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Posts Tagged ‘Matt Murphy’

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New WLW Tag Team Champions – Steve Fender and Brandon Espinosa

Posted by flairwhoooooo on November 5, 2017

This past weekend at the Harley Race Wrestling Arena, Superstar Steve Fender and Brandon Espinosa defeated Kyle Roberts and Warwick Stephans to win the vacated WLW Tag-Team Championships. The new tag team Champions Fender and Espinosa were able to win the belts despite miscommunication between the two at that saw them come to near blows during several key moments of the contact .

If these two can get on the same page, they could very well hold onto these belts for a long time as both of them are two of the top wrestlers during the MWR years. Fender was one half of the first ever WLW Tag Team Champions back in 2001 with Matt Murphy. Since then he has held onto the belt with several partners throughout the years including Ace Steel, Mason Hunter, Mark Sterling, Bao Nguyen and Dangerous Derek just to name a few. Espinosa is no stranger to tag team success with partners Brandon Aarrons, Mike Sydal and Ace Hawkins.

WLW returns to Richmond, Missouri this coming Saturday. Be sure to keep up with MWR updates on the new Champions and WLW Stars.

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Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat Keeps Order at World League Wrestling

Posted by flairwhoooooo on May 27, 2016

By Patrick Brandmeyer
Photos Brian Kelley

Of course, the special guest at WLW was a factor in my decision: Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat. I got started as a regular wrestling viewer after his most famous feuds with “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Ric Flair, but he was in the opener of the first pay-per-view that I saw via home video(SummerSlam 1991). I heard about the Savage and Flair feuds after the fact and got to see some of his classic bouts through home videos and WCW’s “All-Nighter” marathons. His career essentially ended in 1994 after being injured in his U.S. Title win over some nobody named Stunning Steve Austin, but he had a brief WWE comeback in a feud with Chris Jericho.

His son Richie briefly wrestled for WWE’s developmental system in Florida Championship Wrestling and then NXT, but injuries cut his wrestling career short. Steamboat was an eternal fan favorite for his entire career, despite a handful of temptations to stray to the Dark Side of The Force.

As set up at the April show, Steamboat had already been announced as the special guest but became the special guest referee for the night’s main event bout between Leland Race and Steve Fender. Also, WLW’s first Junior Heavyweight Champion was scheduled to be crowned on this night in a tournament final between Jon Webb and Jayden Fenix. The show had a strong turnout due to Steamboat’s presence…not competing with playoff hockey may have also been a factor. (Go Blues!) I looked after the Missouri Wrestling Revival merchandise table as Brian Kelley took photos at ringside…woo.

Your ring announcer was Brian Thompson; your referee was Richard White.

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Roy Lewis vs. Cody Jones: This was my first time seeing Jones in action; I had seen him at previous independent shows but not in the ring. My initial thought was speculation on who Lewis would be losing to, then I immediately noted that he could have been facing Air Raid or something. However, this one was honestly a pick-’em with a rookie fan favorite against a relatively unknown rulebreaker. Lewis is one-third of the Troy Athletic Club with “The Freestyle Phenom” Jay Howard and “The Natural” J.A. Fair, but he usually flies solo when competing in this area. It was a fine underdog effort for Lewis who survived a lot of heavy artillery from Jones; Jones went to the top rope but missed a frog splash. Lewis capitalized with a La Majistral cradle for the flash pin in 8:12…ROY WINS~! He celebrated his first WLW win in grand fashion with Brian Thompson acknowledging it.

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Justin D’Air vs. “The King Of Crossfit” Mark Sterling: D’Air has recently been sporting light-up wrestling boots, a la Naomi Night’s footwear in WWE; Sterling was emphatically unamused, so D’Air decided to poke fun at Sterling’s toe shoes. Hey, a feud over footwear would be far from the weirdest reason for an issue between professional wrestlers. At any rate, these guys had a solid competitive matchup; Sterling avoided a 450 Splash and D’Air rolled through for a relatively safe landing, but Sterling got the rollup pin with a handful of tights in 11:50(HEEL~!).

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Stacey O’Brien & Lucy Mendez vs. Women’s Champion “Miss Natural” Heather Patera & Paloma Starr: Hey, a women’s division! While the “Divas’ Revolution” has seemingly cooled off to some degree, it’s been good to see women’s wrestling get a higher profile on the national stage. Despite their recent issues, Stacey and Lucy worked well together as a tag team. On the other side, the newer duo of Miss Natural and Paloma Starr had a few glitches in their teamwork, leading to a few shifts in momentum. Stacey had defeated Miss Monica at the April show to re-establish herself as the top contender to Miss Natural’s title. Stacey went old-school with her ring attire, going back to the plaid skirt ensemble. Things broke down near the finish and I felt like more than one person lost track of who was legal, particularly the referee. I could have sworn that Lucy and Natural were legal, but Stacey hit the backcracker on Paloma and got the three-count in 12:16…all righty then. It was a fine match, at any rate.

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“Kickin'” Kyle Roberts vs. Karim Brigante(w/ Miss Monica Passeri): This stemmed from Karim physically abusing his valet at the April show, leading to Kyle making the save. In a pre-recorded video, Kyle told Karim that men don’t put their hands on women in America. The video promo prompted a sneak attack by Brigante in the locker room area, as well as a counter-promo. Brigante has struggled to pick up wins in the Midwest, though I think he won a battle royal at a WLW show elsewhere in Missouri. At any rate, Monica interfered on a few occasions and finally slipped a chain into the ring for her man to use; this brought out Stacey O’Brien for a brief Catfiiiiight(tm Joey Styles). The referee turned his attention to the action on the floor and missed Karim KOing Roberts with the chain, getting the tainted pinfall in 11:43. BUT WAIT~! The referee discovered the international object after the fact and ordered a restart to the match…Roberts immediately capitalized with an enzuigiri and rollup for the real victory in 0:12 of the restart (11:55 total).

