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Posts Tagged ‘Gateway Championship Wrestling’

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MWR Spotlight: Eric Allen The Peorian Pride Champion”?

Posted by flairwhoooooo on April 20, 2009

eric-allen

 

By Brian “Flair” Kelley

 

Eric Allen “The Peorian Pride Champion”?  If you are a fan of wrestling and did not know that such a title existed then you are not alone. Just by chance I was in Wood River Illinois to check out MECW for MWR when this brash cocky Eric Allen was introduced to the crowd as the Peorian Pride Champion (much to my surprise) in his match with Brian Scrilla.  I consider myself knowledgeable of the independent scene in this area but this was the first that I had heard of such a title.

 

With the camera in hand I watched as Allen used every trick in the book to keep his coveted title belt. Scrilla was the victim of foul play when “Exxxplicit Content” member Ryan Slade’s valet Jenna Stark distracted the referee, to allow Slade to use the belt on Scrilla’s knee to preserve the victory and retain the title.

 

I was able to catch up with Allen after the match to ask him “Where did you win this belt?” His reply to me was that he had won the belt in Peoria Illinois. Allen stated “Peoria is famous for the fact that for something to succeed it must work in Peoria. If it works in Peoria then it will work anywhere. The Pro Wrestling legends organization got together and decided to bring all the top stars in Illinois and several superstars of the WWE, TNA and ROH. We competed in an underground tournament of 64 to determined Champion to finally get to the truth too who the best wrestler in the world really was” When I plainly asked who the superstars were that was in the tournament Allen was quick to say “I have no time for 20 questions, I have to get back to Peoria, they are having a parade to commemorate my victory tonight.”

 

 While I was on the three hour trip back from MECW and wrestling was hot on my mind. I could not wait to do the research and find out more about this Championship and more importantly why MWR was not invited? 

 

On Monday evening I decided to see how Allen’s parade went. I went on the trusty websites and did a search for parade in Peoria March 21….nothing. I thought maybe it was listed on March 22 beings that it was so late….nothing. Hmmm… I did a thorough search on the Peoria’s newspaper websites and still came up with zilch.  Who knows maybe it was “underground”!

 

I decided to contact some of the MWR Wrestling advisers. One correspondent that wished to remain anonymous enlightened me with some great information.

 

 I was told that Eric Allen “started out in Gateway Championship Wrestling in St Louis under the tutelage of Dingo for 5 months. During the later stages of the company Ego Express (KC Karrington and Steven Kennedy) , Shorty Biggs, Sean Vincent and Cameron Cage took over the training. Allen quickly felt that he had trained with the best, so that proved that he was superior to the rest of the locker room and he had yet to have a match.

 

The correspondent went on to tell me that “His (Eric Allen) ego escalated even further when his hand was raised in Overland Park when he defeated Trent Stone. In Eric’s mind he was a World Champion in the making.  Then by surprise GCW went under and he was left without a home promotion. When you saw Eric all he ever talked about was how he could have been the greatest Gateway Championship Champion of all time. Time went on and he never really seemed to be focused.”

 

Then he got the call from Lethal Wrestling Alliance to wrestle young Brandon Aarons  when the Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley) came to town. He told anyone that would listen, take notice because the MCMG may take him back with them to TNA after he schooled “This punk kid”.

 

Aarons was able to get the win and really seemed to get in the head of Allen. Later that same month Allen got another chance to show the LWA what he was made of defeating “Just” Rick Stone.  After the match was over Allen spent the rest of the night lobbing LWA Management for another chance at Brandon Aaron claiming that their first match was fluke.  Allen received his wish and when LWA returned to St Charles the next month the two went at it again it was a repeat of their first encounter.

 

Allen just disappeared for almost a year and hit rock bottom when he was defeated by Steven Miller. Eric Allen who envisioned himself as the next World Champion was furious and humiliated when an LWA fan started a thread asking “Who the F is Eric Allen?”  One fan thought is was a ref, another one replied he is good a drawing pictures, and one Superfan demanded that he got to see pictures of this Eric Allen still in disbelief that he existed.

 

High Voltage Wrestling certainly knows who Eric Allen is. They got to see first hand the talent first hand on March 14th where he was very impressive in his domination of Max Archer. After the match was over he was seen lobbying HVW booker Frank Thurman for a HVW title shot with comments like “Let me put HVW on the wrestling map, HVW is young and fresh looking to strive to become the best in the Midwest and I can bring the promotion to the next level.

 

My correspondent went on to say “The last I caught up with Eric Allen he had told me how he had won this Peorian Pride Championship.” (I had not told my contact where and how Allen had told me he won it)  Allen said that he was headlined in a huge secret  fundraising wrestling event for the Republican Party at the Peoria Civic Center to determined the very first Peorian Pride Champion. He would not say who he fought but hinted that it was a former WWE Superstar who happens to be in the UFC right now. Any fool would know that he was wanting me to think that it was Brock Lesner but when I humored him and asked was it Lesner he replied “ I would love to tell you but you know the government, everything is a secret.”

 

 He ended it with “The man is talented, there is no doubt about it. The problem is his lack of friends due to his ego.” The man is shady and I wouldn’t turn my back on him if I was one of his friends.

