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.
Dubray Tallman works hard meeting the fans prior to the matches to find out who their favorite wrestler is. (Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
Results thanks to Patrick Brandmeyer
Photos from Mike Van Hoogstraat
Captions from your Friendly Neighborhood MWR Editor Brian Kelley
Evan Gelistico leads Pierre Abernathy into battle.(Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
Pierre Abernathy toys with Super Castaldi XIII (Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
Pierre Abernathy tries to put Super Castaldi XIII to sleep.(Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
Super Castaldi XIII d. Pierre Abernathy(w/ Evan Gelistico) via rollup after Pierre accidentally knocked Evan off the apron.
Two of the young stars in the sport go at it as Gary J takes on Mat Fitchett.(Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
Gary J gets nailed straight in the head.(Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
Gary J is usually the man flying around the ring, here is attempts to slow down the death defying Fitchett.(Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
Love this picture, Gary J leap frogs Fitchett. (Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
Air attack from Fitchett.(Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
Power by Gary J. (Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
–Mat Fitchett d. Gary Jay with a 450 Splash
A determined Tyler Cook is ready to go.(Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
Tyler Cook uses his speed to keep from the grasps of the powerful Alexandre Rudolph(Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
Cook holds on for dear life as he tries to put the monster to sleep. (Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
Cook finds him in a bad situation.(Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
Evil Sadie Blaze keeps Tyler Cook from entering the ring in time for the 10 count thus it was a double countout. (Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
. -Tyler Cook fought Alexandre Rudolph(w/ Sadie Blaze) to a double countout.
Some love for the ref Mike Crase on this evening, after the night would be over he would need a little TLC thanks to the Ego Express. (Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
Ladies and Gentleman “Spoiled” Steven Kennedy(Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
Down goes Kennedy(Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
Kennedy shows Gary J that he can leap as well. (Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
Kennedy can not believe that he was unable to put OuTtKaSt away for the win. (Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
OuTtKaSt was impressive in victory. (Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
With Shorty Biggs having car problems and unable to be at the building the KC Karrington takes the opportunity to make himself a part of the match that saw OuTtKaSt pick up a hard earned victory. (Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
Kennedy gets a shot in on OuTtKaSt.(Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
KC Karrington drills OuTtKaSt with a chair in a disgusting and cowardly move as Kennedy keeps the ref at bay. (Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
The Ego’s were relentless in their attack.(Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
OuTtKaSt feeling the aftermath of the night.(Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
OuTtKaSt needed assistance after the vicious beat down from the Ego Express. (Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)
-OuTtKaSt d. Steven Kennedy with a rollup after Kennedy missed the Magic Bullet. K.C. Karrington attacked KaSt after the match(Shorty Biggs was not in the building due to travel problems) and destroyed him with a chair, leaving him bloody in the ring.
-Unfortunately, the show was cut short by a power outage during intermission as a huge thunderstorm hit the area. We waited for a while to see if the lights would return or if they could light the ring another way, but they finally called it off and offered discounts for their next show in August…rest of the card was scheduled to be Adam Rich vs. Evan Gelistico, Shorty vs. Karrington, Dan Walsh vs. Kevin X, and Davey Vega & Trent Stone vs. Mark Sterling & Jeremy Wyatt.
Missouri Wrestling Revival will have exclusive comments from the Bumrush Brothers Shorty Biggs and OuTtKaSt in the near future discussing their feud with the Ego Express that has the looks to not end anytime soon.
NWA Dynamo Returns August 28TH in Glen Carbon, Illinois .
We have just received security footage of Dynamo Pro Wrestling Gym as Pete Madden and Mike Sharona are brutally attacked by Nikki Strychnine and Makaze while working out for their upcoming tag match this Saturday in Glen Carbon, IL.
Missouri Wrestling Revival caught up with LWA President Luke Roberts, and Evan Gelstico as he gets ready to hook up with one of the Hottest wrestlers today Davey Vega. Pierre Abernathy speaks on his battle with Jeremy “The Rebel” Wyatt.
A night of wrestling that you will not want to miss
It’s been called many things. Intense, crazy, and controversial. No matter what you call it, the LwA has been serving up the wildest damn brand of Prowrestling for six years!
On October 24th at the Knights of Columbus Hall in House Springs, LwA Productions is celebrating their sixth year of running the most outrageous prowrestling show around. It’s gonna be a huge party, and the celebration will be happening all night long! As always, beer is only one dollar, and the card looks to be stacked from top to bottom!
A special theme for this night will be the battle of the ex-champs: Nearly all the past LwA Champions will be battling it out against each other! Matches include:
LwA Champion KC Karrington faces Gary the Nightowl Pierre Abernathy vs Jeremy Wyatt
“The Future” Donovan Ruddick vs Adam Raw
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.
This column is the property of Christopher M. Zack and published here as agreed upon by Pro Wrestling Next. No duplication of this column is permitted without the exclusive written consent of the author and/or PWN officials.
General Disclaimer: I can be incredibly long winded. I have a degree in English and love to write, so I tend to write quite a bit. When I’m passionate about something, it comes out even more. I have a lot of passion about the wrestling business, so these columns will definitely be wordy, but it’s all to get discussions going.
That’s right, it’s the return of Angles W/Camera Guy Chris. First things first, personal business. I again would like to apologize for my sporadic posting over the summer months. It’s been hard to sit and focus on (no pun intended) putting together an article between my work schedule and spending time with my daughter during the summer months. Now that school has started again, it’ll be a lot easier to post this for you great fans who visit the boards and read my work.
