Missouri Wrestling Revival

Keith Smith, Tim Miller, Herb Simmons and Larry Matysik. (Photo Mike Van Hoogstraat)

I find myself responding to the article Ben Simon wrote regarding the issue with Ron Powers and the MMWA/SICW. I believe it’s time to set the record straight regarding the MMWA/ SICW issue first. It has been stated before by Ben Simon that MMWA/ SICW has split. I have attempted in the past to make it clear that those statements that he is making, are incorrect assumptions on his and a few others. Tony Casta and I have been the best of friends for many years and continue to be friends and will do so until one of us decides otherwise, so don’t hold your breath on that happening. Not Ben Simon or anyone will change that. Tony and I made that clear a few months back in the locker room at a South Broadway show. I continue to help Tony anyway that I can. Unless I was removed this past weekend while out of town with Keith Smith who is the MMWA/ SICW Commissioner in Chicago being a guest of Jim Cornett and Gary Juster of ROH, then I plan on being back behind the mic in September.

Now to set Ben Simon straight. He is no longer used at the show in Illinois due to him having his own agenda. He was filming the shows and putting them on his own program and using our talent and resources to benefit himself. IF I’m not mistaken he was even looking for sponsors. Now to do that is unacceptable in the business. Tony and I pay the talent and we have our own programs that we are trying to keep on air. Now if Ben wants to pay us and the talent then I say it’s okay for him to do this.

Ben Simon attended the open door session we held and tried out for the ring announcer position. He did okay but I don’t believe anyone told him he had a life time position. After a few try outs it was clear that Ben had a problem even adjusting to reading what had been wrote for him to announce. This was a conversation that was held between myself, Tim Miller and a few others. I have since begun using another individual from a local sports radio station that also helps promote the shows, (Good Business).

Ben Simon has continued to work at South Broadway and even with some mistakes he has made there I’m happy for him. I make no decisions on what takes place there. I have my own thoughts but keep them to myself. To further clarify to Ben, we attempted to work together on both shows but due to scheduling conflicts of some of talent needed in some of the story lines and due to the athletic board of Missouri being so hard on physical and license some workers have decided not to work there. This is an ongoing problem and nothing to do with a split of the two groups. In fact we attempted to run a few shows and a few of the main players from South Broadway had second thoughts and those matches were put on hold and held in Illinois. Tony and Keith are who I work with and the Ben Simon’s of the world and a few others need to understand that. Tony and I have been doing this longer then Ben Simon and the few others have been alive. Some may say we have been doing it to long, but I will put all my eggs in the basket with the like of Tony Casta, Keith Smith, Mr. Larry Matysik, and yes even the likes of Ron Powers.

I must say at this time I hate to agree with Ron but Ben Simon is so far off it’s almost amusing. In this business there is a term called a (Mark), its individuals like Ben Simon that word was meant for. He has certain areas that he may excel in but knowing the wrestling business isn’t one of them. He has been trying for so long to make an issue out of this so called MMWA/ SICW feuding that even after several times that it’s been explained to him he still don’t get it. It’s no different than when the WCW brought in the NWO, or when WWE brought on Smackdown, and the list goes own. The only thing I agree with him is that Ron Powers better not count Gary Jackson or any of the talent from South Broadway out.
They are some of the best in the business.

So please wrestling fans, and I’m sure you are if you are reading this great site that MWR provides for us don’t let the Ben Simon’s of the world mislead you. As I told Brian Kelley from MWR not so long ago, unless you hear it from Tony Casta or myself or from one of our team members like Keith Smith, don’t believe it. And Ben, this is WRESTLING, don’t get caught up in all the real work of the business, just sit back and enjoy and let those that have been doing this do it. The fans will let us know if they don’t like it.

I hope to see everyone at all the MMWA/ SICW shows.

And in the very near future on November 6th we will be supporting the return of ROH and Jim Cornett to the Collinsville Convention Center with the help of Larry Matysik.

Various incarnations of the Gentlemen’s Club competed in 3XWrestling from Nov 2007 – December 2010, but regardless of the members, their overall impact cannot be denied. The Gentlemen’s Club was undoubtedly the most evil force in the history of 3XW, and their legacy lives on today in the 11-member supergroup Genesis. From 2007-late 2009, the Gentlemen’s Club consisted of the extraordinary team of Gage Octane and Mark Sterling, who held the 3XW Tag Team titles for 11 months after ending the record 20-month reign of the Northstar Express.

Sterling and Octane had excellent battles with The Northstar Express and The High Flyers (Mike Sydal & Zach Thompson). Octane and Sterling maximized their awesome in-ring ability with the managerial assistance of 3XW Commissioner Todd Countryman and together their formed a destructive combination.

If you like perfection then the team of Steve Fender and Mark Sterling is the team for you.

Old School flavor with a mix of new age stamina left their opponents gasping for air and begging to stop. Fender and Sterling would dominate the WLW tag team scene becoming the longest reigning champions in that companies history.

If you are talking tag titles then yes they should be down on the list some but if you are talking about impact then BABEWATCH shoots to the top. At MWR’S Pro Wrestling Showcase show they would lose not only the match but a dance off as well to the Northstar Express. Yet that match would send the word out to promoters that BABEWATCH was for real.

A cult following for many fans, the BABEWATCH team would groom the three stars to change the landscape of wrestling in the Midwest.

Brandon Aarons in 2010 was in the running for MWR Wrestler of the year along with a great match with then ROH Champ Tyler Black at Pro Wrestling Epic. Mike Sydal would win the PWI Rookie of the Year, and would be the man who would win the 2010 MWR Wrestler of the Year award while making multiple appearances with Ring of Honor including their WrestleMania weekend edition.

Brandon Espinosa has often been one of the most active wrestlers in the Midwest, but in 2011 he has turned it up a notch by capturing titles around the Midwest while getting wins against the likes of ROH and TNA stars Jimmy Jacobs, El Generico and Jay Lethal. There is no doubt that Espinosa is up for the 2011 MWR Wrestler of the Year with many good years to come.

The three Babewatch members were all included in this years PWI 500 and are among the future of Wrestling in the not only the Midwest but the country as well.