Missouri Wrestling Revival is proud and excited that the Midwest was filled with positive exposure in the most important issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated the Year in Awards edition.
St Louis’s own Randy Orton was voted by the fans as the number one wrestler of 2009. Some may not like his actions or his attitude but you can not deny the mans ability. Congrats to Randy Orton for such a great honor.
One of my personal moments of 2009 will be that the promotions and fans in the Midwest joined together to nominate Mike Sydal as the 2009 PWI Rookie of the Year. Mike has thrilled fans in every promotion in the MWR Coverage area and has backed it up by becoming the High Voltage Wrestling Livewire Champion and the being one half of the very popular 3XWrestlings tag team Champions “The High Flyers” with the talented Zach Thompson.
Wrestling fans if you have not had a chance to see Sydal in action I highly urge you get a chance to check him while he is still in the area. Charismatic, exciting and intense are just a few words that come to mind when his name is brought up and now you can add 2009 PWI Rookie of the Year!
Let’s take a quick look at Midwest wrestling promotions and wrestlers that are covered in this historic issue.
Page 13 Former WWE/TNA and WLW Star Trevor Murdoch opens up a new restaurant in Eldon Missouri called T Murdoch’s Bar and Grill. Maybe this means that MWR needs to do a review of the restaurant in the future.
Page 21 one of the most talented women wrestlers to ever grace the sport sores big wins in SHIMMER. A great photograph of her taking on Amazing Kong is on this page.
Page 23 Independent Recent Changes has the MECW Title changes of Barry Ryte pinning Matt Mayday for the Great Plains Trophy as well as the new MECW Tag Team Champions The Bayou Outlaws (Maddog McDowell and Aaron Masterson beating Devin Carter and AJ Smooth, Jordan McEntyer and Knight Wagner and the tag team of Mike Sydal and Rebelucha.
Page 59 In Memoriam remembers the fallen warriors and the influential people who past way in 2009. Included is BJ Race.
Page 62 and 63 Mike Sydal PWI Rookie of the Year !!!
Page 97 A full page photo of ECW Original, Dynamo Pro WrestlerAngle and tag team partner of Domino Rivera has a full page spread of battling Balls Mahoney
Page 128 Tommaso Ciampa – Trained with WLW and Harley Race in the past. Ciampa looked strong in the ECWA Super 8 Tournament
Page 137 Our friends at 3XWrestling are featured in the top of the Rankings page.
Page 140 and 141 Results from High Voltage Wrestling, IWA Productions, 3XWrestling, MMWA-SICW AND Dynamo Pro is all featured thanks to MWR friends Patrick Brandmeyer, John Bach and Midnight Guthrie. Maybe you can get there autographs at a show near you.
That is just a few of the highlights in 2009 PWI The Year in Wrestling
Years Wrestling:5 Trained by: Dingo First match: Vs. El Uno Loco, Mid America Xtreme (MAX) Wrestling Finishing maneuver: The Cunning Stunt
Date, place and who you beat to become LWA Champ: June 20,2009 O’Fallon IL Knights of Columbus, Jeremy Wyatt
Brian Kelley:I am joined today with the current LWA Champion KC Karrington. In less than a year KC has transformed himself from one half of the top tag team in St Louis, The Ego Express with his tag team partner Steven Kennedy to reigning LWA Champion.
KC thank you for joining us today.
KC Karrington Any time, thanks for having me.
1) How did you get into the sport?
KC Karrington: I’ve got to admit, I got into the business through sheer dumb luck. More or less, being in the right place at the right time. I was attending a Gateway Championship Wrestling show, merely as a fan. During intermission, I got to talking to the woman sitting next to me, and she started telling me that her son was a year younger than I was, sixteen at the time, and that he was training at a new promotion called Mid America Xtreme in Alton, IL. I was living in Edwardsville at the time, which is about thirty minutes from Alton. My main issues that kept me from really pursuing training were my age and the fact that to train with Gateway I would have to drive to Missouri every week. Not having a job and being in school five days of the week, it really wasn’t an option. So, even though my main goal was to get to GCW, I decided that getting trained at MAX would have to do for the time being. She talked to me for a while, introduced me to the trainer, and I started attending regularly. I would say that I learned the bare basics at MAX. I wrestled under a different name, copied my idol, Ric Flair, verbatim, and really stunk up the place. On a brighter note, MAX was where I first teamed with Steven Kennedy, and we really became good friends. Long story short, the company folded, and after a lot of prodding and nudging, Kennedy got me to come to the GCW school. I basically had to be re-programmed, because I was put in the ring WAY too early at MAX. I may have learned my basics from the MAX trainer, but Dingo taught me how to be a professional wrestler.
2) In a very young age you have been able top make an impact, what have been the keys to your success?
KC Karrington: I credit the success I do have to the people that have trained me, and have helped me become confident in my wrestling. I honestly owe everything I’ve done professionally to Dingo, SSK, Sadie Blaze, Evil Jim, Shorty Biggs. They have all helped me, encouraged me, and told me when something flat out sucked. I respect everyone of them more than they’ll ever know. On a personal note, I have a younger brother and sister who are everything to me. The feeling I get when they come to the shows and I see them sitting in the crowd cheering me on……that’s what it’s all about. They are my biggest fans, and they are what keep me going.
3) Lets start out with your time with tag team partner and good friend Steven Kennedy, collectively the two of you are the Ego Express. I have to say that you are one of the most exciting and entertaining tag teams that I have seen in the MWR coverage area. How did that tag team come to be?
KC Karrington: “He’s making a peak hour call!!!”……..Sorry, kind of an inside joke. It all started at MAX. As I mentioned, I was nowhere near ready to be in the ring, and they more or less told me to go to the ring and be Ric Flair. I didn’t know how to be me when I was in the ring. Then, I was put into a faction with SSK and the rest is history. Through working with him, I really got comfortable in front of a crowd, and we just really went out and did what we wanted to do. The best part was, it was fun and it got over. After MAX went under, I really had no interest in wrestling anywhere else, because I knew that I didn’t know what I was doing. God, it seemed like at least once a week SSK would call me and say, “So, are you gonna come train at Gateway or what?”. I put it off for a while, but, as anybody that knows him can attest to, Kennedy can be very persuasive. When they really felt I was properly trained, I made my GCW debut and SSK and I tagged with each other regularly. We won the GCW Tag Team Championships together twice, and that is one of my top achievements. We were the bad guys at the time, and we just went to the ring and did as much as we possibly could to piss everybody off. The crowd hated us….but they loved to hate us. That’s why it was so easy for us to be more fan friendly. Something that The Ego Express has in it’s favor that not a lot of tag teams in the area have, is that we interact with each other the exact same way inside the ring as we do outside the ring. We play off of each other and make each other crack up constantly. Not many tag teams on the indy scene that I know of go get “wingy” and then catch a movie. I think of the guy like the big brother I never had, and I really do look up to him.
4) The Ego Express have went up with some of the top tag teams in the Midwest, if MWR were to put out a BEST OF THE EGO EXPRESS. What would some of the match listing look like?
KC Karrington: Very first match on that list would be the TLC match we had in LWA with Dingo and Davey Vega for the LWA Tag Titles. Being out there with two men that I hold in the highest regard, and absolutely tearing the house down is something that I really enjoyed. Our soap opera saga that we went through with Vega and Johnny Vinyl would be right behind that. Our two matches in NWA : Dynamo Pro with The LONR’s (Mark Sterling & Darrien Sanders) as well. I learn more wrestling with Sterling than just about anybody else that I’ve ever stepped into the ring with. When we first started in Gateway, we had some really good matches with Sean Vincent and Rebecca Raze that I enjoyed very much. Of course, working with the North Star Express was a feather in our collective cap. Those two have been all over, and are one of the best teams in the country. I feel like we were able to hang well with them. Recently, we had a match with Mark Sterling and Jeremy Wyatt that I was very proud of. Like Sterling, I feel like I grow as a wrestler everytime I get to step into the ring with Wyatt. Of course, I can’t chew for a few days, but I enjoy it for some reason.