I also want to announce two things about Angles. Firstly, I will not be posting on a weekly basis. At the moment, I simply don’t have the energy or time to get a new topic together and post every week. It would burn me out very quickly. Angles will be a monthly post at the very least. There may be 2 posts a month depending on time and topics. That leads into my other announcement. My work is going to look more exclusively on Independent wrestling. There are so many great Indy feds and Indy talent out there, that to look at the WWE and TNA would just be foolish on my part. Pro Wrestling NEXT is a great Independent Wrestling Organization showcasing the best young wrestlers out there, and that’s where my attention will be from now on.
I can’t think of a better place to begin this new focus than with some of the events that transpired this past Friday, August 21st, 2009. There are many excellent independent wrestling groups around the world and right here in America. Organizations like Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Full Impact Pro, CHIKARA, and Combat Zone Wrestling come to mind as some of the top Independents that come to mind here in the States. (I left out Ring of Honor, because, honestly, they have a national TV deal and are on PPV, I can’t consider them independent anymore) Friday night’s event at the Bier Stube saw the World Heavyweight Champion of one of these top feds defend his title live for us in the Quad Cities, CZW Champion Drake Younger.
Younger, trained by the likes of Ian Rotten and Chris Hero among others, is a brutal, vicious competitor who has held the Combat Zone World Heavyweight Championship since July 12, 2008, when he defeated Nick Gage for the title. Holding any title for more than a year is a great feat, but it’s definitely a mark of a true champion. Drake is best known for his deathmatch wrestling, a main stable for CZW, but he is also a brilliant technical wrestler and mat technician.
Younger brought this combined style to PWN on the 21st, looking to take down Hunter Matthews. Hunter, former PWN Quad Cities Champion and self-proclaimed “King of Des Moines,” felt he was cheated out of a title and deserved a title match at Bier Stube Bash 2, The Sequel. So, Drake Younger stepped in to give him that opportunity. How often to you get to see a World Title from another organization defended? That is the main point of this article. It’s a treat when another group, especially one as big as CZW allows their title to be defended outside of one of their own shows.
Younger brought is reputation and his World Title to Moline and gave the fans one kick ass ride. I’ve already talked about this match to some extent in my response to the results thread, but I’m going to go a bit more in depth now.
Hunter came out first, and of course took the microphone, much to the dismay of the fans. Matthews has definitely not been a favorite of the QC crowd. He talked about how the Quad Cities Championship had been taken, and his need of holding a title. Younger came out to put a stop to the talking and start the action, bringing and emptying a beer battle as he walked to the ring. He was on Matthews right from the start. Hunter didn’t even have a chance to get out of his jacket before Drake took the fight to him. Eventually, he was able to duck out of the ring and get a moment to pull his jacket off and gear up for the fight, but a moment was all he got.
The CZW Champion quickly followed him out of the ring to continue the beating. Out amongst the fans, we saw many various weapons used and advantages taken by both parties. And under CZW rules, this was all legal. No count outs, no disqualifications. Matthews was hit by a water bottle and a beer can before fighting back and getting Younger prone on top of a hard plastic picnic table. Hunter attempted a piledriver on top of this table but Drake was able to counter. Younger looked like he wanted to slam the “King” down to the cement below, but Matthews was able to block that attempt and the two of them made their way off the table.
The World Champion would empty a garbage can and take that to Hunter Matthews’ skull, leaving an indentation of the King’s “crown” on both sides of the metal can. Younger would then take his empty beer bottle, smash it across the ring post and attempt to lacerate Matthews with it. Hunter was able to dodge that and fought Drake, leading him to the fountain in the Bier Stube’s court yard. He tried to force the Champ’s head under water, and Younger struggled to prevent this, but, Matthews was able to over power him and dunk him for several seconds.
The two men battled back and forth around the outside of the ring until Hunter was able to whip Drake over a couple more plastic picnic tables towards a set of stairs leading up to a balcony overlooking the garden. They fought up to the balcony, both men teetering and trying to push the other over the edge. Thankfully, neither was successful. That would have caused serious injury. After battling back down the stairs they made their way out to the parking lot and onto the metal bed that had carried the ring to the venue. Hunter would get scooped up and slammed on his back on the metal!
At that point, things were pretty well over. Matthews was able to stay on his feet as they fought their way back in the ring. In the ring, Younger hit a sick ass vertibreaker for the win and rolled out of the ring to celebrate with the QC crowd. The fans really seemed to enjoy this. Drake grabbed the microphone, told the fans that he’d heard about Matthews and how he liked to run his mouth a lot. He was glad to have given the fans what they’ve wanted, silence, and he hoped to see them all in the bar to share a beer! At one point, I remember him looking me right in the eye…er…lens…and saying “That’s what you get when you call out Drake Younger” while pointing to Hunter, prone in the ring.
This is the great action you see in Pro Wrestling Next. Not only are we bringing in great new talent, we’re showcasing HUGE matches with World Titles from some of the top feds across the country. This is only the beginning, too. On September 12th, PWN welcomes back Davey Richards, current holder of the Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championship (a title he’s had once before) and current holder of the Full Impact Pro World Heavyweight Championship, a title he Will Defend in Davenport on September 12th at PWN’S Severed Ties!!!! FIP’s World Title is one of the top 3 wrestling championships in the country, and seeing it defended here in the Quad Cities is going to be excellent.
