Free NWL #FightSTL shirts, stickers, and more for the first fans through the door at St. Louis Anarchy’s awesome show.
-The show started with promoter Pierre Abernathy addressing the fans and acknowledging the fact that it was the final show for St. Louis Anarchy. He brought out National Wrestling League promoter Major Baisden; he got a mixed reaction, but he spoke to the fans about his vision for the NWL and seemed to have them on board.
–The Hooligans(Devin & Mason Cutter)(w/ Uncle Leo) d. The Viking War Party(“American Viking” Alexandre Rudolph & “Littlest Viking” Jake Parnell); the match broke down into a bar fight with the four sitting in chairs and punching each other. It finally came down to Devin simply pummeling Parnell to the mat and pinning him (15:53).
–“Dad Bod” Sean Orleans won a four-corner match with Cody Krash, Ken Lee, & Chris Crunk when he pinned Crunk after hitting a double Stone Cold Stunner on Crunk & Lee (6:03).
-Donovan Danhausen d. Slade Sludge with a sitout powerbomb (6:24).
–“Absolute” Ricky Starks d. Kiyoshi Shizuka(w/ Greg Jovi) after the Angel’s Wings(sitout Pedigree) (8:43). Before the match, Starks declared that Vince McMahon did not own him and he tore up the contract in his hand, saying that he would be a member of St. Louis Anarchy for life. (Err…)
–Kevin Lee Davidson d. Mike Outlaw after a Regal Roll off the second rope followed by the spinebuster (10:01).
-Cause members Evan Gelistico & Danny Adams brought out Everett Connors, who seemed to have amicably split from the group…however, tempers flared and Connors chased them from the ring.
-“The Savior Of Pro Wrestling” Jimmy Rave d. Everett Connors after the Ghanarhea(snap cradle Olympic Slam) (15:46).
–Angelus Layne & Austin Blackburn d. Evan Gelistico & Danny Adams when Blackburn pinned Gelistico with a Code Red (13:10). The building had a power outage during the match and the fans lit the ring with their cellphones so the match could continue!
–Aaron Solow won a triple threat match with Paco Gonzalez and Jason Roberts when he pinned Roberts after a cradle DDT (9:53); the power remained out for the duration of this match, but was finally restored before the next bout.
-Roscoe East Lisa(“Zesty” Zakk Sawyers & “The Big Mustache On Campus” Mikey McFinnegan) d. Team I.O.U.(“The Down-South Dandy” Nick Iggy & “The Music City Mutt” Kerry Awful) to retain the Tag Team Titles; Sawyers pinned Awful after he and McFinnegan delivered a spiked Air Raid Crash (16:38).
-“Gorgeous” Jordan Laceyd. “The Incredible Primal Prodigy” Matt Kenway (Look At Him) after the Jenna Jameson(swinging uranagi) (2:02). Gelistico & Adams attacked Lacey after the match, but the returning Adam Caster and Frankie Big Balls made the save! Caster addressed the fact that he had bought into Gelistico’s “bull$#!+”, but he had to retire from wrestling due to concussions and had cleared his head.
He introduced Frankie Big Balls as well as several personalities from SLA’s predecessor, the Lethal Wrestling Alliance: Jordan Taylor(former LWA President), Tim Pickerill(who did a lot of behind-the-scenes work for the LWA), and Mad Dog Daffronian(LWA ring announcer).
-“The Ace Of Anarchy” Davey Vega won a triple threat match with Gary Jay(w/ Dorian Victor & Mrs. Victor) and Mat Fitchett(C) to win the Heavyweight Title. Vega delivered his brainbuster onto the knee on Gary Jay, then hit the move on Fitchett as well and pinned the champion for the win (17:02)! Vega barely had time to celebrate his win as several competitors from the Kansas City side of the NWL attacked all three competitors; I saw Logan & Sterling Riegel), Jake & Ryan King, Kiyoshi Shizuka, and even Michael Strider!
The locker room emptied to run them off, ending with K.L.D. Awesome-Bombing one of the Riegels over the top rope onto the other K.C. interlopers! Major Baisden and Lucy Mendez stood with the St. Louis crew in the ring as Baisden admonished the Kansas City crew for interfering with the show.
The three competitors and Pierre Abernathy said their final words before the show officially wrapped up, closing the book on an era in St. Louis wrestling.
Promoter Pierre Abernathy and Davey Vega started the show…Pierre told the fans that Chris Hero‘s flight had been delayed, but they were adding a match or two to the card to give him time to get to the building. As a result, I joked that the subtitle for Part 1 of Gateway To Anarchy could easily be “Holding Out For A Hero”,
Davey Vega acknowledged the passing of Darren Dean, who had competed for St. Louis Anarchy on a few occasions(usually teaming with Aaron Solo(w)). That segued into the ten-bell salute.
Justin D’Air & The K.C. Wolves(Luke Langley & Graham Bell) vs. Kevin Lee Davidson, Sean Orleans, & Kody Krash: This was K.L.D.’s debut and he made an immediate impression as D’Air and the Wolves did their best to prevent his entry into the match.
However, the big man got a tag and it was downhill from there for the opposing trio. The finishing sequence saw multiple dives until only Orleans was left in the ring…however, Orleans loudly proclaimed that he wouldn’t risk his neck with such a move. However, Bell got a hold of Orleans and Awesome-Bombed him over the top rope onto everyone else at ringside! K.L.D. finished Langley with his spinebuster finisher in 14:02, lifting Langley high enough that his head bumped a ceiling panel…the big man got over in a major way in his St. Louis Anarchy debut.
“The Money” Matt Cage vs. Paco Gonzalez: Cage wore a “Straight Outta My Closet” T-shirt in rainbow colors…heh. Paco finally got trunks and Cage acknowledged the wardrobe change by noting that he got his “big-boy pants”.
Paco went for the anklelock multiple times in the match, resulting in Cage limping in the late stages of the bout. That tactic led to his downfall as Cage countered the last anklelock attempt into a victory roll pin in 13:55. Alex Castle attempted another sneak attack, but Cage saw him coming and Castle backed off. That led to Cage speaking his mind about the implosion of the Kentucky Buffet tag team…he said that Castle let his other relationships get in the way of the team’s success. They did a good job of building to the following night’s last-man-standing match between the two.
