In a hard fought one on one contest, Dak Draper defeated Blaine Meeks by referee stoppage in a no dq match to retain his NWL Kansas City Championship Saturday night, September 2 at the Scottish Rites Temple in Kansas City, Missouri. Draper used at least three different steel chairs in brutal encounter, but his actions after the match ended is what drew the ire of NWL President, Major Baisden. “I am going to work with my full team of advisors in determining what the best course of action is for dealing with Dak Draper’s future in the NWL,” Baised wrote on Twitter.
Draper used two of his Draper bombs but couldn’t pin Meeks, even after using chairs to Meek’s back repeatedly. Meeks put on his cape and hit his finishing move, “comic mischief”, but Draper was able to kick out.
The finish came when Draper used Meek’s own cape, tied to the ropes to choke out the challenger and the referee had no choice but to stop the contest.
Draper who went to the hospital after the match to receive stitches for a cut near his eyes, continued to attack Meeks after the match. Draper wrapped Meeks legs around the ring post and repeatedly hit Meeks with a chair in his already damaged knee.
Looking at the company website, Meeks is not advertised for upcoming shows through September and Draper could be stripped of the title as he is listed on events, but his matches are not advertised as title matches.
The crowd the Scottish Rites Temple was down from normal, estimated at 225 fans as the WWE was at the Sprint Center and likely hurt the normally large crowd.
In other matches, The Besties in the World defeated the Howlettes in a wild brawl to advance to the finals of the NWL Tag Team Tournament,
Jack Foster defeated Michael Strider and Mike Outlaw defeated Niles Plonk.
After the match, a security video played, showing Plonk’s butler, Belvedere was not really injured, which freed Red Cloud from his commitment to serve Plonk.
Also, Thor Theriot defeated Maverick by countout,
Devlin defeated Gil Rogers,Jet Royal defeated Ken Dharma and
Jeremy Wyatt pinned Anthony Guitteriez.
There have many been many, many great wrestling matches so far in 2017. Two of the best occurred in the NWL Saturday night, September 2. The Draper vs. Meeks and Wyatt vs. Guittereiz matches were among the best of 2017 on any level.
Episode Thirty-one of The AJ Awesome Show. We hope you enjoy it! Please subscribe if you like this video! Music Credits: “Frag Out” – DJ Assass1n and “I Stand Alone” – Godsmack. Please visit these artists websites to learn more about their music.
The office of NWL send their best wishes to the family and friends of pro wrestler Beautiful Bobby below. I had the honor of covering at the Scottish Rite Temple when he face NWL KC Champion Dak Draper recently as well as at SICW through the years in excited matches that left the fans entertained each and every time.
Brian Kelley- MWR Owner and Editor
We were informed late last night of the passing of Beautiful Bobby. Bobby was a second generation wrestler and son of Pro Wrestling Hall of Famer, Lord Littlebrook. He was known throughout the world for his high flying style in the ring as well as appearances in television and in film. We were fortunate to have him join our locker room and fight in a NWL KC Title match earlier this year. We hope that you will join us in sending thoughts and prayers to his family.
If you would like to support the Bobby Dean Tovey Memorial Fund click here.
This coming weekend history will be made when the former WWE Heavyweight Champion of the World and former NWA Missouri Champion Bob Backlund will be at the South Broadway Athletic Club to be inducted into the St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame. Backlund will be honored along with the late Édouard Carpentier.
Admission to the 4 P.M. Induction and Q&A is $10. Admission to the 5 P.M. Bob Backlund Meet-and-Greet is $10 and includes a free 8×10 photo.
Admission to these back-to-back events is separate from the MMWA Wrestling event at 8 P.M.
South Broadway Athletic Club
2301 S. 7th Street, St. Louis 63104
The St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame is located at the South Broadway Athletic Club. It was originally housed in the Pro Wrestling Shirt Shop in the South County mall. Current board members include: Herb Simmons, Nick Ridenour, Larry Matysik and Tony Casta. The Hall is still open for inductions. Matysik explained the need for our Hall of Fame:
The role of St. Louis and the early success of “Wrestling at the Chase” in wrestling, becoming a hugely popular endeavor… is ignored by a company that wants to rewrite history. Had St. Louis not accepted wrestling on television as it did, the sport might never have developed as it has over the decades. Any legitimate Hall of Fame needs to recognize that fact.