Back to the Bier Stube Bash, now. The CZW World Title match was awesome, but not the biggest moment of the night by far, in my opinion. The biggest moment happened before that match when The Hooligans defeated the Submission Squad to take the Lethal Wrestling Alliance Tag Team Championships. As unique as it is to see titles defended from other organizations, it is extremely rare to see a title change hands outside of the confines of the group the title is from. What makes this title change even more exciting and controversial is the fact that The Hooligans are not a part of LWA.
First, I have some background info. I need to thanks Brian “Flair” Kelley, Pierre Abernathy, and Kari Williams for tracking down or providing this information for me. The Submission Squad (Pierre Abernathy and Evan Gelistico) originally consisted of Pierre Abernathy, Dingo, and Nick Tyson, but the team has also included Evan Gelistico and “Blackheart” Johnny Vinyl. Before joining Abernathy, Gelistico was a member of the Bearded Men from Space Station Eleven (Gary the Barnowl—who was eventually corrupted by the likes of Gelistico, Abernathy, Tiffany LaFane, and Davey Vega—Billy McNeal, XXX Jordan Lacey, and Evan Gelistico) for approximately two years. Abernathy and Gelistico won the LWA Tag Titles on April 4th in O’Fallon, Illinois’s Night’s of Columbus building from the Ego Express (“Spoiled” Steven Kennedy & K.C. Karrington). The Ego Express were the first team to hold the LWA Tag Team Titles, beating Dingo and Davey Vega on 12/18/2008 at Yuletide Terror ’08.
During their title reign, the Submission Squad squared off against the Hooligans, the Northstar Express, and the Ego Express. One of their biggest feuds (before claiming the LWA gold) came against the Bearded Men over a span of two years. This feud saw Gelistico turn on the Space Station, claiming to be Gary’s father. Their other noticeable feud happened when original members, Dingo and Nick Tyson began to distance themselves from Abernathy and Gelistico. This culminated in a match between the new and the old Submission Squad on May 30 at the Vetta Sports Complex. Abernathy & Gelistico emerged victorious.
The Hooligans are Devin and Mason Cutter. The Cutters were raised in the outside districts of East St. Louis IL. They come from a working class family. They are just a couple of thugs or hooligans that enjoy a beer as much as they enjoy a good fight. You can catch them at any local pub after a hard days work drinking with there mates and at the end of the night you sure to see them in a fight. They are best known for their work in IWA-Mid South, where they have competed against some of the best IWA-MS has to offer, including (sometimes with Rain as their partner) Ian & Axl Rotten (sometimes with Mickie Knuckles)—better known as Bad Breed—on several occasions in many different types of hard-hitting, violent matches. The Cutters, in my opinion, are very no nonsense. They’re heavy hitters and consider themselves Working Class Heroes, though the fans from Friday didn’t consider them very heroic when they won the LWA Championships.
In Moline on August 21st, the crowd was already fired up, and it only escalated to see the first of two title matches. The QCA fans were definitely against the Hooligans throughout the match, especially after the match. Security had to restrain both the Hooligans and the crowd following their victory for the LWA Titles.
The match itself saw both teams getting in some early offense, until Devin and Mason cut Evan Gelistico off from his partner. The Cutters used classic heel tactics to divide and concur, isolating Gelistico and using moments when the ref’s back was turned to both double team Gelistico and trade places with blind tags.
During the match, Tim Donst and Jasin Strife came out to watch the proceedings. Donst had lost a match to Tony Kozina earlier in the night due to disqualification after Strife came down and joined Tim in assaulting Kozina. The Submission Squad had come to the aide of Kozina, causing Donst and Strife to flee the ring before Abernathy and Gelistico could lay a hand on them. I didn’t see Donst and Strife come out, since my attention was focused on the action in the ring, and rightly so, I am Camera Guy Chris, after all.
Back in the ring, Gelistico manages to catch a break, tagging in his very fresh, very eager partner, Pierre Abernathy, who proceeded to take down both the Cutters as they took turns charging at him. In the corner, Gelistico was down and prone to Donst and Strife, who chose that moment to strike, taking out Evan’s knee and leaving him crying out in pain on the cement below the ring. Then it was only a matter of time before the numbers game caught up with Abernathy. With no partner waiting on the apron, and the vicious Hooligans having 2-1 odds, it didn’t take long for the match to end, crowing Devin and Mason Cutter the NEW LWA Tag Team Champions.
A title change is always a sight to see, since they can be rare, especially in the independent feds. Seeing a title from another company even defended at an outside event is something big. PWN featured two outside title defenses at the Bier Stube Bash 2. What makes this particular match even more unique is seeing the titles change hands at an outside event. And if that were the only major deal about this match, then, while worth mentioning, it might not get all the attention it is getting. What makes this particular outside title defense and changing of the guard so incredibly special is that the new LWA Tag Team Champions are not a part of the Lethal Wrestling Alliance!
This situation has potential to get very bad very quickly. I know I’ll be following the situation as closely as I can and update the fans on how things turn out. I’d also like to welcome any and all LWA fans visiting the PWN boards and reading this article. I invite you to join in the discussion of both the situation with the Tag Team Titles and the uniqueness of seeing outside titles defended.
I would like to once again thank everyone for the information provided for this article. It’s very much appreciated. I’d also like thank Brian “Flair” Kelley, once again, as well as Missouri Wrestling Revival for giving me the opportunity to reach a new audience with my articles. I hope you all enjoy. For those viewing this on MWR, and would like to join the discussion, the main article can be viewed here at the Pro Wrestling Next board.