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“The Hybrid Ace” Jon Webb vs. Jayden Fenix, Jr. Heavyweight Title Tournament Final: General Manager Matt Murphy brought out the title belt under a cover; his intention was to unveil the championship before presenting it to the winner. Fenix came out to the usual Black Hand Warriors theme, but loudly proclaimed that he was NO LONGER associated with that group; since the BHWs are fan favorites in WLW, that established him as the heel in this bout. Given the eternal series of bouts between High Level Enterprise(Webb & Jack Gamble) and the Black Hand Warriors, these two know each other very well and had one of my favorite matches of the night. Unfortunately, it was marred by an indecisive finish as Fenix brought a chair into the ring…when the referee tried to stop Fenix from using the weapon, Fenix shoved him to the mat. That triggered a disqualification in 18:23 and Fenix whacked Webb with the chair anyway. Fenix continued his dispute with the referee, so Webb got a hold of the chair and nailed Fenix with it. So Webb is the first WLW Jr. Heavyweight Champion, right?…

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…not so fast. Murphy voiced his disapproval of both men’s actions and said that the lineage of the new championship shouldn’t start that way. As a result, he declared that a no-DQ rematch would take place at the show on August 27th and the winner of THAT match would be the first Jr. Heavyweight Champion.

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“The Legacy” Leland Race vs. “Superstar” Steve Fender, special guest referee Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat: In April, Heavyweight Champion Trevor Murdoch & Fender defeated Race and The Math Magician(one of these names is not like the others…) when Fender pinned Race; this match was set up to determine a top contender to Murdoch’s title. (Of note, neither Murdoch nor Tag Team Champions Michael Magnuson & Dave DeLorean were in the house on this night.) The match was good but the crowd response was a bit down; they were probably waiting until Steamboat had his “moment” before they got invested.

Several spots were obvious odes to Steamboat: Backflip out of an armwringer, armdrags, inside cradle counter to a bodyslam, etc. All it was missing was a cross-bodyblock off the top rope. Steamboat was bumped down and Fender hit the brainbuster(which was how he won the tag match in April), but Steamboat wasn’t available to make the count. When he did recover to count, Race kicked out at two-and-a-half…leading to the anticipated confrontation between Steamboat and Fender. Fender repeatedly shoved Steamboat until The Dragon finally retaliated with a shove of his own to assert his authority…at that point, the match continued and Fender’s loss of focus may have contributed to his downfall. The two traded near-falls until Race finally finished with the Go 2 Sleep in 19:36…woo-hoo.

I imagine Murdoch vs. Race will be the main event of the show in August…we’ll see how the rest of the card shapes up.

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Black Hand Warriors Back on Top at WLW

Posted by flairwhoooooo on March 25, 2016

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By Patrick Brandmeyer
Photos Brian Kelley

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WLW Ring Announcer Dan Gier

Justin D’Air vs. Mike Outlaw, Junior Heavyweight Title Tournament: WLW hadn’t created a new championship since 2001(!) when the Tag Team Titles were started. At the previous show, Jon Webb defeated Danny Adams and Ace Hawkins pinned Kyle Roberts to advance in the tournament; Webb vs. Hawkins will be one semifinal and this night’s matches would determine the other semifinal. This was the first meeting between these two in the St. Louis area, though they had faced each other in other parts of the country.

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Outlaw was oddly reserved in his entrance and then went into full rulebreaker mode once the bell rang…it was the first time I had seen him in that role in person. Notably, Outlaw turned on D’Air after they lost the High Risk Wrestling Tag Team Titles to Logan & Sterling Riegel, so there was some backstory even if it was on the other side of Missouri. D’Air looked really good with several impressive aerial moves, including a ropewalk into a plancha off the top rope. D’Air rallied and went for the 450 Splash, but Outlaw raised his knees to block the move and rolled up D’Air with his feet on the ropes for the cheap pin in 11:51. Afterwards, Outlaw told the ringside fans that it was just what “outlaws” do.

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Jon Webb vs. Karim Brigante (w/ Miss Monica Passeri): Good to see Brigante and Monica again…they had gone back to Italy for a little while, but recently returned to the Harley Race Dojo. Webb is an odds-on favorite in the Jr. Heavyweight Title tournament and has been expanding his arsenal in recent months; he pulled out an impressive rana counter to a vertical suplex in the match with Leland Race that just aired on their YouTube show. These guys have a really solid matchup; Monica did a fine job of jawing with the fans and interfering when the referee’s back was turned. She has wrestled in Italy (saw a few clips on YouTube) but I don’t think she’s competed in the States yet; I can only imagine the Missouri licensing headaches. Monica’s interference prevented a few chances for Webb to close things out, but it finally backfired as Webb knocked Karim into his valet, knocking her off the apron.

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A few exchanges later, Webb finished with a superkick and Sliced Bread #2 in 8:39…woo.

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Trevor Murdoch (w/ Tag Team Champions Steve Fender & Mark Sterling) vs. Roy Lewis for the Heavyweight Title: Per General Manager Matt Murphy, Murdoch has contractual freedom to hand-pick his challengers…notably, former champion Leland Race did not wrestle on this show (though I’m pretty sure I saw him in attendance).

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Murdoch gave a big verbal buildup for his challenger (he’s WLW’s first Eagle Scout!), but it was obvious that he had picked the inexperienced Lewis with the expectation of an easy night. Lewis was psyched just to get the opportunity to be in the ring with the former WWE Tag Team Champion, but the enthusiasm went away in a hurry as he took a serious beating. The “welcome to wrestling, kid” initiation is continuing for Lewis, obviously. The fans chanted “We Want Leland”, prompting Murdoch to ask “What about Roy?”…heh. Lewis got a late rally, but Murdoch rolled through a cross-bodyblock for the win in 5:36…I think he was in the ropes and may have had a handful of tights as well, but I had trouble seeing from my vantage point.
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The post-match beatdown ensued…all three Black Hand Warriors ran in to brawl with Murdoch and company, but they got the worst of the exchange and were a bit dinged up heading into their matches later in the night.