Mike Outlaw vs. Christian Rose:
Oddly, it turned out to be the shortest match of the night as it was the only bout to go under ten minutes. Rose got the tapout win with the No-Leaf Clover (Liontamer-style Boston crab) in 8:36.
Stephen Wolf vs. “Buck Nasty” Bucky Collins: Hadn’t seen Bucky in several years(think he worked for High Voltage Wrestling a few times. Bucky’s an entertaining heel and the women in the audience were decidedly unimpressed by his mannerisms.
Buck Nasty won a good match with a crucifix bomb in 12:58.
“Zesty” Zakk Sawyers vs. Steve O. Reno:
Both guys were fan favorites in this one, though Reno seemed to be the subtle heel. It could have gone either way, though Zakk recently challenged Gerald James for the Heavyweight Title.
Sawyers stepped off the turnbuckles and jumped backwards into a Diamond Cutter variant, getting the pinfall in 14:51.
The Cause (Evan Gelistico & Adam Caster)(w/ Danny Adams, Everett Connors, & referee Austin Blackburn) vs. The Hooligans(Devin & Mason Cutter) vs. The Viking War Party(“American Viking” Alexander Rudolph & “Littlest Viking” Jake Parnell) vs. Team I.O.U.(“The Down-South Dandy” Nick Iggy & “The Music City Mutt” Kerry Awful) for the Tag Team Titles: This was the Anarchy debut for Iggy and Awful; they were in the rule breaking role with two very popular teams as the other challengers.
This was as chaotic as expected; I.O.U. would get a better chance to shine in their standard tag match on the Sunday show. Parnell attempted a tiger suplex on Caster that didn’t do either guy any favors. The Vikings dished out a huge pileup of humanity as Parnell hit a Codebreaker on Awful, then Rudolph choke slammed Iggy onto Awful as Parnell held Awful across his knees! Chaos broke loose at that point, allowing Mr. Gelistico to steal the fall on Iggy in 12:30.
Davey Vega vs. “The Rebel” Jeremy Wyatt (w/ Greg Jovi): Jovi interfered a bit, which led to Vega sliding out of the ring and wiping out the manager with a pump kick…bwahahaha. Wyatt focused his attack on the leg to potentially set up for his hanging half-crab submission hold…he got Vega in a figure-four leglock at one point, but Vega got to the ropes to escape.
Wyatt went for the hold again and Vega small-packaged him for the flash pin in 29:27(!). Surprisingly, Wyatt offered a post-match handshake and Vega accepted the gesture without incident…though Wyatt swiped a kid’s pizza on the way to the backstage area.
Intermission~! Given the length of the show, I indulged a bit and had a total of four sodas: Two Mountain Dews, a root beer, and a Pepsi. There’s your Official Ben Simon Concession Count(tm).
“The Big Mustache On Campus” Mikey McFinnegan vs. “Absolute” Ricky Starks: Starks was on cloud nine after his recent appearance on NXT…of course, that lasted all of about ten seconds and most of his TV time was being chucked out of the ring by Colin Cassady. He felt like he was on his way to bigger and better things and took on a decidedly arrogant attitude as a result…he even had an “I’m A Hugger” T-shirt that he personally received from NXT Women’s Champion Bayley Rose. McFinnegan tried on the shirt for size, much to Starks’ dismay.
They had a fine match, ending with Starks hitting the double-underhook faceplant in 11:58.
Jojo Bravo vs. “Dirty” Andy Dalton: Jojo’s been in a bit of a slump recently, partially due to questionable calls by the officials. Of course Dalton will take any opportunity presented to him, so that was right up his alley.
Bravo had the momentum, but a near-collision with the referee gave Dalton the opening to deliver an undetected punt to the Universal Weak Point(tm). Dalton rolled up Jojo for the win in 10:13, adding to Bravo’s existing frustration.
Chris Hero & Trik Davis vs. Danny Adams & Everett Connors (w/ Tag Team Champions Evan Gelistico & Adam Caster & Austin Blackburn): Right around 11:00 PM, Hero was ready to go for this penultimate match of the evening. Hero and Trik go way back, dating back to their early days in IWA Mid-South. If I was fantasy-booking, I would have liked to see him against Christian Rose…Rose’s style was compared to Hero’s for a little while. Perhaps that could happen down the line…hint hint.
The match got a lot of time. Hero hit the Death Blow(Rude Awakening setup into a roaring elbow to the back of the head) on Adams, then Davis followed up with a Diamond Cutter and Hero got the three-count in 24:23.
Gerald James (w/ Dorian Victor) vs. Mikey McFinnegan best-of-three-falls for the Heavyweight Title: James had held the title for a mind-blowing 862 days (over two years and totaling 28 months). Fitchett battled James on several occasions, winning some non-title encounters but never being able to unseat the champion.
That included one particularly humbling encounter when James beat him in two straight falls. Fitchett infiltrated the BOSS stable under the Dangerous Deveroux mask and nearly cost James the title to Davey Vega, but it was not to be…however, Fitchett earned one more title shot with his victory in the Anarchy Rumble in November. Notably, Victor went to the backstage area instead of staying at ringside for the main event.
They went right after each other from the opening bell, throwing huge bombs right out of the gate…knowing the people involved, that says a lot. Gerald won a quick first fall with the Michinoku Driver in a brisk 3:24. Fitchett lifted Gerald into a torture rack and dropped him into a reverse Go 2 Sleep(hitting the knee to the back of the head) for a near-fall, but hitting the move a second time was enough to even the score in 6:13.
Things got really wild in the final fall as Fitchett lawndarted Gerald into the wall, then hit the cradle piledriver in the ring for a near-fall. Gerald managed to fight back, but Fitchett countered a piledriver attempt on the apron by backdropping him onto the edge of the ring! Fitchett set the champion up on the turnbuckles, but Gerald came back with a flying DDT onto the edge of the ring…eep. Fitchett was left bloody, but incredibly managed to keep fighting…he delivered a cradle pildriver on the floor(!), then one more in the ring to FINALLY capture the title in 11:28!