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By Brian “Flair” Kelley
Pictures by Dubray Tallman
Is Mark Sterling a future World Champion? Many experts throughout the Midwest believe so. On April 28, Sterling had the rare opportunity at NWA Dynamo Pro Wrestling in Ottawa, KS to take on a current World Champion when he went head to head with Ring of Honor Champion Jerry Lynn. Would he be able to hang with the best in the World?
Before we found out, NWA Dynamo continued their tradition of bringing some of the youngest, freshest stars in the Midwest with Adam Rich taking on Aaron Hawley. Hawley and Rich were pumped up early, matching each other move for move. Less than two minutes into the match, one of the most powerful men that I have ever seen entered the ring, the mysterious Alexander Rudolph. Rudolph demolished Hawley and Rich and the referee declared the bout a no contest. OuTtKaSt came from out of the locker room quickly to stop the destruction. The two men quickly went at it and the battle escalated outside the ring and into the crowd, and then the two brawled into the locker room.
Alexander Rudolph leaves young guns Adam Rich and Aaron Hawley out to dry early in the match (Photo Credit Dubray Tallman)
I must say with the excitement of Sterling taking on Jerry Lynn and the powerful Alexander Rudolph, I forgot to mention that none other than one of my best friends and fellow Missouri Wrestling Revival colleague, Josh Ray, stepped up to announce this monumental evening.
Super Electro gets ready for action. (Photo Credit Dubray Tallman )
Up next, the Latino badass Domino Rivera took on fan favorite Super Electro, making his Kansas debut. The kids were excited to see the wrestler from Space Station 11, who is programmed with 1,000 moves and capable of every emotion except love. The always-dangerous Rivera looked to rain on the kid’s parade with technical wrestling and a ruthless style.
Domino kicked, punched and stretch Super Electro, and Electro made the mistake of taking it out of the ring. It looked as Rivera would have his hand raised when he had Electro in submission move.
Domino Rivera stalks Super Electro (Photo Credit Dubray Tallman )
The fans would not let Electro quit. Electro traded punch for punch and hit the ropes, which landed him into an Arn Anderson gutbuster. Rivera got a two count, which caused his frustration to set in and Electro struck with a choke slam for the one, two, three.
OuTtKaSt entered the ring to challenge Alexander Rudolph to a match the next time that NWA Dynamo Pro Wrestling returns to Ottawa—a match that will sure to be a must see.
The Powerful and very popular Trent Stone came to the ring with fans excited to see him take on Pierre Abernathy, accompanied by Submission Squad Member Evan Gelistico. Abernathy started off trying to administer an arm bar, but Stone powered out of it quickly and flexed his muscles. Abernathy unwisely decided to show his “guns” which prompted “You suck!!” chants from Stone’s admirers. Abernathy tried to slow down Stone and play mind games. Stone looked to have the match going his way when he hit a bodyslam followed by a dropkick. With Abernathy in the corner, Stone went full force but Abernathy moved out of the way, sending Stone shoulder first into the turnbuckle. Abernathy pounced on the wounded Stone’s shoulder relentlessly, causing the referee to issue a warning. With the referee distracted, Gelistico took a cheap shot at Stone.
Pierre Abernathy just felt the power of Trent Stone (Photo Credit Dubray Tallman )
Abernathy and Gelistico succeeded to stymie any offense that Stone was able to muster. Kansas was getting restless while Stone took a beating. Abernathy continued to punish the arm and shoulder, in the process, keeping the big man off his feet. With victory in their sights, the Submission Squad threw it all away with a foolish move. Gelistico jumped up on the ring apron and attempted to hit Stone with a white powder, but Stone countered, sending Aberanthy toward Gelistico. Gelistico stopped himself before he threw it; Abernathy had that moment of relief, but Stone tossed Abernathy back into his tag team partner who accidentally hit him with the powder anyway. Stone wrapped up the disoriented Abernathy for the victory.
With the crowd popping from the last match, up next was the man who I feel is one of the guys who can keep my attention from start to finish—Mike Sydal.
Sydal has quickly improved in the past year and is rising among the Midwest elite with very entertaining matches. Sydal’s opponent on this night was KC Karrington. Karrington was last seen involved in two of the best tag team matches in the Kansas City area in the past 10 years with Ego Express tag team partner Steven Kennedy taking on the LONRs, Mark Sterling and Darien Sanders otherwise known as the LONRS.
Here we have Mike Sydal skipping to the ring. (Photo Credit Dubray Tallman )
Sydal entered the ring prancing, dancing and posing for all to see. Boos and heckling proceeded relentlessly until Karringtons music hit the armory. Sydal was really able to get the Kansas natives upset with his pretty pink and blue outfit. Karrington did not help matters by going along with the fans insults.
Karington took the advantage early and Sydal retreated to the outside turnbuckle. Karrington grew impatient and chased after him, which led to Sydal setting him up with a big boot to the face. Sydal seemed to gain confidence and pounded Karrington. When Karrington try to maneuver himself in a position to get ahead, Sydal was one step ahead of him.
The fans were not happy and chants of “Fairy Boy” rang through the building. Sydal looked to get the win on several attempts but the heart of Karrington has never been in question and he was able to gut it out. You could see the frustration set in Sydal’s face when he had a headlock on his opponent and the crowd clapped to urge Karrington to fight through. Karrington’s big break came when he hit a belly to belly suplex. Sydal quickly regained the advantage, but when he went for a backwards moonsault from the ground, Karrington just barely got his knees up. Karrington saw the light with Sydal hurt and went to the top to hit a flying body press, but Sydal was able to reverse it for the win.