 

 Word got back to Allen that I was inquiring information about his title and history and he contacted me via e-mail.  It was short and sweet, “Mr. Kelley make your way to Woodriver Illinois on April 25 at MECW to see the future of the sport and if you’re lucky I will give you the time to know more about the most dominate champion of the Midwest, Eric Allen “The Peorian Pride Champion”.  Tell my fans that I am blessing them with my appearance at High Voltage Wrestling in May when they return to Granite City, IL on May 9th.”

 

It looks as if I will have to wait a little longer to find out the truth of Eric Allen. Join MWR at Woodriver Illinois on April 25 as we try to get to the truth of the Peorian Pride Championship. Till then  for more information on this show please go to MECWrestling.com

 

 

To book Eric Allen please contact him via his myspace page by clicking here Peorian Pride Champion

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MWR Spotlight: Johnny Vinyl

Posted by Admin on June 15, 2008

A look into hopes and dreams of “The Brand New Classic” Johnny Vinyl

By Kari Williams


“Ever since I found out you can make a living at wrestling outside of WWE, it’s what I’ve wanted to do.”

When Johnny Vinyl walks to the ring, he hears the echoes of jeering fans, but that has not stopped “The Brand New Classic” from pursuing his dream — in fact, “getting someone so mad that they take a swing at you is a great feeling.”

Vinyl’s initial attraction to wrestling was a casual glance on Saturday mornings, but soon grew into much more.

“I became a serious watcher the same time everyone else did, the Attitude Era. Some kids on my baseball team at around 2nd or 3rd grade were talking about it during our Monday afternoon practice. That night I went home and turned on Raw. I remember the first main event I ever saw was Austin/Undertaker vs. Mankind/Kane vs. Rock/D’Lo Brown vs. New Age Outlaws,” Vinyl said.

However, it was not until seeing the straightedge superstar C.M. Punk that Vinyl had an interest in pursuing wrestling as a career. He noticed that Punk did not have the biggest and best body (at the time) and that he was not 6’8”, but still had a presence that translated to fans.

“Throughout school I was always on speech and debate teams, and did a little bit of drama for half a year before I realized the girls weren’t as hot I was hoping. So I knew I could talk in front of people and if I could just get the athletic side of things down, I’d do alright,” he said.

Opportunity presented itself to “The Brand New Classic” in the form of the now-defunct Gateway Championship Wrestling (GCW) in the St. Louis, MO area. For approximately 18 months, Vinyl trained under Ring of Honor (ROH) star Dingo.

“Davey Vega and I went to [GCW] shows all the time in high school. One day they put up an ad on their website about guys interested in training. I was the only one to respond to it. Since I was 17 at the time, I had to drag my mom out there to Overland, which is where they were doing the training at the time, and she was pissed,” he said.

In addition to the GCW Dojo, Vinyl has “done seminars with Samoa Joe, Nigel McGuinness, Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin and Mike Quackenbush.”

For Vinyl, getting “Quackenbush to namedrop [him] and wear [his] t-shirt on the CHIKARA Podcast was pretty cool.”

However, he may not go so far as to call that a success because of the circumstances.

“I don’t know how much of an ‘accomplishment’ it was since it was a big rib, but I still enjoyed it,” he said.

Within the next two years, Vinyl aspires to be working for CHIKARA, however, his overall dream is to wrestle “in Europe and Japan and make a living through wrestling.”

Up to this point in his career, two specific matches have stuck out in his mind — one was working with MsChif and Daizee Haze, which he considers “a real cool honor,” and the other is being involved in the eight man elimination street fight main event at Lethal Wrestling Alliance’s [LWA] upcoming “Circus Maximus” on July 12, 2008.

“When Vega and I were put together, a whole lot of people only saw us a jobber team that would probably be dumped in a couple of months, so being in the main event of what could end being LWA’s biggest show to date is really a great feeling. When you look at that card and you see Ms.Chif on there, you see Billy McNeil’s comeback, you see Adam Raw and Nick Tyson wrestling each other for the last time, it’s going to be very diffilcult to main event that show, but we’re going to do our best to tear the house down,” he said.

Lastly, Vinyl has a shout-out of sorts to all of his female fans.

“I’m considering making a baby tee or spaghetti straps or something like that for my next [shirt]. If any girls would be interested in buying something like that or, even better, have some idea on what style to make and what to put on it, visit my Myspace at myspace.com/bncjohnnyvinyl and give me some feedback,” he said.

Johnny Vinyl Fast Facts:

Years Wrestling: I first walked into a wrestling school three and a half years ago, [and] I’ve been doing shows for almost two years now.

Companies Worked For: I wrestled a couple [of] matches under a mask for GCW, but as Johnny Vinyl I’ve worked for LWA, UWA [Ultimate Wrestling Alliance], LAW [Lethal Attitude Wrestling] in Arkansas, TLCW in Tennessee, one match for CSW, [and] maybe a couple others here and there.

Most Important Lesson From Wrestling: If I could sum up the wrestling business in one word, it would be ‘respect’. Wrestling taught me to respect people who deserve it, even if you don’t personally like them that much.