Davey Vega celebrated with the new champion, who had to be assisted from the ring…we found out the following night that Fitchett had suffered a concussion. Dorian Victor and Christian Rose went to the ring to help the former champion…but out of nowhere, Rose turned on both of them! Rose locked James in the No-Leaf Clover, yelling at him “YOU LOST!” before leaving the “father and son” laying in the ring. After all of that, James addressed the fans…he said that whether they loved or hated him, he had hopefully earned their respect after his long title reign. He wasn’t sure how much longer he had to wrestle, but he’d keep fighting.
Saint Louis Anarchy presents: Going Platinum Live from Spaulding Hall Club in Alton IL (402 E 4th Street Alton IL)
Stage One: Friday night May 20th Stage Two: Saturday night May 21st
Doors Open at 6:30pm, Show Starts at 7:00pm
Tickets (on sale March 1st) Front Row: $15 per night in advance $20 day of show Second Row: $12 per night in advance $15 day of show General Admission: $10 per night in advance $15 day of show
$1 BEER, FULL BAR and FOOD Please do not record show or stand on chairs.
STAGE ONE MATCHES SIGNED: Saint Louis Anarchy Championship Match: Mat Fitchett (c) vs. Christian Rose
Number One Contender 4 Team Tag Team Tournament: The Hooligans vs. Team IOU Roscoe Eat Lisa vs. Viking War Party
First Time Ever in Anarchy: Trik Davis vs. Gary Jay w/ Dorian Victor
STAGE TWO MATCHES SIGNED: The winners of Hooligans vs. IOU and REL vs. Vikings will face for shot at SLA tag team titles.
PACO vs. Andy Dalton
Talent Signed:
Saint Louis Anarchy Champion: Mat Fitchett Saint Louis Anarchy Tag Champions: The Cause (Mr. Gelistico, Mr. Caster)
Davey Vega Christian Rose Gary Jay w/ Dorian Victor Jo Jo Bravo The Hooligans Viking War Party Andy Dalton The Cause (Mr. Adams/ Mr. Connors) Making his SLA debut: Sammy Guevara Trik Davis Roscoe Eat Lisa (Zakk Sawyers/ Mikey Mcfennegan) Team IOU PACO Stephen Wolfe 4 Star Heros Ricky Starks Mike Outlaw Alex Castle Making their SLA debut: Beauty and the Beat (Steve Fierce/Rob Matter)
Hear immediate reactions from a bloody Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett, Gary Jay, Steven Kennedy, Danny Adams and Greg Jovi, The Resurgence, and the new owner of Chaos Nation, KC Karrington after their matches at “Stage One.”
MWR owner and Editor Brian Kelley : Greg, I would like to thank you for joining us today at Missouri Wrestling Revival. We have covered you causing havoc as a manager at St. Louis Anarchy and Dynamo Pro in the past. Recently, you opened up a new promotion based out of Granite City, Illinois PWCS that has a unique set up based on team competition with several of the top stars around the country. I know that you are very busy preparing for the huge event this weekend for PWCS, so once again thank you for taking the time to speak with us.
Greg: Thank you for having me for this piece. Always appreciate the opportunity to get the word out and promote my brand.
1) You obviously are very passionate for pro wrestling, who was your inspiration to work towards being a part of pro wrestling in the Midwest?
Greg: I’ve wanted to be a manager and promoter since I was about 11 years old, the first time I saw Paul Heyman on ECW. Locally, I got hooked on GCW at about 13 and wanted so badly to be apart of that. Seeing guys like Dingo, Pete Madden, and the Ego Express (KC Karrington and Steven Kennedy) made me fall in love with wrestling all over again. Before that I had no idea Indy wrestling existed, let alone right in my backyard.
2) As I had mentioned, you are now a promoter in the St. Louis area, but prior to becoming a wrestling manager you respected the sport enough to seek training to be a pro wrestler. Who were your trainers or people instrumental in helping you , and what was that experience like?
Greg: I actually went in with the mindset that I was going to be a manager. I sent a promo reel to Dynamo and they liked it enough they invited me to the gym one week. I decided my first day I was going to get in there and try to do everything the wrestlers did, and I ended up doing very well and earning respect. Dingo taught me a lot, soon he stepped aside and Davey Vega took over. Sadie Blaze all the while taught me the managing side of things.
As far as how it was, it was the time of my life. I miss those times sometimes. I was in great shape, made great friends, and really showed myself something I never knew I had. I wonder now and again if I’d be a semi competent full time wrestler by now had I not been dropped on my head and injured my neck. I was really starting to click, but I think I was meant for where I am now.
Evan Gelisticois intense after a hard fought victory at St. Louis Anarchy as manager Greg Jovi celebrates.
3) Your other positions included being a referee and ring announcer. What are your pet peeves that referees and ring announcers do at this level, and what memories do you have of being of those positions?
Greg: I don’t really have ring announcing pet peeves, I’ll just say good ones are hard to find. Number one ref pet peeve is the best ones always want to wrestle it seems. More power to them, that’s not a knock, but a lot of great refs simply strive for more and great refs as well are hard to find.
4) After some time you would shock the fans by becoming a force in Dynamo Pro Wrestling and St. Louis Anarchy as a manager. At Dynamo Pro Wrestling you aligned yourself with the KC Karrington’s First Church of Karrington with Steven Kennedy, Dice and Adam Raw. Today, in the land of Anarchy you lead the N.WO style of faction BOSS that includes the St. Louis Anarchy Champion Gerald James, Dan Walsh, Jordan Lacey and more joining every second it seems as chaos reigns at SLA. Who was your first wrestler that you managed, and what mistakes as a manager did you make that you have fixed since then?
Greg: I think my first “client” if you will was actually Mat Fitchett, and I was a good guy believe it or not. Eventually, I turned on him at Yuletide Terror one year and we were off to the races. As far as mistakes, I remember never knowing where to stand. I was like, “if I stand here I’m blocking their view, but if I’m here nobody sees me at all”. I was super nervous about little dumb stuff like that all the time.
