Missouri Wrestling Revival (MWR) jump starts the “Midwest Best Series” on October 17, 2008 in Des Moines, IA with 3XW Pure Champ Tyler Cook facing Shane Hollister with the title on the line. The Midwest Best Series is sure to get off to a good start, but the match following is sure to live up to the hype.
The number one ranked Northstar Express (Darin Corbin & Ryan Cruz) take a trip to Council Bluffs, IA on October 25, 2008 to face the Pro Wrestling Phoenix Tag Team Champions, the LONRs (Darrien Sanders & Mark Sterling)!
More information will be released in the near future at www.missouriwrestlingrevival.com, but until then here is the rundown of the rest of the PWP card that day:
PWP Heavyweight Champ Abu Colossus defends the title against the #1 ranked wrestler in the entire MWR Coverage area, “The Rebel” Jeremy Wyatt!
Tony Cortez and Jaysin Strife square off in a grudge match!
Hype Gotti vs Vic Victory!
Top Midwest star “Anarchist” Arik Cannon vs PWP’s own Zac James!
“#1” Brett Young accepts the challenge of Chris Havius!
All this and more!
National Guard Armory
2415 E. Kanesville Blvd.
Council Bluffs, IA 51503
A day or two ago I began thinking to myself about the vice grip that World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has on professional wrestling here in the United States. Sometimes it gets frustrating for me to see talented, believable wrestlers left out of the mainstream simply because they aren’t the son or daughter of a former pro wrestler or aren’t a clone of Randy Orton. I understand that WWE is doing smart business, but smart business can sometimes be the undoing of the business, too.
In addition to the glass ceiling that keeps many wrestlers from reaching full potential, the exit door can be very unforgiving, too. WWE owns the wrestlers’ names in many cases, or changes the names so that when the wrestler returns to the independent scene his name value and drawing power is greatly diminshed. If a wrestler is an independent contractor, they should be able to retain the name when they no longer compete in WWE. It’s actually really sad that WWE conducts business that way.
Total Nonstop Action (TNA) has started conducting business in this way to a lesser degree. I completely understand not letting the wrestlers compete on the independent scene while they work for the respective company, provided they are being adaquetly paid. However, once they are done they should be allowed to retain the name of the character that they have bled and sweat in order to get over.
I’m off on a tangent, I know, but it all leads (sort of) to the point I wanted to make in this post. MWR. WWE. TNA. A face off.
Now I’m not talking about some fantasy rehash of the Monday Night Wars. I’m merely speculating on some of the great matchups that could be over the years if there was more of a 1990’s way of doing things.
Here are ten that I’ve been thinking of the most:
10. Phoenix Twins vs Motor City Machine Guns vs London & Kendrick.
This match would have all the ingredients of a great, fast-paced tag team bout. Personally, I wouldn’t have a favorite in this. Whoever won would be completely fine with me.
9. Northstar Express vs Ted DiBiase Jr & Cody Rhodes.
What could be better than two guys from the WWE who think they are “Priceless” squaring off against one of the most accomplished tag teams in the Midwest? I’d love to see the mind games being played between both teams as each tried to gain an advantage.
8. “Future” Donovan Ruddick vs John Cena.
John Cena is the symbol of success in professional wrestling in the modern era. Personally, I feel like “The Future” symbol of success, Donovan Ruddick, would be up to the task and would make this a very interesting match.
7. Dingo vs Kurt Angle.
The NWA Missouri Champ has proven time and time again that he can adapt to any style to bring pro wrestling fans the absolute best. If Kurt Angle was healthy, this match would be match of the year candidate.
6. Mark Sterling vs William Regal.
Sterling has mentioned in the past that he’s a student of the Regal school of wrestling thought. Personally, I can see it. Sterling vs Regal would be hard-hitting and vicious, with old school ring psychology that makes me more than happy.
5. Michael Strider vs Fit Finlay.
I’ve seen Strider have some great brawls but with all due respect to each and every opponent he had in all of them, this would be the best. Finlay is nearing 50 years old and can still go like nobody else. There is no doubt in my mind that this one would be a classic.
4. Jeremy Wyatt vs Samoa Joe.
They don’t get any tougher than “The Rebel” Jeremy Wyatt. Samoa Joe could put his toughness to the test, but it would leave a great taste in the mouth of wrestling fans with no prior exposure to one of the MWR coverage area’s greatest talents.
3. CM Punk vs AJ Styles vs Tyler Cook.
Mark my words: Tyler Cook will be in WWE or TNA before all is said and done. My faith in this guy as a wrestler would be rewarded if this match was allowed to take place. AJ Styles and CM Punk are no strangers to the indy scene, and their styles would work well with Cook. In addition, Cook has the fitness level to make this match a 30 minute match… or more. The anticipation would nearly kill the audience, and I wouldn’t be surprised to here Tyler Cook’s name announced as the victor.
2. 3-way Rumble (elimination rules): Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Lance Cade, Chris Jericho & Edge
vs “Superstar” Steve, Trevor Murdoch, Wade Chism, Dangerous Derek & Haku
vs Christian Cage, Sting, Booker T, Christopher Daniels & Eric Young
This match is purely a crazy thought on my part. What if we took 5 of WWE’s top guys and matched them up with a team of Harley’s top guys over the years? What if we then added a team from TNA consisting of three top veterans and two of there most successful originals? There are so many stories that could be told in an elimination styled brawl. This one here is probably the least likely to happen, but also one of the most intriguing.
1. Derek Stone & Mason Hunter vs Cryme Tyme.
Most people do not understand how much of a huge fan I am of the Derek Stone/Mason Hunter tag team. I’ve watched a lot of their work and have always enjoyed the antics in the ring and the continuity they had as a tag team. The dynamic of pitting them against thugs who like money and steal things… awesome!
These are just some of the matches I can think of off the top of my head. Hit me up at inadvertent.nerd@gmail.com and let me know some of the matches you’d like to see. I’ll put your name and the match you chose in my next installment of “Combat Tested, Mother Approved!”
Ranked at the top of all tag teams in the MWR coverage area, the team of Darin Corbin and Ryan Cruz, collectively known as The Northstar Express, has dominated nearly all competition that the area has to offer. They are multiple-time tag champions for All American Wrestling where some of the best tag teams in the Midwest make their home, including the Motor City Machine Guns. They also hold the distinction of being the longest reigning 3XWrestling Tag Team Champions at 20 months. Make no mistake about it, The Northstar Express are for real.
There are few tag teams in the world, much less in the Midwest, that operate as a unit the way that Corbin and Cruz do. Both could be contenders in singles competition for any promotion in the area, but somehow they’ve managed to take their skills individually and multiply them by forming such a successful tag team. With a match versus the LONRs for Pro Wrestling Phoenix, an immenent showdown with the tag team that Pearl Harbor’d them out of the 3XW tag belts (Gentlemen’s Club) and a highly anticipated match against Johnny Vinyl & Davey Vega for Lethal Wrestling Alliance on the the horizon, not to mention the AAW Tag Team Titles to defendin one of the toughest tag divisions around, The Northstar Express has an unprecedented opportunity to show they are the best of the best.
