The names of Davey Vega and Mat Fitchett are well-known to Midwest wrestling fans, but the national wrestling scene has only recently begun to discover the talents of these skilled competitors.
Both men started their careers with Dynamo Pro Wrestling before branching out to the Lethal Wrestling Alliance, which would later become St. Louis Anarchy. Vega was first known as a tag team competitor and teamed with Johnny Vinyl to feud with The Ego Express(Steven Kennedy & K.C. Karrington), leading to Kennedy & Karrington becoming the first LWA Tag Team Champions when they defeated Vega and substitute partner Dingo. After that, Vega focused on singles competition…after holding the NWA Missouri Title in Dynamo Pro, he went on to capture the LWA Heavyweight Title from Gary Jay in December of 2009. Vega held the title for most of 2010 before dropping it to Evan Gelistico; this occured shortly before the transition to St. Louis Anarchy and Vega spent most of that promotion’s existence chasing the title.
Davey Vega explodes with a clothesline on ROH Star Jonathan Gresham.
In that time, Vega competed against some of the best wrestlers in the world and scored victories over many of them. That list included such names as Davey Richards, Kyle O’Reilly, Johnny Gargano, Arik Cannon, A.C.H., Michael Elgin, Roderick Strong, Chris Hero, Jonathan Gresham, D.J. Z, T.J. Perkins, Chip Day, and Martin Stone. In his final opportunity at the gold at St. Louis Anarchy’s last show, Vega finally capitalized by winning a triple threat match with champion Fitchett and Gary Jay for the title! Vega will continue to carry the championship in Pro Wrestling Championship Series as the “Gateway Heritage Title“.
As for Fitchett, his career took a similar path and he squared off with many of the same competitors as his often-time tag partner Vega. In fact, Fitchett and Vega were Tag Team Champions in both the Chicago-based All-American Wrestling and the Kansas City-based Metro Pro Wrestling!
TJ Perkins found WWE gold in 2016, but before that he and Fitchett put on a wrestling clinic at St. Louis Anarchy.
The “Dirty Rook” took his lumps in his early LWA and SLA career, enduring hard-hitting battles with the likes of Arik Cannon, Akira Tozawa, Alex Shelley, and his trainer Dingo. Fitchett was frustrated after several near-misses in title matches against Darin Corbin and Gary Jay, leading to him taking a sabbatical from SLA competition; however, it turned out that he was hiding under the mask of “Dangerous Deveroux” as he competed for SLA and PWCS. Fitchett had an uphill battle against Gary Jay as the champion rode a wave of momentum, holding the title for over two years with title defenses against some of the toughest competition in the country. Winning a thirty-man Anarchy Rumble in late 2015 finally propelled him back into title contention…and in February of 2016, Fitchett finally ended Gary’s monumental title reign to reach the top of the mountain!
Fitchett didn’t shy away from challenges as he defended his title against Evan Gelistico, T.J. Perkins, Jake Dirden, and Paco Gonzalez…but on STL Anarchy’s final night, he lost the title to Vega.
It took several years for both men to gain attention in the national independent wrestling scene, but their exposure in AAW and Beyond Wrestling has turned the heads of many onlookers. Now forming the “Blood Brothers” tag team in the National Wrasslin’ League under the names Davey Gibson and Matthew Grundy, the two look to add more tag team gold to their already impressive resumes! These two men have been considered the Midwest’s best-kept secrets, but that secret is finally getting out!
Look for an exclusive MWR Future Star artwork honoring Davey Vega and Mat Fitchett for their achievement from acclaimed artist Dartallion Allen Jr. in the future.
If you would like to sponsor the MWR Future Star Plaques for Davey Vega and Mat Fitchett then please contact MWR at flairwhoooooo@yahoo.com. The cost is 50.00 each or $100.00 for both (two plaques) and you will receive a past MWR Yearbook, a Tyler Black (Seth Rollins rookie card) and a mention on the MWR Website.
2016 MWR Award
Future Star: Kevin Lee Davidson / Todd Letterman
2015 MWR Award
Future Star: Redwing
2014 MWR Year Awards
Future Star: Daniel Eads
Future Star: Elvis Aliaga
2013 MWR Year Awards
Future Star: Raphael King
Future Star Alexander Rudolph
Promoter Pierre Abernathy and Davey Vega started the show…Pierre told the fans that Chris Hero‘s flight had been delayed, but they were adding a match or two to the card to give him time to get to the building. As a result, I joked that the subtitle for Part 1 of Gateway To Anarchy could easily be “Holding Out For A Hero”,
Davey Vega acknowledged the passing of Darren Dean, who had competed for St. Louis Anarchy on a few occasions(usually teaming with Aaron Solo(w)). That segued into the ten-bell salute.
Justin D’Air & The K.C. Wolves(Luke Langley & Graham Bell) vs. Kevin Lee Davidson, Sean Orleans, & Kody Krash: This was K.L.D.’s debut and he made an immediate impression as D’Air and the Wolves did their best to prevent his entry into the match.
However, the big man got a tag and it was downhill from there for the opposing trio. The finishing sequence saw multiple dives until only Orleans was left in the ring…however, Orleans loudly proclaimed that he wouldn’t risk his neck with such a move. However, Bell got a hold of Orleans and Awesome-Bombed him over the top rope onto everyone else at ringside! K.L.D. finished Langley with his spinebuster finisher in 14:02, lifting Langley high enough that his head bumped a ceiling panel…the big man got over in a major way in his St. Louis Anarchy debut.
“The Money” Matt Cage vs. Paco Gonzalez: Cage wore a “Straight Outta My Closet” T-shirt in rainbow colors…heh. Paco finally got trunks and Cage acknowledged the wardrobe change by noting that he got his “big-boy pants”.
Paco went for the anklelock multiple times in the match, resulting in Cage limping in the late stages of the bout. That tactic led to his downfall as Cage countered the last anklelock attempt into a victory roll pin in 13:55. Alex Castle attempted another sneak attack, but Cage saw him coming and Castle backed off. That led to Cage speaking his mind about the implosion of the Kentucky Buffet tag team…he said that Castle let his other relationships get in the way of the team’s success. They did a good job of building to the following night’s last-man-standing match between the two.
Mike Outlaw vs. Christian Rose:
Oddly, it turned out to be the shortest match of the night as it was the only bout to go under ten minutes. Rose got the tapout win with the No-Leaf Clover (Liontamer-style Boston crab) in 8:36.
Stephen Wolf vs. “Buck Nasty” Bucky Collins: Hadn’t seen Bucky in several years(think he worked for High Voltage Wrestling a few times. Bucky’s an entertaining heel and the women in the audience were decidedly unimpressed by his mannerisms.
Buck Nasty won a good match with a crucifix bomb in 12:58.
“Zesty” Zakk Sawyers vs. Steve O. Reno:
Both guys were fan favorites in this one, though Reno seemed to be the subtle heel. It could have gone either way, though Zakk recently challenged Gerald James for the Heavyweight Title.
Sawyers stepped off the turnbuckles and jumped backwards into a Diamond Cutter variant, getting the pinfall in 14:51.
The Cause (Evan Gelistico & Adam Caster)(w/ Danny Adams, Everett Connors, & referee Austin Blackburn) vs. The Hooligans(Devin & Mason Cutter) vs. The Viking War Party(“American Viking” Alexander Rudolph & “Littlest Viking” Jake Parnell) vs. Team I.O.U.(“The Down-South Dandy” Nick Iggy & “The Music City Mutt” Kerry Awful) for the Tag Team Titles: This was the Anarchy debut for Iggy and Awful; they were in the rule breaking role with two very popular teams as the other challengers.