During intermission, the Ring of Honor World Champion Jerry Lynn thanked the fans for coming. I took the time to talk to old and new friends during the show and everyone I talked to was impressed at how down to earth Lynn was. A true Champion in every sense of the word.
Shorty Biggs has momentum on his side (Photo Credit Dubray Tallman)
Wyatt hits a big move on his old enemy Biggs (Photo Credit Dubray Tallman)
With a fun and exciting first half done, we headed to three exciting matches that had talent galore. The first match back we were treated to a three way with the one man in the Midwest capable of causing a riot, Jeremy Wyatt, taking on the NWA Mid America TV Champion Shawn Shultz and the ever popular Shorty Biggs. All three men in this match up have held gold throughout the Midwest, but Shultz upped the ante by stating that his title would be on the line and whoever pinned him would be the Champ. The crowd did not like the words coming from the mouth of the NWA Mid America Champion.
The crowd was easily on Shorty’s side going into this match against two of the toughest men in the Midwest. Biggs had the place rocking with “Shorty” chants while he danced in the ring. Shultz wisely made Biggs an offer for the two of them to team up and work over Wyatt. Biggs, though, is his own man and looked to win this the right way and when the two were about the shake on it, Biggs withdrew to let him know that this was going to be a three way and the best man would win it.
Shultz quickly changed direction and asked Wyatt to team up on Biggs. Wyatt has always shown that he would do what it takes to live up to his name, The Belt Collector, and had no qualms against double teaming one of his most hated enemies. The two pounced on Biggs but Biggs was ready and beat them to the punch. Biggs hit a double shoulder block on Wyatt and Shultz, then went to the corner to work over Shultz, giving Wyatt a chance to catch his breath and strike from behind. Biggs rebounded nicely and used his wits to get the upper hand.
While Wyatt and Shultz argued outside the ring, Biggs sent them sailing with a double kick from inside the ring much to the fans delight. Biggs continued to punish Shultz then went after Wyatt, sending him back inside the ring. Shultz had time to recover and once again attempted to strike Biggs, who countered with a body slam then headed to the top. Biggs’ good fortunes came crashing down when, at the top rope, Wyatt was able to get a hold of Biggs’s foot. Biggs kicked Wyatt off but paid dearly when Shultz sent Biggs flying off the top ropes with a thud.
The two villains went at Biggs relentlessly, at times it looked like a competion to see who could administer the most pain to the fan favorite. With Shultz standing on Biggs face, Wyatt taunted him with words, enticing the crowd, getting the Shorty chants going full steam. Problems arose when Wyatt went for a pinfall, and Shultz made the save. Still, Wyatt allowed Shultz to hit a version of a Shake rattle and roll then got up to dance, Wyatt then snuck up from behind attempting to get the win and steal the NWA Mid-America Title.
While Wyatt and Shultz battled in the middle, Biggs caught his breath and made an impact with a double clothesline. One had to wonder, would Biggs have enough in the gas tank to get the victory? I thought I had my answer when Biggs looked to have the three count on Wyatt, but the Rebel kicked out. Shultz went on the offensive, allowing Wyatt to retreat outside of the ring. Shultz looked to have the match won, as he hit a killer DDT on Biggs. However, Wyatt was one step ahead on this night as he pulled Shultz to the outside of the ring and head first in the guard rails, then quickly went inside for the victory on Biggs with his feet on the ropes.
Jeremy Wyatt believes he just won Shawn Shultz NWA Mid America Championship (Photo Credit Dubray Tallman)
Wyatt’s music played and The Belt Collector looked to have added to his collection but Shultz screamed for the ref to give him back his belt. The reason? Wyatt had not pinned the Champ himself, so therefore he did not win the title.
Shultz was outside the ring hoisting his title, Wyatt inside the ring with Josh letting the fans know that he was the winner. A one on one match up between these two looks to be one that the fans will not want to miss.
#1 Brett Young and Tyler Cook was a special non title grudge match between the two arch enemies. A main event player and the proud owner of the NWA Kansas Championship, Young has been in some of the most memorable matches that I have ever seen. These two were awarded the Match of the month last November in Pomona, KS by the MWR awards committee.
Cook has really looked to elevate his game, but Young knows all the tricks of the game and at times seemed to be playing with the rising star. Young grounded Cook at every chance he got, all while working the crowd in frenzy. Cook kept fighting, much to the fans’ delight, and was able to get the one two three and the momentum in the feud against the NWA Kansas Champion.
The stage was set to see how Mark Sterling would fare against the number one wrestler in the World. Lynn offered his hand to show Sterling respect in the middle of the ring, but Sterling licked his hand out of disrespt then offered it to Lynn who wisely withdrew. Mind Games from Sterling, perhaps? Maybe, but Lynn has seen it all and quickly went after the young star.
Surprisingly, Sterling powered Lynn into the corner only to have Lynn get away. The two quickly played a game of chess as each one went for a move and the other had a counter. Sterling had the edge with the power game, but Lynn’s quickness and experience offset him.