Heather Patera vs. Stacey O’Brien vs. Lucy Mendez for the Women’s Title: There was an altercation at the previous show that set up this match. Miss Natural and Stacey had battled for the past year or so, but Lucy is also a former WLW Women’s Champion and started her wrestling career with this promotion. In contrast to Dynamo Pro’s alignments, Miss Natural was the rulebreaker in this match while both challengers were fan favorites.

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I was honestly disappointed that this match didn’t get more time; the match was good for what it was, but I think they’re capable of doing even better. Lucy and Stacey started fighting before Miss Natural was even introduced, kick-starting the bout as the champion bide her time and let the challengers fight it out.
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There were some really good triple threat exchanges, including the obligatory Tower Of Doom spot with Miss Natural powerbombing Stacey as she superplexed Lucy. The finish saw Stacey hit the backcracker on Lucy, only for Miss Natural to toss Stacey out of the ring and steal the pin on Lucy in 6:15.

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Jayden Fenix vs. “The Yoga Monster” Mike Sydal, Junior Heavyweight Title Tournament: The winner would move on to face Mike Outlaw in the semifinals. With Sydal in rulebreaking mode for the night, the winner seemed obvious; the Black Hand Warriors have built a pretty strong fanbase in Troy since even before their official turn to fan favoritism. There were a few scattered “Derek Jeter” chants for Fenix but they didn’t last. I haven’t seen Sydal in the heel role as often in recent years, but he’s very effective at it as he focused his attack on the arm. Sydal never had an opportunity to go for the Yogasault; Fenix won with a flying knee strike(a la Mr. Brie Bella) in 10:41.

They played a video on the TV monitors in the building to announce the special guest for the May 14th show: Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat! Very cool…will need to check the schedule and see if I’m free for that.

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Elite Aggression (Superstar Steve Fender & “The Fittest Wrestler On Earth” Mark Sterling)(w/ Trevor Murdoch) vs. The Black Hand Warriors (Michael Magnuson & Dave DeLorean) for the Tag Team Titles: This feud stemmed from Fender and Dangerous Derek McQuinn cashing in Fender’s Harley Race Invitational Tournament opportunity after DeLorean and Jayden Fenix had won a four-team tournament for the vacant tag titles; Fender & McQuinn defeated the worn-down champions for the belts immediately after the tourney final. McQuinn suffered a recent injury and Sterling was allowed to substitute as Fender’s tag partner; I had honestly forgotten that Fender & Sterling had been Tag Champs in their own right in the past. Magnuson only recently returned to action, reuniting the original Black Hand Warriors tandem for this grudge match.

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The match was clearly going long as they did the slow build, starting with a lot of quick tags on the Warriors’ side. While Fender & Sterling would seem to be the less-experienced duo, they had teamed in the past so their own continuity was on point as well. The champs were able to isolate DeLorean(disposing of his ever-present T-shirt) and then Magnuson, but the challengers finally regained control and cleaned house. They were able to get Sterling out of the game long enough for Magnuson to hit a Codebreaker on Fender, followed by DeLorean dropping Fender with a superkick and getting the pin in 25:12! We have NEWWWWW Tag Team Champions…Jayden Fenix came out to celebrate with his partners.

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The 2013 MWR Yearbook is HERE Purchase TODAY!!!

Posted by flairwhoooooo on February 18, 2014

photo MWRYEARBOOKPROWRESTLINGTEES_zps4cbd53ae.jpg

It is with great excitement that we are presenting the 2013 MWR Yearbook.

Since 2008 Missouri Wrestling Revival has supported the men and women in pro wrestling in the Midwest. Throughout the past 6 years we have had the support and assistance of many great people. From the promoters that work hard to promote shows with their hard earned money and deliver an exciting night for fans to remember to the wrestlers that have driven miles and miles down the road each and every weekend. We have worked closely during the years with many of the top writers, photographers, artist and fans that have true love and respect for the sport.

Each year the yearbook in my opinion is a testament for all the hard work that everyone has done to keep pro wrestling alive in the Midwest. No matter if you have contributed to the yearbook or MWR website this year or if the last time was when the site first opened, please know that you are part of the MWR family and a positive reason for the success of the site.

The 2013 MWR Yearbook returns with the Artist of Champions Rob Schamberger once again painting and designing the cover feature the 2013 MWR Year end Award Recipients.

For the low price of 19.95 on Amazon.com this book is filled with over 650 photos and over 300 pages.

To put that in perspective the cost of this book is only .7 cents per page!!

If that is not enough for you to purchase the book the cover of the the 2013 MWR Yearbook features the return of “The Artist of Champions” Rob Schamberger ,painting and designing the cover feature the 2013 MWR Award Recipients.

Highlights include

• Introduction by Midwest star Darin Corbin

• January- December Top Stories

• Mike Wilson’s Shooter Spotlights

• Articles from Adam Testa, Ben Simon, Herb Simmons, David J. McCutcheon, Mike Wilson, Patrick Brandmeyer, Pete Sakaris, Steven Lucas, Matt Murphy , Patrick Harden, Chris Roedel, Eleanor Harris, Midnight Guthrie, Josh Ray, Brady Lawrence and Jesse Matthews and more.

• Artwork from Artists Mark Taggart, ICON, Raven Johnson, Michael Liao, and Ron McCaffery III

• Artwork of Harley Race, Bruiser Brody, Rufus R. Jones, Macho Man Randy Savage,”Dr. Death” Steve Williams, “Bulldog” Bob Brown Buck Robley, The Great Cheyenne, Ricky Cruz, ACH, Heath Hatton, Dan Walsh, Dubray Tallman, “Miss Natural” Heather Patera, Bull Schmitt, The Magic Man, Sean Vincent, Rachael Summerlyn, Davey Vega, Mark Sterling, Stacey O’Brien, Darin Corbin, Ruff Crossing and the Ladies of MWR featuring every female star that entered a MWR promotion in 2013.

• MWR Complete results page of all the 2013 shows.

• MWR Friends and Family photo collection.

• Wrestle Wear Beyond Compare- MWR Wrestlers model their own shirts.