This was as chaotic as expected; I.O.U. would get a better chance to shine in their standard tag match on the Sunday show. Parnell attempted a tiger suplex on Caster that didn’t do either guy any favors. The Vikings dished out a huge pileup of humanity as Parnell hit a Codebreaker on Awful, then Rudolph choke slammed Iggy onto Awful as Parnell held Awful across his knees! Chaos broke loose at that point, allowing Mr. Gelistico to steal the fall on Iggy in 12:30.
Davey Vega vs. “The Rebel” Jeremy Wyatt (w/ Greg Jovi): Jovi interfered a bit, which led to Vega sliding out of the ring and wiping out the manager with a pump kick…bwahahaha. Wyatt focused his attack on the leg to potentially set up for his hanging half-crab submission hold…he got Vega in a figure-four leglock at one point, but Vega got to the ropes to escape.
Wyatt went for the hold again and Vega small-packaged him for the flash pin in 29:27(!). Surprisingly, Wyatt offered a post-match handshake and Vega accepted the gesture without incident…though Wyatt swiped a kid’s pizza on the way to the backstage area.
Intermission~! Given the length of the show, I indulged a bit and had a total of four sodas: Two Mountain Dews, a root beer, and a Pepsi. There’s your Official Ben Simon Concession Count(tm).
“The Big Mustache On Campus” Mikey McFinnegan vs. “Absolute” Ricky Starks: Starks was on cloud nine after his recent appearance on NXT…of course, that lasted all of about ten seconds and most of his TV time was being chucked out of the ring by Colin Cassady. He felt like he was on his way to bigger and better things and took on a decidedly arrogant attitude as a result…he even had an “I’m A Hugger” T-shirt that he personally received from NXT Women’s Champion Bayley Rose. McFinnegan tried on the shirt for size, much to Starks’ dismay.
They had a fine match, ending with Starks hitting the double-underhook faceplant in 11:58.
Jojo Bravo vs. “Dirty” Andy Dalton: Jojo’s been in a bit of a slump recently, partially due to questionable calls by the officials. Of course Dalton will take any opportunity presented to him, so that was right up his alley.
Bravo had the momentum, but a near-collision with the referee gave Dalton the opening to deliver an undetected punt to the Universal Weak Point(tm). Dalton rolled up Jojo for the win in 10:13, adding to Bravo’s existing frustration.
Chris Hero & Trik Davis vs. Danny Adams & Everett Connors (w/ Tag Team Champions Evan Gelistico & Adam Caster & Austin Blackburn): Right around 11:00 PM, Hero was ready to go for this penultimate match of the evening. Hero and Trik go way back, dating back to their early days in IWA Mid-South. If I was fantasy-booking, I would have liked to see him against Christian Rose…Rose’s style was compared to Hero’s for a little while. Perhaps that could happen down the line…hint hint.
The match got a lot of time. Hero hit the Death Blow(Rude Awakening setup into a roaring elbow to the back of the head) on Adams, then Davis followed up with a Diamond Cutter and Hero got the three-count in 24:23.
Gerald James (w/ Dorian Victor) vs. Mikey McFinnegan best-of-three-falls for the Heavyweight Title: James had held the title for a mind-blowing 862 days (over two years and totaling 28 months). Fitchett battled James on several occasions, winning some non-title encounters but never being able to unseat the champion.
That included one particularly humbling encounter when James beat him in two straight falls. Fitchett infiltrated the BOSS stable under the Dangerous Deveroux mask and nearly cost James the title to Davey Vega, but it was not to be…however, Fitchett earned one more title shot with his victory in the Anarchy Rumble in November. Notably, Victor went to the backstage area instead of staying at ringside for the main event.
They went right after each other from the opening bell, throwing huge bombs right out of the gate…knowing the people involved, that says a lot. Gerald won a quick first fall with the Michinoku Driver in a brisk 3:24. Fitchett lifted Gerald into a torture rack and dropped him into a reverse Go 2 Sleep(hitting the knee to the back of the head) for a near-fall, but hitting the move a second time was enough to even the score in 6:13.
Things got really wild in the final fall as Fitchett lawndarted Gerald into the wall, then hit the cradle piledriver in the ring for a near-fall. Gerald managed to fight back, but Fitchett countered a piledriver attempt on the apron by backdropping him onto the edge of the ring! Fitchett set the champion up on the turnbuckles, but Gerald came back with a flying DDT onto the edge of the ring…eep. Fitchett was left bloody, but incredibly managed to keep fighting…he delivered a cradle pildriver on the floor(!), then one more in the ring to FINALLY capture the title in 11:28!
Davey Vega celebrated with the new champion, who had to be assisted from the ring…we found out the following night that Fitchett had suffered a concussion. Dorian Victor and Christian Rose went to the ring to help the former champion…but out of nowhere, Rose turned on both of them! Rose locked James in the No-Leaf Clover, yelling at him “YOU LOST!” before leaving the “father and son” laying in the ring. After all of that, James addressed the fans…he said that whether they loved or hated him, he had hopefully earned their respect after his long title reign. He wasn’t sure how much longer he had to wrestle, but he’d keep fighting.
Saint Louis Anarchy presents: Going Platinum Live from Spaulding Hall Club in Alton IL (402 E 4th Street Alton IL)
Stage One: Friday night May 20th Stage Two: Saturday night May 21st
Doors Open at 6:30pm, Show Starts at 7:00pm
Tickets (on sale March 1st) Front Row: $15 per night in advance $20 day of show Second Row: $12 per night in advance $15 day of show General Admission: $10 per night in advance $15 day of show
$1 BEER, FULL BAR and FOOD Please do not record show or stand on chairs.
STAGE ONE MATCHES SIGNED: Saint Louis Anarchy Championship Match: Mat Fitchett (c) vs. Christian Rose
Number One Contender 4 Team Tag Team Tournament: The Hooligans vs. Team IOU Roscoe Eat Lisa vs. Viking War Party
First Time Ever in Anarchy: Trik Davis vs. Gary Jay w/ Dorian Victor
STAGE TWO MATCHES SIGNED: The winners of Hooligans vs. IOU and REL vs. Vikings will face for shot at SLA tag team titles.
PACO vs. Andy Dalton
Talent Signed:
Saint Louis Anarchy Champion: Mat Fitchett Saint Louis Anarchy Tag Champions: The Cause (Mr. Gelistico, Mr. Caster)
Davey Vega Christian Rose Gary Jay w/ Dorian Victor Jo Jo Bravo The Hooligans Viking War Party Andy Dalton The Cause (Mr. Adams/ Mr. Connors) Making his SLA debut: Sammy Guevara Trik Davis Roscoe Eat Lisa (Zakk Sawyers/ Mikey Mcfennegan) Team IOU PACO Stephen Wolfe 4 Star Heros Ricky Starks Mike Outlaw Alex Castle Making their SLA debut: Beauty and the Beat (Steve Fierce/Rob Matter)
Have you gotten your tickets yet for Gateway to Anarchy weekend? If not make sure you do so because it will be a weekend to remember.
We will welcome back Chris Hero who is one of the top wrestlers legit in the whole world and you can see him not once but twice over that weekend.
Mr. Adams and Mr. Connors will have the biggest test of their careers when they face Chris Hero and Trik Davis in a tag team match.
Stage Two will be Jo Jo Bravo vs. Chris Hero. This one will be interesting as Bravo said he is happy to get a chance to face a man like Hero but he is also upset that once again he won’t get a chance to “make Elgin shake his hand”.
The Champion Gary Jay puts his over two year run on the line at Stage One when he faces Anarchy Rumble winner Mat Fitchett. Fitchett has made it clear that he is not the same man that Gary beat 2 falls and 0 back at Circus Maximus 2014… Gary however also isn’t the same man as he has gotten even better since that night… Gary overcame his only demon in Anarchy by knocking out cold Davey Richards…
Guys you won’t see the mix of International Talent, Top Level Talent, and Up and Coming Talent anywhere else in this area so give us a chance… You will not regret it.