-Larry Matysik
The St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame is located at the South Broadway Athletic Club. It was originally housed in the Pro Wrestling Shirt Shop in the South County mall. Current board members include: Herb Simmons, Nick Ridenour, Larry Matysik and Tony Casta. The Hall is still open for inductions. Matysik explained the need for our Hall of Fame:
The role of St. Louis and the early success of “Wrestling at the Chase” in wrestling, becoming a hugely popular endeavor… is ignored by a company that wants to rewrite history. Had St. Louis not accepted wrestling on television as it did, the sport might never have developed as it has over the decades. Any legitimate Hall of Fame needs to recognize that fact.
-Larry Matysik
Class of 2007
Lou Thesz – World Heavyweight Champion: 1937-38, 1939, 1947, 1948-56, 1956-57, 1963-66 Ric Flair – World Heavyweight Champion: 1981-83, 1983-84, 1984-86, 1986-87, 1987-89, 1989-90, 1991, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2000 Harley Race – World Heavyweight Champion: 1973, 1977-79, 1979, 1979-80, 1980-81, 1981, 1983 Bill Longson – World Heavyweight Champion: 1942, 1943-47, 1947-48 Gene Kiniski – World Heavyweight Champion: 1966-69 Pat O’Connor – World Heavyweight Champion: 1959-61 Johnny Valentine – World Tag Team Champion: 1960, 1960, 1962, 1966 Dick the Bruiser – AWA Heavyweight Champion: 1966 Fritz Von Erich – AWA Heavyweight Champion: 1963 Penny Banner – AWA Women’s Champion: 1961-63 King Kong Brody – NWA Central States Heavyweight Champion: 1980 Mickey Garagiola – Television Announcer Larry Matysik – Commentator Sam Muchnick – Promoter Joe Schoenberger – Referee
Class of 2008
Dory Funk, Jr. – World Heavyweight Champion: 1969-73 Jack Brisco – World Heavyweight Champion: 1973-74, 1974-75 Buddy Rogers – World Heavyweight Champion: 1961-63 Rocky Johnson – World Tag Team Champion: 1983-84 Joe Garagiola – Commentator Lee Warren – Referee
Class of 2009
Baron von Raschke – AWA Tag Team Champion: 1984
Class of 2010
Terry Funk – World Heavyweight Champion: 1975-77 Dick Murdoch – World Tag Team Champion: 1984-85 “Cowboy” Bob Ellis – World Tag Team Champion: 1962 Bobby Heenan – Manager
Class of 2014
Ted DiBiase – World Tag Team Champion: 1992, 1992, 1993 Wilbur Snyder – AWA Tag Team Champion: 1961, 1967 Rip Hawk – NWA Texas Heavyweight Champion: 1963
Class of 2015
Ken Patera – WWE Intercontinental Champion: 1980 Joe Tangaro – Wrestler Eddie Smith – Wrestler, Referee Bill Apter – Journalist
Class of 2016
Kerry Von Erich – World Heavyweight Champion: 1984 David Von Erich – Missouri Heavyweight Champion: 1983-84 Kevin Von Erich – Missouri Heavyweight Champion: 1979-80 Dr. Bill Miller – AWA Heavyweight Champion: 1962 John Paul Henning – Wrestler Charlie Venator – Referee
Class of 2017
Bob Backlund – WWE Champion: 1978-83, 1994 Édouard Carpentier – WWA Heavyweight Champion (Los Angeles): 1957-61, 1963-64
The Action will be red hot that night as Moondog Rover defends his MMWA Championship against the Big Texan and former Champion Brian James
Cruiserweight Champion Deacon Cash vs. Justin D’Air vs. Sean Vincent
Also Ace Hawkins will defend his Missouri Wrestling Revival Missouri Championship against “The Great One” Gary Jackson. Gary Jackson is a bona fide Hall of Fame wrestler of his era in St. Louis, can he add the MWR MO title to his resume?
Be there as you will not want to miss this historic night.