• A look at books from authors in the Midwest including.

o Larry Matysik’s 50 Greatest Wrestlers of All-time.

o Matt Murphy’s The Story of a Nobody and the pursuit to become Somebody.

o Wrestling at the Chase photographer Roger Deem’s the Strap.

o Blood, Tables and Chairs – “The Story of an independent Wrestler”

• Matt Murphy remembers Dr. Death Steve Williams

• Larry Matysik and Pete Madden on Eddie Smith.

• Wade Chism Flashback.

• The return of the very popular Favorite matches by the wrestlers themselves ..
This year we have

o Brandon Espinosa
o The Drill Instructor
o Flash Flanagan
o Heather Patera
o The Hooligans

• MWR Top Prospects

• MWR Trading Card list

• From the Desk of promoter Herb Simmons.

• MWR by the numbers..

• MWR Year in Awards and for the first time who were the runner ups!

• THIS AND MUCH MORE!!

So don’t wait any longer be sure to purchase yourself a copy of the 2013 MWR Yearbook and add it to your collection with the 2011 and 2012!

Thank you for your support of MWR and we hope to see you at a show in 2014!

To PURCHASE this book today click here.

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“Murphy vows to destroy SICW” ?

Posted by flairwhoooooo on July 22, 2012

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Since his return to the ring, Matt Murphy has found himself in the thick of many top stories around the Midwest. He has been featured in main event matches in Kansas City ,upsetting WWE HOF Ted Dibiase in Iowa and last fall he returned for a historic match at the WLW/ WWE/ NOAH annual camp show in Eldon, Missouri. – Photo Credit Brian Kelley

Editor’s note: While we were thrilled to find out that Matt Murphy was promoted to work with SICW, a couple a months ago, that happiness has tuned into a very volatile situation. Murphy would go on to lose in stunning fashion to the young beast Alexander Rudolph in his debut.

Since that time, Matt Murphy has had animosity towards SICW promoter Herb Simmons, announcer Larry Matysik, the wrestlers in the back and the fans out front.

In a war of words coming in from both sides, MWR stance with all of them is that they each are free to let the world hear their side of this story, in hopes that cooler heads will prevail in the end.

For the fans that are just joining us today for the first time, glad to have you at MWR and feel free to catch up with the first shot in this argument from Matt Murphy.

Matt Murphy calls out Larry Matysik and Herb Simmons after SICW Debut.

Click here to hear his reply to the accusations of Matt Murphy.

Promoter Herb Simmons has worked with some of the very best and most dangerous meant in the sport including Bruiser Brody and Ron Powers. Yet Murphy is a man that does not have the power of Brody and Powers but is able to be just as dangerous in his attacks, as he is normally one step ahead of his opponents.

SICW promoter Herb Simmons responds to “All That” Matt Murphy.

Letter sent via Matt Murphy

In today’s digital age, it doesn’t take much to call yourself a writer. You don’t need talent, ability to engage an audience, or even mastery of the Queen’s English. You just peck away at your keyboard, hit Send, and you’re published. Case in point: Herb Simmons’ half-coherent rant that was posted on Missouri Wrestling Revival concerning my debut with SICW. You’d think that a guy who calls an author, Larry Matysik, his friend would have the sense to reach out for some proofreading help before sending off his letter to Brian Kelley for web publication. But the poor grammar and style Herb used, while certainly as irritating to all of you as it was to me and quite possibly a felony in the U.K., isn’t what prompted my rebuttal.

His response to me should have contained just two words. “Thank you.”

Quick backstory, for those of you joining this program already in-progress: International wrestling star and bestselling author Matt Murphy, kindly (and foolishly) thinking it would be good for the wrestling business, tried to breathe some life back into the corpse known as St. Louis wrestling when he agreed to make some appearances for SICW. While most promotions would have rolled out the red carpet for Murphy, SICW instead stabbed him in the back. Yet, despite a lackluster and controversial debut, our hero still captured the interest of sponsors, who signed on to help fund SICW for the next two years. In one night, despite it being one of the worst nights in his wrestling career, Matt Murphy did more for SICW than anyone who ever held a spot on the roster before him. But did promoter Herb Simmons give due credit? No. He looked the gift horse in the mouth and then spit on it.

Everyone up to speed now? Good. Let’s move on.

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Murphy has challenged for the NWA World title against Adam Pearce and the Central States Championship held by highly touted ACH. – Photo Credit Brian Kelley

Herb showered Larry Matysik with praise in his letter. He said that Larry is honest and doesn’t need to prove himself to anyone. Was he honest when he weaseled his way into a book deal for an idea that I pitched and a manuscript that I had already delivered to the publisher? Was he honest when he tried ending my storied career by sicking the unstable super-heavyweight behemoth Alexander Rudolph on me after leading me to believe I would be competing against someone in my weight class? Herb called Larry Matysik a household name. To paraphrase the great Jim Cornette, “Larry Matysik might be a household name, but so is garbage, and it stinks when it gets old, too.”

Larry Matysik has made a living in wrestling as a pencil-pusher and a jabber-mouth. Is that not enough? Wrestlers should treat him as an equal, or as if he’s better than us? The first time I was lifted six feet in the air and slammed onto the plywood and metal beams, I earned more respect in this business than anyone who’s never survived that experience. Sure, he’s a legend, as far as announcers go, but is it really saying anything to call yourself the finest slice of bologna in a steakhouse? This is the wrestling business. Wrestlers are the stars. Announcers, ring crew, referees…they’re all supporting cast, and it would be best for everyone involved in the business if the supporting cast remembered their place at the end of the catering line.

I don’t like old people. Call it one of my few character flaws, but I don’t like them. I don’t like the way they drive, smell, reminisce, beg pardon, and gossip. But I especially don’t like old people who talk tough to me. I don’t discriminate: I’m an equal-opportunity ass-kicker, and I will hit an old man, not just because I dislike old people, but because I do what I can to be politically correct. Larry and Herb are treading on thin ice with me, and every misspelled word Herb wrote cracked the ice just a little more.