Saint Louis Anarchy presents:
Gateway to Anarchy
Live from the Spaulding Hall Club
405 E 4th St. Alton, IL
Stage One:
Saturday, February 13th
Door opens at 6:30pm, Bell time 7:00pm
Stage Two:
Sunday, February 14th
Door opens at 5:30pm, Bell time at 6:00pm
Tickets:
$15 Reserve Front Row per night ($20 day of show)
$12 Reserve Second Row ($15 day of show)
$10 General Admission ($15 day of show)
GET TICKETS HERE: http://gateway2016.brownpapertickets.com/
$1 DRAFT BEER, FULL BAR, FOOD
Please do not record live show or stand on chairs
Stage One Matches Signed:
Saint Louis Anarchy Championship Match: Gary Jay (c) w/Dorian Victor vs. Mat Fitchett
Speical Challenge Tag Match: Chris Hero/Trik Davis vs, The Cause (Mr. Adams/Mr. Connors)
4 Team One Fall Tag Title Match: The Cause (Mr. Gelistico/Mr. Caster)
vs. The Hooligans vs. Viking War Party vs. Team IOU
Jeremy Wyatt w/Greg Jovi vs. “Ace of Anarchy” Davey Vega
PACO vs. Matt Cage
Zakk Sawyers vs. Steve O Reno
Andy Dalton vs. Jo Jo Bravo
Christian Rose vs. Mike Outlaw
Stage Two Matches Signed:
Jo Jo Bravo vs. Chris Hero
4 on 4 Elmination Match: The Cause vs. The Hooligans/Viking War Party
Trik Davis vs. “Ace of Anarchy” Davey Vega
LAST MAN STANDING: Matt Cage vs. Alex Castle
PACO vs. Mike Outlaw
Team IOU vs. Roscoe Eat Lisa
Other Talent Signed to Wrestle That Night:
Saint Louis Anarchy Champion: Gary Jay
Christian Rose
The Hooligans
Mat Fitchett
Andy Dalton
Ricky Starks
Steve O Reno
Mr. Gelistico of The Cause
Mr. Adams of The Cause
Mikey Mcfennegan
It is a pleasure to have with us today pro wrestler and owner of St. Louis Anarchy Matt Jackson, better known to wrestling fans as Pierre Abernathy. Since his debut in 2003, Pierre has made an impact in the wrestling scene in many aspects of the wrestling business. Pierre, thank you for taking the time to speaking with us at Missouri Wrestling Revival
Pierre: No problem, thanks for having me.
MWR: What was your first memories of pro wrestling and who did you look up to growing up?
Pierre: The first pro wrestling event I can remember watching live was WrestleMania VI with Hogan vs. Warrior.
I was a huge Hogan fan so when he lost that sucked for me. I can remember going to the STL arena watching all the WWF live shows and I was at the only show WWF did at the old Busch Stadium, so that was cool.
MWR: The first opportunity that I got to see you in action was in Lawrence, Kansas for NWA Central States Wrestling as you and Gary Jay lost a three way to Nick Tyson on September 30, 2006. At that point you had been wrestling a little over than three years. How did you get your start in pro wrestling and who were the most helpful in your success?
Pierre: I first got my start when I met Jordan Lacey, he bought a ring and we were going to train in it. The issue was that he didn’t have the training to train us and to his credit he knew that. Most guys would NEVER admit that they had no business training people but he did. We later met Adam Raw and Nick Tyson and they did our training.
Adam Raw- Photo Michael Van Hoogstratt
From there they started the LWA and we worked there and branched into Gateway Championship Wrestling. Unlike most guys, our trainers did not travel, so we didn’t have a lot of help getting out of town shots. It was Matt Sydal and Delirious who taught us in a 12-hour seminar that we needed to get in a car and get out of STL and make résumés and start sending them out and do seminars all over and that is what we did.
MWR: What early match that you had gave you the confidence to succeed as a pro wrestler?
Pierre: Honestly I can’t think of one match. I always had confidence in my promo work more than my wrestling at the start. I think if I had to pick a break out match, I had a three-way match with Gary and Dorian Victor kind of early on that I liked. Plus, working Gary every weekend in a new state we could feel ourselves growing as wrestlers every week.
MWR: You would be part of the group that would spearhead The Lethal Wrestling Alliance. Who else were involved and what is the legacy of that promotion?
Pierre: Honestly I didn’t have anything to do with the start of LWA. LWA was started by Adam Raw and Jordan Taylor. When Jordan went into the Navy it went into the committee of five guys: Adam Raw, Nick Tyson, Frank Cashion, Mike D and Tim P ( I don’t want to butcher the spelling of their last names).
Jordan Lacey has been a part of the most brutal matches in the modern era of STL wrestling. Here he wars it out against the former MWR Future Star winner Alex Rudolph.
So Tyson was supposed to write the shows and book the talent but he wasn’t doing it, so I would in the background write the shows and send them with him to meetings and no one would know about it and he would get the credit. Fast forward a few years, he was going to quit, so Raw was kind of freaking out thinking he would have to write the shows all himself. I had to tell him I was really doing it all this time, which shocked him and so then I started writing and booking talent from there. Years later when the others quit, it became myself, Raw and Jordan Lacey. In the end of LWA, it was just me and Jordan Lacey.
Many of the top rising stars int the sport has made their way to SLA.
MWR: Fans at LWA were blessed to enjoy some great matches featuring local talent against many of the top stars in the world. Not too long ago, Austin Aries was the TNA World Champion, Davey Richards was a Ring of Honor World Champion and most recently one half of the TNA Tag Team Champions with Eddie Edwards, and Samoa Joe is quite possibly the most talked about free agent in the world today, but they all entered the squared circle at LWA.
These matches along with other stars including Delirious, Mike Quackenbush and The Motor Machine Guns against LWA homegrown talents are featured on the DVD US vs. Them (click here to purchase). What memories stand out about this historic matches at LWA?
Pierre: There are tons of thoughts I have about that. The two big ones being the first “name talent” we ever used was Alex Shelley and our fans hated him with a passion because he was facing their guy in Nick Tyson and when Tyson tapped him out the legit emotion that came after is what this business is about to me: real emotion. The Second was Samoa Joe: A lot of people were saying behind my back (but I hear everything) that I was making a big mistake putting Dorian in that match and not Adam Raw, and to be honest at that time Raw was a better wrestler than Dorian—hell, Dorian was only a few years in, I think. However, Dorian grew from that match and it taught him how to step up… That’s my job: I have to force you to go outside of your comfort zone and step up to the plate, because if you can’t I need to know that before you fall on your face in maybe a way bigger situation. That night Dorian stepped up and grew from it.
MWR: You are a member of the famed Submission Squad with. Time has shown that you guys are among the most entertaining tag teams in the country, but early on in your career you teamed up with Evan Gelistico against Davey Vega and Gary the Barn Owl to showcase LWA for Chikara’s King of Trios 2009. In a weekend filled with top Indy wrestling stars like Bryan Danielson (Future WWE Champion Daniel Bryan), Austin Aries, and El Generico (WWE’SSami Zayn) , the match would receive chants of “DON’T COME BACK!” Many men after that night may have given up, but it only shows how much heart that the four of you had, during that time. Many people snickered and counted you out, but you guys have had the last laugh by becoming among the most traveled talents in the country. Looking back what went wrong, what could you have done different and what advice would you have for a young wrestler that would experience such a situation?