On October 1, 2008, both members of The Northstar Express made their way down to MWR Headquarters in Lebanon, MO to talk with me about some of the pressing issues facing them for the remainder of the year and beyond. It was explained to me before the interview that Cruz was preparing for his grudge match against Mark Sterling at 3XW’s “BAM-O-Ween” on October 17, 2008. He wanted to focus on his mindset leading into the match, so his partner Darin Corbin did all of the talking.
First of all, I want to thank you both for talking with me today. There is a growing buzz surrounding The Northstar Express in the MWR coverage area, but people want to know what brought you two together as a team. What brought Darin Corbin and Ryan Cruz to the tag team party?
Darin Corbin: Well, we’ve actually known each other since we were in 1st grade, so it’s only fitting that we would end up as a team. I mean, we used to wreak havoc from when we were 7-years old all the way up through school, so why not do it in the ring? I guess you could say it was just fate.
I’ve heard you both make a bold claim to a tag team title from some promotion I’ve never heard of. The interplanetary something or other. What’s the name again?
Darin Corbin: We are the Intergalactic, Presidential, Transcontinental, Atlantic to Pacific, Extreme Tag Team Champions of the Universe. And there is a reason you’ve never heard of it, its not a promotion. It was an honor bestowed upon us by the United Galaxy of Wrestling when we became the first team to win tag titles on another planet. Let’s see any other team boast that. Plus, we have the belts to prove it.
Ah, yes. Anyways, how did you come about winning these belts?
Darin Corbin: Simple, we beat the best that the Universe had to offer. How else would you win tag belts? Huh?
What are your thoughts about pro wrestling in the MWR coverage area (Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Illinois), particularly the tag team scene?
Darin Corbin: Well, I must say that having publicity is always a great thing for pro wrestling. It’s good to see that people’s efforts are acknowledged. And I do believe that we are number one tag team in the rankings, so that can’t hurt right? Anything with the Northstar Express on it turns heads. That’s what we do. But in all honesty, the more the merrier. MWR is definitely covering wrestling positively and you recognize talent when you see it. Keep it up.
Thank you. Recently at a 3XW event in Des Moines, IA, your 3XW Tag Team Title reign was ended by the Gentlemen’s Club (Mark Sterling & Gage Octane) in dastardly fashion after over a year as champs. Care to give your thoughts?
Darin Corbin: A 20 month reign, to be exact.
Well, anybody can come out and win a match when it’s 1-on-2, and they (the opponents) have already had to wrestle another match prior to that and one of them is injured and can’t walk. Pretty stacked deck if you ask me. However, do I just sit here and think about how terrible it was, and say, “that’s not fair guys, give us the belts back”? No. We win them back. That’s what we do.
Imagine this, Northstar Express versus Gentlemen’s Club: no previous matches; both teams at one hundred percent… Come on! There is no way that those too buffoons will keep those belts.
At the same show, you were injured with a possible ACL tear. Care to give the fans an update?
Darin Corbin: Well, the good news is that there was no ACL tear. I thought I was going to be out for eight months to a year originally. Since then I’ve been out of action, and I’ve been to five doctor appointments… nobody has told me what EXACTLY happened. So here’s what I’ve been doing: just waiting. Do you know how hard that is when all you want to do is wrestle?
I’ve got goals to accomplish when I come back. So until then, I’m just waiting patiently getting back to 100%.
What does this injury do for the Northstar Express’ future plans?
Darin Corbin: Well, its not like Ryan Cruz can’t handle himself.
(Corbin points at Cruz, who just simply nods his head once.)
Obviously I’m there for moral support, but you haven’t seen the last of me or the last of the NSE… not even close. Just wait, when we get back together it will be like I never left and we never hit this little snag.
You’re slated to make your debut for St. Louis’ Lethal Wrestling Alliance on October 24, 2008 against a tag team that has gained a reputation for being ruthless in their pursuit of victory, Johnny Vinyl & Davey Vega. First, will you be able to compete as a tag team for that show? Secondly, what are your thoughts on Vinyl and Vega?
Darin Corbin: Hmm… good question. Will I be ready? Honestly, I don’t know if I’ll be at one hundred percent, but I want to be there. It wouldn’t be a show without The Northstar Express now, would it?
So you describe Vinyl & Vega as ruthless? You know what…I’m pretty ruthless myself. I injured my knee and took myself out of action! If I would do that to myself, imagine what I’d do to others.
(Corbin laughs.)
Now that my friends…is ruthless.
Here’s a question for you. Is this Vega from Street Fighter II? Because that would be sweet.
No, I don’t think he is.
Darin Corbin: Bummer.
Yeah.
Darin Corbin: Seriously.
Now that we have that out of the way, who do each of you feel is the toughest tag team in the Midwest, other than yourselves?
Darin Corbin: I would have to honestly say the Phoenix Twins. You know what the hard part is about identical twins… they look alike. It’s confusing.
Past or present, what tag team do you feel you’d need to beat to be known as the all-time greatest?
Darin Corbin: Well, I think the best thing we could do is establish ourselves by beating an undefeated team that headlined a major PPV during the wrestling boom.. and once we beat DDP & Jay Leno, I don’t think that anybody can argue with us being the top team in the industry. And then we could get our own late night show.
Final question, guys. Ryan Cruz vs Darin Corbin. Who wins?
Darin Corbin: Unfortunately this match would never take place because the universe would collapse in on itself. Actually, talking about it puts us at risk… let’s end this interview.
“#1” Brett Young
A Sit Down Interview by Brian “Flair” Kelley
Brett Young is hard to forget. Just before his music starts and he comes through the curtain, a voice booms over the loudspeakers:
“The shiznitty of the city and the M.V.P. of this company. I’m the most charismatic guy on the show, because I’m Numero Uno Brett: You-Know!!”
That may very well be an understatement, as Brett Young is a multi dimensional wrestler. Many in this era want to be hardcore, a high flyer, or just simply like the next wrestler, but Brett Young is one of a kind.
Brett Young’s year has been full of ups and downs in 2008. While wrestling with NWA Central States Wrestling (CSW), he was able to win the NWA Kansas Championship in March only to see the organization fall on hard times and cease operations. Though it may have been rough to see a dream come true only to have it fizzle out, Brett went to work for Pro Wrestling Phoenix and quickly set his sights on the PWP Heavyweight Title. He was close to that goal, too, just coming up short in PWP’s August show “Raising the Bar” against the mighty Abu Colossus.
I am happy to have had the opportunity to sit down with “#1” Brett Young.
Brett, when did you decide to become a pro wrestler and who in fact trained you?
In the fall of 1998 was when I started wrestling. Psycho Sandman out of St. Joseph trained me with the help of Michael Strider. As I progressed a few years later in the southern territory of Memphis I actually learned a lot more about the psychology aspect (of wrestling).
[Brett Young had no time for fun and games in this classic match with the monster Abyss for Central States Wrestling.]
In March at a CSW show you were scheduled to wrestle Mark Sterling for the vacant NWA Kansas Championship, but when you arrived you were told by CSW management that you would have to qualify for the opportunity to wrestle Mark for the title later on that night. The twist was this: your qualifying match would not be a one on one contest, but rather an elimination match that would include the likes of Tony Cortez, Hype Gotti, Jeremy Wyatt, Jaysin Strife and Darrien Sanders. What was going on in your mind when you found out that some of the best pro wrestlers in the Midwest were in your way as you attempted to make history?
