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.
David Wilson – Thanks for taking the time to do this.
Gary Jay – Thanks for having me.
1- DW – How long have you been wrestling?
GJ – I have been wrestling for 13 years, I had my debut at a XWA show and wrestled twice, One of my opponents was Jordan Lacey, I lost both matches.
2 DW – Is that the night that Pierre Abernathy and Evan Gelistico also made debuts?
GJ– Yes it is.
3 DW – What actually got you into wrestling?
GJ – As a kid I was flipping through the channels and came across wrestling on TV, I watched for a while and knew this was something I wanted to do.
4 DW – Who is the biggest name in wrestling you have faced?
GJ – I would have to say probably Alex Shelley and El Generico (WWE’sSami Zayn)
5 DW – How did the Gary’s dad gimmick start?
GJ – After I became Gary The Night Owl which is the bad version of the Barn Owl, after a while Dorian started to pull me out of the Night Owl character and he called me Son and I said something about that’s my dad and it stuck from there and we ran with it.
6 DW – How did Stiff Robo Ginger come about?
GJ – One night I was watching RoboCop and needed to create a name for a website and I just kind of came up with it.
7 DW – If you could wrestle anyone living or dead who would it be?
GJ – The Undertaker, well because he is the Undertaker, and honestly Shawn Michaels for the learning experience I would get from him.
8 DW – A fellow fan Scott Woll wants to know, What happened to BOSS? Are they on hiatus or is the group no more?
GJ – I believe BOSS has served its purpose.
9 DW – Another fellow fan Tim Richbourg wants to know, With all the bumps and chair shots and the head first into the wall, are you concerned about concussions?
GJ – I am very concerned, I am also very confident in my ability and my body and feel as if I have control of my own body at all times.
10 DW – Another fellow fan Jason Cline wants to know where the Rents Due saying came from? We both love the saying.
GJ – Basically making fun of a wrestler that uses a landlord gimmick.
11 DW – What can we expect from you for the rest of 2016?
GJ – Just looking forward to the rest of the year and seeing what opportunities arise.
12 DW – When will we see you get your Anarchy Belt back?
GJ – I’m not sure, all I can say is sit back and wait and see what happens.
13DW Who are the wrestlers you like working with? and Who are you excited to work with?
GJ – I love working with Davey Vega, Mat Fitchett, Martin Stone, Davey Richards, Kyle O’Reilly and Aaron Epic. And a few I get excited to work with are Chip Day, Jimmy Rave and Eddie Kingston.
14 DW – This last question was submitted by Mikey McNeely and is several questions in one.
What kind of products do you use on your facial hair? I just use beard shampoo and conditioner.
What’s your favorite animal? Cats of course.
What’s your favorite food? Hamburgers, Fries, wings and salad. I HATE pizza.
What’s your favorite movie? Forrest Gump, Shawshank Redemption and Batman movie.
Where did you share your first kiss? I really don’t remember.
What was your favorite class in school? Probably Drama.
What is your favorite emoji? I would have to say the POOP emoji.
Which tattoo was your first? Which is your favorite? The barn owl was first. I would have to say the Me on Me is my favorite.
—————————————————————————————————————————
I just want to say Thanks to Gary for taking the time. Brian thank you for letting me do this. I hope everyone enjoys reading this. And to any promotions that see this and have never had him on your show you need to book him, you won’t be disappointed.
Jordan Lacey came out for the preshow match, but said he was frustrated to be in that position and would rather hang up the tights than be reduced to that spot. That brought out St. Louis Anarchy Heavyweight Champion Gerald James & Dorian Victor to lay the badmouth on their fellow LWA original…Lacey got fed up and challenged Gerald with the mindset of having nothing to lose. Gerald and Dorian wanted it to be more interesting and Lacey said he would never challenge for the title again if he didn’t win it. However, Dorian said that he was talking about retirement, so why not put his career on the line? That set up the night’s championship match (A title match had been advertised but no opponent had been announced.)
Gerald James(w/ Dorian Victor) vs. Gorgeous Jordan Lacey for the Heavyweight Title, best-of-three-falls match:
Lacey went old-school-ish with the robe, feather boa, and smaller tights…he even gave a few lucky(?) fans an impromptu lap dance. However, the heels went the subterfuge route in a hurry as Victor blindsided him with a chair before the bell…then Gerald ran in from the front door and quickly encouraged the referee to start the match.
James delivered a “Shadows Over Hell-Bow”(top-rope elbowdrop on a bent-over opponent) to win the first fall in 15 seconds…a few fans didn’t realize it was two-out-of-three and thought it was already over. Despite the early advantage, Lacey battled back and they brawled outside the ring, leading to the big man diving off the ledge by the building stairway!
Gary Jay was able to move just enough in time to not get killed.
He took out Gerald, Dorian, and the ringside security guards…Hardcore Andy just CAN’T catch a break these days. The match went back into the ring and Lacey caught him in the Jenna Jameson(swinging uranagi) for a clean second fall in 7:20…DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?!? Gerald fought back but couldn’t keep the challenger down in the deciding fall, so he blatantly beat him down with a chair and got disqualified in 10:11. (Okay…so the rule-enforcement seems to be a bit more arbitrary than I thought.) Gerald escaped with the title and his 25-month title reign continues…
While Jordan Lacey technically won the match, he didn’t win the title…and he acknowledged that it was his last match. Several wrestlers came out, primarily Lethal Wrestling Alliance originals like Adam Caster, Evan Gelistico, promoter Pierre Abernathy, and The Viking War Party. They noted that Lacey has made a lot of contributions behind the scenes in both the LWA and SLA, even dating back to when several of the local-based wrestlers got started. Lacey got a great ovation for his retirement…he flew under the radar compared to his contemporaries who traveled outside of the area, but he was a solid guy with an entertaining character(particularly in his “Gorgeous” days). All the best to Jordan Lacey and his family…thank you!
It is a pleasure to have with us today pro wrestler and owner of St. Louis Anarchy Matt Jackson, better known to wrestling fans as Pierre Abernathy. Since his debut in 2003, Pierre has made an impact in the wrestling scene in many aspects of the wrestling business. Pierre, thank you for taking the time to speaking with us at Missouri Wrestling Revival
Pierre: No problem, thanks for having me.
MWR: What was your first memories of pro wrestling and who did you look up to growing up?
Pierre: The first pro wrestling event I can remember watching live was WrestleMania VI with Hogan vs. Warrior.