Pierre: I would say that you cannot let what people say bother you. When that happened to be honest it didn’t bother me, it did more the other guys for different reasons. Vega because he lacked confidence anyway so that almost killed him, Gary because the ECW arena was his dream and we just got booed out of it and Evan because he loved the idea of working Chikara. I am telling the God’s honest truth that it didn’t bother me because I was expecting it the whole time. Here you have the biggest weekend of the Chikara calendar with legit stars from all over the world and then you have four dudes from a company in Missouri that none of them knew.. How were they supposed to treat us? Plus, we did ourselves zero favors because of the way we worked the match. We are known for our personalities and we showed zero of it and that is what sucked. However we made a lot of money after that match because people wanted to see if either A) we really sucked or B) they knew we didn’t and wanted to bring us out. So I would do it all again, plus we went back there in 2014 and killed it, so it came full circle for us.
MWR: As I mentioned you have traveled around the country, including Canada. What has been your personal favorite places to wrestle and why?
Pierre: I love most every trip but I’ll pick one place and say ACW in Texas. Texas was like my second home for many years and I love the fans and friends I made there. Some of my favorite memories came from hangouts I had in Texas.
MWR: For seven years the LWA was known for an alternative style of wrestling that combined strong style, hardcore, comedy and good times for the fans, but a new day came that saw you announce the merging with the Texas based promotion known as Anarchy Championship Wrestling (ACW). That decision has allowed the fans to see many of the top stars of the Texas area make their way to the Midwest, while giving the young stars in this area to grow by challenging themselves against other top talents that may not have a chance to work with. In your eyes, who have taken advantage of working in the land of Anarchy and who are some of the top young stars that fans should have their eyes on for the future?
Pierre: Since we started Anarchy, we have seen ACH become a top star in the USA and I won’t do what a lot of others do and try and take credit for that man’s success. His success has helped us grow, so thank you to him.
Gary Jay and Davey Vega are in my opinion the two top guys in the area and they prove that every time they work in a ring. The fact neither of them are under a contract is a shame. The Hooligans are guys you have seen grow in Anarchy. Christian Rose has been tearing it up other places for a while but our fans are finally seeing how good he is. Two guys who I think could be the next 2 big stars are Jo Jo Bravo and Mat Fitchett. Jo Jo has gotten really good really fast and it’s up to Fitchett how far he wants to go. He has been ready for a long time now. One guy to watch I think is Everett Connor; I call him my new project because he is a good kid with potential.
The only guy who I think may be worse now than he was when we started SLA is Evan Gelistico… [sarcasm]
MWR: The Submission Squad was ranked number 12 in 2011 in the MWR’S top 30 tag teams during the MWR years. Four years later, the SS is still running strong, even capturing the Metro Pro Wrestling Tag Team titles recently as the Commission.
Because LWA and later SLA did not have tag belts along with the outside travel, it may have hurt your rankings in the poll. That year a team that you guys know very well the Hooligans were ranked number one, and are currently the St. Louis Anarchy tag team Champions. What has made the Hooligans and the Submission Squad such a great rivalry?
Pierre: We just have good chemistry and we strive to do the same thing and that’s have a great match. We clicked since the first match we had at an IHW show in Dupo IL.
At one time we worked with the Hooligans at least once a weekend for like five months in a row, I think… Plus those guys love tag team wrestling as much as we do so it’s easy, The Hooligans are amazing talents.
MWR: SLA has recently been the home of double shot weekends in Alton, Illinois. You have promoted events for years, what are the advantages and disadvantages of having back to back events?
Pierre: Well it doubles the stress. I mean we have only done two, so I really do not know yet. I’ll say the advantage is for the fans as they will get 2 events a weekend instead of 1. As we keep going with this I am sure more advantages and disadvantages will come clear.
MWR: St. Louis Anarchy events have always been a can’t-miss show as talents around the world have been in action during each of your events. Men like Kyle O’Reilly, Michael Elgin, Chris Hero, the Young Bucks, Davey Richards, Akira Tozawa, and TJ Perkins have all appeared in the past. Who would you like to see that has not appeared yet?
Pierre: We used him in LWA but I really want to bring our fans Alex Shelley as he was supposed to work a show but got hurt. I am hoping to bring some more guys from overseas in. To be honest we will always use that name talent that people have come to think about when thinking of SLA but I am wanting to use more guys who are great but not maybe as well known…. Like there are Gary Jays and Davey Vegas all over the USA who are great but just can’t get breaks and I want to give them their breaks because you never know who could be the next ACH that you just are overlooking.
MWR: On August the 21st and 22nd, Circus Maximus 2015, an event what many fans say is THE event of the year for SLA? Circus Maximus has always delivered with a great mix of national talent as well as the top rising stars around the country. I am going to do a rundown of this years’ SLA talent pool for the double shot weekend and I would like for you to give your thoughts on them. We will start off with the current SLA Champion Gary Jay.
Pierre: Hardest working man in Anarchy, he tears down the house every time and then is the first person to lead people in tearing down the ring. He gives his all to the company and should be getting more chances outside it.
MWR: Tommaso Ciampa
Pierre: I’m looking forward to seeing him in SLA. He’s a tough dude so guys will have their hands full with him.
MWR: Davey Vega
Pierre: The “Ace of Anarchy” isn’t just a nickname, it is who Vega has become. He went from a guy who would legit vomit before a match to a guy who I know will always have one of the best matches on the show. He’s the man.
MWR: Mat Fitchett
Pierre: The Dirty Rook could be a star if he is able to really hit the road and do it. Sometimes though real life things are more important but he’s an awesome talent.
MWR: Jonathan Gresham
Pierre: He won’t be at Circus Maximus, but he’s an amazing hold for hold wrestler who stole the weekend at Gateway to Anarchy.
MWR: Jo Jo Bravo
Pierre: One of the top up and comers in Anarchy. He has held his own with some of the best in the world.
MWR: Christian Rose
Pierre: Great talker and wrestler and our fans are getting to finally see that. Plus, behind the curtain I love talking good and–even better–shitty wrestling with Rose more than maybe anybody.
MWR: Matt Cage
Pierre: He’s a lot like Rose in that he has been tearing it up other places and our fans will finally get to see more of that in Anarchy.
MWR: Angelus Lane
Pierre: The 1st lady of Anarchy. I am very proud of Layne. She has grown by leaps and bounds as a wrestler and she improves every event we have.
MWR: Viking War Party
Pierre: Going to have to buy me chairs if they keep breaking them. Both guys are awesome. Alex I have known since before he started, I am happy every time I see them work and get better and better.
MWR: Ricky Starks
Pierre: Big deal in Texas and I think he can do the same here so keep your eyes on him as I think he is going to do well.
MWR: The Cause: Mr. Gelistico, Mr. Raw, Mr. Adams, Mr. Everett
Pierre: We will have to see.
MWR: Zakk Sawyers
Pierre: The 2014 Anarchy Rookie of the year. He’s not a rookie but was in Anarchy and he stepped up huge. A hard worker in and out of the ring and really appreciates his spot on the roster and he earns it.
MWR: Mikey McFinnigan
Pierre: Kinda just starting to see what he can do. He will do well in Anarchy, he’s very entertaining.
MWR: Jeremy Wyatt
Pierre: The best LWA champion of all time. Jeremy is one of my favorite wrestlers and is a pure class act to deal with outside the ring. Jeremy makes no bones about his wrestling days coming to an end and I’ll be sad to see him go, but he’s a guy who will leave better than he came in and how many guys can honestly say that. He’s always done anything I asked him to do and I don’t think Jeremy knows how much I respect him and appreciate his run with the LWA title.
MWR: Steve O Reno
Pierre: Honestly, I worked him in ACW and I knew he was good. Other than that I have only seen his two matches in SLA and that is it. I think he is very entertaining and he can wrestle, too, so I think big things are on the horizon for him.
MWR: Bolt Brady
Pierre: I think his change in attitude will be good for him in SLA. I like making people do stuff they may not be used to doing. Bolt is a pro and will do great. He’s getting a lot of miles under him too which is awesome. I like Bolt a lot.