For one it really pissed me off, because I was already billed as the number one contender, to be prepared for Sterling that evening just to be put into another match with so many obstacles was disappointing, but the cards were dealt. I went into the match with one objective and that was to get the opportunity to become the NWA Kansas Champion.
You were able to overcome the odds of the elimination match, though. The crowd was thrilled and you were in the zone, but such a match surely must have taken a lot out of you. Add on to that the fact that the match with Mark Sterling was that very night. Sterling looked to have underestimated you and seemed to think that with the energy rush of your win and the hard work you had put into it, you would tire and give up. It was a strategy that he would regret. He attempted many sleeper holds and leaned on you throughout the match. In the end, he allowed you to use a little magic in the match when you puled a handkerchief from your ring jacket and, while the ref wasn’t looking, turned it into a three-foot magicians wand which you used to strike Mark Sterling. You followed it up with a “One and Done” for the win. With the crowd chanting “Number One! Number One” you were the NWA Kansas Champion. That match led to you being named the MWR Wrestler of the Month for March. What was that moment in your life like?
Through out the match Sterling really brought his A game and pardon my French, he truly was beating the shit out of me. I just continued to tough it out and in the back of my mind I thought something will happen to give me an opening and I would have something to work with. Eventually he started to get distracted and frustrated. He started to lose his cool and with that opening I felt the energy which allowed me to get the upper hand and bring a little magic to the match. With a little assistance of the wand, I hit him in the throat and like you said, that led to the “one and done” for the win.
That moment in my life was very special. Not only did Central States Wrestling think I deserved a shot, but the NWA believed it as well. I was overwhelmed, joyful, and excited to have such a prestigious belt and it was very rewarding.
In other matches you been known to use magic to your advantage as you did to win the Kansas Championship. Is there any chance that you could change careers on us and be the next David Copperfield?
Though I am very capable to do a small magic show, I do magic for fun and feel as if that is a talent that sets me apart from the many wrestlers who are out there today. Many times I hear the fans call for magic, so it truly has its place in a Brett Young match. It always keeps the fans eyes on the match, as they never know what they might miss.
Brett, it has to be asked, so I’ll just come out and say it. A sad day in the Midwest wrestling community was when CSW announced that they were closing their doors. What did CSW mean to you and do you have any comments for what former promoter Martin T called the “Death of CSW”?
That is very personal to me, because I started in Central States Wrestling. I worked every show that they have ever run in ten years minus three shows. Central States Wrestling is me. It is everything I stand for. It is everything that I have put my whole wrestling career into. I don’t spend my time on the independent circuit looking to get rich. That’s not important to me. CSW was my home and my heart. I felt it was inappropriate whenever Martin T put it in the words of “The Death of CSW”. I felt as if it was also incorrect.
Fine, it was over. They are closing doors. But to be claiming the death of CSW and that you are almighty and destroyed it was disappointing. I put a lot into that company and into Martin T as well as the other people that helped promote, book and put time and effort in Central States Wrestling. I always appreciated and treated everybody good and that was almost a slap in the face. As for the company, I care very deeply about CSW and it is sad. But like all good things, it must come to and end. I must move on and that is what I will do.
On a brighter note, while wrestling with CSW has come to a close, you have been very active with Pro Wrestling Phoenix. Once again when the opportunity knocked, you knocked the door down as you won the PWP 2008 Phoenix Challenge to become the new number one contender to Abu Colossus’ Heavyweight Title. This was after defeating one of hottest stars in the Midwest Arik Cannon earlier in the night. Explain to readers out there, what is a Phoenix Challenge match and what was your strategy going into it?
A Phoenix challenge is an over the top Royal Rumble type match where two men start the match and every thirty seconds or a minute a new wrestler enters the ring until all twenty-five men have been a part of the match. I was the twelfth man and, not to be cocky, but I am smarter than most of these guys who have wrestled for one or two years. When you have been in the business and you have been around for a long time you start to figure things out, so I work smarter not harder. I let them beat themselves up.
It came down to me, Payday Patterson and Arik Cannon. This in itself was a problem, as you stated I had defeated Cannon in a very tough match earlier in the night, but I also was able to get the win on Patterson the month before. These two guys double teamed up on me and attempted twice to eliminate me with the thought that I was over and done but I just never quit and their underestimating me was the one mistake that I would capitalize on. I was the last man standing and looked forward to taking on Abu.
[Brett Young will not let you forget who #1 truly is. From the wardrobe to the smirk on his face, he feels as if he should be the standard that wrestlers are judged by.]
With the victory at the 2008 Phoenix Challenge, you were granted a shot at the PWP Heavyweight title owned by the powerful Abu Colossus in August. Before the match started you claimed that PWP management would have to give you the belt due the fact that Abu would have to forfeit the belt. You even took the time to brag about having some friends “get the job done” yet it was not meant to be as Abu appeared much to your dismay. Throughout the match you did everything you could to get the upper hand without having any luck. You were holding your own on the big man, yet you still had your friends, PWP bad boys Simply the Best (Hype Gotti and “Babyface” Tony Cortez) assisting you with your dirty deeds. Abu would land the Colossal Slam for the win, though. What problems did Abu present and how close did you feel you were to the PWP title?
The night before me and my boys roughed him up when we jumped him outside a supermarket. We took a shot at it and I thought for sure that he would not be able to come and defend his title.
Abu is tough as nails and to be honest even I underestimated how strong he is. When he lifted me with surprising ease, he proceeded to literally drop me on my head and I felt it for days after. I fought and I fought and at one time I thought I would have him prepared for a little magic, but he was not having any of it as he did his homework. On that night he was able to attain the title, but I hope to get another shot and next time it may not be as sweet for him.
That match set up a six man tag team match at Malicious Mayhem in September with you and Simply the Best taking on Abu, Vic Victory and Jaysin Strife.
Abu really wanted to take on myself and Simply the Best, 3 on 1. He really has some balls. Victory and Strife came out and said “let’s make it a six man tag”. I felt very confidant as I have defeated both Victory and Strife. I felt as if I should have beaten Abu. I thought as if we had the match won hands down. The match was wild and had bodies flying everywhere; at one time we had Strife in a world of trouble as we continued to beat him on our side of the ring. As with any time you have so many men in a match anything can happen, before we knew it the match was over and we ended up losing that night.
This year you have had the chance to show All American Pro Wrestling fans the talent that you possess, where else should a wrestling fan hope to see you at and what are your goals as 2008 comes to a close?
I am going to try to pick up bookings in the next coming months. I look forward to wrestling with All American Pro Wrestling in October so definitely check me out there. I plan on working with Tony Scarpone and Underground wrestling in Chicago, possibly in Denver for Rocky Mountain Championship Wrestling. You know you can always see me here in Pro Wrestling Phoenix and I look to take over 3XW, too.
Last but not least, you were the last NWA Kansas Champion. Is there any chance that the NWA will give you the opportunity to face NWA Missouri Champion Dingo? It’s a match that I feel you rightfully deserve?
I would like to do that. I don’t have bad blood with Dingo as he has been a friend in the past, so it would be a match built on respect. He is a great wrestler. Dingo is very talented and agile and has an arsenal of moves that he brings to a match, which makes it hard to prepare for. It would be a challenge but one that I am prepared for, and if I am ever asked, I will bring my all for that match.