I was a huge Hogan fan so when he lost that sucked for me. I can remember going to the STL arena watching all the WWF live shows and I was at the only show WWF did at the old Busch Stadium, so that was cool.
MWR: The first opportunity that I got to see you in action was in Lawrence, Kansas for NWA Central States Wrestling as you and Gary Jay lost a three way to Nick Tyson on September 30, 2006. At that point you had been wrestling a little over than three years. How did you get your start in pro wrestling and who were the most helpful in your success?
Pierre: I first got my start when I met Jordan Lacey, he bought a ring and we were going to train in it. The issue was that he didn’t have the training to train us and to his credit he knew that. Most guys would NEVER admit that they had no business training people but he did. We later met Adam Raw and Nick Tyson and they did our training.
Adam Raw- Photo Michael Van Hoogstratt
From there they started the LWA and we worked there and branched into Gateway Championship Wrestling. Unlike most guys, our trainers did not travel, so we didn’t have a lot of help getting out of town shots. It was Matt Sydal and Delirious who taught us in a 12-hour seminar that we needed to get in a car and get out of STL and make résumés and start sending them out and do seminars all over and that is what we did.
MWR: What early match that you had gave you the confidence to succeed as a pro wrestler?
Pierre: Honestly I can’t think of one match. I always had confidence in my promo work more than my wrestling at the start. I think if I had to pick a break out match, I had a three-way match with Gary and Dorian Victor kind of early on that I liked. Plus, working Gary every weekend in a new state we could feel ourselves growing as wrestlers every week.
MWR: You would be part of the group that would spearhead The Lethal Wrestling Alliance. Who else were involved and what is the legacy of that promotion?
Pierre: Honestly I didn’t have anything to do with the start of LWA. LWA was started by Adam Raw and Jordan Taylor. When Jordan went into the Navy it went into the committee of five guys: Adam Raw, Nick Tyson, Frank Cashion, Mike D and Tim P ( I don’t want to butcher the spelling of their last names).
Jordan Lacey has been a part of the most brutal matches in the modern era of STL wrestling. Here he wars it out against the former MWR Future Star winner Alex Rudolph.
So Tyson was supposed to write the shows and book the talent but he wasn’t doing it, so I would in the background write the shows and send them with him to meetings and no one would know about it and he would get the credit. Fast forward a few years, he was going to quit, so Raw was kind of freaking out thinking he would have to write the shows all himself. I had to tell him I was really doing it all this time, which shocked him and so then I started writing and booking talent from there. Years later when the others quit, it became myself, Raw and Jordan Lacey. In the end of LWA, it was just me and Jordan Lacey.
Many of the top rising stars int the sport has made their way to SLA.
MWR: Fans at LWA were blessed to enjoy some great matches featuring local talent against many of the top stars in the world. Not too long ago, Austin Aries was the TNA World Champion, Davey Richards was a Ring of Honor World Champion and most recently one half of the TNA Tag Team Champions with Eddie Edwards, and Samoa Joe is quite possibly the most talked about free agent in the world today, but they all entered the squared circle at LWA.
These matches along with other stars including Delirious, Mike Quackenbush and The Motor Machine Guns against LWA homegrown talents are featured on the DVD US vs. Them (click here to purchase). What memories stand out about this historic matches at LWA?
Pierre: There are tons of thoughts I have about that. The two big ones being the first “name talent” we ever used was Alex Shelley and our fans hated him with a passion because he was facing their guy in Nick Tyson and when Tyson tapped him out the legit emotion that came after is what this business is about to me: real emotion. The Second was Samoa Joe: A lot of people were saying behind my back (but I hear everything) that I was making a big mistake putting Dorian in that match and not Adam Raw, and to be honest at that time Raw was a better wrestler than Dorian—hell, Dorian was only a few years in, I think. However, Dorian grew from that match and it taught him how to step up… That’s my job: I have to force you to go outside of your comfort zone and step up to the plate, because if you can’t I need to know that before you fall on your face in maybe a way bigger situation. That night Dorian stepped up and grew from it.
MWR: You are a member of the famed Submission Squad with. Time has shown that you guys are among the most entertaining tag teams in the country, but early on in your career you teamed up with Evan Gelistico against Davey Vega and Gary the Barn Owl to showcase LWA for Chikara’s King of Trios 2009. In a weekend filled with top Indy wrestling stars like Bryan Danielson (Future WWE Champion Daniel Bryan), Austin Aries, and El Generico (WWE’SSami Zayn) , the match would receive chants of “DON’T COME BACK!” Many men after that night may have given up, but it only shows how much heart that the four of you had, during that time. Many people snickered and counted you out, but you guys have had the last laugh by becoming among the most traveled talents in the country. Looking back what went wrong, what could you have done different and what advice would you have for a young wrestler that would experience such a situation?
Pierre: I would say that you cannot let what people say bother you. When that happened to be honest it didn’t bother me, it did more the other guys for different reasons. Vega because he lacked confidence anyway so that almost killed him, Gary because the ECW arena was his dream and we just got booed out of it and Evan because he loved the idea of working Chikara. I am telling the God’s honest truth that it didn’t bother me because I was expecting it the whole time. Here you have the biggest weekend of the Chikara calendar with legit stars from all over the world and then you have four dudes from a company in Missouri that none of them knew.. How were they supposed to treat us? Plus, we did ourselves zero favors because of the way we worked the match. We are known for our personalities and we showed zero of it and that is what sucked. However we made a lot of money after that match because people wanted to see if either A) we really sucked or B) they knew we didn’t and wanted to bring us out. So I would do it all again, plus we went back there in 2014 and killed it, so it came full circle for us.
MWR: As I mentioned you have traveled around the country, including Canada. What has been your personal favorite places to wrestle and why?
Pierre: I love most every trip but I’ll pick one place and say ACW in Texas. Texas was like my second home for many years and I love the fans and friends I made there. Some of my favorite memories came from hangouts I had in Texas.
MWR: For seven years the LWA was known for an alternative style of wrestling that combined strong style, hardcore, comedy and good times for the fans, but a new day came that saw you announce the merging with the Texas based promotion known as Anarchy Championship Wrestling (ACW). That decision has allowed the fans to see many of the top stars of the Texas area make their way to the Midwest, while giving the young stars in this area to grow by challenging themselves against other top talents that may not have a chance to work with. In your eyes, who have taken advantage of working in the land of Anarchy and who are some of the top young stars that fans should have their eyes on for the future?