Favorite Match Thus Far: Fairview Heights with [Davey] Vega against K.C. Karrington and Steven Kennedy. Nobody thought we could pull off that match because all four of us weren’t exactly loved by the crowd. But we did some mic work at the beginnning and some little touches in the match that got the crowd behind the Ego’s. And the finish with Vega blasting Tiffany LaFane with a forearm was the loudest reaction I’ve been a part of yet.

Dream Match: Myself and Davey Vega versus Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black. I think those two as an overall package are the best tag team going in North America. No offense to the Briscoes, Motor City Machine Guns, or Steen and Generico because they are all fantastic, too, but I enjoy The Age of the Falls’ gimmick, character, and chemistry together. I would love to have that match.

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MWR Spotlight: Luke Roberts (Part 1 of 3)

Posted by Admin on May 13, 2008

Luke Roberts (Part 1 of 3)

by Brian “Flair” Kelley


Luke, you have been in the business now for 18 years. How did you go about it and what did your family think about this decision?

As far as getting into the wrestling business, I was very fortunate that my brother had been wrestling at South Broadway for a couple of years prior to my in-ring debut. Many people said that there was no way I would survive, let alone succeed in professional wrestling. Typically, as brothers are, my brother loved the idea of being able to beat on his brother and get paid for it. My father thought that it would be a good way to toughen me up. My mom was scared to say the least.

What were your first roles in the business?

My first roles in wrestling were very challenging. I was in charge of playing entrance music for the wrestlers. I helped with printing and story ideas for the South Broadway program. I ran jackets and things back to the locker rooms. Even at an early age, I pretty much had to know a large amount about professional wrestling.

Who in the business has been the most instrumental in your success?

Well, I can honestly say that several people were instrumental in getting me to where I am today. My trainers, Billy Bob, John Blackheart and “The Human Wrecking Ball” Pete Madden were very instrumental in getting my mind into pro wrestling. They showed me not only the flash and the glitz of wrestling, but how to protect yourself at the same time. As a referee, I would have to say that the most instrumental in my career would have to go to Butch Fletcher. He knew me from my days as a wrestler, knew my heart was definitely into wrestling, and asked me to referee for him. The rest is history.

What has surprised you the most about wrestling in general?

What has surprised me the most about wrestling is the “who you know” mentality of a lot of pro wrestlers. There are many wrestlers who get overshadowed by those who don’t deserve to be involved in the spotlight. I know several great wrestlers who have had to leave wrestling because they could not get their fair chance.

At an early point of your life, who in “The Big Show” did you look up to? Being in the business for so long, did you ever meet that person and what were your thoughts afterwards?

As a young child, my brother and I were huge into wrestling. I really liked Harley Race. At first, I could not explain why I liked him other than my brother and my dad did, so I guessed I should, too. After a couple of years of being involved in wrestling, I wrestled on a show for the Mississippi Valley Wrestling Alliance. The main event was the crowning of the MVWA Missouri State Champion. The match was between Derek Stone and Ace Steel. Harley was going to present the belt to the winner. I was a nervous wreck before my tag team Lemay Street Fight. Just talking to him, I learned so much and became much more relaxed. I really wish that I could have had more time to talk with him. He is one of the classiest people I have ever met in professional wrestling.

Your reply may be lengthy, but it is very important. Give us the history of pro wrestling in St. Louis over the past 18 years in the eyes of Luke Roberts.

The St. Louis professional wrestling scene has changed so much in the last twenty years that you would swear there is no way that St. Louis survived with only one promotion in town. In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, South Broadway was the “only game in town” yet the wrestlers were top notch. The main “bad guy” was the Giant Assassin. He was managed by Big Daddy. These two were able to lift a finger and almost incite riots. On a monthly basis, they would consistently wrestle wrestlers like Ron Powers, Ed Smith, Gary Jackson, and a host of others. There was no one who could take them down. They were the “in crowd” at South Broadway. People wanted to be seen with these two people. They were almost, at times, like rock stars. The light heavyweight scene was unmatched. With a roster like Keith Smith, Chaz Wesson, Pete Madden, Danny Boy, John Blackheart, Johnny Jett and others, they consistently tore the house down every month. In the mid 1990’s, the scene changed with the emergence of companies like the Interstate Wrestling Alliance (IWA), Central States Wrestling Alliance (CSWA), and Central Championship Wrestling (CCW). Out of this group, CSWA turned into Rampage Championship Wrestling (RCW). The IWA changed on the business side of the company and became the Mississippi Valley Wrestling Alliance (MVWA). As the late 1990’s approached, a lot of the “trend setting” was being done by Midwest Renegade Wrestling (MRW). Most of today’s fans would know that MRW morphed into the wrestling juggernaut that became Gateway Championship Wrestling (GCW). Until GCW came around, no one single company had the power to challenge South Broadway. Once a company could show that they could challenge them for the top spot, it seemed like companies were coming out of the woodwork. If it weren’t for GCW, companies like the UWA and LWA may not have materialized to become the companies that they are today.

You have been a referee, wrestler, ring announcer and commentator among other things in the business. Which facet do you prefer and why?