KC Karrington and his tag team partner and good friend Steven Kennedy gives respect to Darin Corbin and Ryan Cruz of the Northstar Express after a hard fought battle that the LWA Fans loved. (Photo Credit Michael R Van Hoogstraat)
5) I have to admit that I am a big fan of good tag team wrestling. I would love to see the Ego Express travel to 3XW to take on the tag team The Gentleman’s Club of Mark Sterling and Gage Octane or go head to head Barrio BoysDomino Rivera and Angel Medina in Kansas. Is there any tag team that you would like to test your skills against?
KC Karrington: The Bario Boys are definitely on that list. I’ve only gotten to see them a few times, but I’ve got to say that I was impressed. The Hooligans are another tag team that I have seen a few times, and I’d like to see how Kennedy and I would do against them. Plus, they seem to enjoy beating the snot out of the Submission Squad, which I am always a fan of.
6) When one talks about the history of the Ego Express and KC Karrington we can not have a conversation without talking about your former manager, as conniving as she is beautiful Tiffany LeFane. In one of the most shocking moments that I can recall she turned on you at the 2008 Circus Maximus, by throwing a fireball and taking the side of the Submission Squad. I feel that she is one of the top managers in the Midwest but one could argue that you have found more success without her in your corner. Would you say it would be fair to say that you were able to use her turn on you as motivation?
KC Karrington: Her turning on me is something that made me step up my game. After eveything that she and Vega did to me at Circus Maximus, (the blood, the fire, the betrayal), I feel like I had to evolve. But at the same time, I feel like the fans began to take me a lot more seriously. They recognized that I wasn’t the young kid that I started out as. I had grown, and I had been through a damn war and made it out alive. As far as Tiffany goes…….let’s face it, there is not a person that she has managed that hasn’t been successful. Let’s look at the list here. Ego Express : Multi-time GCW Tag Champs, LWA Tag Champs, SSK is the Medallion of Whatchimacallit (I can never remember) holder, and I currently hold the LWA Championship. Davey Vega : Medallion of Bandanas holder, somebody whom I have NEVER beaten in an LWA ring, and soon faces Dingo for the NWA Missouri State Championship. Gary the Nightowl has a shot at my LWA Championship soon. Tiffany knows what she is doing out there. As much as she has put me through, I believe she IS the top manager in the mid-west.
Don’t let Tiffany Lefane great legs distract you, because she is one the great manipulators in the sport. She now leads former fan favorite Gary the Barn Owl into action. (Photo Credit Brian “Flair” Kelley)
7) Lets turn our focus to singles action. Looking back, Jeremy Wyatt had been the Kingpin and the 2008 MWR Wrestler of the year throughout the Midwest by beating top notch talent in Tyler Black, “The Future” Donovan Ruddick, Abu Colussus, Davey Richards and Jordan Lacey. How were you able to overcome the intensity of Wyatt where so many others have failed?
KC Karrington: You know, I’ve asked myself the same question. I don’t think that I would be holding the LWA Championship without the fans on my side. The night I won the title, the thing I remember most was the reaction that the fans gave me when I stepped through the curtain. That still gives me goosebumps. When Wyatt gave me repeated forearms to the jaw, chops to the chest, and those stiff kicks he can throw, hearing the fans rallying behind me gave me that will to fight on. I would love to say that I won that belt because I am better than Wyatt, but I’m not going to say that. Jeremy Wyatt may not be a fan favorite to put it lightly, but he is probably the best in the mid-west. I respect him more than almost anybody else in the locker room.
Karrington threw caution to the wind to become the LWA Champion by beating the man very few have had wins against in the past two years “The Rebel” Jeremy Wyatt. (Photo Credit Brian “Flair” Kelley)
8) On June 20th, 2009 you shocked wrestling fans by becoming the man to end Wyatt’ title reign. Your good friend Steven Kennedy came into the ring to congratulate you while the LWA locker room came ringside for a standing ovation. Explain to the fans in words what that moment was like.
KC Karrington: Accomplished. I felt like I had really proved all the doubters wrong. All the people when I first started telling me that I could never be anything because of my size…..I had always let that sit in the back of my head. I’ve been trying to prove them wrong for the last five years. Hearing the LWA fans in O’Fallon, seeing my family in the crowd, and having Kennedy, Shorty Biggs, Adam Rich, people I think of like brothers, in the ring with me to share that moment. I don’t think that that moment could have been any better.
The LWA locker room salutes the New Champ (Photo Credit Brian “Flair” Kelley)
9) One competitor who has quietly making waves is your former partner Kennedy. He is the current LWA Medallion of Brutality holder by defeating Gary J who was accompanied by Tiffany Lefane the same night that you won the LWA Title and has been impressive in the past few months including a big match Jeremy Wyatt, Brandon Espinosa & Dash Rando in a four-way no-DQ match. It may not be soon but how would you feel if Kennedy was granted a shot?
Kc Karringotn proved that he was for real when he defeated Wyatt in a rematch for the LWA title on July 25 in House Springs. . Karrington had to display a lot of heart and guts as the Rebel was even more nastier than ever. (Photo Credit Brian “Flair” Kelley)
KC Karrington: You know, that’s something that’s crossed my mind quite a bit. Kennedy and I joke all the time about who is the Shawn Michaels of our tag team and who is the Marty Jannetty. Luckily, we’ve never been inside of a barber shop. Seriously, though, I would give SSK a title shot any time and any where. He is ridiculously talented, and he and I think so much alike, it would probably be as close as I could get to wrestling myself.
Steven Kennedy quietly has been red hot this past summer including a big win against Brandon Espinosa. (Photo Credit Brian “Flair” Kelley)
10) Who do you feel in the coming months present your biggest challenge for the LWA title going forward?
KC Karrington: As far as people who have yet to make that big splash, Davey Vega is somebody that everybody in the mid-west should keep their eyes on. I have known him since he first started, and he is an all around great wrestler. Personality, psychology, general ring presence….he has it all. We’ve wrestled more times than I can remember. He and I have been in some wars, and have tried to literally destroy each other. Hell, he tried to set me on fire! Personal feelings aside though, getting in the ring with him always brings out the best in me, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him come after my LWA Title in the near future. Mike Sydal is somebody that has come a long way in a short time. I’ve gotten to step into the ring with him in tag and singles matches, and he’s beyond talented. Brandon Aarons is another guy I’m very impressed with, and another guy that I have known since he first started training. Another person that takes pride in what he does, and I think he can make some major waves soon. Of course, the guys that have been in the game for a while are a threat and ready to strike. Kennedy, Dingo, Sterling. Any one of them coming after the championship would not surprise me. Unfortunately for me, they’re some of the best at what they do. I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t looking forward to it.
KC Once again thank you for your being a part of the MWR exclusive 10 questions with the Champ. Good luck on defending your title in the future.
KC Karrington: Again, thank you very much for having me on MWR, and for your constant support
KC Karrington defends his LWA Title in House Springs Missouri against Gary the Barn Owl
LWA Fans vote for your favorite LWA Stars in the 2009 fan poll here.
By Brian “Flair” Kelley
Pictures by Dubray Tallman
Is Mark Sterling a future World Champion? Many experts throughout the Midwest believe so. On April 28, Sterling had the rare opportunity at NWA Dynamo Pro Wrestling in Ottawa, KS to take on a current World Champion when he went head to head with Ring of Honor Champion Jerry Lynn. Would he be able to hang with the best in the World?
Before we found out, NWA Dynamo continued their tradition of bringing some of the youngest, freshest stars in the Midwest with Adam Rich taking on Aaron Hawley. Hawley and Rich were pumped up early, matching each other move for move. Less than two minutes into the match, one of the most powerful men that I have ever seen entered the ring, the mysterious Alexander Rudolph. Rudolph demolished Hawley and Rich and the referee declared the bout a no contest. OuTtKaSt came from out of the locker room quickly to stop the destruction. The two men quickly went at it and the battle escalated outside the ring and into the crowd, and then the two brawled into the locker room.
Alexander Rudolph leaves young guns Adam Rich and Aaron Hawley out to dry early in the match (Photo Credit Dubray Tallman)
I must say with the excitement of Sterling taking on Jerry Lynn and the powerful Alexander Rudolph, I forgot to mention that none other than one of my best friends and fellow Missouri Wrestling Revival colleague, Josh Ray, stepped up to announce this monumental evening.