Pierre: Since we started Anarchy, we have seen ACH become a top star in the USA and I won’t do what a lot of others do and try and take credit for that man’s success. His success has helped us grow, so thank you to him.
Gary Jay and Davey Vega are in my opinion the two top guys in the area and they prove that every time they work in a ring. The fact neither of them are under a contract is a shame. The Hooligans are guys you have seen grow in Anarchy. Christian Rose has been tearing it up other places for a while but our fans are finally seeing how good he is. Two guys who I think could be the next 2 big stars are Jo Jo Bravo and Mat Fitchett. Jo Jo has gotten really good really fast and it’s up to Fitchett how far he wants to go. He has been ready for a long time now. One guy to watch I think is Everett Connor; I call him my new project because he is a good kid with potential.
The only guy who I think may be worse now than he was when we started SLA is Evan Gelistico… [sarcasm]
MWR: The Submission Squad was ranked number 12 in 2011 in the MWR’S top 30 tag teams during the MWR years. Four years later, the SS is still running strong, even capturing the Metro Pro Wrestling Tag Team titles recently as the Commission.
Because LWA and later SLA did not have tag belts along with the outside travel, it may have hurt your rankings in the poll. That year a team that you guys know very well the Hooligans were ranked number one, and are currently the St. Louis Anarchy tag team Champions. What has made the Hooligans and the Submission Squad such a great rivalry?
Pierre: We just have good chemistry and we strive to do the same thing and that’s have a great match. We clicked since the first match we had at an IHW show in Dupo IL.
At one time we worked with the Hooligans at least once a weekend for like five months in a row, I think… Plus those guys love tag team wrestling as much as we do so it’s easy, The Hooligans are amazing talents.
MWR: SLA has recently been the home of double shot weekends in Alton, Illinois. You have promoted events for years, what are the advantages and disadvantages of having back to back events?
Pierre: Well it doubles the stress. I mean we have only done two, so I really do not know yet. I’ll say the advantage is for the fans as they will get 2 events a weekend instead of 1. As we keep going with this I am sure more advantages and disadvantages will come clear.
MWR: St. Louis Anarchy events have always been a can’t-miss show as talents around the world have been in action during each of your events. Men like Kyle O’Reilly, Michael Elgin, Chris Hero, the Young Bucks, Davey Richards, Akira Tozawa, and TJ Perkins have all appeared in the past. Who would you like to see that has not appeared yet?
Pierre: We used him in LWA but I really want to bring our fans Alex Shelley as he was supposed to work a show but got hurt. I am hoping to bring some more guys from overseas in. To be honest we will always use that name talent that people have come to think about when thinking of SLA but I am wanting to use more guys who are great but not maybe as well known…. Like there are Gary Jays and Davey Vegas all over the USA who are great but just can’t get breaks and I want to give them their breaks because you never know who could be the next ACH that you just are overlooking.
MWR: On August the 21st and 22nd, Circus Maximus 2015, an event what many fans say is THE event of the year for SLA? Circus Maximus has always delivered with a great mix of national talent as well as the top rising stars around the country. I am going to do a rundown of this years’ SLA talent pool for the double shot weekend and I would like for you to give your thoughts on them. We will start off with the current SLA Champion Gary Jay.
Pierre: Hardest working man in Anarchy, he tears down the house every time and then is the first person to lead people in tearing down the ring. He gives his all to the company and should be getting more chances outside it.
MWR: Tommaso Ciampa
Pierre: I’m looking forward to seeing him in SLA. He’s a tough dude so guys will have their hands full with him.
MWR: Davey Vega
Pierre: The “Ace of Anarchy” isn’t just a nickname, it is who Vega has become. He went from a guy who would legit vomit before a match to a guy who I know will always have one of the best matches on the show. He’s the man.
MWR: Mat Fitchett
Pierre: The Dirty Rook could be a star if he is able to really hit the road and do it. Sometimes though real life things are more important but he’s an awesome talent.
MWR: Jonathan Gresham
Pierre: He won’t be at Circus Maximus, but he’s an amazing hold for hold wrestler who stole the weekend at Gateway to Anarchy.
MWR: Jo Jo Bravo
Pierre: One of the top up and comers in Anarchy. He has held his own with some of the best in the world.
MWR: Christian Rose
Pierre: Great talker and wrestler and our fans are getting to finally see that. Plus, behind the curtain I love talking good and–even better–shitty wrestling with Rose more than maybe anybody.
MWR: Matt Cage
Pierre: He’s a lot like Rose in that he has been tearing it up other places and our fans will finally get to see more of that in Anarchy.
MWR: Angelus Lane
Pierre: The 1st lady of Anarchy. I am very proud of Layne. She has grown by leaps and bounds as a wrestler and she improves every event we have.
MWR: Viking War Party
Pierre: Going to have to buy me chairs if they keep breaking them. Both guys are awesome. Alex I have known since before he started, I am happy every time I see them work and get better and better.
MWR: Ricky Starks
Pierre: Big deal in Texas and I think he can do the same here so keep your eyes on him as I think he is going to do well.
MWR: The Cause: Mr. Gelistico, Mr. Raw, Mr. Adams, Mr. Everett
Pierre: We will have to see.
MWR: Zakk Sawyers
Pierre: The 2014 Anarchy Rookie of the year. He’s not a rookie but was in Anarchy and he stepped up huge. A hard worker in and out of the ring and really appreciates his spot on the roster and he earns it.
MWR: Mikey McFinnigan
Pierre: Kinda just starting to see what he can do. He will do well in Anarchy, he’s very entertaining.
MWR: Jeremy Wyatt
Pierre: The best LWA champion of all time. Jeremy is one of my favorite wrestlers and is a pure class act to deal with outside the ring. Jeremy makes no bones about his wrestling days coming to an end and I’ll be sad to see him go, but he’s a guy who will leave better than he came in and how many guys can honestly say that. He’s always done anything I asked him to do and I don’t think Jeremy knows how much I respect him and appreciate his run with the LWA title.
MWR: Steve O Reno
Pierre: Honestly, I worked him in ACW and I knew he was good. Other than that I have only seen his two matches in SLA and that is it. I think he is very entertaining and he can wrestle, too, so I think big things are on the horizon for him.
MWR: Bolt Brady
Pierre: I think his change in attitude will be good for him in SLA. I like making people do stuff they may not be used to doing. Bolt is a pro and will do great. He’s getting a lot of miles under him too which is awesome. I like Bolt a lot.