Greg leads the First Church of Karrington at Dynamo Pro Wrestling.
5) If you had the chance to manage to anyone wrestler in the world today who would it be?
Greg: First name that comes to mind is Kyle O’Reily. Great wrestler and great guy. I would also love to manage a female talent, that’s not a dynamic that’s really been done often. Would love to see what I could do managing somebody like Heidi Lovelace.
The St. Louis Anarchy champion Gary Jay has been unstoppable. Next month, in Alton, Illinois he will face JoJo Bravo on April 17th and if he is able to retain his title he will tested by Davey Richards the next night. This Saturday Gary and Greg represents the Ego Busters against the Resurgence Steven Kennedy in the double Main Event.
6) Gerald James has been the SLA Champion while defeating the likes of Takaaki Watanabe, Davey Vega, Angelus Layne and Mat Fitchett and is still one of the most underrated wrestlers in the country. His reign has been highly entertaining, what has been your highlight while leading him during this time.
Greg: There have been so many fantastic matches and moments in his lengthy reign, it’s hard to choose. I think busting up the Angelus Layne wedding has probably been my favorite. Being involved in a wedding gone wrong has got to be on every wrestlers bucket list right?
Saint Louis Anarchy presents: Gateway to Anarchy
Stage One: Friday night April 17th
Stage Two: Saturday night April 18th
Live from Spaulding Hall Club in Alton IL (405 East 4th Street)
Doors Open: 6:30pm Show Starts at 7:00pm
Tickets: Front Row Reserve $15 (per night)
Second Row Reserve $12 (per night)
Gen Admission $10 (per night)
ALL tickets $15 day of show
$1 BEER and FULL BAR
7) Last year, you came up with concept of Pro Wrestling Championship Series. Before we take a look at the upcoming 2015 season, please explain the concept to the fans for us on the team system.
Greg: Certainly. The concept is pretty heavily rooted in how college and high school wrestling works. We have four teams. Each event, the wrestlers from a team compete against the wrestlers from another. Their individual wins and losses go towards their team’s overall record. At the end of the season, the two teams with the best record face off in a four on four elimination match to crown that season’s champion. It’s pro wrestling as a team sport.
Greg Jovi distracts Davey Vega.
Danny Adams vs Paco Gonzalez + JIMMY JACOBS
8) I know from experience that becoming a wrestling promoter is an uphill battle as in today’s environment. There are so Many entertainment choices for the fans to choose. From your experience what has been the recipe for success for you and partner Jason Coellner at PWCS?
Greg: Providing a quality product that is different from the rest has worked great for us. We advertised that we would be new and innovative, and I don’t think anyone has left a PWCS event saying, “Well that’s the same show I saw at ____”. We truly do offer a fun, alternative brand with substance in the ring.
9) This coming weekend PWCS returns to action. I understand that you have DVDs of the first season. Are they all done and ready for the fans to purchase and if so how much?
The DVDs are $10 ($15 for the Championship show , as it will be a 2 disc set)
Greg: Stages 1-3 are all currently available online at pwcswrestling.storenvy.com and at live events. It will be down to the wire, but we should have all those as well as the Championship Spectacular featuring Colt Cabana and Jimmy Jacobs at this Saturday nights event. Jason does a fantastic job on these along with our play by play man Drew Xzono Jr.
10) What should fans expect different this season at PWCS?
Greg: For starters, you’re going to get the return of one of the best wrestlers in the area this Saturday night, and if rumors are true he’s going to put the entire league on notice and on edge.
You’re also going to see a fourth regular season event this year. It internally being called the Wildcard Stage and will provide some fun matches as all four teams will mix it up and have one last shot to secure a spot in the 2015 Championship Spectacular.
And you never know what else might happen or who might show up. Thanks Brian for having me, and thank you to anyone who has supported the league so far.
Brian: Once again Greg, thank you for your time and we look forward to another year of exciting PWCS action. Fans, be sure to add PWCS on Facebook and Twitter at PWCSWrestling to keep up with them as well as here at Missouri Wrestling Revival.com, your #1 source of wrestling news in the Midwest.
The dust has settled and the 2014 Pro Wrestling Championship Series has come to a close with The Blacklist (Makaze, Jo Jo Bravo, OutTkAst, and Nate Redwing) coming out victorious! However, their time to celebrate will be short lived, as the 2015 PWCS Season begins March 14th, 2015 in Granite City, IL!
Who will start off the 2015 Season right, and who will have a hole to climb out of? Find out, March 14th!
Tickets are available NOW at http://www.StageOne2015.brownpapertickets.com and can be reserved by sending us a message here on facebook. Get your tickets ASAP for this 2015 kickoff event!
Tickets Prices:
Front Row: $12 ($15 at the door)
Adult General Admission: $10 ($12 at the door)
Children 12 & Under General Admission: $8 ($10 at the door)
The Stage One 2015 Card Will Feature A Double Main Event
***Main Event: Resurgence Vs. Ego Busters***
Steven Kennedy (Resurgence) Vs Gary Jay w/ Greg Jovi (Ego Busters)
***Main Event: Blacklist Vs. Team Anarchy***
Jo Jo Bravo (Blacklist) Vs. The New Team Anarchy Owner (Team Anarchy)
Mat Fitchett & Davey Vega (Resurgence) Vs.
Brandon Espinosa & Dan Walsh (Ego Busters)
Makaze (Blacklist) Vs. Alex Castle (Team Anarchy)
“The Submission Squad” Pierre Abernathy & Evan Gelistico (Team Anarchy) Vs.
“The The Viking War Party” Alexander Rudolph and Jake Parnell (Blacklist)
“DirdEy” Jake Dirden (The Resurgence) Vs. “Blue Chip” Danny Adams (Ego Busters)
Superior” Adam Rich Vs. JD Riggs The loser has to follow the winner’s diet for 90 days.