I would like to thank Brett Young for taking the time for the interview. Brett is a talented wrestler who has a love and respect for the business and always gives a 100 percent whenever he wrestles. Next month you can see “#1” Brett Young at All American Pro Wrestling in Royalton, IL on October 18th, as well as on October 25th for Pro Wrestling Phoenix where he will battle Chris Havius.
The MWR Awards Committee has grown slightly this month in an effort to spread representation around the coverage area. With that said, here are the results for the September voting:
September Wrestler of the Month
Hunter Matthews [Scott County Wrestling]
[Metro East Championship Wrestling]
[Mid Pro Wrestling]
Matthews had quite possibly his best month in his pro wrestling career, becoming the first wrestler in Scott County Wrestling History to win the Quad Cities Championship on three separate occassions. The title win came about in a grueling “I Quit” match with Dewey Dawson, a man he has been feuding with for months. He also wrestled at Mid Pro Wrestling’s first show, defeating KC Jackson in front of 200 fans to become the first ever Nose Bleed Seats Middleweight Champion.
1st Runner Up – Ryan Cruz [3XW]
2nd Runner Up – “Vietnam Phenom” Bao Nguyen [WLW]
3rd Runner Up – Kraig Keesaman [Whiplash]
Gentlemen’s Club (Gage Octane & Mark Sterling)
[3XWrestling]
Mark Sterling, Gage Octane & Todd Countryman
These two did something that seemed impossible to most 3XW fans… they ended the 20-month 3XW Tag Team Title reign of The Northstar Express, the longest in 3XW history. What’s even more amazing is the underhanded manner in which it was done. Being more underhanded than the Northstar Express in 3XW is tough. The Gentlemen’s Club made it look easy.
1st Runner Up – Zero Gravity (Brett Gakiya & CJ Esparza) [SCW]
2nd Runner Up – Northstar Express (Darin Corbin & Ryan Cruz) [3XW][AAW]
3rd Runner Up – Aaron Masterson & Mad Dog McDowell [MECW]
Others receiving votes: None.
September Woman of the Month
Stacey O’Brien [World League Wrestling]
That's soooo Stacey O!
Stacey continues to hold it down in WLW as Ladies Champ, and was the only female in the MWR coverage area to pick up a victory in the month of September.
1st Runner Up – Amy Hennig [WLW]
Others receiving votes: None.
September Promotion of the Month
World League Wrestling
Harley Race's World League Wrestling
WLW had two shows in the month of September, and both made a huge impact! On September 4th, Bobby Lashley faced Marc Godeker and Go Shiozaki in what looked to be a handicap match at various times during the match, with Lashley picking up the victory. The other show was the annual WLW-NOAH show which took place on September 19th. Both were big successes
1st Runner Up – Pro Wrestling Phoenix
2nd Runner Up – Whiplash Wrestling
3rd Runner Up – Mid Pro Wrestling
Others receiving votes: 3XWrestling.
September Personality of the Month
Gary Giaffoglione [Pro Wrestling Phoenix]
It’s been heard over and over again in MWR conversations: “Not a nicer man can be found in Midwest pro wrestling”. On top of Gary Giaffoglione’s friendly disposition and love of pro wrestling, he takes some of the best pictures on the Indy scene. Don’t take our word for it. Go check out some of his photos here.
1st Runner Up – Todd Countryman [3XW]
2nd Runner Up – Mark Bland [Absolute Wrestling Radio]
3rd Runner Up – Jewells [LWA]
Others receiving votes: None.
September Match of the Month
Kensuke Sasaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima
vs
Keith Walker & Oliver John [World League Wrestling]
(September 19, 2008 in Eldon, MO)
This match was one of the hardest hitting and crowd pleasing matches of the entire year. At the end of the match, Japanese wrestling legend Kensuke Sasaki got a standing ovation and his name chanted by the Eldon, MO crowd. It was that good.
1st Runner Up –
Fans Bring the Weapons Match:
Chris Havius
vs
Stephen Saint
[Pro Wrestling Phoenix]
(September 20, 2008 in Council Bluffs, IA)
2nd Runner Up –
Cage Match for the SCW Heavyweight Title:
Shane Hollister
vs
Marek Brave
[Scott County Wrestling]
(September 12, 2008 in Davenport, IA)
3rd Runner Up –
Nose Bleed Seats Undisputed Heavyweight Title Match:
Mississippi Madman
vs
Bobby Houston
[Mid Pro Wrestling]
(September 27, 2008 in Decatur, IL)
Others receiving votes:
Last Man Standing Match:
Kyle King
vs
JC Thunder
[Whiplash Wrestling]
(September 27, 2008 in Harveyville, KS)
Wrestling promoters usually have a title for their show to add excitement for the fans, WWE has the Summerslam and TNA has Lockdown. Pro Wrestling Phoenix’s card for September was called Malicious Mayhem. PWP’S main event on the evening would be a “Fans bring the weapons match”, and with that one match, I was able to convince my girlfriend for the 270 mile trip to Council Bluffs, Iowa . To say she was prepared was an understatement as she packed 30 industrial light bulbs, to be used in the match that would pit Chris Havius vs. Stephen Saint.
Also on the card was the excitement of seeing live for the first time, the Pro Wrestling Phoenix Champion, Abu Colossus. PWP also have the best tag teams in the Midwest in the LONRS (Mark Sterling and Showtime Darrien Sanders) and Simply the Best( Hype Gottiand Babyface Tony Cortez) who would be tagging with none other than the always entertaining Number One, Brett Young.Going into the show I knew they had talent, just was concerned on the presentation.
[The Sensational One, Sean Cruz is dressed to kill on this night.]
My first PWP experience was about to begin as the self proclaimed “The Sensational One”, Sean Cruz entered the ring with a look of disdain towards the fans. The music hits for the next wrestler and the kid sitting next to me goes nuts, jumping up and down with his homemade poster in his hand. This has me wandering if they had a WWE /TNA star on the card with how excited this young boy was. Who was about to come out from the curtain? Would it be Former WWE Star Nick “Eugene” Dinsmore? Or maybe it was TNA Superstar Sonjay Dutt who has been on prior shows at PWP. The man was none other than…. Donnie Peppercricket ???
[Donnie Peppercricket comes to the ring with much support from the PWP faithful.]
Peppercricket was ranked number 91 in the 2008 Missouri Wrestling Revival Top 100, and this would be the first time that I would get to see him in person. From the looks of it, he had been working out and seemed to be in better shape than the times I had seen him wrestling on dvd in the past. There was no doubt that he was OVAH with the PWP fan base, Peppercricket had Cruz reeling, or maybe that was Cruz’s strategy because when Peppercricket went to the top he hit a flying body cross, Cruz yelled out in agony. The ref immediately asked for Peppercricket to give Cruz a break to see what was wrong. Peppercricket sincerely begged for someone to come from the dressing room to help Cruz, and with that one moment of weakness, Cruz struck from behind with a shot to the groin and then was able to hit a Snapmare Driver for the cowardly win.