MWR: PACO
Pierre: In SLA, he became a star in one weekend. Taking Trik Davis to the limit and taking a hellish beating from Gary Jay. I think Paco is a hungry kid who will do big things.
MWR: Pierre, Thank you so much for joining us today, it is always a treat to get to speak with you. How can fans follow you and the world of St. Louis Anarchy?
Pierre: I am on Facebook under Pierre Abernathy and Twitter is @PierreAbernathy. You can like SLA on Facebook at Saint Louis Anarchy and on Twitter @stlanarchy. Thanks for the time!
Saint Louis Anarchy presents Circus Maximus 2015
Stage One: Friday August 21st Stage Two: Saturday August 22nd
Live from Spaulding Hall Club in Alton IL (402 E 4th Street)
Doors Open at 6:30pm, Shows Start at 7:00pm
Tickets (PER NIGHT):
Front row: $15, Second Row. $12. General Admission. $10 in advance all tickets are $15 at the door
$1 BEER, FULL BAR AND FOOD. Please do not record show or stand on chairs
Also special guest musicians Mental Fixation (Stage 2 only)
STAGE ONE MATCHES SIGNED:
Main Event Trios Action: Team Anarchy: Davey Vega, Mat Fitchett, Angleus Layne vs. Team BOSS w/Dorian Victor and Greg Jovi: Gary Jay, Christian Rose, Jeremy Wyatt
Tag Team Titles on the Line: The Hooligans (c) vs. The Cause (Mr. Adams, Mr. Everett)
Zakk Sawyers vs. Tommaso Ciampa
Grudge Match: Alex Castle vs. Matt Cage
Jo Jo Bravo vs. PACO
Steve O Reno vs. Mikey Mcfinnigan
BOSS vs. Anarchy: Bolt Brady w/Greg Jovi vs. Ricky Starks
STAGE TWO MATCHES SIGNED:
Saint Louis Anarchy Championship Match (NO TIME LIMIT) Gary Jay (c)w/Dorian Victor vs. “Ace of Anarchy” Davey Vega
Mat Fitchett vs. Former ECW/WWE Star LITTLE GUDIO
Christian Rose vs. Tommaso Ciampa
Matt Cage vs. Zakk Sawyers
Sugar Dunkerton vs. Steve O Reno
TALENT SIGNED FOR CM WEEKEND:
Saint Louis Anarchy Champion: Gary Jay
Saint Louis Anarchy Tag Champions: The Hooligans
Davey Vega
Mat Fitchett
Tommaso Ciampa
Jo Jo Bravo
Christian Rose
Matt Cage
Angelus Layne
Viking War Party
Sugar Dunkerton
Ricky Starks
The Cause: Mr. Gelistico, Mr. Raw, Mr. Adams, Mr. Everett
Zakk Sawyers
Mikey Mcfinnigan
Jeremy Wyatt
Steve O Reno
Bolt Brady (stage one)
PACO (stage one)
Donovan Danhausen
We get asked allot if we have a school and more so we get IMS and emails daily from people wanting to come wrestle for Saint Louis Anarchy. One May 2nd we are offering people a chance to learn from a world traveled wrestler who has been under WWE contract. We are offering you a chance to train with CHRIS HERO.
Here are the details.
Date: May 2nd
Location: Knights of Columbus in Alton IL
Time: 2:30pm (we ask guys to show up at 2pm, 1pm if you want to make a great impression and help with the daily set up)
Cost:
$40 this is for wrestlers with 6 months of training and over, these wrestlers will not only get the seminar but will be looked at by SLA for future bookings.
$35 this is for wrestlers who took part in the Chris Hero seminar that Beyond Wrestling held earlier this year. These wrestlers will also be looked at for future bookings with SLA
$20 is for wrestlers who are under 6 months of training or for people who have zero training and want to observe the clinic.
Guys and gals I cannot express enough how important these seminars are for people looking to improve as pro wrestlers or break into the buisness. SPOTS ARE LIMITED!!
To sign up message us here on FB or email abernathysla@gmail.com
Gary Jay pulls out all the stops at the 2013 St Louis Anarchy Circus Maximus against Adam Raw in a 10,000 Thumbtacks match main event !!
One of pro wrestling’s respected tournaments returns in 2013 when the Ted Petty Invitational tournament begins on Friday, September 13, 2013. The great history of the tournament has seen superstars such as Chris Hero, Ace Steel, B.J. Whitmer, Danny Daniels, A.J. Styles, Matt Sydal (WWE’s Even Bourne) , Low Ki, Mike Quackenbush and Drake Younger have all been crowned champions in the tournament. Superstars such as Colt Cabana, CM Punk, Adam Pearce, Christopher Daniels, Ken Anderson, Jerry Lynn, Arik Cannon, Samoa Joe, Austin Aries, Davey Richards, and Bryan Danielson (WWE’S Daniel Bryan)are just a few of the stars that have thrilled fans in matches in the tournament.
With the names of the men that are set to compete in the 2013 TPI tournament there is no doubt that this years winner will go down in history books as one of the best in todays’ sport.
Already set to compete are
1. Drake Younger 2. Jack Thriller 3. Eddie Kingston 4. B-Boy 5. Davey Richards 6. Kyle O’Riley 7. IWA-MS Light Heavyweight Champion Devon Moore 8. Roderick Strong 9. Andrew Everett 10. Chrisjen Hayme 11. ‘Confederate’ Chris Hamrick 12. Necro Butcher 13. Louis Lyndon 14. Flip Kendrick 15. Prince Mustafa Ali 16. BJ Whitmer 17. Dustin Rayz 18. Justin Credible 19. Bad Bones
The promoters at IWA Mid-South Wrestling announced on their Facebook page that the 24th participant would be chosen by you the fans and fellow wrestlers support. One man that is deserving is the man that many claim to be the best kept secret in the wrestling today, Gary Jay.
Gay Jay can be seen wrestling around the country for the land of Anarchy in Texas and St Louis respectfully. He has made an impact at Metro Pro Wrestling in Kansas City, Pro Wrestling Epic in Illinois and AIW.
Adam Raw brutalizes Gary Jay as the two went to a classic in 2013.
Hard working and very entertaining Gary Jay puts his body on the line each and every match for you the fans. It is now time for you to take the time to go to the IWA Mid-South Facebook page and let your voice be heard. Be sure to tell them Gary Jay and WHY he is deserving of being in the tournament.
When it was all said and done Gary Jay was bruised, battered and bloodied but was able to defeat the powerhouse Adam Raw.
Many of the fans and his fellow peers have been quick to come to his support. Straight from the office of IWA MID-SOUTH comes the announcement of what they are looking for “ The guy I hear the most about (OR GIRL) between now and August 14th will be the 24th participant in this years 2013 Ted Petty Invitational… but this ain’t American Idol! Don’t make a fool of yourself! If you ain’t got the goods, don’t have people push for ya!”
Let’s take a look at some of men and women that have come to forefront to support Gary Jay in this high honor of being named as a competitor in the 2013 TPI.
Dingo Machete I as a former IWA MIDSOUTH CHAMPION whole heartedly endorse Gary Jay for this year’s TPI.
Jonathan Gresham Gary Jay would be a great addition in my opinion.
Joshua Neal Montgomery Gary Jay is consistently one of the best workers on any card he is booked at all over the country.
Kz Chif Gay Jay is a best who can do any style and can go with anyone.
Chris Eston Gary Jay is a great performer, seen him many times and can honestly say I have never seen a bad match from him, always entertaining!!
Phineas Bartleby Crackers Gary Jay is one of the hardest working guys on the indy scene. Great wrestler, a gifted bad guy. Easy to hate because he’s so damn good at what he does.
