On May 19, WWE will return to pay-per-view with its annual “Extreme Rules” show in St. Louis, Missouri. John Cena is defending the WWE Title against Ryback, there’s a ladder match, and the first steel cage match between former WWE champions Triple H and Brock Lesnar. As these things go, it’s a fairly big deal.
Some of you may not know this, but Saint Louis was once a hotbed of professional wrestling, and with good reasons. It was the home base of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) back when the Alliance dominated the professional wrestling industry. It was also the home base of promoter Sam Muchnick, who became the NWA President in 1950 and handled the bookings of the NWA World Champion for many years.
With all this in mind, we’ll take a quick look at ten of the biggest wrestling events in the history of Saint Louis, in chronological order:
In less than one week several of the top legends in the world of pro wrestling will return to St Louis at the Argosy Casino for a meet and greet on Friday and a show with the legends. This week we take a look at the legends that are set to appear at this historic weekend.
At the bottom be sure to check out this information on how you can join MWR for a weekend that you will cherish forever.
Bio from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Waterloo, Iowa
54th anniversary of Wrestling at the Chase! See all of your old favorites. On hand will be Harley Race, Baron Von Raschke, Cowboy Bob Orton, Gerry Brisco, Greg Valentine and former Wrestling at the Chase commentator Larry Matysik. Hosted by Frank Cusumano.
Date: May 10, 7:30pm
Location: Argosy’s Music Hall
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
$20 Argosy Preferred Card discount, $25 general admission.
See Guest Services or call 1-800-711-GAME(4263) for complete details. Must be at least 21 years of age to attend.
LIVE WRESTLING
Catch every bone-jarring body slam at the Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling event. Live wrestling with icons like CWC Champ Ricky Cruz, Protege of King Kong Brody Ron Powers, Bull Schmitt and Flash Flanagan. Plus the legends of Wrestling at the Chase! will be on hand with Greg Valentine participating in a LIVE MATCH. Don’t miss the big event!
Date: May 11, 7pm
Location: Argosy’s Music Hall
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
$20 Argosy Preferred Card discount, $25 general admission.
See Guest Services or call 1-800-711-GAME(4263) for complete details. Must be at least 21 years of age to attend.
NEW MATCH: The main event of our midseason finale, “Survival Mode,” has been confirmed. Heavyweight Champion Heath Hatton will face the biggest challenge of his championship tenure when he defends against his best friend, “Serial Thriller” Shane Rich, and the monstrous beast known as Bull Bronson.
Rich and Bronson have been embroiled in one of Pro Wrestling Collision’s most heated rivalries, dating back to the start of the company. At our April “Collision” taping, they faced off in a number one’s contender’s match, which ended in double countout, leading Owner Chris Hagstrom to make the triple threat official for “Survival Mode.”
Hatton is sort of the odd man out in this match, as the issues between Bronson and Rich are far from settled, but with the company’s top prize on the line, Hatton certainly has a bullseye on his back. Will he be able to survive and leave the Boys and Girls Club still Heavyweight Champion on May 25?
In less than one week several of the top legends in the world of pro wrestling will return to St Louis at the Argosy Casino for a meet and greet on Friday and a show with the legends. This week we take a look at the legends that are set to appear at this historic weekend.
At the bottom be sure to check out this information on how you can join MWR for a weekend that you will cherish forever.
Bio from the WWE Website
One of the toughest, most rugged competitors ever to come down the pike, Greg Valentine more than carried on the tradition first established by his legendary father, the late Johnny Valentine. A top-ranked Superstar during the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, his is a career that encompasses several different eras of the sport’s history.
In the NWA’s Mid-Atlantic territory, he was a frequent tag-team partner and World Tag Team Champion with Ric Flair, and held the United States Championship as well. In WWE, he captured the World Tag Team Championship in 1985 as part of the Dream Team with Brutus Beefcake, and defended that title at WrestleMania 2. Prior to that, Valentine enjoyed a lengthy reign in 1985 as Intercontinental Champion, defending that title against the late Junkyard Dog at the first WrestleMania and waging countless battles with fellow 2004 inductee Tito Santana. Valentine was a thorn in the side of WWE Champions Bob Backlund and Hogan, and later formed one-half of the Rhythm & Blues tag team with the one and only Honky Tonk Man. Valentine also spent time in WCW, where he held the U.S. Tag Team Championship with Terry Taylor and made frequent appearances on Monday Nitro. His hard-hitting style in the ring will never be forgotten by those who saw him, and along with Flair and Hall of Famer Buddy Rogers, he helped make the figure-four leglock a household word.
54th anniversary of Wrestling at the Chase! See all of your old favorites. On hand will be Harley Race, Baron Von Raschke, Cowboy Bob Orton, Gerry Brisco, Greg Valentine and former Wrestling at the Chase commentator Larry Matysik. Hosted by Frank Cusumano.
Date: May 10, 7:30pm
Location: Argosy’s Music Hall
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
$20 Argosy Preferred Card discount, $25 general admission.
See Guest Services or call 1-800-711-GAME(4263) for complete details. Must be at least 21 years of age to attend.
LIVE WRESTLING
Catch every bone-jarring body slam at the Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling event. Live wrestling with icons like CWC Champ Ricky Cruz, Protege of King Kong Brody Ron Powers, Bull Schmitt and Flash Flanagan. Plus the legends of Wrestling at the Chase! will be on hand with Greg Valentine participating in a LIVE MATCH. Don’t miss the big event!
Date: May 11, 7pm
Location: Argosy’s Music Hall
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
$20 Argosy Preferred Card discount, $25 general admission.
See Guest Services or call 1-800-711-GAME(4263) for complete details. Must be at least 21 years of age to attend.
East Carondelet mayor promotes wrestling, weight loss
By TERI MADDOX — News-Democrat
Herb Simmons grew up with a mother and grandmother who loved watching Pat O’Connor and Dick “the Bruiser” battle it out in the ring.
Professional wrestling helped the whole family survive hot summer nights in East St. Louis public housing.
“We would take our black-and-white television outside,” said Herb, 59, of East Carondelet. “All the neighbors would sit on the grass or bring their lawn chairs, and we’d watch ‘Wrestling at the Chase.'”
The legendary St. Louis TV show influenced Herb to grow up and work as a professional wrestling promoter for more than 40 years.
SICW wrestling returns this weekend with wrestling at the Argosy Casino with the legends on May 10-11
Then a week later SICW returns with former WWE Stars Butch Reed and Trevor Murdock
Plus check out this great story
Wrestling with reality: Monthly bouts in East Carondelet really get a hold on fans
East Carondelet steps back in time one Saturday a month, reviving a spectacle made popular by the St. Louis TV show “Wrestling at the Chase” in the ’60s and ’70s.
Professional wrestlers in Spandex briefs rumble in the ring, shout insults at their opponents and rile up crowds with inflated egos and charged rivalries.
“I love it,” said Stella Schmid, 87, who never misses a match at East Carondelet Community Center. “I love everything about it.”
The former village clerk used to go to wrestling shows at Kiel Auditorium with her late husband, Edward. They met “King Kong” Brody at Dupo High School in 1984.
Missouri Wrestling Revival 