Free Agent Showcase: Justin D’Air Vs. Ozzie Gallagher
Live Saturday October 25th, 2014!
in Granite City, IL at the Tri City YMCA
451 Niedringhaus Ave on the old Army Depot
Doors: 6:30 pm
Bell Time: 7:00 pm
Tickets Available At:
pwcsstage3.brownpapertickets.com/
Gamebusters on Madison Ave
And of course the Tri City YMCA
$12 Front Row ($15 At The Door)
$10 Adult General Admission ($12 At The Door)
$8 Child General Admission ($10 At The Door)
What teams will end up in the huge 2014 Championship match? When the final bell tolls on PWCS Stage 3 we will finally know which two teams are going to battle it out to be the historic inaugural 2014 PWCS Champions! Every team can still make the Championship, so this is assured to be a night of hard hitting action as teams attempt to lock up a Championship spot and cement a place in history! Be there!
Matches Announced:
Main Event:
“The Dirty Rook” Mat Fitchett (Team Anarchy) Vs. Christian Rose (Ego Busters)
Captains Collide:
Makaze (The Blacklist) Vs. Steven Kennedy (Resurgence)
“The Ace of Anarchy” Davey Vega (Team Anarchy) Vs. “The Elitist” Brandon Espinosa (Ego Busters)
OuTtKast (The Blacklist) Vs. “DirdEy” Jake Dirden
“The Viking War Party” Alexander Rudolph & Jake Parnell (Team Anarchy) Vs. Gary Jay & Dan Walsh (Ego Busters)
Jo Jo Bravo (Blacklist) Vs. “The Rabid Racoon” Rocket Mapache (The Resurgence)
Free Agent Showcase: Zakk Sawyer Vs. Dangerous Deveroux
Free Agent Showcase: Matt Cage Vs. “The Alternative” Brandon Gallagher
Also: The Submission Squad and Alex Castle are both rumored to be on hand. What role will they play now that Davey Vega has taken control of Team Anarchy?
*Card Subject To Change
Current Standings:
1. Ego Busters 5-1
2. Blacklist 3-3
3. Resurgence 2-4
4. Team Anarchy 2-4
St. Louis Anarchy’s biggest event ever—the two-night Gateway to Anarchy 2014 extravaganza—continued on March 1, 2014 in Alton, Illinois with a main event that has been a long time coming. After winning the Medallion Tournament back in September 2012, Kyle O’Reilly cashed in his opportunity for the main prize on his birthday. A match-up nearly two years in the making, O’Reilly made the trek through the bad weather—along with the Anarchy loyalists—to receive the biggest trial of his Anarchy career.
Also on the card were the newest arrivals to St. Louis Anarchy in Roderick Strong and Nick Jackson, both coming off of victorious matches against their opponents from the first night of festivities. This was a solid first impression, but could they keep the ball rolling on Night 2 against Davey Vega and the Hooligans, respectively?
Zakk Sawyers d. Evan Gelistico via pinfall
Quickly the fan favorite (especially when in the ring with the likes of Evan Gelistico), Zakk Sawyers comes in fresh off of his loss to the injured Danny Cannon from the previous night. The boorish Gelistico had the upper-hand throughout the fight, grounded Sawyers with a series of submission locks to knock the wind out of his sails. Things quickly turned on the upswing for Sawyers, who kicked on the boosters to send Gelistico on a losing streak with a Blue Thunder Bomb.
Jeremy Wyatt (with Greg Jovi and Jacob Dangle) d. Mat Fitchett via pinfall
Jeremy Wyatt is no slouch when it comes to antagonizing the crowd, as proven by his ring entrances alone. Birthday boy Mat Fitchett sprang out with Mardi Gras beads to dispense amongst the Anarchy faithful prior to the start, where Wyatt quickly grounded the high-flying party animal with a series of knee strikes. Eliminating the legs of a wrestler like Fitchett certainly makes it an uphill battle, and the contest showed exactly that. Fitchett got back on his feet for a portion of the bout, but his leg-based offense hurt himself as much as it hurt Wyatt. Right as Fitchett finally had the advantage, Gerald James caused a distraction leading to a Lightning Spiral by Wyatt for the pinfall victory.
Alexander Rudolph—formerly known as Alex the Big Owl—came out to a hot reaction from the crowd and let everyone know that the deception from Jordan Lacey and Jacob Dangle—his former tag team partner and manager, respectively—have led to the death of the Big Owl. In its wake is the Viking, who likes getting violent and a little weird. Dan Walsh and Lacey hit the ring to a chorus of boos as they laid into Rudolph, but Adam Raw quickly made the save. A brawl around the venue ensued, including Raw getting busted open by a chair shot to the head. Ever the wily veteran, the sight of his own blood only made Raw more aggressive as he and Rudolph—now voluntarily covered in Raw’s blood—cleared house
while basking in their crimson masks. Things certainly got violent and a little weird, and the bad guys retreated to safety.
Davey Vega d. Roderick Strong via pinfall
Both competitors were well received by the fans in attendance, as many expected a fierce wrestling contest. The duo did not disappoint, with many chops delivered, various suplexes landed, and some spectacular near-falls. Roderick Strong kept Davey Vega grounded with his patented submission holds, even cinching in the Stronghold at one point before an instinctive rope break. In one of the most shocking upset victories in recent Anarchy history, Vega got the win with an Air Crash Raid to the recently-recovered neck of Strong. With Vega pinning the world class wrestler who cleanly defeated the champion Gary Jay a night prior, one has to think that Vega just moved up the food chain in St. Louis Anarchy.
Brandon Espinosa d. Blake Steel via pinfall
The rough-and-tumble Blake Steel came out with a bad attitude, and it was about to get much worse as Brandon Espinosa antagonized the bearded bruiser with his usual playful antics. Butt slaps and lip smacks were in full effect as the witty Espy used his arsenal—Bronco Buster included—to best the burly brawler Steel before polishing him off with a frog splash. Espinosa is another wrestler on the Anarchy roster who can’t seem to do wrong as of late, picking up steam and climbing the totem role. It’s only a matter of time before Espy gets his just dues in the land of Anarchy.