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“Murphy vows to destroy SICW”?
Is the title of this article but make no bones about it wrestling fans, Murphy is a real threat to our friend Herb Simmons and Larry Matysik. While he can wrestle with the best of them, he has showed recently that he prefers to take short cuts and play mind games. -– Photo Credit Brian Kelley

I return to SICW on August 18th. When I look across that ring and into my opponent’s half-awestruck and half-terrified eyes, I’m going to see Larry Matysik and Herb Simmons staring back at me. Every strike and every hold will reflect my anger towards the men who pull the strings at SICW. I hope my opponent has a bright future in professional wrestling, because bright wrestling futures are a beautiful thing, and right now I feel like destroying something beautiful.

-International Professional Wrestling Star and Bestselling Author Matt Murphy

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Matt Murphy calls out Larry Matysik and Herb Simmons after SICW Debut.

Posted by flairwhoooooo on June 27, 2012

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Alexander Rudolph chokes Murphy with his hair….Did SICW ambush Matt Murphy?? – Photo Credit Brian Kelley

Sent to MWR from “All That” Matt Murphy.

Since the day I came in to the wrestling business in 1999, I’ve been a success.  I’ve made a name for myself all over the world, and I’ve fought for and earned every ounce of respect I’ve been shown.  But I have never felt as disrespected and humiliated as I felt June 16th night in SICW.

I didn’t ask to come to SICW.  Larry Matysik reached out to me.  He called me and said, “I’d love to have you come in and wrestle for us.  I think you’d really connect with these fans.  We’ll put you in there with a young up-and-comer, really make you look like a star.”

I had heard great things about the fans and the talent at SICW, so I said, “Sure, Larry.  I’d be glad to do it.”

I felt good about returning to wrestle in the St. Louis area.  As everyone knows, St. Louis has a long and storied history in professional wrestling.  It was once known as the class of the business.  Where other territories promoted shows under spotlights in carnival tents, St. Louis shows were held under chandeliers.  Where toothless half-wits filled the seats in every other territory in the world, the fans of St. Louis wore suits and gowns and sitting among them were the city’s most prominent businessmen and public figures.

I’ve accomplished some great things in St. Louis: winning titles, headlining major events, competing for WWE in front of a sold-out crowd at the Savvis Center and, of course, putting the legendary St. Louis Blues enforcer Tony Twist on his back with a right hand to the jaw.

I came to SICW to wrestle, but what I walked into was an ambush.  Everyone was in on it: the entire SICW roster, the fans, even the referee.  And Larry Matysik and Herb Simmons orchestrated the whole thing.

Larry promised me a young up-and-comer.  And what he booked me against was Alexander Rudolph.  I’d heard of him and knew how dangerous he could be.  But I’ve battled and beaten giants (Meng, The Barbarian, The Harris Brothers, Takeshi Morishima, just to name a few), and I was confident that I would add Alexander Rudolph to that impressive list.  I would have, too, had it been a one-on-one match.  But I was up against everyone in the building that night, from my opponent to the locker room to the lady selling nachos to the toothless geriatrics sitting in most of the seats.  Even I couldn’t overcome those odds.

Although we compete with each other on the Amazon bestseller list, I’ve always respected Larry Matysik, even liked him.  I thought he was one of the good guys in the business.  But what happened Saturday night was a painful reminder that there are no good guys in wrestling.

Speaking of good guys, where were they when Alexander Rudolph attacked me after the match?  Where were the heroes of SICW?

Where was Ricky Cruz?  Slicking his hair back?  Polishing his new Classic Wrestling Championship belt?

Where was Gary Jackson?  Too busy telling everyone in the locker room that he was a big-time star when most of them were still in diapers?

Where was Sean Vincent?

Where were the heroes?

Where were you, Larry?

I’ll give credit where it’s due.  I didn’t see it coming.  SICW made one of its most promising stars, Alexander Rudolph, look like a superstar when he mopped the canvas with “All That” Matt Murphy, a bona fide Midwest legend.  But Larry and Herb didn’t think their devious plan through.  When Herb signed me to wrestle for SICW, he signed me for 6 shows.  They played their hand too early.  And now they’re stuck with me for 5 more shows.  That’s 5 more opportunities for me to destroy SICW.

Enjoy this victory.  Savor every moment between now and the night I come back.  Because when I return, everyone who was involved in the ambush and everyone who pledges allegiance to SICW will suffer.  I’m going to tear apart SICW one piece at a time.  After I’ve dismantled SICW limb from limb, I’m going to rip out its heart, Larry Matysik, and finally close the book on the history of St. Louis wrestling.

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Matt Murphy-False-Finish

Posted by flairwhoooooo on June 12, 2012

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If MWR had a comeback award Matt Murphy would have it in the bag. He has wrestled many of the best in the world from Japan to WWE prior to his first break from the ring. During his return he was in the thick of the action at Metro Pro Wrestling and returned for a classic match at WLW/WW/NOAH camp. – Photo Credit Brian Kelley

Matt Somebody

The blog of writer and former wrestler Matt Murphy, author of THE SOMEBODY OBSESSION: A NOBODY’S DESPERATE JOURNEY TO STARDOM

The false-finish, when executed correctly, can be one of the most exciting elements of a pro-wrestling match.  It draws fans in, makes them invest in the belief that they’re about to see the end, and then, at the last second, the wrestler kicks out to avoid defeat.  Unfortunately, it’s terribly overused and often desensitizes the crowd so the false-finishes that really matter mean less than they should.

Pro wrestlers are notorious for another overused false-finish: the finish of their careers.  Terry Funk, Ricky Steamboat, Ric Flair…they’ve all retired multiple times, and they kept coming back.  It has made for some special moments but, like the in-ring false-finish, it has watered down the real retirements and left fans wondering how long until we see the retiring star back in the ring.

Last week, I announced via Facebook that my comeback was coming to an end.  I won’t call it a retirement–I don’t make a living as a wrestler–but I was going to walk away.  That was the plan.  And now, just days before my last match, as the referee’s hand is inches from the mat, I’m kicking out.

Here’s the story.