The next contest saw Preston Maxwell taking on the ever popular Jimmy Rockwell. Just looking at Maxwell, one can tell he is not a technical messiah, but he was smart enough to know he had to slow Rockwell down, so he attempted to put his weight on his opponent and never allow Rockwell to get into a rhythm as I have seen him do in prior matches. When Rockwell would get the upperhand, Maxwell would bail out of the ring, which in turn flustered his opponent. This would allow Maxwell to capitalize with the Inside Cradle.
[LONRs’ – Mark Sterling and “Showtime” Darrien Sanders let Daniels know that he is in for a world of hurt coming out to the ring by himself.]
The next match was to be for the Tag Team Championship as the LONRS would defend their belts against the tag team of Leslie Ray and Joey Daniels, The SuperFriends. When Daniels came out alone with the deer in the headlights look, I knew he was in trouble. No tag team in the Midwest smell blood as the LONRS do and I had seen this myself in a match earlier this year at All American Pro Wrestling when they took advantage of JT Calhoun when his tag team partner Mike Masters left Calhoun out to dry. The LONRS took care of business then, and on this night it looked to be no different. The LONRS were taunting Daniels when out from the back came Donnie Peppercricket, who said he had no ideal why Ray was not there but he would do his best to bring home the Gold for the good guys. Though I give Donnie props for coming to bat for Daniels, this match was textbook LONRS, as they kept their opponent on their side of the ring with perfect tags. At one point the Superfriends would make the tag but it would not be long before the LONRS used some perfect distractions to get the upper hand. The LONRS are among the top tag teams in the Midwest and they teamed up and hit Peppercricket with the spike piledriver and the 1-2-3 as they retained their tag team titles.
The Rebel would be next as Jeremy Wyatt would be taking on Zac James. This was a mismatch on paper but don’t tell James that as he withstood the Rebels early onslaught, and with one swift move, James took out Wyatts legs and was relentless there on, James worked on the legs and the strategy was paying off as Wyatt never seemed to get more than two moves together. What look to be an upset in the making was not to be as Wyatt would put it all together and James would go down on the list of the wrestlers who has fallen in the past year and a half in Pro Wrestling Phoenix to the Rebel Jeremy Wyatt.
[Zac James pulls out all stops and strikes low on Jeremy Wyatt leg.]
[On this night James worked the perfect game plan as he punished Wyatts legs with a Boston crab. James was unable to get the win but earned this fans respect with the outing.]
The PWP bad boys Simply the Best,could easily be the most underrated tag team in the Midwest. These guys have the same tag team philosophy as the LONRS as they execute moves in perfect unison, but all the while they seem to want to get their kicks by antagonizing the fans and their opponents with their juvenile tactics, something I feel ashamed in Admitting is always entertaining. On this night they would be teaming with another charismatic wrestler in #1 Brett Young, a wrestler who just last month challenged the PWP Champion Abu Colossus for the title.
[Brett Young and Simply the Best works over Jaysin Strife with the classic triple team early on in the six man tag.]
The PWP Champion was looking to take care of business with his tag team partners Vic Victory and Jaysin Strife. Chaos would quickly ensue as Simply the Best and Young were causing trouble throughout the match with mind games. At one point, Hype Gotti had Strife grounded; Gotti teased the monstrous Abu by holding Strife’s hand just out of the reach of the Big Hurt. The big guy was so frustrated that he came in and sent bodies flying, but without the tag, the ref sent him back to the ring. Abu would be the Power while Strife and Victory would be the speed that was able to overcome the odds on this night and with a big Colossal Slam, Abu got the victory for his team.
Abu was celebrating in the ring when Jeremy Wyatt entered to issue a challenge for the PWP Championship match at next months show. Wyatt reminded Abu that he has not been defeated at PWP for over a year and a half and the time has come for the Rebel to become the champ. This match will be very interesting to see how Wyatt can overcome the rare power that Abu Colossus brings to the table. A match that I can not miss as it should be one that will be talked about for years to come.
[Jeremy Wyatt issues a challenge to Abu Colossus for the PWP title at the October 25th show when Pro Wrestling Phoenix returns to Council Bluffs.]
[Wrestlers themselves even seemed amazed at the plethora of weapons that the fans had brought for the match that Chris Havius and Stephen Saint would have later in the evening. Here Jaysin Strife is checking out one half of the pile with fans during intermission. Fortunately for the ladies, Jaysin did not have any part of the damage later on in the evening.]
I will not even try to relay to you in words the brutality and damage that occured during the Fans Bring the Weapons Match but will now share with you pictures along with short captions of one of the most eye dropping action I have ever seen. Readers beware as this is not for the faint of heart.
For fans of Hardcore I present you Malicious Mayhem
It’s a shame that the pictures can not give the full effects to the action of the two men going at it. PWP had close to 50 more Industrial light bulbs than what my girlfriend brought and when they went off it echoed around the building with the boom of a shotgun, with glass flying everywhere. The only two people smart enough to wear protective eyewear was the ref and my girlfriend. Malicious Mayhem had in fact lived up to the cards name after all.
Amazingly Attendance was light on this evening but that did not stop the wrestlers from showing up and giving the fans a 110 percent. With all independent wrestling, some matches are better than others, the same could be said about the wrestlers and this night was no different. Yet truthfully there wasn’t a match that hurt the card. If you were not able to be there, be sure to pick up the DVD as soon as it on the shelves because this card from top to bottom had a little bit of everything.
My friends, I hope to see you at a show soon. Till next time just remember the stars of tomorrow are only an independent show away.
3XWrestling (3XW) and Missouri Wrestling Revival (MWR) have teamed up to bring pro wrestling fans in the Midwest something to be proud of. As part of 3XW’s “BAM-O-Ween” on October 17, 2008 in Des Moines, IA at inPlay, MWR is sponsoring a match as part of the “MWR Midwest Best Series” for the 3XW Pure Championship between two of the best wrestlers that the MWR coverage area has to offer.
The MWR “Midwest Best” match alone offers a glimpse into the future of professional wrestling. 3XW Pure Champion Tyler Cook defends his newly acquired belt against Shane Hollister, one of the fastest rising stars in the Midwest! 3XW management contacted MWR with the possible match, and MWR Owner-Editor Josh Ray was so excited by it that he wanted to help make it happen!
As part of this sure-fire crowd pleasing card, 3XW Heavyweight Champion “Delicious” Devin Carter defends his title against a man who was once closer than a brother, Casanova, the former 3XW Cruiserweight Champ. Since Carter won heavyweight championship gold this summer, Casanova has turned his back on him. Two straight 3XW events have featured Carter on the receiving end of a Casanova attack. Now they settle their differences in the middle of a 3XW ring!
One-half of the Northstar Express, the Midwest’s premiere tag team and longest reigning 3XW Tag Team Champions, faces one-half of the Gentlemen’s Club, the current 3XW Tag Team Champions, when Ryan Cruz squares off against Mark Sterling! Sterling is no stranger to singles matches as a former 3XW Pure Champion, but he’s in the opposing corner from a tag team specialist who impressed many at 3XW’s “Clobberpalooza Classic” when he faired well in a two-on-one handicap match against the Gentlemen’s Club. The Northstar Express undoubtedly have a claim as the number one contenders to the 3XW Tag Team Championships, but a Ryan Cruz victory could raise his stock as a solo wrestling star. Mark Sterling will be his typical ruthless and brutal self to stop Cruz dead in his tracks.