MWR: PACO
Pierre: In SLA, he became a star in one weekend. Taking Trik Davis to the limit and taking a hellish beating from Gary Jay. I think Paco is a hungry kid who will do big things.
MWR: Pierre, Thank you so much for joining us today, it is always a treat to get to speak with you. How can fans follow you and the world of St. Louis Anarchy?
Pierre: I am on Facebook under Pierre Abernathy and Twitter is @PierreAbernathy. You can like SLA on Facebook at Saint Louis Anarchy and on Twitter @stlanarchy. Thanks for the time!
Saint Louis Anarchy presents Circus Maximus 2015
Stage One: Friday August 21st Stage Two: Saturday August 22nd
Live from Spaulding Hall Club in Alton IL (402 E 4th Street)
Doors Open at 6:30pm, Shows Start at 7:00pm
Tickets (PER NIGHT):
Front row: $15, Second Row. $12. General Admission. $10 in advance all tickets are $15 at the door
$1 BEER, FULL BAR AND FOOD. Please do not record show or stand on chairs
Also special guest musicians Mental Fixation (Stage 2 only)
STAGE ONE MATCHES SIGNED:
Main Event Trios Action: Team Anarchy: Davey Vega, Mat Fitchett, Angleus Layne vs. Team BOSS w/Dorian Victor and Greg Jovi: Gary Jay, Christian Rose, Jeremy Wyatt
Tag Team Titles on the Line: The Hooligans (c) vs. The Cause (Mr. Adams, Mr. Everett)
Zakk Sawyers vs. Tommaso Ciampa
Grudge Match: Alex Castle vs. Matt Cage
Jo Jo Bravo vs. PACO
Steve O Reno vs. Mikey Mcfinnigan
BOSS vs. Anarchy: Bolt Brady w/Greg Jovi vs. Ricky Starks
STAGE TWO MATCHES SIGNED:
Saint Louis Anarchy Championship Match (NO TIME LIMIT) Gary Jay (c)w/Dorian Victor vs. “Ace of Anarchy” Davey Vega
Mat Fitchett vs. Former ECW/WWE Star LITTLE GUDIO
Christian Rose vs. Tommaso Ciampa
Matt Cage vs. Zakk Sawyers
Sugar Dunkerton vs. Steve O Reno
TALENT SIGNED FOR CM WEEKEND:
Saint Louis Anarchy Champion: Gary Jay
Saint Louis Anarchy Tag Champions: The Hooligans
Davey Vega
Mat Fitchett
Tommaso Ciampa
Jo Jo Bravo
Christian Rose
Matt Cage
Angelus Layne
Viking War Party
Sugar Dunkerton
Ricky Starks
The Cause: Mr. Gelistico, Mr. Raw, Mr. Adams, Mr. Everett
Zakk Sawyers
Mikey Mcfinnigan
Jeremy Wyatt
Steve O Reno
Bolt Brady (stage one)
PACO (stage one)
Donovan Danhausen
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
Pro wrestling returns to Granite City with a bang when Pro Wrestling Championship Series presents its debut event, “Stage One” live from the Tri-City YMCA in Granite City, IL on May 31!
The Pro Wrestling Championship Series is an all new promotion with a large focus on factions and teams of wrestlers. Each win/loss in a PWCS contest will count towards that faction’s overall record. At the end of the 2014 season, PWCS will hold its “Championship Spectacular,” in which the main event will feature the two factions with the best records squaring off in a huge elimination contest to crown the 2014 PWCS Champions!
Our inaugural card “Stage One” is set to be a huge night of action that will set the bar high for future PWCS events! Tickets will be $12 the night of the event, but you can reserve your tickets now for only $10 via Facebook message or by email at PWCSWrestling@gmail.com so reserve your’s today!
*****Stage One*****
Gary Jay (Ego Busters) vs. Steven Kennedy (The Resurgence)
Jordan Lacey (Ego Busters) vs. Bolt Brady (The Resurgence)
Dan Walsh (Ego Busters) vs. Billy McNeil (The Resurgence)
Christian Rose & Outtkast (The Blacklist) vs. Pierre Abernathy & Evan Gellistico (Team Anarchy)
JoJo Bravo ( Blacklist) vs. Mat Fitchett (Team Anarchy)
Main Event: Makaze (The Blacklist) vs. “The Ace Of Anarchy” Davey Vega (Team Anarchy)
*Card Subject To Change*
Before and after the event be sure to check out our official sponsor the River’s Edge Sports bar and grill! Before the event stop in for great daily food and drink specials. After the event, make sure to visit the River’s Edge Sports Bar & Grill for the OFFICIAL PWCS AFTER PARTY! The River’s Edge Sports Bar & Grill is literally less than a minute down the road from the event venue so let’s pack the bar for the official after party were there will be cold beer, delicious food, and good times with the PWCS athletes!
Hey there, Dubray Tallman here presenting the Third Annual MWR Sexiest Male in Wrestling Award.
In previous years we have had the great pleasure of giving the close to three foot tall trophy to Bailey Mannix and MsChif. This year it’s the guys turn to flaunt their stuff…
Below you will find a slideshow and then a poll, enjoy the scenery and then place your vote for the sexiest male…
Voting Polls begin Feb 4th and ends at 7:00 p.m. Feb 13th…The winner will be announced Valentine’s Day, Feb 14th…
Editor’s note: ST Louis Anarchy can be hard hitting and very violent at times. Their shows are not for the weak of heart and the language can be extreme at times at the shows and in their videos so don’t watch if you are easily offended. With that said, for the fans that have asked us to include this red hot promotion to our site. You now get your wish.
By Brian Kelley
Missouri Wrestling Revival is excited to announce that St Louis Anarchy will be covered on this very site starting 2012 as they will be our 15th promotion in our family.
I had the chance to sit down with the head of the STL Anarchy office to discuss where Anarchy has been and what MWR fans should expect when they come to one of their shows or purchase one of their DVD’S through SmartMarkvideo.com.
First off let me say thank you for joining MWR today as we try to catch up with the exciting wrestling history of ST Louis Anarchy Pro Wrestling.
SLA- We are happy to be a part of your growing website. Thanks for having us.