Super Electro gets ready for action. (Photo Credit Dubray Tallman )
Up next, the Latino badass Domino Rivera took on fan favorite Super Electro, making his Kansas debut. The kids were excited to see the wrestler from Space Station 11, who is programmed with 1,000 moves and capable of every emotion except love. The always-dangerous Rivera looked to rain on the kid’s parade with technical wrestling and a ruthless style.
Domino kicked, punched and stretch Super Electro, and Electro made the mistake of taking it out of the ring. It looked as Rivera would have his hand raised when he had Electro in submission move.
Domino Rivera stalks Super Electro (Photo Credit Dubray Tallman )
The fans would not let Electro quit. Electro traded punch for punch and hit the ropes, which landed him into an Arn Anderson gutbuster. Rivera got a two count, which caused his frustration to set in and Electro struck with a choke slam for the one, two, three.
OuTtKaSt entered the ring to challenge Alexander Rudolph to a match the next time that NWA Dynamo Pro Wrestling returns to Ottawa—a match that will sure to be a must see.
The Powerful and very popular Trent Stone came to the ring with fans excited to see him take on Pierre Abernathy, accompanied by Submission Squad Member Evan Gelistico. Abernathy started off trying to administer an arm bar, but Stone powered out of it quickly and flexed his muscles. Abernathy unwisely decided to show his “guns” which prompted “You suck!!” chants from Stone’s admirers. Abernathy tried to slow down Stone and play mind games. Stone looked to have the match going his way when he hit a bodyslam followed by a dropkick. With Abernathy in the corner, Stone went full force but Abernathy moved out of the way, sending Stone shoulder first into the turnbuckle. Abernathy pounced on the wounded Stone’s shoulder relentlessly, causing the referee to issue a warning. With the referee distracted, Gelistico took a cheap shot at Stone.
Pierre Abernathy just felt the power of Trent Stone (Photo Credit Dubray Tallman )
Abernathy and Gelistico succeeded to stymie any offense that Stone was able to muster. Kansas was getting restless while Stone took a beating. Abernathy continued to punish the arm and shoulder, in the process, keeping the big man off his feet. With victory in their sights, the Submission Squad threw it all away with a foolish move. Gelistico jumped up on the ring apron and attempted to hit Stone with a white powder, but Stone countered, sending Aberanthy toward Gelistico. Gelistico stopped himself before he threw it; Abernathy had that moment of relief, but Stone tossed Abernathy back into his tag team partner who accidentally hit him with the powder anyway. Stone wrapped up the disoriented Abernathy for the victory.
With the crowd popping from the last match, up next was the man who I feel is one of the guys who can keep my attention from start to finish—Mike Sydal.
Sydal has quickly improved in the past year and is rising among the Midwest elite with very entertaining matches. Sydal’s opponent on this night was KC Karrington. Karrington was last seen involved in two of the best tag team matches in the Kansas City area in the past 10 years with Ego Express tag team partner Steven Kennedy taking on the LONRs, Mark Sterling and Darien Sanders otherwise known as the LONRS.
Here we have Mike Sydal skipping to the ring. (Photo Credit Dubray Tallman )
Sydal entered the ring prancing, dancing and posing for all to see. Boos and heckling proceeded relentlessly until Karringtons music hit the armory. Sydal was really able to get the Kansas natives upset with his pretty pink and blue outfit. Karrington did not help matters by going along with the fans insults.
Karington took the advantage early and Sydal retreated to the outside turnbuckle. Karrington grew impatient and chased after him, which led to Sydal setting him up with a big boot to the face. Sydal seemed to gain confidence and pounded Karrington. When Karrington try to maneuver himself in a position to get ahead, Sydal was one step ahead of him.
The fans were not happy and chants of “Fairy Boy” rang through the building. Sydal looked to get the win on several attempts but the heart of Karrington has never been in question and he was able to gut it out. You could see the frustration set in Sydal’s face when he had a headlock on his opponent and the crowd clapped to urge Karrington to fight through. Karrington’s big break came when he hit a belly to belly suplex. Sydal quickly regained the advantage, but when he went for a backwards moonsault from the ground, Karrington just barely got his knees up. Karrington saw the light with Sydal hurt and went to the top to hit a flying body press, but Sydal was able to reverse it for the win.
During intermission, the Ring of Honor World Champion Jerry Lynn thanked the fans for coming. I took the time to talk to old and new friends during the show and everyone I talked to was impressed at how down to earth Lynn was. A true Champion in every sense of the word.
Shorty Biggs has momentum on his side (Photo Credit Dubray Tallman)
Wyatt hits a big move on his old enemy Biggs (Photo Credit Dubray Tallman)
With a fun and exciting first half done, we headed to three exciting matches that had talent galore. The first match back we were treated to a three way with the one man in the Midwest capable of causing a riot, Jeremy Wyatt, taking on the NWA Mid America TV Champion Shawn Shultz and the ever popular Shorty Biggs. All three men in this match up have held gold throughout the Midwest, but Shultz upped the ante by stating that his title would be on the line and whoever pinned him would be the Champ. The crowd did not like the words coming from the mouth of the NWA Mid America Champion.
The crowd was easily on Shorty’s side going into this match against two of the toughest men in the Midwest. Biggs had the place rocking with “Shorty” chants while he danced in the ring. Shultz wisely made Biggs an offer for the two of them to team up and work over Wyatt. Biggs, though, is his own man and looked to win this the right way and when the two were about the shake on it, Biggs withdrew to let him know that this was going to be a three way and the best man would win it.
Shultz quickly changed direction and asked Wyatt to team up on Biggs. Wyatt has always shown that he would do what it takes to live up to his name, The Belt Collector, and had no qualms against double teaming one of his most hated enemies. The two pounced on Biggs but Biggs was ready and beat them to the punch. Biggs hit a double shoulder block on Wyatt and Shultz, then went to the corner to work over Shultz, giving Wyatt a chance to catch his breath and strike from behind. Biggs rebounded nicely and used his wits to get the upper hand.
While Wyatt and Shultz argued outside the ring, Biggs sent them sailing with a double kick from inside the ring much to the fans delight. Biggs continued to punish Shultz then went after Wyatt, sending him back inside the ring. Shultz had time to recover and once again attempted to strike Biggs, who countered with a body slam then headed to the top. Biggs’ good fortunes came crashing down when, at the top rope, Wyatt was able to get a hold of Biggs’s foot. Biggs kicked Wyatt off but paid dearly when Shultz sent Biggs flying off the top ropes with a thud.
The two villains went at Biggs relentlessly, at times it looked like a competion to see who could administer the most pain to the fan favorite. With Shultz standing on Biggs face, Wyatt taunted him with words, enticing the crowd, getting the Shorty chants going full steam. Problems arose when Wyatt went for a pinfall, and Shultz made the save. Still, Wyatt allowed Shultz to hit a version of a Shake rattle and roll then got up to dance, Wyatt then snuck up from behind attempting to get the win and steal the NWA Mid-America Title.
While Wyatt and Shultz battled in the middle, Biggs caught his breath and made an impact with a double clothesline. One had to wonder, would Biggs have enough in the gas tank to get the victory? I thought I had my answer when Biggs looked to have the three count on Wyatt, but the Rebel kicked out. Shultz went on the offensive, allowing Wyatt to retreat outside of the ring. Shultz looked to have the match won, as he hit a killer DDT on Biggs. However, Wyatt was one step ahead on this night as he pulled Shultz to the outside of the ring and head first in the guard rails, then quickly went inside for the victory on Biggs with his feet on the ropes.
Jeremy Wyatt believes he just won Shawn Shultz NWA Mid America Championship (Photo Credit Dubray Tallman)
Wyatt’s music played and The Belt Collector looked to have added to his collection but Shultz screamed for the ref to give him back his belt. The reason? Wyatt had not pinned the Champ himself, so therefore he did not win the title.
Shultz was outside the ring hoisting his title, Wyatt inside the ring with Josh letting the fans know that he was the winner. A one on one match up between these two looks to be one that the fans will not want to miss.
#1 Brett Young and Tyler Cook was a special non title grudge match between the two arch enemies. A main event player and the proud owner of the NWA Kansas Championship, Young has been in some of the most memorable matches that I have ever seen. These two were awarded the Match of the month last November in Pomona, KS by the MWR awards committee.