Lynn looked to go for a pile driver after hitting Sterling with a kick to the gut, but Sterling high tailed it outside of the ring. The fans chanted “Loser!” as Sterling relented back by jawing with the fans. Back in the ring, Sterling went full force against the champion with a shoulder uppercut, before out of nowhere Lynn hit a frankenstiener. Sterling was reeling once again and cowered in the corner. With the fans a rocking and Lynn’s guard down, Sterling struck by forcefully sending Lynn into the turnbuckle.
Lynn was hurt, and Sterling smelled the blood. Sterling went out of the ring, then grabbed Lynn’s arm to drag him to the turnbuckle, doing considerable damage. Sterling was more than proud of himself as he put his arms in the air towards the fans as if to say, “I told you so.”
Back in the ring, Sterling was relentless as he went for Lynn’s injured arm. Lynn attempted a comeback but his left arm prevented him from tossing Sterling into the ropes. Every move and every moment was focused on the arm as he could sense he was moments away from victory.
The ref asked Lynn if he wanted to quit but the heart of a Champion showed when he would not submit. Sterling went for an elbow drop and missed. Lynn crawled to the corner. Sterling made his first mistake. He went full force into the ropes, but Lynn was not home. Lynn used all his energy to hit Sterling with two shoulder blocks then a flying clothesline. In moments, the fans saw the World Champion go to the top rope to hit a flying body press and get a two count.
Sterling went back to the injured arm to get the advantage once again. Lynn hit a knee to the midsection near the corner turnbuckle then went back to the top to attempt a spinning DDT. Sterling fought it off and delivered a clothesline sending Lynn down on the mat. Sterling, pulling out all stops went to the second row, to attempt a moonsault and secure the victory.
A few seconds later Lynn had recovered and this time hit a dead on Spinning DDT of the top ropes. Lynn had the pin, 1-2—-Sterling kicked out? Lynn pleaded to the ref for the slow count, and this gave Sterling time to recover. Sterling dropped Lynn with a kick near the corner post then used the ropes for leverage. One, two—but the ref saw the legs on the ropes and stopped the count. Sterling then went for a pile driver of his own. Lynn powered out and sent Sterling over head. Then, as Sterling, looked to pull Lynn down, the Champion suffocated Sterling and grabbed the legs for the hard fought victory.
The match was over, the test was completed and though Sterling did not win the match he had the Champion of the World in trouble. NWA Dynamo once again proved that some of the best wrestling in the Midwest comes in and out of their ring.
To find out more bout NWA Dynamo Pro Wrestling go their myspace here.
Hello Wrestling fans as one of my idols would say….A slow month in the number of shows in June but some very exciting and important developments in the Midwest scene.
One of our own has the honor of being invited into the Ted Petty Invitational tournament in September. KC Karrington takes out the seemingly unbeatable Jeremy Wyatt, A promotion rises from the ashes to be the top dog for the month. Hadeev wrestles FIVE times and comes out the Albert J. Murray Memorial Tournament winner. Donovan Ruddick and Mark Bland is touted as the must see match of the year with a little help from a guy known as TNT. Speaking of the Future Donovan Ruddick he had words with the powerful Keith Walker at PWE after Walker rumbled with the Mississippi Madman.
The Submission Squad gains momentum going into the second half. 3XW Champion Casanova proved that he is the man to beat at 3XW. The youth of St Louis excelled at IHW as Brandon Aarons was able to defeat Gary Jay to be entered in the match, and then was awarded the victor when he outlasted Eric Allen, Billy McNeil and Adam Rich. This was just a few of the Highlights of June 2009.
The year is half way over with no clear cut winner for the year end awards. Make your way to a pro wrestling show near you and let us know what you like or did not like. Till then Thank you for taking the time to check out Missouri Wrestling Revival Awards for June.
June Wrestler of the Month
Kahagas – HVW, IWA-Mid-south, PWE, LWA, NBWA
Kahagas celebrates after getting invited to the 2009 Ted Petty Invitational tournament. (Photo Credit Brian “Flair” Kelley)
The High Voltage Livewire Champion has had lots of hype. On June 19th he came in town a day early and signed up for the IWA –Mid South try outs along with 50 plus others wrestlers. The fans where asked to give their approval from Ian Rotten himself at the beginning of the show. After 15 plus matches Kahagas tore the house down with the fans on their feet. Ian Rotten quickly ask the Tokyo Monster if he would like to be a part of the IWA-Mid South TPI 2009 Against Roderick Strong!!
1st Runner Up – KC Karrington (LWA, NWA Dynamo)
2nd Runner Up – Issan Hadeev (NBWA) 3rd Runner Up – Mark Sterling (3XW, NWA-Dynamo, IWA-Mid-South, LWA, PWP, PWN)
The Submission Squad -Pierre Abernathy and Evan Gelistico (Photo Credit Brian “Flair” Kelley)
Pierre Abernathyand Evan Gelistico (LWA,IHW)
The LWA Tag Team Champions defeated The Hooligans in Dupo, IL. On 6/13 for Independent Hardcore Wrestling in a very excited match. At LWA they were able to retain their tag team belts when they beat former LWA Champ Shorty Biggs and Dorian Victor. The tag team known as the Submission Squad wins once again as they are your MWR June Tag team of the Month.