The Hooligans (Mason and Devin Cutter) d. Nick Jackson & ACH via pinfall
Fresh off of his victory with tag team partner Johnny Gargano the night before, Nick Jackson looked to take flight with possibly the most beloved singles wrestler in the Anarchy territory, ACH. The Hooligans are arguably the premiere tag team in the Midwest, and looked to open the eyes of one half of the Young Bucks. The match superkicked off with a superkick party cut abruptly short, as miscommunication quickly set in between Jackson and ACH. The Hooligans roughed up ACH while Jackson waited in the corner. Once the tag was made, the tides turned with greater force than the Hooligans’ flips. Devin begged his brother to make the tag from the apron as Jackson and ACH began clicking on all cylinders, making frequent tags and utilizing their similar styles to double team Mason in their territory. Chaos ensued on the hot tag, with ACH’s Show Me Your Moves cutter connecting on Devin Cutter, but it was the Hooligans who took control of the match with the Young Buck on the sidelines. With the Hooligans’ devastating wheelbarrow/spike DDT maneuver to ACH’s dome, the excellent match was over. Jackson wasn’t pleased with the outcome, but showed sportsmanship to all involved. Could the Young Bucks seek revenge of the Hooligans?
The gloves are off. St. Louis Anarchy has decided to take the wrecking ball and break down the barriers that define the local wrestling scene. By incorporating top indy stars that have become St. Louis transplants for years, such as Davey Richards and Kyle O’Reilly, Anarchy has become a premiere promotion in the Midwest territory. Show runner Pierre Abernathy and Co. have taken their dedication to putting St. Louis on the National map one step further in 2014, bringing in the likes of Roderick Strong and one half of the Young Bucks, Nick Jackson, to their two-night Gateway to Anarchy 2014 celebration.
The card is subject to change, and boy, did it ever. Injuries and commitments to TNA took away the likes of the aforementioned Richards, Matt Jackson, and Eddie Edwards in what would have been his St. Louis Anarchy debut. The bookers at Anarchy did not allow such travesties to have a lasting effect on their product, bringing in Strong and Dragon Gate USA Open the Freedom Gate Champion Johnny Gargano to fill their shoes. The opening show was one of Anarchy’s strongest yet, even without mainstays such as ACH and Richards on the card. This is a testament to the depth of Anarchy’s roster, one of the finest in all of the country.
JoJo Bravo d. Evan Gelistico via pinfall
After suffering a devastating loss to the strongman Michael Elgin his last go ‘round, JoJo Bravo came out swinging against the former St. Louis Anarchy champion, Evan Gelistico. It was all fun and games in the squared circle until Gelistico grounded the sumo sensation with a series of submission holds. Once Bravo broke free, he slammed a Samurai Driver out of a series of reversals for a decisive upset victory.
Brandon Espinosa d. Bolt Brady via pinfall
Everything gets misinterpreted once Brandon Espinosa gets in a St. Louis Anarchy ring. The St. Louis standout has made passes at the competition since his debut, and uses this tactic to get the upper hand in most contests. These lewd, flashy tactics—including a post-match celebratory butt-pinch—managed to unsettle the faster-than-lightning Bolt Brady, taking him out of his game for a pinfall victory with the frog splash.
The Hooligans d. Dan Walsh and Jeremy Wyatt (with Greg Jovi) via pinfall
Darren Dean, the original partner of Jeremy Wyatt, could not make it. Wyatt’s urging of a mystery partner to come out from the back opened up the perfect ambush for Dan Walsh from the other direction, marking his return to Anarchy after cutting a scathing interview on the company months ago. The Hooligans cleaned house before Walsh and Wyatt took control of Mason Cutter, isolating him from
his brother. Things boiled over once the tag was made, and it was the Hooligans who removed Walsh from the equation before taking down Wyatt with a sunset flip.
Darin Corbin d. Angelus Layne via pinfall
Once former St. Louis Anarchy champion Darin Corbin injured Angelus Layne at a previous Anarchy event while aiming for her partner, Brandon Espinosa, Layne has been salivating at the opportunity to knock the morality crusader Corbin down a peg. Many cheap shots and low blows were given throughout the bout, the final one coming at the foot of Corbin, leading to a devastating cutter to end the match. While she came up short, Layne was one of the night’s standouts in her breakout performance, earning the respect of the fans with her profane silver tongue and never-say-die attitude.
Arik Cannon d. Ricky Starks via pinfall
The charismatic Ricky Starks tried to open the contest by belittling the veteran Arik Cannon’s penchant for beer. He’d soon have a face full of it after a brawl to the outside, with Cannon using his alcoholic mist to blind the eyes of the pretty boy Starks. After a bout filled with submission holds, it was the brainbuster that inevitably ended the night for Starks, a final measure to cease his yapping.
Roderick Strong d. St. Louis Anarchy Champion Gary Jay (with Dorian Victor) via pinfall (Non-Title)
Gary Jay’s lackadaisical approach to the ring in his non-title match against one of the biggest names in independent professional wrestling, Roderick Strong, most certainly hurt him in the long run of this high-profile match. With no title on the line, Jay was arrogant and slow to get back into the ring, telling the crowd he would “take [his] time” to dictate the pace. A master of the squared circle, Strong didn’t hesitate to give Jay a rude awakening from a daydream into a nightmare with a series of welt-wailing chops that fans all the way under the Arch could hear. Jay’s fighting spirit picked up but a moment too late, as the Strongbuster and a harsh boot ended the Champion’s night. Licking his wounds, Jay retreated with title in tow, while Strong looked as his name indicates.
Jordan Lacey (with Greg Jovi) d. Alex the Big Owl (with Jacob Dangle) and Alex Castle via pinfall
Tempers ran hot in the three-way dance that featured a recently-betrayed Alex the Big Owl. At the previous Anarchy event, Jordan Lacey turned on his tag team partner to align himself with Gary Jay’s BOSS faction. The Big Owl was hot and ready to tar and feather Lacey. Alex Castle was inadvertently double-teamed by the duo before being pinned by Lacey. Right as the Big Owl set his sights on Lacey, his own manager, the Australian Jacob Dangle, hit him with a low blow to clip Alex’s wings in the fight… an
elevated DDT later and it was all over. The Big Owl has seemingly lost all of his friends after these events.