Cook has really looked to elevate his game, but Young knows all the tricks of the game and at times seemed to be playing with the rising star. Young grounded Cook at every chance he got, all while working the crowd in frenzy. Cook kept fighting, much to the fans’ delight, and was able to get the one two three and the momentum in the feud against the NWA Kansas Champion.
The stage was set to see how Mark Sterling would fare against the number one wrestler in the World. Lynn offered his hand to show Sterling respect in the middle of the ring, but Sterling licked his hand out of disrespt then offered it to Lynn who wisely withdrew. Mind Games from Sterling, perhaps? Maybe, but Lynn has seen it all and quickly went after the young star.
Surprisingly, Sterling powered Lynn into the corner only to have Lynn get away. The two quickly played a game of chess as each one went for a move and the other had a counter. Sterling had the edge with the power game, but Lynn’s quickness and experience offset him.
Lynn looked to go for a pile driver after hitting Sterling with a kick to the gut, but Sterling high tailed it outside of the ring. The fans chanted “Loser!” as Sterling relented back by jawing with the fans. Back in the ring, Sterling went full force against the champion with a shoulder uppercut, before out of nowhere Lynn hit a frankenstiener. Sterling was reeling once again and cowered in the corner. With the fans a rocking and Lynn’s guard down, Sterling struck by forcefully sending Lynn into the turnbuckle.
Lynn was hurt, and Sterling smelled the blood. Sterling went out of the ring, then grabbed Lynn’s arm to drag him to the turnbuckle, doing considerable damage. Sterling was more than proud of himself as he put his arms in the air towards the fans as if to say, “I told you so.”
Back in the ring, Sterling was relentless as he went for Lynn’s injured arm. Lynn attempted a comeback but his left arm prevented him from tossing Sterling into the ropes. Every move and every moment was focused on the arm as he could sense he was moments away from victory.
The ref asked Lynn if he wanted to quit but the heart of a Champion showed when he would not submit. Sterling went for an elbow drop and missed. Lynn crawled to the corner. Sterling made his first mistake. He went full force into the ropes, but Lynn was not home. Lynn used all his energy to hit Sterling with two shoulder blocks then a flying clothesline. In moments, the fans saw the World Champion go to the top rope to hit a flying body press and get a two count.
Sterling went back to the injured arm to get the advantage once again. Lynn hit a knee to the midsection near the corner turnbuckle then went back to the top to attempt a spinning DDT. Sterling fought it off and delivered a clothesline sending Lynn down on the mat. Sterling, pulling out all stops went to the second row, to attempt a moonsault and secure the victory.
A few seconds later Lynn had recovered and this time hit a dead on Spinning DDT of the top ropes. Lynn had the pin, 1-2—-Sterling kicked out? Lynn pleaded to the ref for the slow count, and this gave Sterling time to recover. Sterling dropped Lynn with a kick near the corner post then used the ropes for leverage. One, two—but the ref saw the legs on the ropes and stopped the count. Sterling then went for a pile driver of his own. Lynn powered out and sent Sterling over head. Then, as Sterling, looked to pull Lynn down, the Champion suffocated Sterling and grabbed the legs for the hard fought victory.
The match was over, the test was completed and though Sterling did not win the match he had the Champion of the World in trouble. NWA Dynamo once again proved that some of the best wrestling in the Midwest comes in and out of their ring.
To find out more bout NWA Dynamo Pro Wrestling go their myspace here.
NWA Dynamo returns to Ottawa, Ks., on May 23rd at the Ottawa National Guard Armory.
Tickets are only $8.00 in advance
$10.00 at the Door Double Main Event
ROH World Champion Jerry Lynn
vs Mark Sterling
********
Non-Title Grudge Match NWA Kansas Champion Brett Young
vs Tyler Cook
******** Jeremy Wyatt
vs Shorty Biggs
vs Shaun Shultz
****** “Ego Express” Steven Kennedy/KC Karrington
vs “Babe Watch” Brandon Espinosa/Mike Sydal
****** Trent Stone
vs Pierre Abernathy
****** Domino Rivera
vs Kraig Keesman
****** Adam Rich
vs Aaron Hawley
NWA Dynamo Pro Wrestling returned to Kansas to start 2009 on January 30th for a good cause as proceeds were to go to “lil” Jimmie Bass to help him get a brand new heart. Former WWE Star Al Snow was to be in action with some of the best young talent in the Midwest so this show looked to have something for everyone.
Pierre Abernathy entered the ring with the unpopular Sadie Blaze by his side to take on the rising star Davey Vega. The crowd was really in Abernathy ear with chants like “Brush your teeth” just to name a few. Abernathy masterfully distracted the ref so that his manager was able to do damage from outside the ring. Abernathy controlled the match but Vega may have received the hit of the night when he kicked him so hard I was able almost feel the blow myself. Vega was able to get the pin fall much to the delight of the Dynamo fans.
A new guy to my knowledge was to wrestle next, Aaron Hawely, a young kid that was to take on the ever cocky Brandon Aarons. This match was between two guys that may lack the size but not the dedication in the weight room. Aarons was all business and went after Hawely with a vengeance. Aarons was dominating the match when out of nowhere Hawely used the ropes while holding onto Aarons head and turned it into reverse neck breaker
Power and speed would meet total meanness when Adam Rich and Trent Stone took on the Barrio Boys (Domino Rivera and Angel). Angel and Domino may come off as two thugs but you can not discount their knowledge as they work like a fine tune machine. The two constantly cut off the ring, not allowing Rich to tag his partner Stone. At one point, Rich had the advantage on Rivera but Rivera wisely maneuvered them into his corner where Angel was able to get the upper hand.
Trent Stone and Domino Rivera - Photo credit Sarah Jones
The glaring problem for the Barrio Boys would shine when Angel brought in boxing gloves to toy with Rich, it prompted the kids behind me to go nuts with “cheater” chants. Later Angel spanked Rich like a baby before snapping him into a suplex. It looked to be arrogance would cost them the match when Rich hit Angel with a kick, then Stone blasted him with a spear. When the ref Martin T went to send Rich back to his corner Rivera nailed Stone and sent Rich flying out of the ring. While Rivera was causing mass confusion Angel went for a low blow. Rivera quickly went back to his corner and Angel rolled up Stone for the win.
Kraig Kessman was to take on the flirt Mike Sydal. One may not like the way Sydal behaves but you can not deny the man’s ability. Kessman struggled early to get going on Sydal’s speed and unordinary attack.
Mike Sydal has some fun with Kessman- Photo Credit Sarah Jones
The crowd was clearly on Kessman’s side when Sydal had Kessman in a Boston Crab encouraging Kessman to not give up. Sydal stayed on the offense for a long time but Kessman saw a light at the end of the tunnel when he planted one big boot and a frontward DDT for the win.
Billy McNeil and Shorty Biggs thrilled the fans with an exciting match that looked to go both ways at all times. On this night McNeil was able to get the victory against the ever popular Shorty Biggs.
During intermission Al Snow came to ring to sign autographs and take pictures. It seemed as if everyone wanted to get their picture taken with him and he looked to be more than happy to oblige.
When we returned from intermission I was ready for the first match in the triple main event. The LONRS (Mark Sterling and Darrien Sanders) took it upon themselves to walk among the fans, much to the displeasure of the fans. The LONRS were looking for revenge from their last encounter with the Ego Express (KC Karrington and Steven Kennedy) who was accompanied by their manager Tiffany LeFane. This was a knock down drag out chess match between two of the best.
Mark Sterling grounds Ego Express member KC Karrington- Photo Credit Steve Jones
Sterling took bragging rights on the best hit of the night when he threw Karrington into the corner with so much force it looked to derail the Express from winning the match at that point. Karrington showed that he was all heart and kept fighting. The LONRS stole the win when Sanders went for the pin and used the ropes while Sterling held onto his hands for extra leverage. The score was now one win for the LONRS, one win for the Ego Express.
NWA Kansas Champion #1 Brett Young -Photo Credit Steve Jones
The second main event was the NWA Kansas Champion #1 Brett Young defending his belt against the young Tyler Cook. Cook was so close last month and with OZZY playing I was sure we were about to have a new champion. Young had other plans and really showed why he was one of the premier wrestlers today. Young never really allowed Cook to get off the ground for longer than a few minutes.