1st Runner up- The Gentleman’s Club ( Mark Sterling and Gage Octane) 3XW 2nd runner- Zero Gravity (Brett Gakiya and CJ Esparza ) ( PWE, HVW, NGW)
3rd Runner up – B.A.B.E.WATCH (Brandon Espinosa & Mike Sydal) (LWA)
Others who received voted:
None
June Female Wrestler of the Month
Pro Wrestling Superstar Mickie Knuckles (Photo Credit Brian “Flair” Kelley)
Mickie Knuckles (IWA-Mid-South, IHW)
Sean Vincent had the audacity to interrupted the Star spangled Banner on June 13 in Dupo, IL at Independent Hardcore Wrestling. Wrong choice as the toughest girl on the planet was in house. Mickie Knuckles punished Vincent for the misdeed in a night he will not forget anytime soon.
Some thought that their show in Dupo Illinois was going to be an afterthought. When the last pin had fallen they had a won over the fans and wrestlers alike highlighting with some of the young talent in the area. A match of the Month candidate from some unusual suspects, a hardcore match with Ian Rotten and one of the top women in the sport Mickie Knuckles. A show in September has been set for this upstart promotion
1st Runner up – LWA 2nd Runner up – New Breed Wrestling Alliance
3rd Runner up – 3XW
Others receiving votes:
June Personality of the month
TNT Keny G (HVW)
TNT Keny G leads The International Superstar Kahagas into battle. Managing and promoting Keny has brought excitement throughout the Midwest. (Photo Credit Brian “Flair” Kelley)
The Promoter of High Voltage Wrestling goes above and beyond by shamelessly promoting his company which is still in its infancy. He continually posts on message boards, videos, and radio to get fans interested in his product. He and his staff will go to other events in order to scout different talent to bring in and help his promotion. There is nothing Keny G will not do to help better HVW and Midwest independent wrestling. Took over the Absolute Wrestling Radio’s broadcast then Suffered a beat down from AWR’S Mark Bland, and then had words at the live AWR airing from Six Flags. TNT Keny G has been busy even though he has not had a show since May.
Bodies hit the floor in the exciting match of the Month when KC Karrington shocked the LWA fans. (Photo Credit Brian “Flair” Kelley)
Ego Express member Steven Kennedy celebrates with tag team partner and good friend Kc Karrington when history was made after Karrington defeated the The Belt collector Jeremy Wyatt. (Photo Credit Brian “Flair” Kelley)
K.C. Karrington and Jeremy Wyatt went through a hellacious battle for the LWA Heavyweight Title on June 20 at LWA’s Circus Maximus VI. In a nearly 40 minute brawl, these two athletes threw everything at each other, but the desire to be champion kept both of them pushing forward. Wyatt treated Karrington as an unworthy contender but quickly realized that Karrington’s desire matched his own. Many nearfalls and narrow escapes occurred, including Wyatt inadvertently hitting himself in the head with a steel chair as it bounced off the ring ropes. Wyatt could have retained his belt after connecting with the lightning spiral, but with ref was knocked out, allowing Wyatt to have Sterling interfere on his behalf. Biggs saw the events unfolding and chased Sterling to the back before any damage could be done. Karrington then hit Wyatt with a DDT from the second rope and made his dream come true.
1st Runner Up-
NBWA
First Blood Match
Bloody Harker Dirge vs. Issan Hadeev
June 6, 2009
Watseka, IL
2nd Runner Up –
LWA
Medallion of Brutality Match
Gary the Barn Owl vs. Steven Kennedy
June 20, 2009
O’Fallon, IL
3rd Runner Up
3XW
3XW Championship Match
Casanova vs. Jimmy Rockwell
June 26, 2009
Des Moines, IA
Others receiving votes:
Mississippi Madman vs. Keith Walker (PWE), Krotch & Maddog McDowell vs. The Gentlemen’s Club (3XW), ST Louis Invitational finals Eric Allen vs. Adam Rich vs. Billy McNeil vs. Brandon Aarons (IHW)
Lethal Wresting Alliance underwent monumental changes on June 20 at Circus Maximus, including a new LWA Heavyweight Champion, the retirement of the LWA Medallion and the introduction of three new medallions. The 102 fans at the Knights of Columbus hall got their money’s worth and then some at what one could argue was the best show of the summer, thus far.
“Thee” Brandon Espinosa and Mike Sydal took on Dash Rando and Rebelucha, accompanied by Super Electro, in the opening bout. Despite never tagging together, Rando and Rebelucha worked extremely well as a team. The highflying styles of the two men meshed perfectly, creating a formidable offense. They sent Espinosa running to Sydal for comfort on more than one occasion.
Rebelucha and Dash Rando took on Mike Sydal and Brandon Espinosa in the opening match of Circus Maximus VI. Photo by Kari Williams
Still, even with the absence of “Irresistably Flawless” Brandon Aarons, B.A.B.E.WATCH kept their opponents on edge. The one-man advantage for Rebelucha and Rando worked in their favor, as they decisively won the match with double frogsplashes followed by double pinfalls, with Rebelucha pinning Sydal and Rando pinning Espinosa.
Adam Raw announced Tim Alley as the new LWA Commissioner due to Raw vacating the position for a spot on the active roster. Alley quickly addressed the problems within the LWA—President Luke Roberts’ recent actions, the pairing of Shorty Biggs and Dorian Victor for the Tag Title match and $15 front row tickets. In his first act as commissioner, he announced the retirement of the Medallion and the introduction of the Medallion Triad. A wrestler must obtain all three medallions (Torment/Submission, Pain/Pinfall, Brutality/No Disqualification) to earn a shot at the Heavyweight Title.
The first of the three medallions, Torment, was put on the line as “Spitfire” Davey Vega returned to take on “All American” Adam Rich. Both men did their best to wear down the other for a submission victory. Vega focused his attack on the lower back, in hopes of setting up the Texas Cloverleaf.