If I had to choose one, I would say that I enjoy refereeing the most. At 31, it still gives me the adrenaline rush that wrestling did, but without a lot of the bumps and bruises that come with it. Refereeing also keeps you mentally “on your toes” at all times.

Who in your mind is the best ever in the positions you have worked with and why?

Referee –
It is really hard for me to limit it to one on this question. I would say that there have been three referees that really stand out to me. One referee that stands out to me is Bama Bodine. This guy was about five feet tall and weighed about 100 pounds. He was the tiny referee that everyone tried to push around, but was always able to put you right in your place. The second one would be Butch Fletcher. In his day, he was always able to be in the right place to where he would be refereeing a match, but you would never know he was there. The last referee is Michael Crase. As far as referees today go, he is the best in St. Louis. Every time I refereed a show, I hoped that he would be there. If he wanted to be, I feel that he has the skills to referee for any of the major companies if he chose to do so.

Ring Announcer –
I would say that the best announcer that I have worked with would have to be Dr. Love in the LWA. His work is acceptable. His energy, however, is unmatched. I try my best to match his level of energy and, to this day, I have not found a way to match it.

Commentary –
Frank Reed always seems to know something about everyone. He can take one piece of information about a wrestler and weave it together to where you would think that he has known the person for years. Frank always thinks on his feet and that’s what makes him so good.

What are your thoughts on Jeremy Borash?

I feel that he brings a lot to the table in terms of what he can do for a wrestling company. He seems like he can do almost anything. I try to model and compare a lot of how I do things to him.

Have you ever been asked to be a part of an angle that you refused or afterwards regretted?

Early in my career, nothing was out of my realm. I was willing to do anything to make people hate me. Today, I am a little more limited and reserved with what I do.

Any good road stories that come to mind?

My first road trip to Chicago was great. Billy Bob, Mark K. Fabe and I wrestled in St. Charles on a Saturday night. We drove almost all night to get to Chicago. We were told to take a particular exit to our hotel. When we got to the exit, we remembered hearing something about road construction by our hotel. We figured that we could just go to the next exit, turn around, and backtrack to our hotel. Needless to say, our five minute detour cost us almost an hour and a half.

Then, going on about two hours of sleep and a lot of soda, I tried to take a shower. By this time, a wrestler known as the Beast charged through the door, scaring me half to death. I have never been the same since. Once I finally got of the shower, I heard a ton of noise and the phone ringing. Apparently, two other wrestlers wanted Mark Fabe to wake up. So, in typical wrestler fashion, they start throwing standing moonsaults on the bed until he woke up.

Finally, we met up with several of the other wrestlers from the show for breakfast. One of the wrestlers, Matt Taylor, was feeling really bad from too much partying the night before. We all started talking about what we wanted to eat, he turns as green as a piece of grass, runs screaming across the restaurant, hurdling tables as he went to the restroom. The show was horrible, but getting to the show was a blast.

Another good road story happened a couple of years ago after a UWA show. Scott Murphy and I were coming home from a show. We stopped at a McDonald’s with Scott’s wife and a friend of ours. Scott was being loud, which for him is not that difficult. We all try to get him to quiet down. I had to go to the restroom. I realized on my way there that there were two on-duty police officers at the McDonald’s as well. So, on the way back, I told Scott that we needed to go before the police arrested him. He did not believe me until we were leaving and he saw them follow us out of the McDonald’s. Then, the officers followed us for almost a half mile before they turned down another road. Scott has always said that he was not scared, but I could tell that Scott got a little more than he bargained for.

Wrestling fans never seem to get enough of stories of guys ribbing each other, how do you feel about them and would you care to share some?

Ribbing other wrestlers is a staple of professional wrestling. Many professional wrestlers are like the class clowns from junior high school. Ribs definitely make things much more fun. Some of the ribs that I have seen include completely wrapping a wrestler’s bag in duct tape, hiding people’s clothes throughout the building, and putting an inappropriate bumper sticker on someone else’s car.

The best rib that I was a part of was on the way to a show in Cahokia, Illinois. We told one of the younger wrestlers that we were going to play tag. He got out of my car and tagged another wrestler’s car. While he was doing this, the light changed, and we left the guy standing in the middle of the road. We watched him as he begged for a ride to the show. It was priceless. So, the other wrestler lets him get in the car. When we came to the next stop light, the guy pulls the exact same trick on the guy, but manages to have the wrestlers actions seen by a Cahokia policeman. We all played it off like the officer was going to come and arrest him. We clued the officer in on the joke and he worked with us. The officer asked for this guy to come talk to him. He was scared to death. After asking him several questions in a serious tone, we let him in on the joke. It was the best rib I have ever have been a part of.

In what ways could pro wrestling in St Louis improve?

Honestly, I think that there are a lot of ways that professional wrestling in St. Louis can improve. Wrestlers need to be given the opportunity to train freely and learn from a variety of different wrestlers to become better wrestlers and make an impact on professional wrestling. Not only can wrestlers learn more from a variety of different styles, they can learn from the history of professional wrestling to make the sport better.

What are the common mistakes that independent promotions make while trying to draw a crowd?