MWR– The fans at MWR will recognize many of the stars of Anarchy such as The Hooligans, the Submission Squad, Shorty Biggs and Evan Gelistico but your promotion is filled with a stacked roster from Anarchy Championship Wrestling of Austin, Texas, as well as many of the top stars of ROH including the current Ring of Honor World Champion Davey Richards. The Anarchy wrestling brand is stationed out of Missouri, Illinois, and Texas through our affiliate company, Anarchy Championship Wrestling (ACW). Please let the fans know more about the history of SLA and what we have missed as we hope to catch up with rivalries in the past of your company and the key players that have made an impact at SLA.
SLA– Well when we were the Lethal Wrestling Alliance a group of our guys would travel down to Austin for ACW and every now and then a group of them would come and wrestle for us. The passion of both the offices was the same it was to take wrestling from being looked at as “boring” or “lame” and let more people see what we provide which is extremely fun and well worth the price of the ticket. We offer our fans way more than $10 worth of action in Saint Louis as well as Texas. We are about passion and not leaving fans feeling cheated out of their money. Speaking for Saint Louis I feel our stories and in ring action is really second to none. This past year we saw Evan Gelistico and Dan Walsh in a very passionate and bloody battle for the SLA title that saw Walsh become a main event star when he ended Gelisticos 17 month reign dating back to when he was LWA champion. Dingo returned to Saint Louis to battle his student match Fitchett a feud that started as a friendly rivalry and turned very personal leading the bloodiest match I can remember at Yuletide Terror. Davey Vega went from ½ of a tag team to a legit guy on the Indy’s have five star matches with Davey Richards, Johnny Gargano and Kyle O’ Reilly. Gerlard James and ACH have been at each other’s throats for the whole year and that feud will come to a head on January 15th in Austin Texas. Those are the main things going on there’s so much more but I would be talking all day.
MWR– St Louis Wrestling Anarchy returns to action on February 25th in in Granite City Illinois with “Gateway to DANarchy” at the Rivers Edge Complex. New Saint Louis Anarchy champion Dan Walsh will defend the title against Darin Corbin, formerly one half of the 2008 MWR Tag Team of the Year, the Northstar Express. Corbin teamed up with Robert Evans to upset (Team Ambition) Davey Richards & Kyle O’Reilly in tag action.
Rookie sensation Mat Fitchett and Davey Vega look to defeat Davey Richards and Kyle O’Riley to continue Richards and O’Riley’s losing streak at Anarchy. Even with the talent of Fitchett and Vega, that should be easier said than done as Richards and O’Riley hate to lose.
Both of these two matches should be hard hitting, for sure and are easily worth the price of admission. How do you see Corbin’ strategy as he chases his biggest singles title in his career since he last won the IWA MID-SOUTH title during their glory days on January 21, 2006 against mentor Arik Cannon?
SLA– Darin Corbin is a guy who gets tight casted as a comedy act or a sidekick when really he is a great in ring competitor. All of 2011 Corbin has stepped up to show SLA fans that he is the real deal and I am very proud of what he’s done this past year. Walsh went through hell to win that belt and he isnt going to let it go because Corbin had a great 2011. Corbin has the road miles and experience on Dan but I dont think he can out brawl him. I think its going to come down to who can throw who off there game plan.
MWR – We mentioned the stars that are fans at MWR are familiar with but for a moment let’s take the time to shed light on the stars from Anarchy in Texas and beyond that have not been featured at MWR in the past.
First off the ACW Champion, ACH and what is the history of the ACW title and who did ACH defeat for the title?
SLA- The ACW title has a very rich history. Some of the very best pro wrestlers in the world have held that title. From Jerry Lynn to Jimmy Jacobs to Showtime Scott Summers. ACH won the title by winning the 2011 Lone Star Classic. He won the finals by pinning JT Lamotta. However Gerald James attacked him and took the title and trophy from him which is why they will meet at ACWs flagship event Guily by Assocation 6.
MWR– Rachel Summerlyn.
SLA– Rachel is one of the best wrestlers on our roster. See how I said wrestlers and not “female” wrestler. Yes Rachel is a female but inside the ring she will knock you out rather you are a man or a woman. We dont put labels on people when you are in Anarchy you are a wrestler plain and simple.
MWR– Khris Wolfe.
SLA- Wolfe is a student of the Necro Butcher and really came into his own in 2011. He has some killer strikes and a variety of suplexes. He also is not afraid of the “death match” game winning several of them is his career. One of the most under rated guys in Anarchy.
MWR– TJ Perkins.
SLA – Feb. 25th will be his first time that Perkins is coming to the world of Anarchy. Perkins is one of the best well rounded wrestlers in the world and I am excited to see him in Anarchy.
MWR– Robert Evans
SLA– The King of Monarchy. Evans is one of the most entertaining guys I have ever seen preform. He is a former ACW heavyweight and U-30 Champion. Evans ring entrance is worth the $10 ticket alone. If you dont believe me just ask his legion of fans in Austin Texas.
MWR Darin Childs
SLA– Darin outside the ring is the main reason that there is a Saint Louis Anarchy. His passion and drive for ACW is a lot of the reason we asked about doing this in Saint Louis. As far is in the ring this is a guy who dropped over 100lbs and is a former ACW Champion. He competed with Davey Vega in a no rope barb wire match that was just awsome.
MWR– ACH
SLA– ACH is flat out amazing. He can do things in the ring that no one else can do and it made him one of the most popular wrestlers in Saint Louis. This is a guy who is going to take the world by storm sooner than later.
MWR Scot Summers
SLA– Summers is a icon in Texas. He has won every title and tournament there is to win. His matches with Jerry Lynn were classics and he is a corner stone to Anarchy.
MWR– How many shows doe SLA look to run in 2011 and what venues and areas will MWR fans be able to catch all the stars in action?
SLA– Right now we are looking at doing 6 shows a year. We hope to keep Granite City our home for 2012. We had great success in 2011 and if there becomes a demand for more shows we will do more. Fans if you want to see more shows you let us know..
MWR– Now let’s play a game where I say a name and you answer with one word that best describes them at SLA.
MWR Evan Gelistico
SLA– MVP
MWR- Gary Jay
SLA – Underated
MWR- JT Lamotta
SLA- Smart
MWR– Lillie Mae
SLA– Heart
MWR- Athena
SLA- Awesome
Jordan Lacey – DANCE DANCE DANCE
MWR– Jordan Lacey
SLA– Great Dancer
Dingo works over Mat Fitchett.