 To read the rest click here.

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Friendship: = Matt Murphy and many more.

Posted by flairwhoooooo on May 31, 2012

The value of friendship is often the result of friends consistently demonstrating the following:

The tendency to desire what is best for the other:

Sympathy and empathy

Honesty, even in situations where it may be difficult for others to speak the truth

Mutual understanding and compassion; ability to go to each other for emotional support

Enjoyment of each other’s company

Trust in one another

Positive reciprocity — equal give-and-take between the two parties

The ability to be oneself, express one’s feelings and make mistakes without fear of judgment.

As we head to an exciting weekend with one of the top wrestlers in the world today Adam Pearce making his way to Glen Carbon, Illinois at NWA Dynamo on Friday night to take on Ricky Cruz then make his way to Kansas City for Metro Pro Wrestling to take on one of my very favorites Michael Strider in his very last match in a match that I know will be truly awesome.

While those two matches alone is worth the price of admission you will also be able to see many of the best in the country today including MsChif, Mark Sterling, Miss Natural, Dan Walsh, KC Karrington, SBC, Bull Schmitt, Derek Stone, Makaze, The Magic Man just to name a few.

With that said please let me take the time to be personal with you.

This past week I have been receiving e-mails and messages on Facebook from many friends and fans that have purchased the 2011 MWR Yearbook stating how awesome of a job I did.

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Matt is one of the most underrated minds in the world of pro wrestling. His books are well thought out and he has been a wrestler and teacher for the legend himself Harley Race. Still his greatest accomplishment is being a father to young Hunter.

The truth of the matter is the books professional look and layout was the work of one man…Matt Murphy. Murphy has always been a guy from the start that has been blunt and caring with his support of MWR. His book The Professional Wrestler in the World of Sports Entertainment was offered to us for FREE for you the fans and can still be seen on the top link above the MWR link as MWR Features. Each week that we posted the articles from that book, fans and wrestlers were writing us on how much they enjoyed the book.

Still Murphy and I was just casual friends talking every once in a while when I needed advice, so I really didn’t know him that well. So when the day he told me he would be willing to help me work on the MWR yearbook, I was excited but to be perfectly honest I have had friends in the past who have said that they would do something and A) Just couldn’t because of family and life but had good intentions and that’s totally understandable B) Never planned on doing it anyway so as you can see I am a realist that will work towards a goal and gives a 100%.

Yet, Matt was not only true to his word about supporting the book; he went over and beyond putting effort towards this book. The time alone that he had to correct my grammar and spelling is worth hundreds of dollars not to count the loss hair he has from pulling them out from my mistakes  but with many of the stories I sent him he had some information about the promotions (Many he didn’t know from Adam) and wrestlers.

His vision of the book was a dream come true. The hours he spent on talking to me on what to do with the book I am sure was time consuming for Matt. Then when it was time to release the book he was there giving me advice on what to do to make the book look as professional and get the word out to the masses. …. Heck he even did the press release for the book that day for me.

With my dad passing away, he gave me an outlet to honor him in a way that was worthy of the love he gave our family. That is something I will be forever grateful.

What is the cost of Murphy’s time and expertise on the MWR Yearbook that he asked for ?      To this day Matt has not taken a dime from me though I have offered it to him. His reply has always been “I’m glad to help. I’m really happy you do what you do for the business with MWR.” WOW.

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Behind every great man there is a great women, for Matt Murphy that love is his wife Jessica.

I still hope to find a way to at least give back to him in some way and am currently working on something for my friend.

My only regret is that I didn’t include a picture of his wife Jessica and his son Hunter Murphy in the yearbook. To be honest there were several friends that I left out that I care about in the past at wrestling shows that did not make the book but why I didn’t think about the two people he cares about the most in the book is beyond me. I know he holds no ill will about it and would never say anything yet I do wish I would of thought about it.

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While being a guest in the Murphy home putting on the final touches of the book, his son brought me this drawing that he had done of me as a gift. Matt said to me that he is normally shy around others but it must be that he had seen me so many times on the computer during the time that Matt worked on the book that he must have felt like he knew me. How awesome is that – Art Hunter Murphy

I do not want this to come off as somber or stupid but I am blessed to have a GREAT family and wonderful friends who don’t even watch wrestling so I am not lacking there. Yet if something should happen to me today, tomorrow or many years for now I would like to have Matt be a pall bearer for me for his friendship that I hope will last much longer than people will remember this book.

Maybe this is too much information for many of you but I only know one way to act and that is with my heart. Far from perfect I am but I am forever grateful for his friendship.

I would also like to give credit to a few other people help make this book a reality.

Dubray Tallman– Many of miles on the road, putting wear and tear on our vehicles for the past five years she has had to deal with my obsession and my desire to be a part of my first love –Pro Wrestling. Trust me it can be some long drives back home from a show that is 5 hours away sometimes. The time at the shows goes so fast that I like to get there early as can be so that I can get promo, photos, and have conversation with friends that it can be pretty boring for her.

The promoters of the MWR Coverage area– Thanks for the support. My biggest dream was to be a promoter of a wrestling fed. After working with them I have an all new respect for the work that they do to make the night of wrestling happen. Do I ever want to promote, that is something that I don’t relish as much to this date.

The Wrestlers – Your support of MWR by take photos, doing promos, wearing the MWR T-shirts and sharing our links on Facebook and elsewhere is vital to our success. I wish I could give everyone a wrestler of the year plaque but we do our best to let the fans know who you are even if you are in the opening match or the main event.

The fans– I love talking to you, sometimes I don’t have as much time at the shows due to the workload I have at the shows. I do enjoy hearing from you through e-mail, Facebook etc. You taking the time and supporting pro wrestling by buying tickets, purchasing t-shirts, trading cards, 8×10’s help the wrestlers immensely.

In no order what’s so ever at the before mentioned and the ones I am about to talk about

Josh Ray – A friend of mine that I can talk for hours with, it’s amazing he still takes my calls as they can last for hours

Raven Johnson– The artist of the 2011 MWR Yearbook cover – If you have seen it then you know why. The cover its self is eye popping and makes you go what is this…..A great guy as well as a wonderful artist. He stated that if this book is a success he would be thrilled to do not only the front but the back cover as well.