Alan Anderson Gary Jay is the total package…he can wrestle as well as work the mic and the crowd. I know if I’m going to a wrestling event and Gary Jay is on the card, I know I’ll at least be seeing one great match. Gary Jay never fails to deliver.
Mike Marnin Gary Jay is one of the hardest hitting and most entertaining guys I’ve seen in the ring! You’d be making a huge mistake if you didn’t put him on this TPI!
Pierre Abernathy – Gary Jay is not just someone who would be great in this amazing weekend of wrestling he is someone who would be a asset to the IWA show as a whole going forward. I book Saint Louis Anarchy and Gary is someone who always goes above and beyond for our fans and he does that everywhere he goes. Its time he gets the chances that others have gotten and he gets to show that even though he is small he is a great worker.
David J. McCutcheon Gary Jay, by far. He was lawn-darted into a wall, for Christ’s sake. The thud! Ow! Give him a break before he breaks something.
Billy McNeil Gotta echo what some others have suggested already, Gary Jay. More people need to be exposed to what that guy has to offer. His dedication to putting on the most memorable and entertaining performance of any given night is astounding.
John Meyer please put gary j in the tpi he’s a hard hitting guy and he loves thumb tack matches and anything goes matches put him in a spot thank u.
Andy Dalton I had the pleasure of wrestling Gary Jay in Dallas Texas a few years back…and have followed him (and the Sub Squad all together) since. Garys creative, hard hitting, and an absolute pleasure to watch. Great talent. Gary Jay for the TPI.
Aaron Roy Gary Jay Chops will make you bleed..
Jonathan Culver -Gary Jay. There is little doubt in my mind he will all but kill himself to make this show fantastic.
David Cox Gary J is easily one of the best “unknowns” out there, but he is also one of the nicest and most poliite persons I’ve ever met. The fact that on the few times, I’ve been lucky enough to share a car with him, he always got his trash out and threw it away. Little thing, shows his character. Too me, that’s the most important thing.
Ryan Masters I’ve known Gary Jay since I was 16 (I’m 22 now) and I’ve met a lot of independent wrestlers since then. Out of all the amazing and dedicated workers, Gary stands out not only in the ring but in a way not everyone may notice. I met Gary by working for the company he wrestled for. I helped with the ring set up, ect. To give credit where it’s due, Gary wasn’t alone but he was on a VERY exclusive list of guys who helped put the ring up and help take it down EVERY night. I’ve seen Gary Jay wrestle an hour long war and still stay up until 1am getting the ring where it goes. It wasn’t his ring and he didn’t get paid extra. He was already a main eventer in the company. He did it for one reason and that was because he wanted to. He probably still does it to this day. He cares so much about what he does. The level he’s on is irrelevant because he puts on main event matches no matter where he’s at or who he’s against. I’ve seen Gary play the biggest face in the company, drawing fans with his name, to being the biggest heel in the company. I know what he’s capable of and so do a lot of people at this point. His name is growing and he deserves this spot.
Ring of Honor returns TONIGHT in Collinsville Illinois in a star studded event that you will not want to miss. Filled with some of the most exciting talented wrestlers in the World today, MWR artist Dartallion Allen took the time to immortalize ROH Stars Austin Aries, Chris Hero and ROH World Champion Tyler Black with an MWR Top Draw.
We presented Tyler with his very own copy of Allen’s art and he was more than happy to take a picture with this wonderful piece.
Hope you enjoy the photos and join us tonight for Ring of Honor action. What don’t have tickets! Tickets will be available to purchase at the door on the night of the show!!!
Plus
A special autograph session with Generation Me and Amazing Kong will take place prior to the event starting at approximately 7:00 PM.
Gateway Center
July 23rd, 2010- 8:00 pm belltime
One Gateway Drive
Collinsville, IL 62234
This column is the property of Christopher M. Zack and published here as agreed upon by Pro Wrestling Next. No duplication of this column is permitted without the exclusive written consent of the author and/or PWN officials.
General Disclaimer: I can be incredibly long winded. I have a degree in English and love to write, so I tend to write quite a bit. When I’m passionate about something, it comes out even more. I have a lot of passion about the wrestling business, so these columns will definitely be wordy, but it’s all to get discussions going.
That’s right, it’s the return of Angles W/Camera Guy Chris. First things first, personal business. I again would like to apologize for my sporadic posting over the summer months. It’s been hard to sit and focus on (no pun intended) putting together an article between my work schedule and spending time with my daughter during the summer months. Now that school has started again, it’ll be a lot easier to post this for you great fans who visit the boards and read my work.
I also want to announce two things about Angles. Firstly, I will not be posting on a weekly basis. At the moment, I simply don’t have the energy or time to get a new topic together and post every week. It would burn me out very quickly. Angles will be a monthly post at the very least. There may be 2 posts a month depending on time and topics. That leads into my other announcement. My work is going to look more exclusively on Independent wrestling. There are so many great Indy feds and Indy talent out there, that to look at the WWE and TNA would just be foolish on my part. Pro Wrestling NEXT is a great Independent Wrestling Organization showcasing the best young wrestlers out there, and that’s where my attention will be from now on.
I can’t think of a better place to begin this new focus than with some of the events that transpired this past Friday, August 21st, 2009. There are many excellent independent wrestling groups around the world and right here in America. Organizations like Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Full Impact Pro, CHIKARA, and Combat Zone Wrestling come to mind as some of the top Independents that come to mind here in the States. (I left out Ring of Honor, because, honestly, they have a national TV deal and are on PPV, I can’t consider them independent anymore) Friday night’s event at the Bier Stube saw the World Heavyweight Champion of one of these top feds defend his title live for us in the Quad Cities, CZW Champion Drake Younger.
Younger, trained by the likes of Ian Rotten and Chris Hero among others, is a brutal, vicious competitor who has held the Combat Zone World Heavyweight Championship since July 12, 2008, when he defeated Nick Gage for the title. Holding any title for more than a year is a great feat, but it’s definitely a mark of a true champion. Drake is best known for his deathmatch wrestling, a main stable for CZW, but he is also a brilliant technical wrestler and mat technician.
Younger brought this combined style to PWN on the 21st, looking to take down Hunter Matthews. Hunter, former PWN Quad Cities Champion and self-proclaimed “King of Des Moines,” felt he was cheated out of a title and deserved a title match at Bier Stube Bash 2, The Sequel. So, Drake Younger stepped in to give him that opportunity. How often to you get to see a World Title from another organization defended? That is the main point of this article. It’s a treat when another group, especially one as big as CZW allows their title to be defended outside of one of their own shows.
Younger brought is reputation and his World Title to Moline and gave the fans one kick ass ride. I’ve already talked about this match to some extent in my response to the results thread, but I’m going to go a bit more in depth now.
Hunter came out first, and of course took the microphone, much to the dismay of the fans. Matthews has definitely not been a favorite of the QC crowd. He talked about how the Quad Cities Championship had been taken, and his need of holding a title. Younger came out to put a stop to the talking and start the action, bringing and emptying a beer battle as he walked to the ring. He was on Matthews right from the start. Hunter didn’t even have a chance to get out of his jacket before Drake took the fight to him. Eventually, he was able to duck out of the ring and get a moment to pull his jacket off and gear up for the fight, but a moment was all he got.
The CZW Champion quickly followed him out of the ring to continue the beating. Out amongst the fans, we saw many various weapons used and advantages taken by both parties. And under CZW rules, this was all legal. No count outs, no disqualifications. Matthews was hit by a water bottle and a beer can before fighting back and getting Younger prone on top of a hard plastic picnic table. Hunter attempted a piledriver on top of this table but Drake was able to counter. Younger looked like he wanted to slam the “King” down to the cement below, but Matthews was able to block that attempt and the two of them made their way off the table.