MWR-Dingo
SLA– Legend
MWR– Davey Vega
SLA– Ace
MWR-The Hooligans
SLA– Hard Hitting (2 words I know)
MWR– Mat Fitchett
SLA– Star
MWR– Fans can purchase past shows on DVD at Smartmarkvideo.com, if a fan was to purchase one St Louis Anarchy DVD, which one would you recommend them to choose from?
MWR– We would like to thank you for joining us today and we are thrilled to add SLA to our coverage area in 2012. MWR fans can purchase tickets now for you’r must see show on February 25th as Darin Corbin challenges new Saint Louis Anarchy champion Dan Walsh and much more.
Saint Louis Anarchy Presents: Gateway to DANarachy
Saturday Night February 25th
Rivers Edge Complex in Granite City IL
Doors Open at 6:30pm, Net Tapings are at 6:45pm
Tickets are: $10 advance and $15 front row by calling 314-616-7981
ONLY 200 SEATS AVALIABLE
College guys and girls with valid ID are $5 and event is BYOB
Years Wrestling:5 Trained by: Dingo First match: Vs. El Uno Loco, Mid America Xtreme (MAX) Wrestling Finishing maneuver: The Cunning Stunt
Date, place and who you beat to become LWA Champ: June 20,2009 O’Fallon IL Knights of Columbus, Jeremy Wyatt
Brian Kelley:I am joined today with the current LWA Champion KC Karrington. In less than a year KC has transformed himself from one half of the top tag team in St Louis, The Ego Express with his tag team partner Steven Kennedy to reigning LWA Champion.
KC thank you for joining us today.
KC Karrington Any time, thanks for having me.
1) How did you get into the sport?
KC Karrington: I’ve got to admit, I got into the business through sheer dumb luck. More or less, being in the right place at the right time. I was attending a Gateway Championship Wrestling show, merely as a fan. During intermission, I got to talking to the woman sitting next to me, and she started telling me that her son was a year younger than I was, sixteen at the time, and that he was training at a new promotion called Mid America Xtreme in Alton, IL. I was living in Edwardsville at the time, which is about thirty minutes from Alton. My main issues that kept me from really pursuing training were my age and the fact that to train with Gateway I would have to drive to Missouri every week. Not having a job and being in school five days of the week, it really wasn’t an option. So, even though my main goal was to get to GCW, I decided that getting trained at MAX would have to do for the time being. She talked to me for a while, introduced me to the trainer, and I started attending regularly. I would say that I learned the bare basics at MAX. I wrestled under a different name, copied my idol, Ric Flair, verbatim, and really stunk up the place. On a brighter note, MAX was where I first teamed with Steven Kennedy, and we really became good friends. Long story short, the company folded, and after a lot of prodding and nudging, Kennedy got me to come to the GCW school. I basically had to be re-programmed, because I was put in the ring WAY too early at MAX. I may have learned my basics from the MAX trainer, but Dingo taught me how to be a professional wrestler.
2) In a very young age you have been able top make an impact, what have been the keys to your success?
KC Karrington: I credit the success I do have to the people that have trained me, and have helped me become confident in my wrestling. I honestly owe everything I’ve done professionally to Dingo, SSK, Sadie Blaze, Evil Jim, Shorty Biggs. They have all helped me, encouraged me, and told me when something flat out sucked. I respect everyone of them more than they’ll ever know. On a personal note, I have a younger brother and sister who are everything to me. The feeling I get when they come to the shows and I see them sitting in the crowd cheering me on……that’s what it’s all about. They are my biggest fans, and they are what keep me going.
3) Lets start out with your time with tag team partner and good friend Steven Kennedy, collectively the two of you are the Ego Express. I have to say that you are one of the most exciting and entertaining tag teams that I have seen in the MWR coverage area. How did that tag team come to be?
KC Karrington: “He’s making a peak hour call!!!”……..Sorry, kind of an inside joke. It all started at MAX. As I mentioned, I was nowhere near ready to be in the ring, and they more or less told me to go to the ring and be Ric Flair. I didn’t know how to be me when I was in the ring. Then, I was put into a faction with SSK and the rest is history. Through working with him, I really got comfortable in front of a crowd, and we just really went out and did what we wanted to do. The best part was, it was fun and it got over. After MAX went under, I really had no interest in wrestling anywhere else, because I knew that I didn’t know what I was doing. God, it seemed like at least once a week SSK would call me and say, “So, are you gonna come train at Gateway or what?”. I put it off for a while, but, as anybody that knows him can attest to, Kennedy can be very persuasive. When they really felt I was properly trained, I made my GCW debut and SSK and I tagged with each other regularly. We won the GCW Tag Team Championships together twice, and that is one of my top achievements. We were the bad guys at the time, and we just went to the ring and did as much as we possibly could to piss everybody off. The crowd hated us….but they loved to hate us. That’s why it was so easy for us to be more fan friendly. Something that The Ego Express has in it’s favor that not a lot of tag teams in the area have, is that we interact with each other the exact same way inside the ring as we do outside the ring. We play off of each other and make each other crack up constantly. Not many tag teams on the indy scene that I know of go get “wingy” and then catch a movie. I think of the guy like the big brother I never had, and I really do look up to him.
4) The Ego Express have went up with some of the top tag teams in the Midwest, if MWR were to put out a BEST OF THE EGO EXPRESS. What would some of the match listing look like?
KC Karrington: Very first match on that list would be the TLC match we had in LWA with Dingo and Davey Vega for the LWA Tag Titles. Being out there with two men that I hold in the highest regard, and absolutely tearing the house down is something that I really enjoyed. Our soap opera saga that we went through with Vega and Johnny Vinyl would be right behind that. Our two matches in NWA : Dynamo Pro with The LONR’s (Mark Sterling & Darrien Sanders) as well. I learn more wrestling with Sterling than just about anybody else that I’ve ever stepped into the ring with. When we first started in Gateway, we had some really good matches with Sean Vincent and Rebecca Raze that I enjoyed very much. Of course, working with the North Star Express was a feather in our collective cap. Those two have been all over, and are one of the best teams in the country. I feel like we were able to hang well with them. Recently, we had a match with Mark Sterling and Jeremy Wyatt that I was very proud of. Like Sterling, I feel like I grow as a wrestler everytime I get to step into the ring with Wyatt. Of course, I can’t chew for a few days, but I enjoy it for some reason.