Jay Ray- Poor Jay knows that when I call I am needing some help. A great graphic artist who is did the layout for the back cover of the yearbook as well as the photo collages for the year in award plaques.

ICON– The artist that has been seen in the magazines of WWE with his historic History of Wrestling Painting was kind enough to offer for me to choose a MWR Fantasy Warfare artwork. The concept is that he draws a veteran from the past to take on a superstar today. Of course, I chose Harley Race a personal idol of mine and my favorite wrestler of the his generation Kurt Angle . To see who would get the edge check out page 86 in the yearbook. Love talking to ICON.

Rob Schamberger– From the moment we talked on-line I could tell that he was genuine. A wonderful artist who drew many of the Midwest stars early on at MWR as we debuted our trading cards including Neil Diamond Cutter, Lucy Mendez, and Dan Gier. Thankfully he has not stopped their and has been getting press worldwide with his KICKSTARTER project where he plans on painting every World Champion which happens to be over 200. Last night I asked him if I needed to make reservations to speak with him as he is so busy, which brought out a chuckle from my friend. You can see Rob this weekend at Metro present a piece of art of Michael Strider to the man himself in the Middle of the ring to honor his last match. A surprise I was keeping to myself but I cannot hold it any longer is that Rob is the artist for the tribute piece to Randy Savage in our 2011 MWR Yearbook page 45.

Dart– The man of the MWR Top Draws seen on the site and banners around the Midwest including this year’s yearbook. A man that I call a friend from the start of MWR and one that I enjoy speaking to at all times.

Patrick Brandymeyer– The man with his hands on all the news in the STL. A friend who has spent many hours supporting wrestling.

Mike Wilson– Shooter spotlights: I love this concept for this year’s book that he has on his site. A great read for the fans of not only the stars of the Midwest but for those that purchase the book out of the area to know that big things are going on in our coverage area.

Each and every photographer-  there are so many and I love each and every one of you. I hope that you are secure enough to know I appreciate each and every one of you.

Michael Gordon:  A man who thinks big and has always been there for MWR. He has open some great doors for us and it has meant a lot.

I know I am missing some but I hope you understand.

Thank you for your time and support of Missouri Wrestling Revival. I love Pro Wrestling today more than I did yesterday and it is because of many of you that are ready this right now.

Brian Kelley

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The State of Missouri is proudly represented in Las Vegas at the 2012 Cauliflower Alley Club reunion.

Posted by flairwhoooooo on April 18, 2012

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Bob Geigel, Tom Andrews, Harley Race and Bill Kersten are presented with oversize Missouri flags at the Cauliflower Alley Club reunion, Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in Las Vegas at the Gold Coast Hotel & Casino. RELATED SECTION: SLAM! Wrestling's CAC section. Photo by Greg Oliver.

By Brian Kelley

It’s hard to believe that Harley Race, one of the greatest wrestlers in the world much less Missouri is not a member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in Springfield, Missouri. Race an 8-time World Champion, a member of almost every wrestling Hall of Fame in the world is not even a member of the hall of fame of the state that he grew up in.

Race has supported the communities around the state of Missouri and the Midwest with fundraisers with his wrestling promotion for over 10 years. My concern became even more bothersome when I traveled to Iowa for a couple of wrestling shows. On the way to Council Bluffs, Iowa from Des Moines, Iowa was the small town of Van Meter, Iowa. It so happen to be the home of Baseball great Bob Feller. In a small town of 1,700 was this awesome museum that kept the memories alive of the hometown boy who went on to sign with the Cleveland Indians and became a first ballot MLB Hall of Famer.

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Even though I only knew the name of Bob Feller, I always respected him as a HOF. His museum was able to teach me on the life of not only one of Iowa’s great athletes but one of the world’s best. Though I am a Cardinal fan that bleeds red, the Bob Feller museum was a true treat for the sports fan in me.

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Bob Feller Museum in Van Meter, Iowa.- Photo Credit Brian Kelley

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Bob Feller Museum inside

The museum isn’t huge but is worthy of a man who worked hard to become one of the greatest ball players of all-time. As I continued my drive, it got me thinking about an article that my friend Matt Murphy had done called Missouri Sports Hall of Fame snubs pro wrestling. Murphy wrote a polite letter to the Missouri Hall of Fame asking why has wrestling greats like Race been ignored?

To read the answers that Matt Murphy got along with his great article click here.

The more I thought about it the more I became concerned that when Race is gone (hopefully a long long long time from now) will the state  just forget all that he has done for the state of Missouri, much less wrestling? Where will all the great photos of Race with the greats in wrestling and beyond end up?

Most likely some will end up in Waterloo, Iowa which has a great hall of fame for wrestlers and that would be appropriate for them to have some but I’d love for there to be a home to celebrate Race in Eldon, Missouri or St. Louis that would also be worthy of a man who has been a legend in the sport. While I envision the museum to be The Harley Race Wrestling Museum, the men he fought with and against would be remembered as well. It would be great to see men like Rufus R Jones , Trevor Murdock and Bob Geigel not forgotten or  just a mention in someone’s autobiography. How great it would be to have two rooms with great wrestling action going on as Race would be battling Bulldog Bob Brown in Central States Wrestling as Bill Kersten calling the action and another room with Wrestling at the Chase’s Larry Matysik calling a Race and Flair matchup.

I have some great friends who are talented that I know would make the building have enough class and interaction for the fans young and old. This would be awesome

Oh but I am a dreamer, just a guy that can barely keep the MWR site going day to day but if I had the funds know darn well I would work to keep the history of wrestling from KC to STL alive for generations to come.

Sorry about getting away from the subject at hand, the truth is I love Cardinal baseball, football, college basketball and many more sports. Still Race deserves to be in the Sports Hall of Fame while he is alive.   Without a doubt that Harley Race should be welcome along with the greats such as Lou Thesz, Sam Muchnick, Stan the Man, Lou Brock and Ken Boyer.