Here are the mistakes that I have seen independent promotions make over the course of my career:

1) Companies do not have people dedicated to advertising the event.

I have seen companies wait until the day of the show and try to hand out flyers, hope that they will draw a crowd based on one poster in the venue, or solely base their advertisements to the Internet. I feel that companies like MMWA, GCW, and LWA have made it a point to focus on a multi-tiered advertisement system. The MMWA has their event posters out a couple of days after their most recent event, promote their shows on their website, and advertise their show dates on their television program. When they were in operation, GCW always made it a point to not only promote their shows online, but they would also be seen at events with flyers promoting their upcoming shows. LWA has done television ads, online promotion, posters, and flyers to advertise. If you are going to be a legitimate company, you need to focus on promotion.

2) Don’t force feed a particular wrestler onto a crowd.

If a company chooses to cram a wrestler or a faction down the throats of wrestling fans, make sure that the wrestler can keep it original. Too many wrestlers, managers, etc. give the fans the same lines at the same place every month. You have to keep it fresh or you burn out people on professional wrestling.

3) Putting people in a wrestling ring before they have been “trained”.

I have seen way too many people that think that they can be a professional wrestler just because they are well built. I spent three years training in a ring every week learning the various aspects of professional wrestling before I had my first match. Granted, I may not have been the best wrestler, referee, manager, or ring announcer, but I was willing to work at things at take constructive criticism. Today, if you say one thing that a wrestler does not like, it becomes a personal attack on that wrestler. The only way wrestlers get better is through training and experience. Wrestlers need to check the egos at the door. There are many times when I, even with my experience, ask people for advice. If you want to be an egomaniac, hit the door and get out of professional wrestling. You are taking up spaces for those that actually care about professional wrestling.


One question that is often brought is advertising of events. I keep up with shows via websites such as Missouri Wrestling Revival (www.missouriwrestlingrevival.com) and the St.
Louis Wrestling Community (http://stlwrestling.livejournal.com). What are the most successful forms of advertising a show and can one start too early?

Advertisement is vital to any professional wrestling event. You need to start advertising as soon as possible for the event. I would say that television is probably the best way, but it is not easy to obtain time on television. The best way to advertise for a show is to get as much information out as possible to inform as many people as possible. Flyers, posters, and the Internet will not individually equal success, yet a combination of these types of promotion is necessary for a professional wrestling company to survive.


Where is the best location, at the moment, for shows?

As far as crowd size is concerned, the South Broadway Athletic Club is the best location for professional wrestling events. The people, however, don’t always go for the wrestling. Many of the people that go there go to meet friends and have a few cheap cold beverages. However, as far as wrestling is concerned, the Knights of Columbus Hall in House Springs, Missouri is the best location for wrestling shows. The fans let you know what they want and always seem to have a great time every time professional wrestling comes to town.

How long should a show last and how many matches are needed?

I feel that a professional wrestling show should be around 2 ½ hours in length. You can have six to seven matches to grab the attention of the audience, provide every wrestling fan something that they want to see, and send everyone home happy. Fans want to go to wrestling shows that have what they want to see on a regular basis.

If you were to book a style of wrestling that could put fans in the seats, which one would you target that you would be most comfortable running?

If I had the opportunity to run my own wrestling show, I would have to say that I would like to focus my promotion around the philosophy of the late Sam Muchnick and the NWA of the 1960’s and 1970’s. I feel that you need an opening match with an individual that a wrestling fan can consistently associate with and get behind with little motivation. Wrestling matches need to keep the action going while keeping the fans on the edge of their seats.

What is your take on wrestling promos and interviews during independent shows?
Interviews and promos during independent shows need to be limited to, at most, one per show. An interview only needs to be conducted to promote an upcoming match or to give focus to a big feud in a promotion. Promos should only be used when a promotion wants to bring fans up to speed on a new feud or a new wrestler entering the promotion. I have been involved with companies where the same wrestler had to have an interview or a promo on every show. In the beginning, the fans hated the wrestler. As time went on, wrestling fans and wrestlers alike began to sour on the promotion. Promos and interviews, when used wisely, are a great tool. In the wrong situation, a promo or interview can ruin a promotion.

True or False: An 80’s WWE star will outdraw a current TNA star in St. Louis?

False. I think that the opinion of the casual wrestling fan is changing. I have been on wrestling events with both WWE and TNA wrestlers. The majority of the fans connect wrestling to what is on television right now. Some people will naturally take the trip down memory lane, but most people want to see the wrestlers that they can see on a regular basis.

What current or former stars were the most down to earth?

Out of all of the wrestlers that I have worked with, I would say that Ace Steel, Mike Quackenbush, Samoa Joe, Davey Richards, and Harley Race have been extremely humble. I genuinely felt that these people would be the same whether they were at a wrestling event or walking down the street.

Which ones did you felt thought highly of themselves?

I haven’t really met anyone on a national level that thought extremely highly of themselves.

What are your thoughts on Internet wrestling fans and what kind of impact do they have?