The World Champion would empty a garbage can and take that to Hunter Matthews’ skull, leaving an indentation of the King’s “crown” on both sides of the metal can. Younger would then take his empty beer bottle, smash it across the ring post and attempt to lacerate Matthews with it. Hunter was able to dodge that and fought Drake, leading him to the fountain in the Bier Stube’s court yard. He tried to force the Champ’s head under water, and Younger struggled to prevent this, but, Matthews was able to over power him and dunk him for several seconds.
The two men battled back and forth around the outside of the ring until Hunter was able to whip Drake over a couple more plastic picnic tables towards a set of stairs leading up to a balcony overlooking the garden. They fought up to the balcony, both men teetering and trying to push the other over the edge. Thankfully, neither was successful. That would have caused serious injury. After battling back down the stairs they made their way out to the parking lot and onto the metal bed that had carried the ring to the venue. Hunter would get scooped up and slammed on his back on the metal!
At that point, things were pretty well over. Matthews was able to stay on his feet as they fought their way back in the ring. In the ring, Younger hit a sick ass vertibreaker for the win and rolled out of the ring to celebrate with the QC crowd. The fans really seemed to enjoy this. Drake grabbed the microphone, told the fans that he’d heard about Matthews and how he liked to run his mouth a lot. He was glad to have given the fans what they’ve wanted, silence, and he hoped to see them all in the bar to share a beer! At one point, I remember him looking me right in the eye…er…lens…and saying “That’s what you get when you call out Drake Younger” while pointing to Hunter, prone in the ring.
This is the great action you see in Pro Wrestling Next. Not only are we bringing in great new talent, we’re showcasing HUGE matches with World Titles from some of the top feds across the country. This is only the beginning, too. On September 12th, PWN welcomes back Davey Richards, current holder of the Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championship (a title he’s had once before) and current holder of the Full Impact Pro World Heavyweight Championship, a title he Will Defend in Davenport on September 12th at PWN’S Severed Ties!!!! FIP’s World Title is one of the top 3 wrestling championships in the country, and seeing it defended here in the Quad Cities is going to be excellent.
Back to the Bier Stube Bash, now. The CZW World Title match was awesome, but not the biggest moment of the night by far, in my opinion. The biggest moment happened before that match when The Hooligans defeated the Submission Squad to take the Lethal Wrestling Alliance Tag Team Championships. As unique as it is to see titles defended from other organizations, it is extremely rare to see a title change hands outside of the confines of the group the title is from. What makes this title change even more exciting and controversial is the fact that The Hooligans are not a part of LWA.
First, I have some background info. I need to thanks Brian “Flair” Kelley, Pierre Abernathy, and Kari Williams for tracking down or providing this information for me. The Submission Squad (Pierre Abernathy and Evan Gelistico) originally consisted of Pierre Abernathy, Dingo, and Nick Tyson, but the team has also included Evan Gelistico and “Blackheart” Johnny Vinyl. Before joining Abernathy, Gelistico was a member of the Bearded Men from Space Station Eleven (Gary the Barnowl—who was eventually corrupted by the likes of Gelistico, Abernathy, Tiffany LaFane, and Davey Vega—Billy McNeal, XXX Jordan Lacey, and Evan Gelistico) for approximately two years. Abernathy and Gelistico won the LWA Tag Titles on April 4th in O’Fallon, Illinois’s Night’s of Columbus building from the Ego Express (“Spoiled” Steven Kennedy & K.C. Karrington). The Ego Express were the first team to hold the LWA Tag Team Titles, beating Dingo and Davey Vega on 12/18/2008 at Yuletide Terror ’08.
During their title reign, the Submission Squad squared off against the Hooligans, the Northstar Express, and the Ego Express. One of their biggest feuds (before claiming the LWA gold) came against the Bearded Men over a span of two years. This feud saw Gelistico turn on the Space Station, claiming to be Gary’s father. Their other noticeable feud happened when original members, Dingo and Nick Tyson began to distance themselves from Abernathy and Gelistico. This culminated in a match between the new and the old Submission Squad on May 30 at the Vetta Sports Complex. Abernathy & Gelistico emerged victorious.
The Hooligans are Devin and Mason Cutter. The Cutters were raised in the outside districts of East St. Louis IL. They come from a working class family. They are just a couple of thugs or hooligans that enjoy a beer as much as they enjoy a good fight. You can catch them at any local pub after a hard days work drinking with there mates and at the end of the night you sure to see them in a fight. They are best known for their work in IWA-Mid South, where they have competed against some of the best IWA-MS has to offer, including (sometimes with Rain as their partner) Ian & Axl Rotten (sometimes with Mickie Knuckles)—better known as Bad Breed—on several occasions in many different types of hard-hitting, violent matches. The Cutters, in my opinion, are very no nonsense. They’re heavy hitters and consider themselves Working Class Heroes, though the fans from Friday didn’t consider them very heroic when they won the LWA Championships.
In Moline on August 21st, the crowd was already fired up, and it only escalated to see the first of two title matches. The QCA fans were definitely against the Hooligans throughout the match, especially after the match. Security had to restrain both the Hooligans and the crowd following their victory for the LWA Titles.
The match itself saw both teams getting in some early offense, until Devin and Mason cut Evan Gelistico off from his partner. The Cutters used classic heel tactics to divide and concur, isolating Gelistico and using moments when the ref’s back was turned to both double team Gelistico and trade places with blind tags.
During the match, Tim Donst and Jasin Strife came out to watch the proceedings. Donst had lost a match to Tony Kozina earlier in the night due to disqualification after Strife came down and joined Tim in assaulting Kozina. The Submission Squad had come to the aide of Kozina, causing Donst and Strife to flee the ring before Abernathy and Gelistico could lay a hand on them. I didn’t see Donst and Strife come out, since my attention was focused on the action in the ring, and rightly so, I am Camera Guy Chris, after all.
Back in the ring, Gelistico manages to catch a break, tagging in his very fresh, very eager partner, Pierre Abernathy, who proceeded to take down both the Cutters as they took turns charging at him. In the corner, Gelistico was down and prone to Donst and Strife, who chose that moment to strike, taking out Evan’s knee and leaving him crying out in pain on the cement below the ring. Then it was only a matter of time before the numbers game caught up with Abernathy. With no partner waiting on the apron, and the vicious Hooligans having 2-1 odds, it didn’t take long for the match to end, crowing Devin and Mason Cutter the NEW LWA Tag Team Champions.
A title change is always a sight to see, since they can be rare, especially in the independent feds. Seeing a title from another company even defended at an outside event is something big. PWN featured two outside title defenses at the Bier Stube Bash 2. What makes this particular match even more unique is seeing the titles change hands at an outside event. And if that were the only major deal about this match, then, while worth mentioning, it might not get all the attention it is getting. What makes this particular outside title defense and changing of the guard so incredibly special is that the new LWA Tag Team Champions are not a part of the Lethal Wrestling Alliance!
This situation has potential to get very bad very quickly. I know I’ll be following the situation as closely as I can and update the fans on how things turn out. I’d also like to welcome any and all LWA fans visiting the PWN boards and reading this article. I invite you to join in the discussion of both the situation with the Tag Team Titles and the uniqueness of seeing outside titles defended.
I would like to once again thank everyone for the information provided for this article. It’s very much appreciated. I’d also like thank Brian “Flair” Kelley, once again, as well as Missouri Wrestling Revival for giving me the opportunity to reach a new audience with my articles. I hope you all enjoy. For those viewing this on MWR, and would like to join the discussion, the main article can be viewed here at the Pro Wrestling Next board.
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I am quite sure that most readers of Missouri Wrestling Revival already know the great news, but for those that haven’t heard yet, Ring of Honor is going to debut in the St. Louis area on December 5, 2008! Seeing as the event was recently announced and is months away, we can only speculate on what Ring of Honor is going to give the fans of St. Louis. Hopefully, over the next several weeks, I will be able to give an idea of what we can expect at Ring of Honor’s St. Louis debut and more.