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Matt Murphy challenges for the NWA World Championship on April 7th at Metro Pro Wrestling.

Posted by flairwhoooooo on March 31, 2012

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Photo Credit Brian Kelley

Matt Murphy is the first graduate of and former lead instructor at eight-time NWA World Champion and WWE Hall of Fame inductee Harley Race’s Wrestling Academy.

His talents have earned him the rare opportunity to wrestle in Japan for Pro Wrestling Noah and make appearances on WWE TV. He has held titles around the Midwest, and been in the ring with a who’s who of wrestling greats.

When an auto accident sidelined him in what looked to be the end of his career, Murphy’s talent would be focused towards producing his Amazon bestselling autobiography The Somebody Obsession: A Nobody’s Desperate Journey to Stardom.

With the love of the business still in his heart Murphy was destined to return to the ring. This time it was not as a wrestler but as commissioner for the upstart wrestling promotion Metro Pro Wrestling. Metro Pro Wrestling promoter Chris Gough a graduate of MU and a former employee of WWE, saw quickly the great mind that Murphy had and quickly put Murphy in charge.

As the year progressed, that decision on Gough would come to bite him as Murphy’s ego would get the best of him. During some of the key moments of Metro Pro Wrestling in 2011, the commissioner seemed to have himself involved. In August, Murphy would shock the MPW fans as he cost Michael Strider the MPW title when he nailed his former friend with a chair thus giving  Derek Stone the easy pin.

If that wasn’t enough, Murphy would be the center of attention as the NWA Worlds Champion Adam Pearce defended his prestigious title against Strider.

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The dream of becoming a NWA World Champion looked to have become true as Strider had hit his patented Strider Spiral -Photo credit Brian Kelley

It looked as if history had been made, Strider had pinned the Champion of the World after nailing a Strider spiral, the ten pounds of gold was around his waist, the local legend Michael Strider celebrated with his father who was at ringside that night, the fans had erupted and the internet was a buzz that Strider a mans man had become “The Man”……..But

Murphy, still the commissioner demanded that the match be started due to Pearce’s feet being on the ropes. Murphy taunted Strider with the words “Do you want to be a man or win the belt like that?”. With the fans chanting “keep the belt keep the belt” , Strider unwisely let the ref restart the match and moments later Pearce was the one that had used the feet on the ropes to retain the title and celebrate with Murphy before running back home to California.

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Not too long ago Murphy assisted the NWA World Champion Adam Pearce to retain the NWA Worlds champion. Now it is Murphy who will be looking to bring the belt back to its home in the Midwest against his former friend Pearce.-Photo credit Brian Kelley

The end of the year would be a life changer for Murphy as 2011 ended with a bang, literally. Michael Strider ended war with the Strider Spiral followed by a sick chair shot, which blasted him on top of the head hard enough to leave a half-dollar-sized bruise on his spine.

Murphy would go on to say after the match that he “ was sore as hell for a couple weeks, but any questions I had as to whether my neck could withstand the rigors of pro wrestling were answered when I healed just fine.”

That match and the holidays marked a new era for the man who started his career as a beloved fan favorite, as in 2012 he vowed to make amends to his fans and his friends fellow wrestlers the Brotherhood of Trevor Murdock and Bull Schmitt. As of to date that question that the Brotherhood trust him, has yet to be answered.

Yet, at the last Metro Pro Wrestling, Matt Murphy was able to capture one of the biggest wins in his career when he surprisingly defeated the much heralded 5.0 Matt Riviera. Though Riviera may in fact have 5 million dollars to his name and is among the top wrestlers for this year’s Cauliflower Alley Club Future Legend award, it still wasn’t enough to overcome Murphy’s wrestling expertise.

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Matt Murphy was on fire in March as he upset 5.0 Matt Riviera in his debut for MPW -Photo credit Brian Kelley

Wrestling expert, Jonathan Metz was impressed but not overly surprised with this huge win for Murphy. Metz stated “Murphy has long been considered one of the top stars in the Midwest, with wrestling magazines touting him to make an impact with stars such as CM Punk before the car accident. Now with almost a full year of training and his endurance improving with each passing day, he could very well be one to watch in 2012. Murphy is smart enough to know the history and honor it is to not only receive an opportunity for the NWA World title but to actually win the same title that his teacher Harley Race once owned, It could be one of the greatest comebacks in modern wrestling for a man who not to long ago was seen as a man who was marked under , what could have been.”

In less than two weeks , Matt Murphy will look across the ring to see the man who he helped retain the NWA World Championship last fall against Michael Strider.

Will the Metro Fans witness a magical moment in the making? How does former MPW Champion Michael Strider feel about this?

The night before in St Louis Pearce meets Kahagas for the NWA World title, will it be Murphy vs. Kahagas instead?

If Pearce the most active NWA World Champion in recent memory is able to survive the Tokyo Monster Kahagas, is he prime pickings for Murphy?

The very next day in California for NWA Hollywood, Pearce is scheduled to defend the title against Colt Cabana, will NWA Hollywood have to rush to get the airfare ready for Murphy to defend against “BOOM BOOM” Colt Cabana.

There are many scenarios in this equation during the second week of April for the NWA World title. If you are one to say that because Pearce has a match set with Cabana then there is no way that Pearce is going to lose then all you have to do is look back at the NWA history to see Flair defeating Dusty Rhodes in Kansas City therefore changing the title picture completely and setting up Flair and Race instead of Rhodes and Race.

Buy your tickets now, you may never know what will happen.

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Plus

Doors open at 6 p.m., and bell time is 7 p.m.

Appearing in action on April 7, 2012, inside Turner Rec Center in Kansas City, KS:

– Former TNA Knockouts Santana G and Christina Von Eerie
– “Tokyo Monster” Kahagas
– Metro Pro Title Match: Jeremy Wyatt (c) vs. Michael Strider
– Dingo vs. “The Danimal” Dan Walsh

Check out their website here to buy tickets

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