KC Karrington and his tag team partner and good friend Steven Kennedy gives respect to Darin Corbin and Ryan Cruz of the Northstar Express after a hard fought battle that the LWA Fans loved. (Photo Credit Michael R Van Hoogstraat)
5) I have to admit that I am a big fan of good tag team wrestling. I would love to see the Ego Express travel to 3XW to take on the tag team The Gentleman’s Club of Mark Sterling and Gage Octane or go head to head Barrio BoysDomino Rivera and Angel Medina in Kansas. Is there any tag team that you would like to test your skills against?
KC Karrington: The Bario Boys are definitely on that list. I’ve only gotten to see them a few times, but I’ve got to say that I was impressed. The Hooligans are another tag team that I have seen a few times, and I’d like to see how Kennedy and I would do against them. Plus, they seem to enjoy beating the snot out of the Submission Squad, which I am always a fan of.
6) When one talks about the history of the Ego Express and KC Karrington we can not have a conversation without talking about your former manager, as conniving as she is beautiful Tiffany LeFane. In one of the most shocking moments that I can recall she turned on you at the 2008 Circus Maximus, by throwing a fireball and taking the side of the Submission Squad. I feel that she is one of the top managers in the Midwest but one could argue that you have found more success without her in your corner. Would you say it would be fair to say that you were able to use her turn on you as motivation?
KC Karrington: Her turning on me is something that made me step up my game. After eveything that she and Vega did to me at Circus Maximus, (the blood, the fire, the betrayal), I feel like I had to evolve. But at the same time, I feel like the fans began to take me a lot more seriously. They recognized that I wasn’t the young kid that I started out as. I had grown, and I had been through a damn war and made it out alive. As far as Tiffany goes…….let’s face it, there is not a person that she has managed that hasn’t been successful. Let’s look at the list here. Ego Express : Multi-time GCW Tag Champs, LWA Tag Champs, SSK is the Medallion of Whatchimacallit (I can never remember) holder, and I currently hold the LWA Championship. Davey Vega : Medallion of Bandanas holder, somebody whom I have NEVER beaten in an LWA ring, and soon faces Dingo for the NWA Missouri State Championship. Gary the Nightowl has a shot at my LWA Championship soon. Tiffany knows what she is doing out there. As much as she has put me through, I believe she IS the top manager in the mid-west.
Don’t let Tiffany Lefane great legs distract you, because she is one the great manipulators in the sport. She now leads former fan favorite Gary the Barn Owl into action. (Photo Credit Brian “Flair” Kelley)
7) Lets turn our focus to singles action. Looking back, Jeremy Wyatt had been the Kingpin and the 2008 MWR Wrestler of the year throughout the Midwest by beating top notch talent in Tyler Black, “The Future” Donovan Ruddick, Abu Colussus, Davey Richards and Jordan Lacey. How were you able to overcome the intensity of Wyatt where so many others have failed?
KC Karrington: You know, I’ve asked myself the same question. I don’t think that I would be holding the LWA Championship without the fans on my side. The night I won the title, the thing I remember most was the reaction that the fans gave me when I stepped through the curtain. That still gives me goosebumps. When Wyatt gave me repeated forearms to the jaw, chops to the chest, and those stiff kicks he can throw, hearing the fans rallying behind me gave me that will to fight on. I would love to say that I won that belt because I am better than Wyatt, but I’m not going to say that. Jeremy Wyatt may not be a fan favorite to put it lightly, but he is probably the best in the mid-west. I respect him more than almost anybody else in the locker room.
Karrington threw caution to the wind to become the LWA Champion by beating the man very few have had wins against in the past two years “The Rebel” Jeremy Wyatt. (Photo Credit Brian “Flair” Kelley)
8) On June 20th, 2009 you shocked wrestling fans by becoming the man to end Wyatt’ title reign. Your good friend Steven Kennedy came into the ring to congratulate you while the LWA locker room came ringside for a standing ovation. Explain to the fans in words what that moment was like.
KC Karrington: Accomplished. I felt like I had really proved all the doubters wrong. All the people when I first started telling me that I could never be anything because of my size…..I had always let that sit in the back of my head. I’ve been trying to prove them wrong for the last five years. Hearing the LWA fans in O’Fallon, seeing my family in the crowd, and having Kennedy, Shorty Biggs, Adam Rich, people I think of like brothers, in the ring with me to share that moment. I don’t think that that moment could have been any better.
The LWA locker room salutes the New Champ (Photo Credit Brian “Flair” Kelley)
9) One competitor who has quietly making waves is your former partner Kennedy. He is the current LWA Medallion of Brutality holder by defeating Gary J who was accompanied by Tiffany Lefane the same night that you won the LWA Title and has been impressive in the past few months including a big match Jeremy Wyatt, Brandon Espinosa & Dash Rando in a four-way no-DQ match. It may not be soon but how would you feel if Kennedy was granted a shot?
Kc Karringotn proved that he was for real when he defeated Wyatt in a rematch for the LWA title on July 25 in House Springs. . Karrington had to display a lot of heart and guts as the Rebel was even more nastier than ever. (Photo Credit Brian “Flair” Kelley)
KC Karrington: You know, that’s something that’s crossed my mind quite a bit. Kennedy and I joke all the time about who is the Shawn Michaels of our tag team and who is the Marty Jannetty. Luckily, we’ve never been inside of a barber shop. Seriously, though, I would give SSK a title shot any time and any where. He is ridiculously talented, and he and I think so much alike, it would probably be as close as I could get to wrestling myself.
Steven Kennedy quietly has been red hot this past summer including a big win against Brandon Espinosa. (Photo Credit Brian “Flair” Kelley)
10) Who do you feel in the coming months present your biggest challenge for the LWA title going forward?
KC Karrington: As far as people who have yet to make that big splash, Davey Vega is somebody that everybody in the mid-west should keep their eyes on. I have known him since he first started, and he is an all around great wrestler. Personality, psychology, general ring presence….he has it all. We’ve wrestled more times than I can remember. He and I have been in some wars, and have tried to literally destroy each other. Hell, he tried to set me on fire! Personal feelings aside though, getting in the ring with him always brings out the best in me, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him come after my LWA Title in the near future. Mike Sydal is somebody that has come a long way in a short time. I’ve gotten to step into the ring with him in tag and singles matches, and he’s beyond talented. Brandon Aarons is another guy I’m very impressed with, and another guy that I have known since he first started training. Another person that takes pride in what he does, and I think he can make some major waves soon. Of course, the guys that have been in the game for a while are a threat and ready to strike. Kennedy, Dingo, Sterling. Any one of them coming after the championship would not surprise me. Unfortunately for me, they’re some of the best at what they do. I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t looking forward to it.