Danny Cannon d. Zakk Sawyers via pinfall
Danny Cannon came out with the energy of a pack of track runners rolling off of energy drinks, kicking the turnbuckles and running around the ring. This was certainly an indication of how this match would begin and most definitely end, as the two young guns took Anarchy by storm with an inspiration offensive assault that included a pair of suicide dives and other aerial shenanigans. Cannon ended the fight with an utterly brutal double stomp from the turnbuckle to the head of Sawyers. The duo certainly surprised many in attendance, as several fans gave a standing ovation once the dust had settled.
Kyle O’Reilly d. Christian Rose via submission
The two popular competitors came out on the eve of Kyle O’Reilly’s 2-out-of-3 falls title match against Gary Jay. All was going well for O’Reilly, as this physical contest was bearing no severe damage to his extremities, despite the hard-hitting Rose being his competition. A back-and-forth contest ended with the Arm-ageddon, O’Reilly’s patented cross-armbreaker, and all seemed well… until Gary Jay and his BOSS minions surrounded the ring, ready to pounce O’Reilly and Rose. Just as they were about to enter, Rose betrayed the man who made him tap, as Jay’s cronies unloaded on O’Reilly for several minutes. Leaving the challenger in a heap, BOSS fled as Jay laughed, knowing the damage was done to O’Reilly the day before the fight of his life.
More Shebang for Your Buck (Nick Jackson & Johnny Gargano) d. The Sex Bob-ombs (Mat Fitchett & Davey Vega) via pinfall
Johnny Gargano is no rookie when it comes to St. Louis Anarchy, so Nick Jackson recruited his help in place of his ailing brother. The competition was tough in Anarchy hero Davey Vega and fan-favorite Mat Fitchett. Coordination between Gargano and Jackson was not as smooth as the two would have liked in the early goings, with Jackson directing Gargano around the ring to where his brother would instinctually be. These few precious seconds cost the new duo, as the Sex Bob-ombs took advantage of every opportunity of miscommunication. A series of chain-superkicks left everyone unconscious on the mat near the end, but Gargano and “Indy Taker” Jackson carved up Fitchett with springboard spiked Tombstone.
The night was a huge success for Anarchy, breaking the attendance records with 300 people while marking the debut of a handful of new talent.
Brian & Lori Davis had recently lost everything in a house fire, including their seven-year-old son. Fortunately, they had friends who were ready to lend a helping hand.
Brian, Lori, and Brian’s sister Lindsay were in attendance for St. Louis Anarchy’s Benefit Bash in Alton, Illinois. Members of the Anarchy roster were friends of the family and set up the event to raise money for the Davises; all of the proceeds from ticket sales and merchandise raffles went directly to the family.
As usual, St. Louis Anarchy presented a loaded lineup; Ring Of Honor stars Michael Elgin, Kyle O’Reilly, and A.C.H. were on the card as well as west-coast standout B-Boy. Several competitors made their debuts for the promotion and others made their returns after long absences.
Some people on the show were more concerned about their own matters, one of those being ring announcer/manager Greg Jovi. He had returned as a ring announcer for Yuletide Terror, but he still harbored deep-seated resentment toward the Anarchy fans. He lashed out at the fans in attendance at the start of the show before being run off by the Hooligans.
The Hooligans fended off a strong effort by the Two-Star Heroes (Matt Knicks & Chris Castro) and vowed that they would give the same treatment to the Young Bucks on March 1st. The fans in attendance had less than flattering sentiments regarding Matt & Nick Jackson.
Brandon Espinosa was in the rare position of being a fan favorite against “The Money” Matt Cage. Cage offered Espinosa some cash to “go down”, but Espinosa misinterpreted Cage’s intentions at first. Espinosa took the payoff but attacked Cage anyway to kick-start the bout; Espy went on to win a tough battle.
Chaos was the order of the day in a six-way dance featuring newcomers to the Anarchy roster. “Showtime” Bradley Charles and Geek Singh formed a temporary alliance to eliminate the competition, but SBC double-crossed Singh by rolling him up for a surprise pin. That left Charles one-on-one with Alex Castle, but Castle would emerge victorious as he continues to gain fan support in SLA.
The fans recognized Jeff O’Shea as “Not Matt Cage”; O’Shea had filled in for Cage as Castle’s tag partner at a previous show. That brought Cage himself to the ring to shake hands with his counterpart. O’Shea and Mallaki Matthews took on the duo of Alex The Big Owl and Gorgeous Jordan Lacey; The Big Owl showed a more aggressive side in picking up the win.
B-Boy had once teamed up with Homicide and his resume includes experience with IWA Mid-South, Wrestling Society X, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, and Jersey All-Pro Wrestling. However, this was his first appearance in the St. Louis area and he was facing a crowd favorite in A.C.H. A.C.H. has been making a name for himself in ROH as well as other national promotions…despite the difference in overall experience, A.C.H. was able to get the tapout win over “The New Age Punisher” and earn his respect!
Mike Sydal showed off his yoga-enhanced flexibility on a few occasions, but it wasn’t quite enough to take down the popular Bolt Brady; Bolt got the win after several innovative maneuvers.
Despite Michael Elgin‘s national reputation, the fans were solidly behind Jojo Bravo in his quest to topple the powerhouse. Jojo did his best to wear down the “Unbreakable” one with sleeperholds, but Elgin finally defeated him after a turnbuckle powerbomb followed by his signature spiral bomb. It appeared Bravo had impressed Elgin, but Elgin mowed him down with a clothesline after raising his beaten opponent’s hand.
With a title shot at Gerald James in his future, Kyle O’Reilly sought to pick up some momentum heading into the Gateway To Anarchy weekend. Evan Gelistico was far from a mere “stepping stone” in O’Reilly’s journey and matched the current Ring Of Honor Tag Team Champion move for move. In the end, O’Reilly got the victory and now looks to capture the gold in St. Louis Anarchy!
Adam Raw returned to SLA to face Ricky Starks...with the recent trend of “old school” in wrestling, the two used several moves that you wouldn’t normally see in an Anarchy ring like the bearhug and iron claw. Raw got the win with a familiar-looking combination of moves: A big boot to the face followed by a legdrop off the ropes.