#1 Brett Young grounds Tyler Cook- Photo Credit Steve Jones
One moment, Cook had pulled the turnbuckle cover off trying to hold onto dear life as Young worked him over. That would come to haunt the challenger because later in the match Young threw the turnbuckle cover at the ref. This blinded him long enough so that Young could throw Cook head first into the uncovered turnbuckle long enough for the champ to have retain the belt. Cook had proved to the Kansas fans that he has no desire to give up the NWA Kansas Championship anytime soon.
The MWR 2008 Wrestler of the Year Jeremy Wyatt was in the main event taking on the popular Al Snow. Wyatt had just came off big victories of Davey Richards and Tyler Black and looked to add the man the fans wanted to see to his list of victims. Al Snow came to the ring with his friend “Head”. The crowd chanted “We want head” while Snow talked to his mannequin friend in the corner to start the match. Then before they would lock up Snow ran the ropes and went back to the corner to talk to his “friend” again. This went on for a while and really seemed to get under Wyatt’s skin.
Al Snow full of energy before his match with Jeremy Wyatt- Photo Credit Steve Jones.
When the action got underway the two exchanged moves until Wyatt was able to deliver a clothesline that took Snow out of the ring. Wyatt threw Snow into the turnbuckle and attempted to use a chair but the ref intervened just in time. Wyatt took it back in the ring and “Wyatt Sucks” chants rang through the building. Wyatt leaned on the Snowman and punished him with powerful strikes. Snow was able to turn the momentum when he tossed Wyatt into the turnbuckle but the ref was their and was knocked out. Al called for the second ref Martin T to come in to make the count, but when he came into the ring it was too late.
Snow went for a strike on Wyatt but Wyatt shoved Martin T in the way to protect himself. With both refs out of the ring and Snow went to check on one of them, Wyatt brought in a chair but the other ref was getting up so he hit himself with the chair hoping the ref would disqualify Snow thinking that he had used the chair. Snow knows every trick in the book and before the ref was up he did the exact same thing causing the first ref to be confused on who the culprit was. The ref was asking the fans who had used the chair, Wyatt protested while Snow recovered to get his “friend” Head and use it as a weapon for the 1,2,3 much to the fans delight.
Al Snow uses Head to get the win on the Rebel Jeremy Wyatt. Photo Credit Steve Jones
NWA Dynamo Pro Wrestling once again had a stellar showing. 275 fans went home happy and a buzz was in the air for the NWA Dynamo Pro Wrestling to return on March 28th in Ottawa Kansas. Do yourself a favor and make your way to Kansas for a fun filled show.
Photo comments by Gary Giaffoglione/GG HotShots.comPWP Photographer
2008 was a very remarkable year for Pro Wrestling Phoenix. We came back from a four month hiatus in February. We had lost the rights to run shows at our old building, and had some trouble coming up with a new one. Once we decided on the Armory, we were skeptical about how many people could even find the place let alone who would show up. At “Year of the Phoenix 3” on February 16, we couldn’t have been happier with our second biggest crowd ever about 130 people. That night saw a lot of great action, and is notable for being the night “The LONRs” Showtime Darrien Sanders and Mark Sterling won the PWP Tag Team Championship by defeating “Pride and the Passion”, Zac James and Tyler Pride This caused massive problems between Zac and Tyler. At this point “Babyface” Tony Cortez was still PWP Heavyweight Champion, and was able to retain the title in a 3 Way Dance over “The Rebel” Jeremy Wyatt and Abu Colossus. Hype Gotti began an intense losing streak as well.
“Try and Stop Us Now” on March 15 had one of PWP’s best matches ever, a bout between “The Anarchist: Arik Cannon and Ryan Cruz, one half of the Northstar Express. I highly suggest checking this one out; you can find it on YouTube. “A New Era” in April saw the Northstar Express and Arik Cannon both getting title shots in PWP. However, “The LONRs” and Tony Cortez both pulled through, retaining their respective titles.
March 15 Wyatt vs Strife- Could be the most high flying and technical match I remember, there was so much nonstop action from both Wyatt and Strife- Gary Giaffoglione/GG HotShots.com PWP Photographer
This led to our “3rd Year Anniversary Spectacular” on May 10. “The LONRs” once again retained the PWP Tag Team Championship by defeating Ben Sailor and Nate Bash. Hype Gotti continued his losing streak, this time losing to Domino Rivera. This show also saw one of the greats Jerry Lynn show up to wrestle Arik Cannon in an absolute classic PWP match. Zac James finally agreed to fight Tyler Pride, but was only the beginning. A very big surprise also happened when PWP Alumni Payday Patterson showed up to answer Brett Young’s one shot challenge in a very memorable match. Chris Havius made his return to thank the fans, and was attacked by Stephen Saint. The big news here however, was Abu Colossus was able to win the PWP Championship in a 4 Way between Tony Cortez, Jeremy Wyatt and Jaysin Strife, thus ending his 20 month reign as champion.
May 10 Wyatt vs. Abu, Babyface Cortez vs. Strife, again so much action I couldn’t capture it all among these four.-Gary Giaffoglione/GG HotShots.com PWP Photographer
We started the summer off with two shows in July. The first show saw Chris Havius try to get some revenge on Stephan Saint, however the match ended in a double disqualification. Jaysin Strife finally beat Hype Gotti one on one. Afterwards, Tony Cortez confronted Jaysin about some things that had been happening, especially in last months main event where he helped pin Tony. He attacked him, and it looked like Hype was making the save, but he shocked everyone when he too attacked Strife. It took Vic Victory coming out with a chair to run those two off, and it looked like Simply the Best was back together. Victory and Strife put their differences behind them. Abu solidified his status as champion when he was able to pin Tony Cortez in a one on one match.
Our second July show was our huge Battle of the Phoenix show. This saw 25 contestants get a shot at becoming #1 contender. And who was more fitting to win than #1 Brett Young. He earned a shot at Colossus in August. This was a big night for Brett Young as he also defeated Arik Cannon in a singles match. Also on this show, “The LONRs” were once again successful over Northstar Express, Zac and Tyler tangled again, and Strife and Victory got their first taste of Simply the Best.
August was very intense, Tyler Pride finally defeated Zac James in a must see street fight to open the show. Stephen Saint defeated Chris Havius by cheating in a First Blood match. Afterwards, Chris challenged Stephen to a FANS BRING THE WEAPONS match at the next show. Brett Young fell short of his chance at gold when Abu Colossus once again dominated him. This led us to September, Malicious Mayhem and one of the most insane nights in PWP history. Chris Havius and Stephen Saint put it all on the line in a match that included tables, ladders, chairs, light tubes, thumbtacks, bibles and more. Chris Havius came out on top and both earned the fans respect that night.
This was the easiest to chose, of all the shots taken in 2008 this Weapons Match between Chris Havis and Stephen Saint will forever be in my conversation of “what are some of your best shots”. September 21, 2008 Malicious Mayhem… would be the #1 Choice of my Best PWP Shots of 2008.- Gary Giaffoglione/GG HotShots.com PWP Photographer
October 25 was a special night for PWP. The Northstar Express had their last chance at the PWP title, if they lost, they would never get another shot at the LONRs. They did pull through to become PWP Tag Team Champions. Also, the showed was named Night of the Rebel, because Jeremy Wyatt, who hadn’t lost a singles match in probably a thousand years in PWP, defeated Abu Colossus to become the current reigning PWP champion. Since then he has defeated both Abu Colossus and Brett Young to retain. The Northstar Express’ reign was short lived, as they were defeated in a three way dance by Simply the Best, also including Jaysin Strife and Vic Victory. Afterwards The duo challenged Simply the Best to a Texas Tornado Tag Title match in December, with the added stip that whoever was pinned in the match would leave PWP forever.
December came and new Tag Champs AGAIN, as Strife and Victory pinned Hype Gotti not only to win the titles, but to send him packing from PWP. Hype Gotti asked for one more match, and that is January 17th VS. Jeremy Wyatt for the Title. Regardless of winning or losing, he is gone from PWP. But he said he is going to retire as champion and go out with a bang.