SICW ALL-STAR WRESTLING
September 16th
“The Fall Showdown”
East Carondelet Illinois community center 7pm. Four of the best in the business. Call TODAY to reserve your seats 618-286-4848
You have until Midnight to pick up your Dakota Draper or Blaine Meeks Fan Pack. This includes you choice of either a Dak or Blaine shirt and a general admission ticket for just $20. Get yours by midnight and show your support in the No DQ match for the NWL Championship 9/2. Find both packs at https://shop.nwleague.com/fan-pack-9-2/
The new Official Missouri Rankings list, good through October, has been calculated and published. Head over to the MO Rankings page for the latest publication. To qualify for the Top 10, a wrestler must have the highest ratings with consistent activity (RD ≤ 200). Rankings are published every two months.
CAce Hawkins is the State champion again. “The Ace that runs the Place” dropped Brandon Espinosa with a DDT in a No Holds Barred match on July 22 to win the title. So, as he says, cheer for him.
#1Dak Draper won all four of his singles matches these past two months, including his war with Jack Foster on August 11. “The Mile High Magnum” is 17-0 total. No one can defeat the NWL Kansas City Champion.
#4Maverick drops two spots due to his disqualification loss to Gary Jay on July 15. This allows for some strangeness.
#2Jon Webb advances one spot with a time limit draw with #9Leland Race, which brings Race back into the fold. The two rematch in an Iron Man match on September 9.
Niles Plonk’s manservant #3Belvedere was inactive this period but still moves two spots up on the list. How? Consider: his successful time as The Iceman is still factored, Maverick lost points, and Niles Plonk’s other manservant (by stipulation) Red Cloud has dropped off the list due to inactivity. Wow.
#5Adrian Surge is on a winning streak as he debuts on the MO Top 10. “Lights Out” has turned his career around, even winning Dynamo Pro’s Riot on the River tournament… and that wasn’t even factored into the list, as it was in Illinois!
#6Blaine Meeks is fully recovered from his injury, but “Captain KC” advanced a spot anyway due to Jack Foster’s departure from our list.
#7Jeremy Wyatt explodes into the modern Rankings for the first time. “The Monarch” defeated Skyler Beckett, “Sharkbait” Gutierrez, and Jack Foster.
High Risk Wrestling’s top dog #8Jay Howard holds his spot and #10Todd Letterman barely hangs on after disappearing from the Missouri scene. When he does return, the big man will revert back to his real name, Kevin Lee Davidson.
Many wrestlers retire from wrestling, but almost all return to the ring at
some point. Ric Flair had an incredible send off at Wrestlemania XXIV,
wrestling his final match on the biggest and grandest stage of them all,
but Flair returned to wrestling less than 2 years later. Nick Bockwinkel
retired in 1987 but wrestled in 1992 and 1993 for special return matches.
The great Verne Gagne retired and came out of retirement numerous
times.
Chris Guy, who wrestles as “Sexy” Ace Steel, never actually retired, but
the pull of wrestling for one of the top independent promotions in the
country, was too much for Ace Steel to ignore. Steel has once again
returned to active wrestling as part of the “Foundation” in the National Wrasslin League. Steel was happy, living a comfortable life in
Springfield, Missouri with his wife working a regular job.
Steel plans to continue with his full time life outside the ring, but as the
NWL has increased the number of their monthly wrestling events, the
call to the veteran Steel was made and his interest piqued. “They wanted
me to come in as a trainer, but I didn’t want to leave my life and pick up
and move again. I am not going to wrestle on every event, but I
definitely will be more active in the ring than I have been.”
Steel worked for Chris Gough, former owner of Metro Pro and current
director of wrestling operations for NWL at Metro Pro Wrestling before
Gough closed Metro Pro Wrestling to work for Major Baisden and the
NWL.
Steel attended a NWL show in Kansas City on July 8 and was so
impressed with the talent, the shows and NWL owner, Major Baisden;
he wrestled on the NWL show in Joplin, Missouri on August 4,
defeating Stevie Richards.