At times, I have felt that Internet wrestling fans have been a blessing and a curse to the world of professional wrestling. The Internet provides wrestling fans an opportunity to follow their favorite promotion or wrestler. However, the Internet allows fans to think that they know everything about professional wrestling. To me, if you have not been in a wrestling ring, you should not be giving advice, comments, or critiques of what goes on between the ring ropes. I am always more than willing to talk to any wrestling fan about what they have seen or about the history of professional wrestling. However, if you want to think that you know more or can be better than the wrestlers in the ring and you are not willing to make the sacrifices that wrestlers do, then don’t even open your mouth.

Editors Note: Part 2 of this interesting and insightful edition of MWR Spotlight will be published in the next few days. I want to thank Luke Roberts for being kind enough to give us a little of his time, and encourage those who would like to be spotlighted, profiled, or interviewed by Missouri Wrestling Revival to contact me.

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MWR Spotlight: Mephisto

Posted by Admin on May 1, 2008

MWR Spotlight: Mephisto

by Joshua Ray


I’m here today with Mephisto, a controversial figure on the regional pro wrestling scene. The word “controversial” is a relative term in this day and age’s wrestling environment, so hopefully this interview can shed some light on Mephisto and any perceived controversy.

Mephisto, how are things going for you these days?

Pretty good. I beat Mad Man Pondo on March 9th to win with Wicked Wrestling Alliance (WWA) Hardcore Title. It’s the biggest win in my career, to date. My daughter recently came home from the hospital, too. She’s doing great. Now that things in my life are starting to settle down, I’m hoping to get back into wrestling like I was a couple of years ago.

It’s great to hear about your good fortunes! Hopefully things continue to go well for you.

So, how old are you and how did you get your start in pro wrestling?

I’m 23 years old, and started four years ago in Mid America Xtreme Wrestling (MAX). It used to be based in Alton, IL. They were around for a year and a half.

I originally went to Rampage Championship Wrestling for training, but was blown off. I then approached Gateway Championship Wrestling’s owner, Ben Oliver, at a show. He told me to visit the website. Since I didn’t have Internet access back then, I contacted Butch (the owner of MAX) by phone. He had given me his business card. I started with him that same week.


You’ve done a lot of wrestling in your four years of pro wrestling experience. Where do you feel you’ve received the most positive experience?

Well, I’ve received a lot of positive experience. I’d say I’ve received the most positive experience in WWA. They took a chance on me when nobody else would. They’ve always conducted good business by me. I feel like they are family when I go work with them, and there is no other indy group I’d rather work with. They really took care of me when I needed it early on in my career, and still do.


You’ve worked in at least sixteen promotions in four different states. Where are your fondest wrestling memories? Is there somewhere, either a state or promotion, where you’d like to work that you haven’t?

I’ve had great memories everywhere. I’d love to work at least once in any promotion that’ll book me.

(Mephisto laughs.)

Seriously though, I’d love to be given a serious chance to work for Lethal Wrestling Alliance (LWA). They are based here in St. Louis and I currently do not work for anyone here.


In doing research for our meeting today, the common theme seemed to be your controversial nature. I’ve heard of altercations with fans, accusations that you are at odds with various promotions, and doubts of your wrestling ability outside of the “hardcore” style. Care to comment on any of this?

I recently wrestled in an organization where I brought a bar of soap to the ring with me, then told the crowd what it was and how they could benefit from using it. A drunk guy and his 14-year old son ran into the ring and tried to beat me up for it. The ref ran away, but I stood my ground with them. I stuck him in the mouth with a left hand while his son jumped me from behind. I hit him with a few shots and cracked his dad in the face again. The locker room finally cleared out and broke the fight up.

I’m at odds with some promotions because I don’t approve of how they run things. In my opinion, most feds don’t have their junk together. They hang ten flyers out and expect to pack the venue. They advertise their shows on message boards and expect the wrestlers to check them out rather than actually calling the wrestlers to book them. One fed in particular would book shows two or three hours out, and then wouldn’t pay the guys for their work. In some other feds, the owners are wrestlers, too, and it’s all about them. They are constantly putting themselves over at everyone else’s expense. Then there are the veterans that have maybe 300 matches under their belts, but have more than 10 years of experience.

As for my wrestling ability, if you doubt it then give me a shot. I’ll prove you wrong.


Fair enough. In particular, I’ve heard some people limit Mad man Pondo similarly to how they limit you. You know, like “he’s just a hardcore wrestler with no real wrestling value”. Things like that. You’ve had two death matches with him. What are your thoughts on Mad Man Pondo? Is there a chance we’ll be seeing you two meet up for a third time?

I like wrestling Pondo. He;s a fun guy and he maks his money, so there must be a need for that kind of wrestling. I’d love to wrestle him a third time, especially if I could wrestle him in Japan!


I’ll keep this one simple and let you run with the ball. Do you have a dream match?

I don’t really have one, no. I guess any match of importance would be a dream come true for me.


Keeping with our open-ended interview, if you were to compare yourself to any wrestler of the past…

(Mephisto interrupts)

I don’t compare myself to anyone.

I hope that I can take ass kickings like Mick Foley, though. Some have told me that I’m like Rhino or Raven. Some have also called me a hardcore Chris Jericho. I’ve also been told I look like a fat Rob Van Dam because of my hair cut and the way I dress.