What do we have to look forward to in PWP in 2009? You can bet that everyone has their sights set on “the Rebel” Jeremy Wyatt and his coveted Title. Look forward to your favorite regulars as well as new talent looking for chances at gold. Strife and Victory are the Tag Champs, but for how long? The LONRs won’t sit idly by and watch them take all the glory. Don’t forget about the Northstar Express either. It is a very exciting time for Pro Wrestling Phoenix, please check us out at www. prowrestlingphoenix. com for all the updates and add us as friends at www.myspace.com.prowrestlingphoenix.
Christmas time has come and gone, your family and friends have come together in the season of giving. Pro Wrestling has a long history of giving not only during the Christmas season throughout the year. During the year there are many wrestling company’s support fundraisers. They include Toys for Tots, school functions, Relay for life, just to name a few. The wrestlers and the company involved take great pride on helping others. The relationship between the wrestling community and their fans are like none other.
Just prior to Christmas, a tragedy in the Nilwood Illinois when a fire caused a family to not only lose their house but sadly the mother. New Midwest Wrestling quickly stepped and promoted a show to help raise funds for the family.
This past weekend my heart was touched when Larry Barber and NWA-Dynamo Pro Wrestling brought to my attention a fundraiser they were doing for a young boy named Jimmie. Larry also sent me pictures and here is the heartfelt letter that his grandmother Charlene Bernabe sent.
Larry, Jimmie Bass is a 5 yr. old little boy from Ottawa awaiting a heart transplant. He is now on a heart pump and cannot leave the hospital in Iowa City Iowa until he receives a new heart. He was born with 3 chambers to the heart. The arteries were all routed backwards at birth. Causing the blood to bypass the lungs. He also had a hole in 2 of the chambers. He has undergone several open heart surgeries to try to help fix this problem, but it was not successful. There was too high of pressure in the heart. His heart just was not able to go anymore, that is why he is on a pump. There is a web site that has a video about lil Jimmie and the pump, due to it is not FDA approved. You may get it at KGAN CBS 2 go to there website and scroll down on the top stories called….”A NEW HEART FOR JIMMIE”. Thanks for all your help. Charlene Bernabe
Jimmie Bass enjoys a visit from Mr. and Mrs. Clause in the hospital.
Not only will you have the opportunity to help out Jimmie Bass but you also will get to see some of the best wrestling in the Midwest.
Jeremy “The Rebel” Wyatt vs. Former WWE and ECW Superstar Al Snow
Al Snow is well rounded with years of experience; he was one half of the former WWE Tag team champions (with Mick Foley), he can beat you in many ways. Snow was recently seen in TNA when he helped Kurt Angle defeat Rhino by distracting and slapping special guest enforcer in the face.
Wyatt was able to get the victory in a hard hitting match in November when he defeated ROH Superstar Davey Richards in a brutal hard hitting match Will Wyatt’s intensity be used against him by the wily veteran? This should be wrestling classic.
NWA Kansas Championship rematch Kansas Champion #1Brett Young vs. Tyler Cook.
There last match in Pomona Kansas, earned them the match of the month for November. Young was able to walk out with the Kansas Championship that night. Cook was able to impress the NWA that he was deserving of another chance to win the belt. This rematch has many interesting questions surrounding it. Young has years of experience to his advantage, was he showing all that he had to offer in that match. Cook on the other hand had his most profiled match against Young and came very close to winning. Will Cooks confidence be at such a high level that the Champion can not overcome the energy that the contender brings?
Tag Team Rematch
“The Ego Express” (Steven Kennedy & KC Karrington)
vs “The LONRS” (Mark Sterling & Darrien Sanders)
Shorty Biggs vs. Billy McNeil
Donovan Riddick vs. Trent Stone
Kraig Keesman vs. Domino Rivera
Adam Rich vs. Mike Sydal
Davey Vega vs. Pierre Abernathy
Join Missouri Wrestling Revival on January 31 in Ottawa Kansas. Come early and sign up for a chance to win a MWR T-shirt.
Al Snow will be having a wrestling seminar prior to the show for only $50.00 Ottawa Middle School – Ottawa, Ks.3-5pmOnly 20 spots available. Be sure to reserve a spot early before they are all filled. Cost $50.00 per person
For more information about the show or the wrestling seminar check out NWA –Dynamo Pro Wrestling at their myspace
I won’t lie to you, I was excited about going to Pomona Kansas for professional wrestling. How could you not be? The night would include a NWAKansas Championship match between #1 Brett Young taking on Tyler Cook, Dingo was scheduled to have a rematch with Jeremy Wyatt. A tag team dream match between the LONRS and the Ego Express plus ROH Superstar Davey Richards would be in action as well. Yes, I was excited about all of those stellar matches, but what really excited me was hooking back up with my friends in Kansas before the holidays.
Dubray and I got into the Pomona, Kansas, a small town of less than a 1000 that I had never heard of, much less been too. The NWA has advertised a meet and greet with the fans at a restaurant called Buzzards Pizza. I had ran into a wrestling fan in St Louis the week before, Jonathan Jones, who I had told about this night of wrestling. To be honest, I really didn’t believe that he would make it. Lo and behold, Jonathan called me to let me know he was in town, so he caught up with us at Buzzards. While the wrestlers met with the fans, we enjoyed some of the best pizza I had ever tasted. Wrestling fans if you ever hear that a wrestling show is coming to Pomona, you now have two reasons to go.
(From Left to right) NWA Kansas Champion #1 Brett Young,Desiree Powell 10 , Shorty Biggs,Jared Griffin 9, Ashley Griffin 10, Sadie Blazz,Ashley Griffin 10 and Dice
The NWA had invited us to come and give away a MWR T-shirt to one of the fans at the show. While my better looking half, Dubray met them at the door Jonathan and I watched as fans kept coming through the door. I was thinking to myself, “is the whole town here?”
Before the match started, a 3 bell salute with a moment of silence, was asked by Larry Barber from the crowd, due to a tragedy within the community. A young man age 14, Treavor Wormell, had lost his life while another boy Preston Bunyard was in critical condition after a head on collision with a combine. Everyone at MWR, extends their thoughts and prayers to both families.
With the building packed, the announcer introduced the first match, a six way between Domino Rivera, Brandon Espinosa (In a pretty pink and blue outfit), Kraig Kessman, Mike Sydal (Skipping into the ring), Davey Vega and Adam Rich. I turned to Jonathan and said “There’s a lot of talent in the ring right now.” Rivera, who is a stone cold assassin normally, couldn’t resist teasing Sydal and Espinosa that they should be a couple before the match started, which prompted laughter throughout the building.
Throughout the match Sydal was able to use his athletic ability to impress the crowd. Espinosa hit a beautiful dropkick on Vega, but Vega would later return the favor when Espy was outside the ring, Vega went to the top rope and his a flying body press onto both Espy and Sydal and at the same time that happened Kessman went to the top rope on the other side and hit a flying ax handle on Rivera. Exciting action from all 6 men ensued during the match. Rivera seemed to have the match won when he hit a killer clothesline but when he went for another move, Kessman hit a snap mare DDT for the win.
Aaron Scott and Brandon Marino were up next, the two mirrored each other in looks, power and moves. What one could do the other would match. Aaron was nasty from the get go and threatened to rip off Marino’s arm at one point of the match. Powerful kicks and big moves were abundant in this encounter. Marino made the mistake of going to the top for a high risk move but Aarons was one step ahead and moved out of the way which led to Marino hurting his leg. Aarons smelled a weakness and capitalized on it with a sharpshooter for the victory. I know I saw more wrestling in this seventeen minute match than I have seen on my TV screen the past 2 weeks. Trust me when I say you will hear of these two guys before it is said and done.
#1 Brett Young came to the ring to let the fans know that he is the NWA Kansas State Champion, a fact that makes him better than each and everyone of the fans in attendance. Tyler Cooks name echoed all through the building as he entered the ring. The Champion showed little respect for the #1 contender by slapping him in the middle of the ring. Cook returned the favor with a slap of his own. Young went for a cheap shot, but Cook was ready with the block and a punch. Young wisely bailed out of the ring, and my guess was he finally realized for the first time that this match was not going to be a walk in the park.