KC Once again thank you for your being a part of the MWR exclusive 10 questions with the Champ. Good luck on defending your title in the future.
KC Karrington: Again, thank you very much for having me on MWR, and for your constant support
KC Karrington defends his LWA Title in House Springs Missouri against Gary the Barn Owl
LWA Fans vote for your favorite LWA Stars in the 2009 fan poll here.
The pro wrestling season typically heats up in the Spring and into early Summer. May is a time to look at what has happened thus far in the year, and make educated predictions as to what is yet to come. On that note, the April 2009 Awards should serve as a measuring stick when playing fortune teller. Here are the winners, as voted by the MWR Awards Committee:
Simply put, a Midwest wrestling show isn’t a show without Sterling, who wrestled in eleven matches for nine companies (MWA, PWE, SCW, PWP, 3XW, AAPW, LWA, MECW, NWA Dynamo) in April. Sterling is also one half of the tag team champions at 3XW with Gage Octane (Gentelmans Club). A student of the game Sterling rarely gets outwrestled.
1st Runner Up – Jeremy Wyatt (LWA, PWP. 3XW, AAPW, PWE, DPW)
2nd Runner Up –Tyler Cook (3XW,LWA,DPW)
3rd Runner Up – Jimmy Rockwell (3XW, MECW)
Others receiving votes: Jerry Lynn, Shane Rich, Zach Thompson
April 2009 Tag Team of the Month
Zero Gravity (Brett Gakiya and CJ Esparza )
( PWE, HVW, NGW)
Zero Gravity (Brett Gakiya and CJ Esparza ) Photo Credit: Brian Kelley
Zero Gravity became the first ever PWE Tag Team Champion by defeating The Northstar Express in exciting fashion. At NGW defeated Feature Presentation proving that they are one of the top teams in the Midwest.
1st Runner up – The Gentleman’s Club ( Mark Sterling and Gage Octane) 3XW
2nd runner – The NorthStar Express (Darin Corbin and Ryan Cruz)(3XW,PWP,SCW,PWE,LWA,PWE)
3RD Runner up – (tie) Ax Stevens and ”Thunderbolt” Brandon Walker (AAPW), Money Makin Jam Boyz ( Mississippi Madman and K.C. Jackson) (AAPW, MPW)
Others who received voted: Knights of Fire (Jaysin Strife and Vic Victory), Sexy and Smooth (”The Canadian Sex Icon” Ryan Slade and A.J. Smooth), Dustin Lane and Darin Waid
April 2009 Female Wrestler of the Month
MsChif (LWA)
On April 4th MsChif defeated one of the most talented female wrestlers today Sara Del Rey at LWA. MsChif is widely considered one of the top wrestlers not the Midwest but around the World.
1st Runner Up – Rain 2ND Runner Up- Mia Martinez (3xw)
One Vote: Mike Sydal?? The crazy MWR Awards commiteee.
April 2009 Promotion of the Month
All American Pro Wrestling
(AAPW)
The quality of the AAPW show in Nashville on April 25th was possibly their best since last year. Our first time in this town, they had a paid attendance of 155. Not too shabby. The crowd was HOT. Yes, it was a bit warm in the Community Center, but not that kind of hot. The card was solid top to bottom. The crowd was so happy that The Nashville Moose Lodge, who raised $1,000 from the event, asked AAPW to set aside 4 more dates for fall and winter of 2009/2010!
1st Runner Up – MMWA-SICW
2nd Runner Up – IWA Productions
3rd Runner Up – All American Wrestling
Others receiving votes –Rampage Championship Wrestling
April 2009 Personality of the Month
Josh Ray and Brian Kelley
(Missouri Wrestling Revival)
The MWR Family
One of our awards committee members wrote, “The two main men behind MWR. They do a lot of work, research & writing to help promote independent wrestling across the Midwest. They also log tons of hours in driving time to personally attend shows and support various companies around the Midwest”
(On a personal note, although we appreciate the gesture from the MWR Awards committee, both Josh and I abstained from voting in this category out of respect to the rest of the hard working men and women in the Midwest pro wrestling scene. We would also like to include Kari Williams who is a wonderful writer and the true talent of the three of us.)
1st Runner Up- JJ Merrick
2nd Runner Up – The Mad Conservative Crimefighter 3rd Runner Up – Travis Cook
Others receiving votes: Mark Storm
April 2009 Match of the Month
Lethal Wrestling Alliance Heavyweight Title vs Career Match:
“The Rebel” Jeremy Wyatt vs Jordan Lacey
April 18, 2009 in House Springs, MO
Bodies hit the floor when Wyatt and Lacey hooks up. This picture is from the fans bring the weapons match last month in March but the LWA Faithful was not please to see the "The Belt Collector" Jeremy Wyatt retain the LWA Championship and retire fan favorite Jordan Lacey in his hometown of House Springs on April 18. (Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat )
No match could match the emotion that flowed through the building as the fans wanted the hated Wyatt to lose the belt and didn’t want the loveable Lacey to lose his career. The controversial finish had fans throwing beer into the ring, with Wyatt retaining his title and officially retiring Jordan Lacey.
1st Runner Up:
3XWrestling Cruiserweight Title Match
Part of the MWR Midwest Best Series
Jimmy Rockwell (c) vs. Mike Sydal April 17, 2009 in Des Moines, IA
2nd Runner Up:
All American Pro Wrestling
All American Pro Wrestling Tag Team Title Match The Money Makin’ Jam Boys (c) vs. Ax Stevens and “Thunderbolt” Brandon Walker
April 25, 2009 in Nashville, IL
3rd Runner Up:
All American Pro Wrestling Mike Sydal and Rebel Lucha vs. Mark Sterling and Eric Fantabulous
April 25, 2009 in Nashville, IL
Others receiving votes:
Gary Jackson vs. Phil E Blunt (MMWA-SICW ,April 11, St Louis, MO) The Prestige Rumble, (SCW/PWN Davenport Iowa) (Mississippi Madman vs. Issan Hadeev (PWE April 4, Springfield Illinois ) Jaysin Strife and Vic Victory – Arik Cannon and Ryan Cruz (PWP April 11, Council Bluffs Iowa)
Missouri Wrestling Revival 