It’s only 3XW’s second female wrestling match of 2008, but it is one for all of Iowa to pay attention to as Malia Hosaka, a star in WWE, WCW, ECW, and now SHIMMER, takes on Ring of Honor’s beautiful-but-dangerous Allison Wonderland. A match with these two is sure to please, but it is anyone’s guess as to who will emerge victorious. This is a must-see match!
If you are still looking for reasons to go to 3XW’s “BAM-O-Ween”, look no further than this awsome list of wrestlers who are scheduled to be in action:
“The Anarchist” Arik Cannon
Maddog McDowell
Mike Sydal
3XW Cruiserweight Champion “The Rockstar” Jimmy Rockwell
“The Rebel” Jeremy Wyatt
Arya Daivari
Ryan Slade
Zach Thompson
Aaron Masterson-Slade
Ricky Kwong Krotch
Plus man more!
3XW “BAM-O-Ween”
featuring MWR and the MWR Midwest Best Series
October 17, 2008
Des Moines, IA
Tickets go on sale October 4, 2008 at:
inPlay
615 3rd St
Des Moines, IA
Jay’s CD & Hobby
5921 SE 14th St
Des Moines, IA
Tickets are $12.00 for general admission and $6.00 for children ages 4 through 10. Children ages 3 and under get in FREE!
Don’t miss out on pro wrestling history! 3X Wrestling and Missouri Wrestling Revival: Giving Back to Midwest Pro Wrestling!
By Brian “Flair” Kelley
Photo Credits: Gary Giaffoglione for Pro Wrestling Phoenix
Abu Colossus is a mountain of a man. Standing at 6″5 and weighing 280 LBS, the Pro Wrestling Phoenix Champion not only brings power to the ring but uses his speed to electrify the crowd. As soon as his entrance music, Ludacris’s “Move”, hits the PA the fans go wild and his opponents know they will have their hands full.
Abu has dominated the PWP ring for over three years while waiting to claim what he has always felt was rightfully his: the Pro Wrestling Phoenix Championship. That goal was achieved on May 10, 2008 at PWP’s 3rd Year Anniversary Spectacular when he was able to defeat Babyface” Tony Cortez, Jaysin Strife, & “The Rebel” Jeremy Wyatt in a 4-way Elimination Match for the title.
Tony Cortez will be the first to tell you that he was the longest reigning Champ with an amazing 20 months and that the belt will return around his waist yet PWP has claimed that we are in “The Era of Colossus”. Cortez and his partner in crime, Hype Gotti will pull out all stops to make sure that the Era is more like a Moment. Cortez and Gotti, once bitter enemies, now collectively known as Simply the Best, are sure to be a thorn in the side of the current champ.
Abu grew up a wrestling fan and took special interests in the Bret the Hitman Hart along with Hall of Famer Ricky Steamboat. He was trained by “Irish” Mick Tierney and has worked hard building his reputation as one of the most respected wrestlers in the area. He also utilizes former ECW Champion Tazz’s suplex to punish his opponents along with signature moves the Two Handed Choke Slam and the Colossal Slam.
[Abu hits a Two Handed Choke Slam.]
I had the chance to talk to Jeremy Wyatt and asked him how he approaches a wrestler with the talent that Abu possesses. He said, “Abu is a guy who can be classified as a true heavyweight, there’s not many guys his size working the Indies. You might be able to wear him down if you can keep him from getting a hold of you but he’s not a guy to try and trade shots with. Seems as if he has stepped up his game a bit in the last year or so. With his size and strength, I think he should look to branch out a little more and try to work more places.”
I was able to track down Independent wrestling’s best kept secret, Abu Colossus, the night before he would defend his title at Raising the Bar against the winner of the 2008 Phoenix Challenge, “Number One” Brett Young on August 16th in Council Bluffs, IA .
When I asked him what his favorite matches were to this date, he was quick to say PWP’s December 9, 2006 Candy Cane Chaos match with Michael Strider that ended up in a double DQ. It was a match that took the big man to his limits and led to a dog collar match at PWP’S Year of the Phoenix . A Match with Mark Sterling on November 18th at PWP’S In Your Church was a close second as he feels Sterling is among the elite in the business.
Michael Strider had this to say about the man whose nickname is the Big Hurt:
“Abu Colossus has a million dollar look and I knew every night that we wrestled that I had to bring my ‘A’ game. That guy is just starting to show his full potential”.
[Michael Strider had his hands full during a Dog Collar match that you can purchase on the PWP DVD Year of the Phoenix 2.]
Abu takes great pride in representing Pro Wrestling Phoenix and working with the upstart wrestling promotion Magnum Pro Wrestling. He looks forward to showcasing his skills with the best to prove to the fans in the Midwest that he is the standard that all wrestlers should be compared to. The names that he would like to work with on the national scene were TNA wrestler Abyss, Samoa Joe and Bryan Danielson. In the Midwest he would love to hook up with NWA/CSW Missouri Champion Dingo, Gage Octane, Brian Ash and Mitch Paradise.
When asked if there was anything that he would like to say to the fans he replied “We love what we do and we appreciate their support and we hope that they know that the Independent wrestlers will give a 100% to entertain. They are the reason we do what we do.”
Final thoughts
As a fan of Independent Pro Wrestling I look forward to seeing some of the best take on each other and there is no doubt that Abu Colossus should be in the sights of all promoters and would add to the show instantly.
Love it or hate it, the truth of the matter is fans enjoy powerhouse wrestlers and they are few and far between in this area. Abu is something special and I would love to see how 3XW Commissioner Todd Countryman and his men, Mark Sterling and Gage Octane would deal with this monster of a man. Maybe Casanova will need some assistance with 3XW Champion Devin Carter after turning on him at 3XW’S “On a Stick” show this past month.
Central States Wrestling in Kansas has stated that they will be making a comeback soon and though the talent in the company is plentiful, Abu would be a force from the start, and the fan favorites could use a little help with the “In Crowd” or the Barrio Boys, two factions that have been terrorizing the fans and their favorites in the area.
Let’s not forget that Lethal Wrestling Alliance president Luke Roberts is looking for a man that can defeat the Future Donovan Ruddick. Why not bring in an outsider to do their dirty work. Yet who knows maybe the Future will contact Abu to help him in his dominance of LWA, a combination that could prove unstoppable.
Pro Wrestling Phoenix fans are fortunate to have one of the most exciting wrestlers in the Midwest as their champion and some big matches will be in Abu’s future with the very talented roster that PWP now boast to have in Number One” Brett Young, Jaysin Strife, Rebel” Jeremy Wyatt, Arya Daivari, The Anarchist” Arik Cannon, Mark Sterling, Tyler Cook and familiar foes Simply the Best gunning for the title.
You can check out Abu Colossus at Pro Wrestling Phoenix http://www. prowrestlingphoenix. com/ where you can purchase DVDs and find out who he will be up against at future shows. He can also be found at Magnum Pro Wrestling at http://www. myspace. com/magnumpw . Booking info for Abu Colossus http://www. myspace. com/abucolossus
by Brian “Flair” Kelley
Wise men say that there is always a calm before the storm. This was never so true as heading into the Lethal Wrestling Alliance’s Circus Maximus 2008. While driving to the Knights of Columbus building in O’Fallon, IL on July 12, 2008, there was a light rain and a coolness in the air before the show started. Throughout the year, LWA has been very active on the independent scene yet at times the quality of the shows have been questioned by not only the fans and the self proclaimed superfans, but also acknowledged by LWA management when they posted the “State of the LWA Address” to the LWA website on April 7, 2008. In the address, they asked for the fans to stick around and promised a wild ride along the way.