"Spitfire" Davey Vega and "All American" Adam Rich wrestled for the first of three new LWA Medallions, The Medallion of Torment, in which the match can only be won via submission. Photo by Kari Williams
Rich would not be deterred and did everything in his power to combat Vega. Despite Rich’s power and his ‘hulking up,’ Vega had worn down the All American more throughout the bout to force him to tap to the Texas Cloverleaf.
Alley announced that the winner of the following match would earn the Medallion of Pain. Eric Allen had to try and defeat Gorgeous Jordan, formerly XXX Jordan Lacey. Jordan addressed the crowd, saying that when he lost to Jeremy Wyatt, he said that XXX would never be in the ring again.
Gorgeous Jordan, formerly XXX Jordan Lacey, returned to take on Eric Allen in a match for the Medallion of Pain, which could only be won via pinfall. Photo by Kari Williams
Lacey needed time to collect his thoughts, forget the fans and focus on the LWA title. Jordan barely gave Allen any chance for offense. Jordan’s time away from the ring did more harm than good for Allen, as the gorgeous one pummeled Allen relentlessly from bell to bell. Jordan decisively pinned Allen to become the second Medallion winner of the evening.
The Submission Squad of Pierre Abernathy and Evan Gelistico defended their LWA Tag Team titles against the Luke Roberts-assembled team of Dorian Victor and Shorty Biggs. Victor attempted to convince the fans and Biggs that he had changed, and it appeared that way when after Abernathy and Gelistico raised his hands, he attacked them.
Evan Gelistico wears down Shorty Biggs during the LWA Tag Team Title match. Photo by Kari Williams
From that point on, Biggs and Victor looked as if they would work well together. But the cohesiveness of the Submission Squad, and Roberts’ presence at ringside deterred the unlikely tandem. In the closing moments, Victor turned on Biggs, powerbombed him, and allowed Abernathy to get the pin and retain the titles.
After the match, Roberts got on the mic and told the crowd that he was proud to represent the LWA fans, Jeremy Wyatt as the Heavyweight Champion, and Victor himself. He then verbally assaulted Biggs, who attacked Roberts in retaliation and told Victor that he “will rue the day [he] crossed the Don Mega.”
Once returning from intermission, “Spoiled” Steven Kennedy battled Gary the Nightowl, with Tiffani LaFane, in a street fight for the Medallion of Brutality. The two men wasted no time in taking the fight to the outside, where they battled through the crowd and where Gary forced Kennedy to collide with the brick wall. As Kennedy and Gary made their way back to ringside, Gary pulled out a screwdriver to use on Kennedy.
"Spoiled" Steven Kennedy punished Gary the Nightowl only moments after being thrown into the brick wall. Photo by Kari Williams
However, Kennedy wrestled it away from the Nightowl and dished out the punishment. Minutes later, Gary brought a ladder into the mix, which signaled the beginning of the end. Both men threw each other into the ladder on more than one occasion, but it was Kennedy powerbombing Gary onto the ladder that sealed his fate. Kennedy walked away with the Medallion of Brutality and talked about K.C. Karrington’s match with Wyatt, saying that he will always be there for Karrington.
“The Japanese Nightmare” Kahagas made his LWA debut against Mark Sterling in an impressive bout. Sterling looked hesitant to start the match, but once it got underway, fans witnessed Sterling’s tenacity yet again and Kahagas’ athletic expertise.
The fierce and intense Mark Sterling punishes the debuting Kahagas after the two battled outside of the ring. Photo by Kari Williams
The Japanese Nightmare took the fight to ringisde, and just barely escaped a Kendo Stick hit from Sterling as they battled through the crowd. Once they made their way back to the ring, Sterling dominated, but the unorthodox Kahagas would not go down easily and pulled out all the stops. That was not enough to stop Sterling, who used his wit and ring presence to secure the win by pinning Kahagas with his feet on the ropes for leverage.
K.C. Karrington had his work cut out for him in the main event, as he challenged Wyatt for the LWA Title. In a brawl that lasted nearly 40 minutes, these two athletes threw everything at each other, but the desire to be champion willed both of them on. Wyatt treated Karrington as an unworthy contender but soon realized that Karrington would not lay down for the champion.
K.C. Karrington proves to Jeremy Wyatt that he will be taken seriously in their battle for the LWA Heavyweight Title. Photo by Kari Williams
Both men went to unbelievable lengths to prove who the better competitor was, including Karrington launching over the top rope onto a wounded Wyatt on the outside. Many nearfalls and narrow escapes occurred, one of them being Wyatt inadvertently hitting himself in the head with a steel chair as it bounced off the ring ropes.
Wyatt and Karrington brutalized each other in the nearly 40 minute battle for the coveted title. Photo by Kari Williams
At one point, even the referee became a victim. Wyatt could have retained his belt after connecting with the lightning spiral, but with the ref down, he resorted to having Sterling interfere on his behalf. Biggs saw the events unfolding and chased Sterling to the back before any damage could be done. Karrington then hit Wyatt with a DDT from the second rope and made his dream come true.
Adam Rich, Adaw Raw, Shorty Biggs and Steven Kennedy came out to celebrate Karrington's title win moments after he pinned Wyatt. Photo by Kari Williams
To witness the aftermath of Circus Maximus VI, join LWA in House Springs, MO at the Knights of Columbus Hall on July 25.
Missouri Wrestling Revival 