The ever popular Shorty Biggs was to take on every fans enemy, Pierre Abernathy, who on this night was accompanied by manager Sadie Blaze. Biggs had Abernathy rattled early on with his tomfoolery. Abernathy bailed out of the ring, Biggs went with him and chased him around the ring. Blaze then made his presence known by hiding under the ring with sneak attack. The crowd was not happy that the European scumbag had taken the cheap way and the building rang with USA chants. Shorty would get the advantage only to have Blaze interfere and negate it. Blaze attempted to help one more time, but Shorty took advantage of a miss hit for the 1 2 3 win going into the intermission.
At Intermission the wrestlers came out and met with the fans to take pictures and thank them for coming. While they did that, Jonathan went and bought the Jeremy Wyatt and Tyler Cook t-shirts, and I caught up with my friends Logan and Alex. I was able to speak to some of the wonderful members of the Masons. The night of wrestling was also a fundraiser for the Masons. They explained to me in more detail of what their organization is about.It is amazing what the Masons do to help others in need.
After intermission we were treated to what I’d like to think was a triple main event. Thefirst match was two of the best tag teams in the Midwest, The LONRS (Mark Sterling and Darrien Sanders) taking on the Ego Express ( Steven Kennedy and KC Karrington) and led by the always talking Tiffany Lefane.
The LONRS were home in Kansas, but the two let the fans know they wanted nothing to do with them. The match went back and forth with Lefane’s presence felt at major moments of the match. This would prove to be true when the LONRS went for a top rope piledriver on Kennedy. Lefane took advantage and distracted Sterling, Karrington meanwhile took out Sanders and pushed him out of the ring to allow Kennedy to roll up. The LONRS were furious and vowed to get revenge on the Express when the NWA returns January 31, in Ottawa Kansas.The Ego Express and the LONRS had lived up to the expectations of Jonathan who stated that this was his vote for the match of the night.
Dingo was scheduled to take on his rival Jeremy Wyatt but due to an injury was unable to make it. He was replaced by Ring of Honor Superstar Davey Richards. As soon as the announcer stated who Wyatt’s opponent was, I knew there was going to be a war. Wyatt normally is able to overwhelm his opponents with his intensity but Richards is one of the few men who can match him and then some. Wyatt and Richards beat each other from one side of the ring to the other. At one point Wyatt threw Richards out of the ring onto a group of fans in the front row with ring rail in tow. Wyatt hit a belly to back suplex for the victory against the ROH Superstar. This was a pure wrestling classic with no gimmicks required.
Davey Richards did not care if Wyatt is the number one ranked wrestler in the Midwest. He delivered brutal strikes throughout the match.
That last match could have been the main event anywhere else in the country but on this night we had the NWA Kansas Championship Match. Brett Young walked to the ring and seemed to regain his composure from the earlier meeting with the young Tyler Cook. The place was shouting “Let’s go Tyler” but Young is a master in the squared circled and slowed the pace down so that the fans and Cook were unable to get the quick start. When Cook would get the upper hand, Young wisely took a step back and never let him get in a routine. Young decided that he would just take the easy win by going to the locker room and calling it a night but Cook took it upon himself to bring him back to the ring. The fans were ecstatic when Cook turned it up a notch and proceeded to punish Young outside the ring. At one moment, Cook held Young while a Kansas masked fan delivered a Ric Flair chop.
Playing around with the fans may have been a mistake because when Cook threw back inside the ring. Young struck quickly before Cook could get back in the ring to get the advantage. Every time Cook would strike, Young had an answer.
With the referees back turned Young took the pad of the turnbuckle. The time that it took allowed Cook to recover, which led me to believe that we would have a new champion. I was sure that Young’s evil deeds would backfire on him. With Cook going for the pin, Young powered out and threw Cook head first into the uncovered turnbuckle. With the challenger knocked out Young was able to get the victory and retain the NWA Kansas Championship in an exciting match.
NWA-Presents Dynamo Pro Wrestling had the best show from top to bottom of 2008. If you missed this show you are still invited on January 31st when NWA-Dynamo Pro Wrestling returns to Ottawa, Kansas. Go to NWA-Dynamo Pro Wrestling for more information and click back here for more exciting recaps, interviews and show information of the best the Midwest Wrestling has to offer.
Kansas Wrestling fans have been patiently waiting for wrestling to return. They will be rewarded November 29th, when NWA Midwest presents Dynamo Pro Wrestling in Pomona, Kansas. Fans will have a chance to see some of the best athletes that Kansas City has to offer, as well as top wrestlers around the Midwest.
NWA Kansas Champion #1 Brett Young vs. Tyler Cook
The main event will feature one of the most charismatic wrestlers with Brett Young defending his title against Tyler Cook. What will be Young’s strategy will be anyone’s guess as he draws on his years of experience. That advantage has helped him win the Championship when he defeated Tony Cortez, Hype Gotti, Jeremy Wyatt, Jaysin Strife and Darrien Sanders in an elimination match in March before taking the title from Mark Sterling that very night.
On the other side of the ring will be Tyler Cook. In the absence of Kansas wrestling he has been in Missouri, Illinois and Iowa working hard and improving his game. The NWA has taken notice and rewarded him with a dream opportunity to come back home and win the Kansas Championship. Cook will have to use his youth and speed to reach that goal. Many have dubbed Cook as the future of Midwest wrestling, has his time come this soon?
The LONRS vs. The Ego Express
Kansas fans are very aware of the tactics and talent of both Mark Sterling and Darrien Sanders, but for the very first time they will see them collectivity as the LONRS. They have quickly become one of the most talked about tag teams in the Midwest. With mind games and quick tags they keep their opponents guessing, with that moment of uncertainty Sanders can strike with a vicious kick and end it quickly.
Though the Ego Express are not household names in the Kansas area, let it be known that after this match they will not be forgotten. Spoiled Steven Kennedy and KC Karrington are arguably the best tag team in St Louis. Exciting, fast and electrifying you can never turn your head because you never know what you will miss when these two hit the ring.
If you are a fan of tag team wrestling then this match is for you!
NWA Missouri Champion Dingo vs. Jeremy “The Rebel” Wyatt
These two had a classic in August in St Louis that had the Kansas native within seconds of becoming the Missouri Champion. When the smoke cleared from the battle of the two best wrestlers in the Midwest, Dingo had retained the title when he defeated Wyatt with a moonsault press. Out of respect Dingo offered a handshake after the match, but Wyatt delivered a cheapshot then proceeded to land a vicious hammerlock DDT and left the Champion knocked out to end of the evening.
Though Wyatt may be in his hometown, Dingo is loved and respected from the Kansas fans. Dingo is the Ric Flair of the Midwest, in the respect that you can always count on him for a great match, Wyatt this year has reached that plateau as well.
Will Dingo be able to get revenge or will Wyatt even the score on one of the few men that has been able to pin the Rebel in O8?
Like you would need anymore reason to join us In Kansas!!
NWA Dynamo Pro Wrestling delivers with special guest Ring of Honor Superstar Davey Richards. Richards is one of the top talents around the world. Known for his powerful strikes, intensity in every match he is in, you will be glad you got to see him in action.
Also signed:
Shorty Biggs vs Billy McNeil
Davey Vega vs Mike Sydal vs Kraig Keesman vs Adam Rich vs Domino Rivera vs Brandon Espinosa
Fan appreciation
A meet and greet with the Dynamo Pro wrestlers will be at Buzzards Pizza, 400 E Franklin St, from 3-5.
Come early and sign up for a chance to win an exclusive MWR T-shirt that will be given away during intermission.
Ticket prices are $8.00 in advance, $10.00 at the door and only $5.00 for kids under 12. You can pick tickets up at Wilmart Convenience store in Pomona, or in Ottawa at Muck-N-Goods Pawn or Dragon Video Rental.
You would think that a guy who lives an hour away from World League Wrestling in Eldon, MO would make it to a WLW show more often, but alas that hasn’t been the case. After attending my first Eldon WLW show on July 26, 2008, that is definitely changing.
WLW presented a great show at the Eldon Community Center, right next to the old Harley Race Wrestling Academy, on July 26, 2008. The crowd was loud (more on that later) and the wrestlers gave it their all. You can’t ask for anything more!
Earlier in the day I had the opportunity to sit with my good friend Brian “Flair” Kelley and his girlfriend at the Eager Beaver in Eldon as we waited for Eugene to arrive for an autograph signing. My wife accompanied me to Eldon that day, and the four of us had a great visit. I’ll tell you right now, the burgers at the Eager Beaver were pretty good.