The ring was on the second floor of the building and as my girlfriend and I headed toward our seats, we saw our friends from SLAMZONE selling all our favorite wrestling merchandise and the Knights selling concessions to satisfy our hunger. As Dubray and I sat in the front row, she decided to drink a beer (which was only one dollar) and we got ready for a good time.
The show started with Paul Parker introducing Luke Roberts who spoke about the importance of why he should be the LWA President and said he was looking out for the fans and planned on watching some LWA Wrestling with the fans themselves and he sat in the front row near me as the first match was announced.
The first match pitted B.A.B.E.WATCH Brandon Aarons and Brandon Espinosa against Shamus O’Flannery & Mephisto. B.A.B.E.WATCH has been on quite a roll in the LWA and their teamwork seemed to be the difference between the two teams, as Espinosa was able to pin O’Flannery while Aarons made sure Mephisto was unable to help his partner.
Surprisingly, the next was a match that I thought should have been closer to the main event. The LWA Medallion holder Jeremy Wyatt defended the Medallion against LWA Favorite XXX Jordan Lacey. Lacey has been able to defeat the Monster and current Champ Donovan Ruddick so I knew that in match Wyatt would have his hands full and Wyatt must have known as well because he threw everything at Lacey. With Lacey out of the ring trying to catch a breath, Wyatt was in the ring when he decided to suicide dive onto Lacey, I told Dubray to “get ready here he comes” and stood up to catch a picture of the action. Wyatt slammed into Lacey and I hear a THUD coming from Wyatt’s head on the cement floor which stopped me from taking pictures, hoping that he was alright. I looked over to the right of me and there was my girlfriend on the floor with her legs in the air by the rail with an empty cup in her hand. She was getting help up. I was laughing, and asked her why she did not get out of the way when I warned her to move.
The LWA family was first class and offered to get Princess a band aid. I looked over and half the room was concerned for her health with this tiny little scratch on her leg. I joked with her that Wyatt had went head first in the pavement and here she is getting babied with her small little boo boo. Dubray apologized to the fans next to us for giving them a beer bath and Wyatt was able to defeat Lacey with the Crash Landing and we had started the night off with two very good matches.
[The Rebel Jeremy Wyatt had to hit XXX Jordan Lacey with all he had to retain the LWA medallion.]
The action was soon restarted as we had ourselves a four-way with four men who have made names for themselves around the Midwest. They went at it to prove to the LWA crew why they should be among the LWA elite. The four corners were filled with talent. In one corner you had the ladies’ choice Tyler Cook. In the second corner was the Livewire himself, Edmund McGuire. In the third corner was the unpredictable Payday Patterson. To finish off the four corner affair was the ultra talented Mark Sterling. Payday was able to disrupt the match with some crazy antics at the start and went back and forth with moves galore until Tyler was able to pin McGuire with a Perfectplex. This was a big win for one of the most underrated wrestlers in the Midwest as he hopes to catapult himself towards the top of the LWA.
[Edmund McGuire and Tyler Cook send Payday Patterson on a trip he would like to forget.]
Intermission was here and everyone that I spoke to was very pleased with the first half of wrestling. Dubray went to get another beer, and Chuck from SLAMZONE asked her if she was going to drink it or spill it. She thought it was funny because not only did she lose a beer with the fall from the Wyatt/Lacey match, but also during the four way when the guardrail was knocked back towards us during some wild action. Dubray’s beer count was 3 (bought) and 1 (drunk).
The first match in the second half was a contest between one of my favorites, MsChif, and her old rival, Billy McNeil. This next comment may upset some of my good friends in the business, but I don’t think too highly of women taking on men in a matchup unless it’s meant to be a joke such as a woman wrestler feuding with a manager. With that said, I am not qualified to comment on the match except to say that MsChif is one of my favorite wrestlers in the Independents and among the top ten wrestlers who I would pay to see on the local scene. Though I don’t really approve of the concept, I respectfully watched the match and applauded the wrestlers for their hard work.
[MsChif and Billy McNeil battle once more at Circus Maximus.]
Up next was the highly anticipated match between LWA favorites Adam Raw and Nick Tyson. Both had stated that this would be their final match. What a shame, though, as I have not been able to see LWA from their beginnings. I have seen Tyson many times, including the classic match in which he made TNA Superstar Alex Shelley tapout. If you missed it, LWA has it on the Cuts, Scars and Superstars DVD.
Adam Raw had some classic battles with Michael Strider that are still being talked about to this day. Unfortunately for the fans, these two wrestlers have stated they have lost their love for wrestling and this was to be their last match. With no disrespect to either man, this match never seemed to get momentum and before I knew it, the match was over and the crowd seemed stunned as Raw was able to get the pinfall victory with a brainbuster. Tyson left quickly and Raw stayed in the ring to thank the LWA fans for all their support throughout the years. One has to wonder if this will leave a bad taste in each ones mouth and we can only hope for a return.
[The Technical Messiah Nick Tyson brings the pain to Adam Raw.]
The second match of the triple main event was for the LWA title, as Donovan Ruddick defended the belt against the man he took the belt from, Shorty Biggs. Shorty fought with all his heart and every time Ruddick would knock him down, the Don Mega would get back up to hit Ruddick with all he got but Donovan proved to be too powerful as he hit Shorty Biggs with a spinebuster to retain the LWA Heavyweight Title.
[The Bearded Men From Space Station 11 and The Ego Express were united and ready for a fight.]
We were warned but, to be truly honest, no one had prepared for the aftermath, destruction, and betrayal that was to come when the The Submission Squad (Dingo, Pierre Abernathy, Davey Vega and Johnny Vinyl) took on Evan Gelistico, Gary the Barnowl, Steven Kennedy and KC Karrington in a Survivor Series Hardcore Streetfight. This war had started ugly when Vega and Vinyl had taken out Ego Manager and Karrington’s girlfriend Tiffany LaFane with one punch heard throughout the LWA in Granite City. Since then, Karrington had been out for revenge with Vega only to have Vega get the upper hand and attempt to set KC on fire in one of their encounters.
The eight men entered the ring and to the crowd it was like slow motion. Then all hell broke loose as wrestlers were everywhere. The Ego Express flew from the ring in unison onto Dingo and Pierre, who were on the floor. The next thing I knew, Evan Gelistico threw Pierre head first onto a table and before I knew it I was sandwiched at the bar trying to take pictures with Evan and Pierre battling on one side and Dingo trying to give Steven Kennedy a face lift with his hand on the other. The action was everywhere. I looked across the room and Gary and Johnny Vinyl were laying into each other. Then Evan and Pierre decided that Knights of Columbus Hall was not big enough for either men. They battled down the steps and into the parking lot with body slams and pinfalls on the pavement as well on top of the cars. These two were not giving an inch.
[Pierre Abernathy attempted a pin after body slamming Even Gelistico in the parking lot. Just one of the many brutal actions that brought the police to the Knights of Columbus to be a part of Circus Maximus.]
