.
The truth of the situation is that each one of us can fit that description at one point during our life. Life is not easy and sometimes the desire to succeed can turn a great payout promoter to struggle to pay his wrestlers, cause a wrestler with all the tools to succeed to become bitter, or have a hard working fan get so upset during a match that he does or says something he/she regrets.
For many, wrestling is a way of life. Whether you work in the sport or you just love cheering on your favorite wrestler, we just can not get enough of the wild world of pro wrestling.
At Missouri Wrestling Revival.com, you have seen many of the stars of the Midwest go after titles, do promos and travel town to town in the hopes of getting noticed. Each man and woman has a tale to tell.
One man with such a story to tell is “All That” Matt Murphy. Murphy grew up in the Midwest, not with a silver spoon in his mouth but with hardships and a love of pro wrestling.
His story talks to the reader with an honest look at himself, his friends, and even his closest peers in wrestling.
His first claim to fame was being named “The first graduate student of former World Champion Harley Race’s Wrestling Academy” but what a trip it was to become that.
Murphy makes you feel like you were right there as he struggles to become a man as a teenager to coming back home as a boy that lived his dreams. Stories of who helped him and who took their advantages of himself and other wrestlers are high points throughout the book.
This is easily a must read for any wrestling fan or aspiring young boy that truly wants a taste of a guy who has had the opportunity to make it to Japan and the disappointment of not making it to the WWE.
Matt Murphy was able to see his friend and fellow WLW Alumni Trevor Murdock make it to the WWE with much success. Hear his thoughts on that, as well as his time working with Ian Rotten’s IWA Mid-South along with current WWE Superstar CM Punk. What kind of impression did former wrestlers Big Van Vader and Meng leave on him plus stories of his time with Pro Wrestling NOAH.
I have had the pleasure of working with Matt Murphy in the past and this book gives us a true look at the man who has been a winner, a underachiever with much self doubt, a self proclaimed asshole, and a man who by all means overachieved and did not appreciate it.
After my final assessment of Murphy with working with him and reading his books, I feel as if he is one of wrestling’s best kept secrets. Matt Murphy is a man who has a wealth of wrestling knowledge that just does not sugar coat his thoughts. If given the chance I have no doubt that Murphy is capable of improving the world of wrestling as we know it today.
His book delivers with a must read story for every fan that loves wrestling.
To Buy this book via paperback or e-book click here.
Missouri Wrestling Revival