Part 1 – New Markets in 2008
So far in 2008, Ring of Honor has expanded into three new markets. I say “expanded” and not “debuted” because Ring of Honor has already returned or has announced returns to each of these markets. It should also be noted that Ring of Honor has announced debuts in several other markets as well, and if the trend continues Ring of Honor will be returning to these markets once again after several months.
As it would be when testing a new market, one would want to present a really good card with recognizable names (to bring in the fans) and follow through with great wrestling (to bring back the fans). We all know that’s how most independent wrestling shows are when we determine whether we will go to a show or return for another. What’s great about Ring of Honor is that it is a great mix of both, with more emphasis on the quality of wrestling compared to their television counterparts. Ring of Honor will definitely want to put their best foot forward in St. Louis, just as they have with debuts in the past.
We all know, or at least should, that Full Impact Pro (Ring of Honor’s sister company) is based in Florida and has been running shows since 2003. Many wrestlers that have appeared in Full Impact Pro have also appeared in Ring of Honor. Ring of Honor made their debut in Orlando, Florida in late March with two huge shows: “Supercard of Honor III” and “Dragon Gate Challenge II.” Both of these cards were highlighted with top stars from Ring of Honor taking on popular stars of Japanese promotion Dragon Gate. The fans were already familiar with many of the wrestlers, both from Ring of Honor and Dragon Gate, as many had previously been appearing in Full Impact Pro regularly.
In early May Ring of Honor made their way to Manassas, Virginia for a show titled “Southern Navigation.” While Manassas, Virginia may not be in the South, it is in the general direction compared to where Ring of Honor holds most of their shows. Several months later Ring of Honor tested out Toronto, Ontario and ended up with one of the largest attendance turnouts in Ring of Honor history! This show was titled “Northern Navigation” as it was their first venture into Canada. Could the debut in the St. Louis area be titled “Western Navigation?” It’s a good guess based upon past expansions this year.
The shows in Manassas and Toronto were filled with Ring of Honor’s top stars including: Chris Hero, Delirious, Brian Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, Austin Aries, Jay & Mark Briscoe, Tyler Black, Jimmy Jacobs, Necro Butcher, Ring of Honor World Champion Nigel McGuinness, and appearances by Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Naomichi Marufuji and Go Shiozaki. Ring of Honor doesn’t let down when it comes to bringing together the best talent on the independent scene and from overseas. Based upon past shows, Ring of Honor’s debut in St. Louis is sure to be explosive!
Tune in next week as I speculate on what Ring of Honor will bring to the fans in St. Louis!
[Shane Hollister captured in a photo as he enters the cage. Photo by soon-to-be-profiled photographer, Wayne McCarty.]
Growing up in Davenport, Iowa, Shane Hollister always wanted to be a professional wrestler. He was five years old when he and his dad watched wrestling on TV, his favorite wrestler being Shawn Michaels. From then on he was hooked. Friends and family always knew that he wanted to be a wrestler, but it wasn’t until the age of thirteen that he personally realized it. These same friends and family hoped he would eventually grow out of the obsession to wrestle.
His chance finally came and his dream started becoming a reality when he was in his last year of high school. Shane was in the eleventh grade with Danny Daniels and had a few friends that were in a pro wrestling school in Chicago, Illinois. In his senior year, Shane finally started training to be a pro wrestler. He originally hadn;t planned on training until after he graduated, but since his trainer started traveling to Davenport it made it a lot easier to train and do schoolwork.
After lots of hard work and grueling training, Shane was finally able to live his dream and have the first match of his young wrestling career. I asked Shane to describe his first match and how it affected him.
He replied, “Wow, my first match was very bad. I had the worst set of butterflies I have ever had in my life, but I was in there with very good wrestlers who I learned alot from. They say in this business you continue to learn until you don’t want to learn anymore. I would say you learn something new everytime you step through those ropes.“
So far Shane has been pretty lucky on the injury side of wrestling and hasn’t had any major injuries. Getting his two front teeth shoved up to the roof of his mouth and a having his nose broken are his two battle scars.
“Getting hurt and just going to get it fixed up is all just part of the job,” he said.
I asked Shane if at anytime he felt like he ever wanted to quit wrestling and he told me with a very confident answer, “No, I haven’t ever felt like leaving this business for one second. I love it so much.”
Shane has been in many matches so far, but his most memorable match in his own eyes was a tag match with Bryce Benjamin against Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin, the Murder City Machine Guns (known in Total Nonstop Action as the Motor City Machine Guns). Speaking of Alex Shelley, Shane’s dream match is to have a singles match with him. If any promotions need a great main event then book this match. I know I would pay to see it.
Shane’s ultimate goal is the same as almost any pro wrestler, and that is to be on the biggest stage in pro wrestling, the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment).
Shane has won a few championship belts along the way. He is the Scott County Wrestling Heavyweight Champion and is also currently the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) Iowa State Champion. He was also just crowned one half of the AAW Tag Team Champions. He has been a part of Scott County Wrestling, All American Wrestling, Ultimate Wrestling Alliance, 3XWrestling, F1rst Wrestling, Heartland Wrestling Association, and Luchacore, among numerous others.
While on the road traveling from promotion to promotion, wrestlers get pretty bored in cars. Shane told me that when he travels, he has to find fun things to do to keep entertained. One thing he does for fun on these roadtrips is making big signs to show to cars. He said it is fun to see what kind of reaction he can get from people.
“My favorite sign has to be ‘I like to cuddle’. I love women’s responses. They look at you like, ‘oh, how cute’ or ‘oh, how creepy’. I love it!“
If you ever see a bunch of guys throwing up signs in a car window, remember that it’s probably a group of traveling wrestlers. You just might get to “cuddle”.
Shane has not been contacted by WWE or TNA yet, but he said that he has been in dark matches for Ring of Honor (ROH) wrestling recently. This is yet another step in his progression as a wrestler. I have no doubt that he will be wrestling on ROH DVD and Pay-Per-View soon.
Shane says that if you want to be a wrestler, “learn as much as you can and always ask for advice. Remember there is always someone who has been doing it longer and better than you.” Great advice for anybody, regardless of occupation.
The last part of this report is something new that I decided to try out. I asked a few wrestlers that have been around or worked with Shane in the ring to say a few words about him. This is what they said:
Tyler Black – “He is one of my best friends and has a very bright future in the business. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him making an impact in a major way before the decade is up.
Trik Davis – “Shane Hollister is easily one of the top up and comers in all of the Midwest. With his quick feet and lighting-fast right hands, he can go strike for strike with pretty much anyone. Even with only two years under his belt he has held his own with such wrestlers as Chris Hero, Jimmy Jacobs, Alex Shelley, Tyler Black, and Chris Sabin. This makes me believe that in another two years Shane should be one of the top Indy stars in the country.”
Mark Sterling – “Cool Hair. On ROH’s regular roster with in the next year.”
“Anarchist” Arik Cannon – “Shane Hollister is what many call an ‘up and comer’. The kid has loads of potential, and he’s slowly making his mark in the Midwest. In my opinion, he’s definitely somebody to watch. He’s an asset to any show he’s on, and I look forward to working with him in the future.”
That does it for me and this closer look at a great pro wrestler from right here in the Midwest. I want to personally thank Shane Hollister for putting up with all of my questions and allowing me to write this report about him. There were a few times that I told Shane that this will be the last question and before I knew it I was asking another one. Shane graciously answered it. I feel like I have a new friend in Shane after writing this report. Thank you again, Shane. You are an amazing wrestler and I can’t wait for that one day that we will all see you on TV. I have no doubt that it won’t be long!
Missouri Wrestling Revival 