Curiosity was killing this cat, so I headed back to towards the ring to see what I was missing. It was total pandemonium in the building, with chairs everywhere.
[The Ego Express throws caution to the wind as they go airborne on top Dingo and Pierre Abernathy.]
The fans were loving it while trying not to become part of it, and at one time I found myself standing next to fellow MWR columnist Kari Williams. I asked her when she was going to train so that she could be part of the first all-girl street fight, but I was unable to get a reply as Karrington and Vinyl tore each other apart and were coming our way.
You will have to ask somebody else about who pinned whom to get out of the matches, as this was no place to be keeping a score card. I heard that it came down to a bloody K.C. Karrington and Davey Vega with ladders and chairs in the ring, with Karrington getting the upper hand by bringing out his secret weapon, lighter fluid. Just as he was to get his revenge, his girlfriend Tiffany appeared from the back to plead for Karrington to just let it be. Karrington was blind, with nothing but payback in mind for Vega. As he attempted to put lighter fluid on the ladder, Tiffany did the unspeakable by doublecrossing her lover with a punch below the belt. She assisted Vega to his feet and the two of them lit a glove with lighter fluid and with one throw ended the match and broke one man’s heart.
[Davey Vega, with the disgusting Betrayal of KC Karringtons girlfriend/valet Tiffany LaFane is the last man standing after burning KC’s face with a loaded glove.]
As the LWA team rushed to Karrington’s side, Tiffany LaFane pranced around the ring with a smile on her face, proud of her beautiful chaos. Circus Maximus had been everything and more for this writer, but I yearn for the day that Tiffany is put in her place. I plan on being there to see her get what is coming to her.
The LWA delivered a night to remember and many questions remain. Can anyone defeat Donovan Ruddick for the LWA title? Just how will Karrington recover from the betrayal of Tiffany? Who will be the LWA President? What surprises do LWA management have in store for us as we head toward the second half of the year? Time will tell, and I can’t wait.
The LWA returns to the Vetta Sports complex in ST. Peters MO on August 9th as the Ego Express takes on Vinyl and Vega in a grudge match that you should not miss. Check out http://www.lwawrestling.com/ for all of your LWA news.
[Shane Hollister captured in a photo as he enters the cage. Photo by soon-to-be-profiled photographer, Wayne McCarty.]
Growing up in Davenport, Iowa, Shane Hollister always wanted to be a professional wrestler. He was five years old when he and his dad watched wrestling on TV, his favorite wrestler being Shawn Michaels. From then on he was hooked. Friends and family always knew that he wanted to be a wrestler, but it wasn’t until the age of thirteen that he personally realized it. These same friends and family hoped he would eventually grow out of the obsession to wrestle.
His chance finally came and his dream started becoming a reality when he was in his last year of high school. Shane was in the eleventh grade with Danny Daniels and had a few friends that were in a pro wrestling school in Chicago, Illinois. In his senior year, Shane finally started training to be a pro wrestler. He originally hadn;t planned on training until after he graduated, but since his trainer started traveling to Davenport it made it a lot easier to train and do schoolwork.
After lots of hard work and grueling training, Shane was finally able to live his dream and have the first match of his young wrestling career. I asked Shane to describe his first match and how it affected him.
He replied, “Wow, my first match was very bad. I had the worst set of butterflies I have ever had in my life, but I was in there with very good wrestlers who I learned alot from. They say in this business you continue to learn until you don’t want to learn anymore. I would say you learn something new everytime you step through those ropes.“
So far Shane has been pretty lucky on the injury side of wrestling and hasn’t had any major injuries. Getting his two front teeth shoved up to the roof of his mouth and a having his nose broken are his two battle scars.
“Getting hurt and just going to get it fixed up is all just part of the job,” he said.
I asked Shane if at anytime he felt like he ever wanted to quit wrestling and he told me with a very confident answer, “No, I haven’t ever felt like leaving this business for one second. I love it so much.”
Shane has been in many matches so far, but his most memorable match in his own eyes was a tag match with Bryce Benjamin against Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin, the Murder City Machine Guns (known in Total Nonstop Action as the Motor City Machine Guns). Speaking of Alex Shelley, Shane’s dream match is to have a singles match with him. If any promotions need a great main event then book this match. I know I would pay to see it.
Shane’s ultimate goal is the same as almost any pro wrestler, and that is to be on the biggest stage in pro wrestling, the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment).
Shane has won a few championship belts along the way. He is the Scott County Wrestling Heavyweight Champion and is also currently the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) Iowa State Champion. He was also just crowned one half of the AAW Tag Team Champions. He has been a part of Scott County Wrestling, All American Wrestling, Ultimate Wrestling Alliance, 3XWrestling, F1rst Wrestling, Heartland Wrestling Association, and Luchacore, among numerous others.
While on the road traveling from promotion to promotion, wrestlers get pretty bored in cars. Shane told me that when he travels, he has to find fun things to do to keep entertained. One thing he does for fun on these roadtrips is making big signs to show to cars. He said it is fun to see what kind of reaction he can get from people.
“My favorite sign has to be ‘I like to cuddle’. I love women’s responses. They look at you like, ‘oh, how cute’ or ‘oh, how creepy’. I love it!“
If you ever see a bunch of guys throwing up signs in a car window, remember that it’s probably a group of traveling wrestlers. You just might get to “cuddle”.
Shane has not been contacted by WWE or TNA yet, but he said that he has been in dark matches for Ring of Honor (ROH) wrestling recently. This is yet another step in his progression as a wrestler. I have no doubt that he will be wrestling on ROH DVD and Pay-Per-View soon.
Shane says that if you want to be a wrestler, “learn as much as you can and always ask for advice. Remember there is always someone who has been doing it longer and better than you.” Great advice for anybody, regardless of occupation.
The last part of this report is something new that I decided to try out. I asked a few wrestlers that have been around or worked with Shane in the ring to say a few words about him. This is what they said:
Tyler Black – “He is one of my best friends and has a very bright future in the business. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him making an impact in a major way before the decade is up.
Trik Davis – “Shane Hollister is easily one of the top up and comers in all of the Midwest. With his quick feet and lighting-fast right hands, he can go strike for strike with pretty much anyone. Even with only two years under his belt he has held his own with such wrestlers as Chris Hero, Jimmy Jacobs, Alex Shelley, Tyler Black, and Chris Sabin. This makes me believe that in another two years Shane should be one of the top Indy stars in the country.”
Mark Sterling – “Cool Hair. On ROH’s regular roster with in the next year.”
“Anarchist” Arik Cannon – “Shane Hollister is what many call an ‘up and comer’. The kid has loads of potential, and he’s slowly making his mark in the Midwest. In my opinion, he’s definitely somebody to watch. He’s an asset to any show he’s on, and I look forward to working with him in the future.”
That does it for me and this closer look at a great pro wrestler from right here in the Midwest. I want to personally thank Shane Hollister for putting up with all of my questions and allowing me to write this report about him. There were a few times that I told Shane that this will be the last question and before I knew it I was asking another one. Shane graciously answered it. I feel like I have a new friend in Shane after writing this report. Thank you again, Shane. You are an amazing wrestler and I can’t wait for that one day that we will all see you on TV. I have no doubt that it won’t be long!
Missouri Wrestling Revival 