“Ace steel has such a tremendous reputation, both as a worker and as a
trainer. The years we worked together at Metro Pro hatched some of the
best moments we ever had. I was asking him for months to come back to
NWL, and when he told me he was ready, I knew it was going to lead to
great things again. He has joined Jeremy Wyatt and Michael Strider in The Foundation, and they will be a trio that will be hard to overcome”,
Gough explained.
Steel grew up in Chicago and fell in love with professional wrestling. “I
grew up watching the AWA and as soon as I graduated high school, I
started training with Windy City Wrestling.”
Steel debuted for Windy City Wrestling in 1991 and wrestled in
independent promotions for most of the hey day of the wrestling wars in
the 90’s. In 1998, Steel became a wrestler and trainer for St. Paul Championship Wrestling, which later became Steel Domain Wrestling.
Steel became friends with two other Chicago natives who were making a
name for themselves on the independent circuit; Colt Cabana and CM Punk. Steel trained both Cabana and Punk.
“Ace Steel has worked for Steel Domain Wrestling and has incredible
respect in our locker room”, says Steel Domain owner Ed Hellior. “The
last time he was here, I watched him do a coaching session with a couple
of Ken and Shawn’s students. (Ken Anderson and Shawn Diavari). What
I noticed is it’s once thing to be a world class wrestler, but he his an
outstanding coach and teacher. There are a number of great wrestlers,
but it does not mean they can teach. Even Steven Regal (William Regal)
got wind of the session and commented on Ace. “
In 2003, Steel made his first appearance in Japan wrestling for NOAH.
“I couldn’t wait to be in a place where at times wrestling, the pure mat
wrestling techniques and training, were common and the norm,” Steel
told Slam Wrestling. “The Japanese have such a level of dedication and
to workout and train everyday, and get on a bus to the next town was the
best. I’ve been in the ring many times with (Mitsuharu) Misawa, (Yoshinari) Ogawa, (Akira) Taue, KENTA (Kenta Kobayashi), (Naomichi) Marafuji, (Yoshinobu) Kanemaru –– you name it. And each
time learning so much and to gain their respect is awesome. NOAH is
the top Japanese company.”
Steel briefly worked for TNA after its inception, forming a tag team with
Punk and also wrestling in the X Division. After his TNA contract
expired, Steel signed with Ring of Honor, forming a tag team with
Cabana and Punk called the Second City Saints. Steel also has wrestled
for WWE in the past. During a September 27, 2004 edition of Raw,
Steel wrestled as Scott Colton (real name of Colt Cabana), losing a
match to Eugene. As a repayment of the inside rib, Cabana wrestled as
Chris Guy, (Steel’s real name) on an April 10, 2006 episode of Raw.
Maybe Steel’s most memorable performance on Raw occurred on
January 8, 2007, when Steel portrayed Donald Trump in an inter gender
match against “Rosie O’Donnell“.
Steel later was signed to a
developmental contract with WWE and wrestled in both of the WWE
developmental territories at the time, Deep South Wrestling and Ohio Valley Wrestling.
On December 5, 2008, Steel returned to ROH at the “Wrestling at the Gateway” event, teaming with Necro Butcher against Jimmy Jacobs and Delirious. Steel also appeared in the 10-man cage match at the “Caged
Collision” event on January 31, 2009.
Ace Steel once held onto Harley Race’s WLW Championship.
Steel recently turned 44 years old, making him a veteran presence and a
natural locker room leader. “I am really impressed by the guys in the
locker room. They are all really excited to be wrestling for the NWL.”
Jeremy Wyatt cryptically told NWL fans “Foundation” members
Michael Styder and Wyatt had an “Ace” up their sleeve weeks ago.
Steel debuted in Kansas City as a surprise opponent for Gil Rogers on
August 5 and affirmed his affiliation with the Foundation during an
interview later that evening.
Despite being a former Steel Domain Champion and Metro Pro
Champion, some of Steel’s greatest accomplishments have come from
the words of other wrestlers. “Having Regal (William) choose me to
work with him (on Harley Race events) is such an honor. Regal said he
chose me because he trusted me to do what needed to be done” Steel
explained. “Having Ricky Steamboat tell me ‘you made that match worth
watching’ is really special to me.”
For now, Steel is content to wrestle part time for NWL and also loves
training younger wrestlers.
Missouri Wrestling Revival 