Another enjoyable part of the time at the Eager Beaver was getting to chat with Harley and BJ Race for fifteen or twenty minutes about wrestling. I first talked to the Race family in April in my hometown of Lebanon, MO and even though it was a great event and I had a good talk with BJ, I was worried that I might have made a bad impression on Harley. Before writing this, only my wife really knew about that fact. I was very impressed with Harley Race and his genuinely kind and humble personality. I was just concerned about I came off. Everyday is a learning experience and you should always strive to learn from your mistakes, but life is too short to learn exclusively from your own mistakes and I definitely didn’t want April’s interactions with him to be on that list of mistakes I was forced to learn from.
My concerns were put to rest when I chatted with both about WLW’s upcoming training camp with Pro Wrestling NOAH September 15th through the 18th as well as wrestlers that I thought they should keep their eye on. My opinion is worth the same as sand is in Iraq (I’m still digging some of that sand out of crevices, but I digress), but I appreciated him listening and responding to what I had to say.
Eugene arrived, but Brian and I were more content to chat and watch Eugene interact with the young kids to harass him about an interview. One classic exchange between Eugene and a boy went like this:
Kid: You’re my favorite wrestler, Eugene.
Eugene: Well why are you wearing a John Cena shirt, then?
That one got a loud reaction from everybody in the Eager Beaver. Of course Eugene still graciously gave the boy an autograph. I have no doubt that this young boy will remember that conversation for the rest of his life, and that is what pro wrestling is all about. This is why I love it so much.
My group left the Eager Beaver and had some extra time on our hands, so BJ was kind enough to let us tour their brand new facility. It is located right next to the restaurant. The highlight for me was Harley Race’s office. He had the old Central States Championship and his old NWA Heavyweight Title on display. To me, those things are awe inspiring.
Now is the time for me to poke a little fun at my buddy Brian. He knows he messed up, plus even though he’s my friend I really don’t like him very much. While BJ Race was giving us a tour, Brian asked her how she felt when Harley won the NWA Heavyweight Title. Well, back when he won that belt, she didn’t know he even existed! They were married years later. She still answered him, verifying this fact, but I still thought it was funny since I know he knew that already. That’s Brian for you, though. He asks the hard questions… the really hard questions… as in the questions that are impossible to answer. It’s okay, though… later in the evening during Eugene’s first match, I yelled Eric instead of Eugene for some reason. Classic.
I still didn’t corner Eugene for a quick interview. One of these days I’ll learn to do my job. Hopefully I will have another opportunity. I was too busy taking in the new facility to think about such trivial things as doing what I’m supposed to. Next you’ll be asking me to actually watch a wrestling match or something.
I was impressed with the Eldon Community Center when we arrived there for the show. It was large for the size of the town, and very clean. Michael Strider, Tyler Cook, and Domino Rivera arrived and said hello to Brian and me. I didn’t know what the lineup was going to be for the night, but I was personally hoping for Domino Rivera to make it onto the show. I think the guy is talented and deserves more recognition than he currently receives. A match I watched recently between him and Derek Stone was good, and he’s been working great matches for Central States Wrestling over the past year as well.
Once in the building, my main complaint was that the merchandise was hard to get access to. Over the course of the night I was able to chat with Tyler Cook and Bao Nguyen, both of which are becoming favorites of mine, but it was hard to squeeze up to the tables and it always felt as if I was in somebody’s way.
The first match was “Vietnam Phenom” Bao Nguyen vs Akiyago. Akiyago received a lot of negative attention from the crowd and was hit with the first of too many “chicken” chants, led by the guy sitting right next to me. I love to hassle guys as much as the next person, but I try to come up with more to insult them than just “chicken”. Akiyago defeated “Vietnam Phenom” Bao Nguyen by pinfall, using the ropes for leverage. Martin T was the ref, so of course I gave him a hard time. Martin is a great guy and has humored me on many occasions away from the ring, but he has a tendency to call the match in a way that makes my favorite wrestlers lose. Not cool.
I’m not sure, but I believe the next match was Tyler Cook vs Brian Breaker. I think that Breaker is a great wrestler and Tyler Cook is one of the brightest prospects out there, but it seemed in spots that they had a hard time against each other. Cook flirted with Brian’s girlfriend and my wife entirely too much, making me feel guilty thatI hadn’t rubbed baby oil all over my body or tanned recently, but I feel I’m sexy enough without all of the added benefits. Cook managed to pin Breaker, so I guessed I’d better leave him alone. Lord knows that he received enough “tighty whitey chicken” chants to last a lifetime. Oh well, at least they added two words to the first matches “chicken” chants. Who am I to complain?
Next up was Michael Strider vs Marc Godeker. Godeker wrestled a good match and is really a talented guy. I need to make it a point to chat with him at the next show I make it to. Hopefully his tag team partner, Steve Anthony, will be recovered from his broken leg and I can see them in tag team action. Even thought Strider was blatantly cheating, I couldn’t help but cheer him on. I think I was the only one… and since Martin T was the ref again for this match, he made sure that Strider lost. I’ll bring some of my basic training birth control glasses for him next time around. Maybe then he can call the match the way I want it called. I’m a paying fan. I should get what I want.
I didn’t know the next match would be taking place, but I didn’t complain. It would see the pro wrestling debut of Amy Hennig. Her first match wasn’t going to be easy, though, as she was given the unenviable task of facing the WLW Ladies Champion, Stacey O’Brien. Amy Hennig is one of the number one prospects for the Midwest, but after that match I want to be sure to tell you that it isn’t simply because her father was “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig or her grandfather was Larry “The Axe” Hennig. That would be selling Amy short. She definitely has the tools to make a name for herself without the last name attached. In this particular match, however, she came up short. O’Brien is a talented veteran and one of the best in the Midwest right now. She used it all to her advantage and retained her title.
It is important to note that there was a chant throughout the crowd during this match that I felt was inappropriate. In my personal opinion, some individuals forget that we are not the close friends of a professional wrestler and should not act as such when in the crowd. A chant of “Do it for your Dad” started through the crowd and was very uncomfortable for me to hear. Ms. Hennig did an excellent job of acknowledging the chant and being gracious, but the fact of the matter was that it isn’t really something that should have been chanted during a wrestling match. I can’t speak for Amy as I do not know her personally, but talking with Brian after the evening concluded confirmed my feelings. Brian approached me and said that he felt embarrassed to be a wrestling fan with that chant going. Enough about that, though.
Things were about to liven up a bit, as a six man tag match was about to get under way. WLW Heavyweight Champion “Dangerous” Derek McQuinn, Dinn T Moore and Michael Strider knew that they were supposed to face former WWE star Eugene and the WLW Tag Team Champions. Unfortunately Marc Godeker’s tag team partner, Steve Anthony, was on the injured list for what looked to be a broken leg. Godeker came out with a microphone and told the men standing in the ring that he had a new partner. This partner was a man whom Derek McQuinn hadn’t beaten for the title… Keith Walker!
Walker was more than up for the challenge and the team of him, Eugene and Godeker frustrated their opponents for most of the match, but in the end fell victim to underhanded tactics. Derek, Strider and Moore picked up the win.
The end of the evening featured a battle royal. Ten men got in the ring to do battle and possibly earn the right for a Heavyweight Title shot in the near future. Brian Breaker, Tyler Cook, Bao Nguyen, Akiyavo and others entered the ring, but the last three were down to Michael Strider, Eugene and Dinn T Moore. The odds seemed stacked against the lovable Eugene. Amazingly enough he made it out as the victor!
It was a great night of action at the Eldon Community Center! I was happy to visit with Brian and see some terrific wrestling only an hour from my home.
Next up for World League Wrestling is a big Sedalia, MO show on September 6, 2008 featuring Wrestlemania 24’s hero Bobby Lashley! One week later World League Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH join forces for a very promising training camp. Pro wrestling legend and current World Wrestling Entertainment agent Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat will be in attendance on behalf of the WWE. More information can be found by going to http://www.harleyrace.com/.
I hope that you have enjoyed my personal reflection on WLW’s July 26, 2008 show in Eldon, MO. I encourage you to go to one in your area or support your local independent wrestling promotion. Everyone wants options over the current WWE product, but it is up to you to make those alternatives successful!
Missouri Wrestling Revival 