Personally, I’d like to be just me. I’m not the first, but I am the greatest Mephisto.

Everyone has their influences growing up. The above mentioned were a few of mine. I’m not trying to be like anyone else, although moves can be borrowed and styles can be incorporated. Everything gets recycled I wrestling, so if a few of my influences happen to shine through, then so be it.


Well, that’s about all the time I have right now. Is there anything else you would like to add before we go?

Yes. I have a Myspace page:

www.myspace.com/mephistowwa

Feel free to stop by and add me.


Thank you very much for your time, Mephisto. I hope that this has proven a pleasure for you. It’s been very informative on my end, and you’ve fun to interview for sure.


Folks, we’ll be back soon with another edition of MWR Spotlight! Keep checking Missouri Wrestling Revival for more columns, interviews, and news!

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MWR Spotlight: Shorty Biggs

Posted by Admin on April 8, 2008

Missouri Wrestling Revival Spotlight:
Shorty Biggs

By “Your Trip to Space Mountain” writer Brian “Flair” Kelley

Nickname: The Don Mega

Height/weight: Height? C’mon man what’s my name? As for weight, about two bills and some change.

Entrance Music: “Ante Up” by M.O.P.

Experience: 6 years plus tax.

Promotions: Central States Wrestling (CSW) and Lethal Wrestling Alliance (LWA) are primarily my promotions right now. There are other promotions I work for from time to time.

Biggest Match: They are all BIGG (pun intended) to me, but if you are looking for specifics, I’d say Human Tornado, Dingo, Michael Strider, and Kory Twist were big matches for me.

Signature Move: Short Stop, Short Kut, and the Def Jam.

It is nice to have Shorty Biggs, current LWA Heavyweight Champion with us today.
It’s good to be here. Thanks for having me.

Who or what would you say inspired you to get into the wrestling business?

Like most pro wrestlers, I started out as a fan. My great grandmother was in her living room one day yelling at TV. I rushed in to see what was going on, and I saw the Four Horsemen trying to jump Sting. From there, it was on like Donkey Kong.

One day years and years later this kat I knew told me that he was a pro wrestler and that I should come and check out one of the local shows he was on. It took me about six months to do so, but I finally made it out to a show. By the end of the show I decided that this was something I wanted to get in on, so I went down to the training center. When I went down there, it wasn’t to learn how to wrestle. I was going down there to learn how manage. That’ right, Shorty was supposed to be a manager.

Well, I got in the ring with some jeans and a pair of Timberlands on and I ran some drills. The next time I went to the training center, a guy who was in charge of the talent told me that they didn’t want me to manage. I thought, “damn! I pissed somebody off already!” The guy told me that they wanted me to wrestle. I guess they liked the way I ran the drills. Three months later, I had my first match against a guy named Ricky Recuse.

Damn that was pretty long winded, my bad.


Where did you receive your training from?

If I started naming off every person who helped out in my training then this interview would have to be separated into chapters, so I’ll just say I have received training from every wrestler I have stepped in the squared circle with. I have learned something from them all, and as long as I keep wrestling I will keep learning. So BIGG ups to everyone who
has ever stepped in to the ring with me.


What other promotions have you worked for other than Gateway Championship Wrestling (GCW), LWA and CSW?

I have worked for many promotions throughout the Midwest, and I look forward to working all over the US and maybe one day in another country. If I get into the names of all the promotions, it would be like spilling a bowl of alphabet soup on the floor.


On December 8, 2007 at Yuletide Terror on in House Springs you defeated Pierre Abernathy, a man some have said was hiding from you, for the LWA Heavyweight Championship. How would you describe the feeling you had when the refs hand fell the third time and you were champion.

It was a mixture of feelings. I was excited, happy, thrilled, tired, beat up, half blinded, and relieved. A lot of people didn’t think that I could pull it off, but when it was all said and done the Don’s hand was raised. It was like being at a concert and the artist you came to see played your favorite song. You just get amped, go crazy and lose your mind.


You later defended the belt at LWA’S Proving Ground. It was a flashback to 1985 and St. Louis versus Kansas City, as you took on Kansas City’s own Jeremy “The Rebel” Wyatt in a match. At times it looked like the belt would go to Kansas City, but you were able to get the win and fortunately make the LWA fans happy. Shortly thereafter, you wrestled “The Rebel” again in NWA Central States Wrestling Missouri and were on the short end of that match. What are your thoughts on Wyatt?

Let me tell you something about “The Rebel”. There ain’t no half-steppin’ in that dudes game. I have had great matches with him. It’s something about those Kansas City kats. They bring it, and I would have it no other way. Wyatt is a true talent and I can’t wait mix it up with “The Rebel” again. I don’t know about barbed wire matches or anything like that since I like my face too much, but anytime Wyatt wants to throw hands, I’m down.


You have been a fighting Champion. You have defended the belt against former St Louis Wrestler of the Year Dingo, who is lighting-quick, but once again you came out on top. Your success against Dingo gave you no breathing room, though, as now you have the “69 Monster” Donovan Ruddick targeting you. Many claim him to be the future of the St. Louis wrestling scene, so what will be your strategy as you prepare to face him?