The main event was a wild brawl right out of the gate as Davey Vega and Mat Fitchett rushed the ring to battle with Anarchy Champion Gerald James and Jeremy Wyatt. Dorian Victor wasn’t above getting physically involved so it was a three-on-two situation at times. Despite the odds, Fitchett managed to plant James with a cradle piledriver to pick up the win over the champion!
The night wasn’t quite over as James, Wyatt, and Victor went on the attack once again. Greg Jovi ran into the ring to attack his former protege Fitchett and that brought out the Hooligans. Alex The Big Owl and Jordan Lacey weren’t far behind…but out of nowhere, Lacey turned on his tag team partner! At the end of the show, Lacey stood tall alongside James, Wyatt, Victor, and Jovi.
While the events of the wrestling show were memorable for the fans in attendance, it was special in a different way for the Davises…their friends at St. Louis Anarchy had put on a great show and given them some much-needed financial support in a tough time of their lives.
Throughout the history of sports there have been teams that were good, maybe great but they were unable to beat that important rival or win that big game.
Not to long ago my favorite American League baseball team the Boston Red Sox just could never seem to get that convincing win against the hated New York Yankees or win the World Series. From 1920 through 2003, the Yankees won 26 World Series championships and 39 pennants, compared to only four pennants for the Red Sox. To make matters worse, in every year that the Red Sox won the pennant — 1946, 1967, 1975 and 1986 — they lost the World Series four games to three, leaving them with no World Series titles.
Back to pro wrestling I give you a classic case of two such wrestlers that are very good but just as hated as the Yankees, this rings true with the Ego Express of KC Karrington and Steven Kennedy of their dominance of the popular Bum Rush BrothersOutKasT and Shorty Biggs.
The history goes back to Gateway Championship Wrestling in 2006 when the Ego’s were the GCW Champions and the Bum Rush chasing the titles. The Ego’s would be able to retain the titles in exciting and close matches during their reign. The Bum Rush Brothers would be able to win the GCW tag titles against the European Union (Even Gelistico and Pierre Abernathy).
The Ego Express’s Steven Kennedy and KC Karrington (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)
Fast forward to today and we find that some things never change. On May 1st in Pevely Missouri for NWA Dynamo, the Egos would once again defeat the very popular BumRush Brothers. The two teams went at it with the Ego’s taking every shortcut and cheapshot they could do to edge including with having the feet on the ropes to edge out the win. In the end it would draw the ire of the usally good guys of Biggs and OutKAST to attack the Ego’s after the match
In Glen Carbon on May 22nd Illinois NWA Dynamo returned with a one on one match up between KC Karrington and OutKast. The Bum Rush Brother would earn a hard fought victory but the taste of victory would be short when Karrington blasted OuTKaSt with a chair leaving him laid out.
A month would pass before the Egos and the Bum Rush Brothers met once again on May 26th but the time away did not cool off the tension between the two. A back and forth battle that once again looked to have the Bumrush Brothers with the bragging rights but it would be an outside interference that would cost the Bum Rush Brothers the win when Karrington ultimately propelled his team toward a win by throwing baby powder—which the ring announcer tossed to him—into the eyes of Biggs
Controversy would be the talk of the night when I was in Glen Carbon IL on July 24th when the two teams were set to face each other in individual competition. Steven Kennedy was set to take on OutKaSt while Shorty Biggs was to meet KC Karrington. Word got around quickly that Shorty Biggs was not in the building due to car trouble. One wrestler who would like to remain anonymous told me that he over heard the Ego’s laughing that there was no way that Biggs car would ever get him to the building that night.
I didn’t think anything of it as I took photos of the match between Kennedy and OutkAst. In a very good match the fans were thrilled to see the Kennedy miss the Magic Bullet and win with the roll up. While the fans clapped and gave their approval, I knew it was the intermission so I hurried to get my good friend and fellow photographer a beer for helping us. I was halfway there and to my amazement or should I say disgust when I looked back to see KC Karrington enter the ring and double team OutKaSt in one of the most vicious attacks in recent memory.
Patrick Brandmeyer was on hand at High Voltage Wrestling when the Ego Express and the Bumrush Brothers once again went at it. Here is the quick play by play from Brandmeyer “K.C. Karrington was thrown out of the ring and appeared to suffer a knee injury, drawing ring announcer Wesley Cox and the referee over to check on him. This conveniently left no one to count the pin when OuTtKaSt had Steven Kennedy covered after a double-team powerbomb. Karrington turned out to be playing possum and eliminated Shorty Biggs from the equation, then tripped up KaSt as he attempted to climb the turnbuckles. The Egos finished off KaSt with a double neckbreaker and SSK got the pinfall.”
The Bum Rush Brothers are desperate to get that big win from their rivals.
Have faith Shorty and OuTkAst all you have to do is look at the 2004 American League Championship series between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. John Sterling, Yankees radio announcer before Game 4 stated “The Yankees have a stranglehold on the series and yes the Yankees even had a one run lead going into the ninth inning of that very game.
What happened was the biggest choke in the HISTORY of sports, the Red Sox would go on to not only win game number four but become the first team to ever win a series down 3-0.
There was a bittersweet ending to the story when the Red Sox would have to take on my very favorite team the St Louis Cardinals to win the 2004 MLB World Series.
Moral of the story, even the most talented and low down teams like the Yankees and the Ego Express can’t win all the time.
We caught up with the Bum Rush Brothers after their hard fought loss at High Voltage Wrestling and they had this to say to the Ego Express.
Want more of what could be the feud of the year? NWA Dynamo returns on August 28th when it will be KC Karrington going one on one with Shorty Biggs. This and much more action at NWA Dynamo Wrestling !
Editors Note: To all the Yankee fans, know that some of my very best friends are huge fans of the NY, and this article is meant as a fun rib on them. If you still feel the need to send hate mail go ahead but do not miss August 28th when Shorty Biggs attempts to bring the momentum back to his team by defeating KC Karrington.
Missouri Wrestling Revival 