I would be spittin’ fibs if I said I ain’t think twice about Ruddick. I mean, that’s a big dude. I have fought big men before and I ain’t no little dude myself. The thing that gets me is that he has jumped me like two or three times, but it’s always when my back is turned. Now I’m not trying to say the man is scared, but maybe the guy is thinking twice about me, too. To bottom line it: There are no such things as monsters, and Shorty Biggs it the illest and realest kat that you’re ever gonna meet. Ruddick, watch your step kid because I don’t care if you are 6’9″, 7’12″ or 8’14″, when we get in the ring face to face I’m giving out dirt naps, so get your PJs ready.


Out of everybody you have wrestled and all of the matches you have had, which would you say has been your toughest bout?

I’ve had some pretty tough ones. None of them have been easy. If I have to pick… well, there was a tables match with Strider that was no picnic. I’ve been kicked in the face by Kevin X. Also, it seems that every match I have with Dingo doesn’t go long, but I’m always beat up the most in them.


LWA has brought in Total Nonstop Action (TNA) stars like Alex Shelly, Samoa Joe and Chris Sabin, along with Ring of Honor star Davey Richards. Next up is AJ Styles on May 24th in St. Charles, MO. Who would you like to face if the powers to be were to bring in a current TNA or ROH star?

Well, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but every time LWA brings in aTNA or ROH star, Alex Shelly excluded, I seem to miss that show. I call it the curse of the Biggbino, and yes I will be missing the show that AJ Styles will be at. That, my dude, sucks. To be honest with you, it would be an honor to wrestle any of the names you mentioned.


One show that I am totally excited about is when CSW returns to Cape Girardeau, MO. It will be at the 2008 Comicon, which will be a good way for us comic geeks to get our fix of both wrestling and comics. Headlining the event will be NWA World Women’s Champion and TNA Women’s Champion Awesome Kong vs. NWA Midwest Women’s Champion MsChif. These ladies are two of the most talented women in the wrestling world today, and they will be on the CSW card along with ROH star Davey Richards, CSW stars Michael Strider, Tyler Cook, Dingo, and Jeremy Wyatt. Any idea at this point as to who you will be going up against?

Man, I am just excited about the whole event. I love going down to Cape Town. They show me a lot of love when I’m down there. I’m also thrilled to be a part of such an epic event for CSW. I think it’s cool that we get to have pro wrestling and the comicon under the same roof. I think wrestling fans and comic fans are both cut from the same thread. I mean, I like super heroes.

The main event alone is worth the price of admission. Kong, MsChif, Richards, Dingo, Strider and the rest of the CSW roster… what more could you ask for? It’s going to be a show that is talked about for sometime.

I don’t know who I’m going up against, but whoever it is had better be ready. This event is major, and I’m going to get my shine on.


Independent wrestler Johnny Vinyl once stated that you are “the most charismatic performer in St. Louis”, and one can easily make that argument. Truly, some of your talent and charisma comes naturally, but what would be your advice for someone coming into the business.

Did Vinyl put on some chap stick before he started kissing the junk in this trunk? (Shorty points to his backside and laughs)

I’m just playing. Thanks for the compliment JV. For real, when I’m out there in the ring I’m just being me. Just be yourself. You also have to know your limits. Not everybody is cut out for this business. Make sure your family and education come first, because when it’s all said and done that’s all you got. Your family was there before wrestling and you better make sure they will still be there after wrestling. Everybody knows that you should have some form of education, so there is no reason for me to even get into that. If any of you young ones out there don’t know about that, then hit me up on Myspace and we’ll talk about the reasons why.


Jeremy Wyatt was able to make his matches with you seem as if it was all about Kansas City versus St. Louis, but I know that you are popular with the Kansas crowd as well as St. Louis. Where else should we plan on seeing the Don wrestle this summer?

I would love to come back out to Kansas. There are true wrestling fans out there and ain’t nothing better than that. Just keep checking my Myspace page. I should have all the dates up there.


Last but not least do you have anything to say for all the Shorty fans out there?

I want to thank all the little shortys out there. Show some love for Shorty. There is nothing better than to go out and entertain you all. It’s the reason I’m in this business.

Thank you Bri Bri for taking the time to rap with the Don Mega and giving the peeps a chance to get know me.

I want give a shout to some of my peeps: G-ma, G-pa, BK, Diddy, Brubaker, Glenda Anne, The Click, Mr.Smith, EJ, CY, BBB, Detective Mesh, The CSW East and West, The Gateway Fam, The LWA Posse, The Fam Fam. You know who your are, and if you have to ask then don’t bother. Every single person in this business, whether you are in front of the crowd or behind the scenes. Anyone and everyone who has supported me.

If you have done anything to support the progress of this business that I love, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.
You can check out Shorty at http://www.cswwrestling.com and http://www.lwawrestling.com.

On April 19, 2008, LWA will be in Fairview Heights, IL. Shorty Biggs defends his LWA Heavyweight Championship against “69 Monster” Donovan Ruddick. Check it out!

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