Luke Roberts (Part 3 of 3)
by Brian “Flair” Kelley
As far as wrestlers and the St Louis scene are concerned, we will start with the WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton. Have you had any past interactions with “The Legend Killer“?
I have had some indirect contact with Randy through his father. However, as far as direct contact, I have not had the privilege of working with him. He came to South Broadway about a year after I left to wrestle on the St. Louis wrestling scene.
How do you feel of his work as a wrestler?
As a wrestler, Randy Orton is coming into his own as one of the best “bad guys” in the sport. He has developed an attitude that incites professional wrestling fans to hate him. Given the right opportunities, I feel that Randy will be at the top tier of the WWE for years to come.
Let’s stay with the Orton family and talk about his father “Cowboy” Bob Orton, who I met at an OSWA show a while back.
I have had several run-ins with “Cowboy” Bob Orton. Every time I work with him, I always have a great time. Even though he may not be in his prime, he still can provoke a crowd to hate him. From working with him, it is easy to see that many of the skills that Randy Orton has are genetic.
St Louis has been represented well here recently with Delirious, MsChif, and Daizee Haze wrestling in LWA for the Michael Johnson Benefit show on May 3rd. Matt Sydal and Dingo have also made a splash. Which one has surprised you the most with their success?
If I had to choose one, I would have to say MsChif. The successes of the men notwithstanding, to excel as a women’s wrestler is a much more difficult task. Right now, she holds two of the most recognized championships in the world. That, combined with her athletic skills and her attitude, is the reason why I would choose MsChif as the St. Louis wrestler who has surprised me the most.
Who would you say in the past 18 years was the most underrated wrestler in the St Louis area?
In my career, the most underrated wrestler was John Blackheart. This man was technically sound and knew what it took to get a reaction out of the fans. He could go out and fly with the light heavyweights, brawl with the brawlers, manipulate the rules in the world of tag team wrestling, and do things behind a referee’s back that were pure gold. John Blackheart could go out to the ring with anyone and have a good match. He was just that good.
Who do you feel is the best tag team ever in professional wrestling?
The best tag team in professional wrestling, in my opinion, would be Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard. They thought and wrestled in almost perfect harmony with little to no communication necessary.
Who do you feel is the best tag team in St. Louis in the past 20 years?
That’s easy! Billy Bob and the Techno Kid! Just joking! Seriously, the answer to this question will stun a lot of people. From all of the tag teams that have wrestled in St. Louis on a regular basis, I would say that the Ego Express is the best tag team that I have seen in the past 20 years. They know what the other one is thinking at all times. They genuinely seem to like and trust each other. Their knowledge of the rules and how to break them is outstanding. Also, they have a manager/valet that fits their plans perfectly. The Ego Express, whether you like them or not, has all the tools to hang with any tag team in professional wrestling.
Is there anyone that comes to mind that never got the chance, but really deserved it?
I feel that “The Punisher” from the MVWA never really got his time in the spotlight. In his heyday, he could drive a crowd to almost riot status before he even entered the ring. If he would have had a company like an MMWA, GCW, or LWA to sign him and he could have stayed healthy, he could have been huge.
At the moment, you have the chance to become LWA President. You are running against Jacob Dangle, Steven Miller, Bavarian Boy. For those who have not been a part of LWA, tell us what that is about.
Since Yuletide Terror 2007, the LWA has been without a president. Management has decided that someone needs to take control of the LWA before chaos destroys the company. Seeing that I have refereed and ring announced for the LWA, a friend of mine tried to convince me to run for the LWA presidency and I brushed it off. Yet, as time went on, I heard that Steven Miller had found a loophole and weaseled his way into the election process. Once I heard that he was running, I knew that I had to give serious thought about running for LWA president.
Steven Miller thinks that, if Bavarian Boy or Jacob Dangle is elected president of the LWA, he can use his influence with Donovan Ruddick to intimidate them into doing what he wants. However, Mr. Miller knows that I am not, nor will never be, scared of anyone. I know that since I am running for LWA President against Steven Miller, if I lose, I will probably be out of a job.
The fans of the LWA need to make their opinions known. I recommend that everyone goes to www. lwawrestling. com and vote for who you think should be the new LWA president.
Let’s go to Word Association
South Broadway – lacking originality
MECW – professional
LWA – talented roster
UWA – rebuilding
CSW – tradition
AAPW – dedicated to its fans
WLW – Harley Race
SLAMZONE – hardworking
SHIMMER – true women’s wrestling
FTW – The Independent Icons
RCW – misunderstood
NWA – territorial professional wrestling
WWE – cheese
TNA – innovative
ECW – WWE light
ROH – True Professional Wrestling
St Louis Hall of Fame – tribute to St. Louis wrestling history
Best pro wrestling book – “Hooker” by Lou Thesz
Hulk Hogan – all about “the Benjamins”
Ric Flair – legend
Ultimate Warrior – joke
WrestleMania 24 – lackluster
HHH – heart of the WWE
Samoa Joe – class act
Kurt Angle – machine
Motor City Machine Guns – great people
Davey Richards – tough as nails
“The Future” Donavan Ruddick – monster
Michael Strider – crazy
Shorty Biggs – the “fifth”
Gary the Barn Owl – Bearded Men from Space Station 11
Brian James – “It’s All Good”
Scott Murphy – true friend
Stacey O’Brien – future of St. Louis women’s wrestling
Sean Vincent – Canadian superstar
Cameron Cage – funny, funny, funny
Cabal – Chewbacca
Edmund “Livewire” McGuire – outstanding
Adam Raw – intense
Pierre Abernathy – Submission Squad
Playboy HH – hides behind his stable
Austin Aries – quiet
Pete Madden – Trainer
“Atomic Dog” Ali Stevens – Powerhouse
Steven Miller – power hungry
Phoenix Twins – Tag Team Specialists
Brandon Aarons – Hollister
Mephisto – psychotic
Douglas O’Shea – hated everywhere he goes
Evan Gelistico – Zero Gravity
Jeremy Wyatt – The Rebel
Shaft – the heart of MMWA
Tyler Cook – underrated
Awesome Kong – brutality personified
Mark Sterling – intimidating
Trent Stone – impact player
Billy McNeil – death-defying
Lightfoot – Lightfoot Driver
Brandon Espinosa – No Fear
Johnny Greenpeace – Tree
Dingo – dedicated to professional wrestling
Ego Express – “old school” tag team wrestling
Johnny Vinyl and Davey Vega – arrogant
Eric Davis – versatile
Justin Wade – throwback
The Lumberjacks – tough
Dorian Victor – Must Be the Money
The Connection – Bullies
Editors Note: This has been the third and final installment of MWR’s Spotlight on Luke Roberts. Luke is a key piece of the pro wrestling puzzle in the St. Louis area, and I am proud that he chose to sit down and give us a little of his time. Hopefully we can chat again with him sometime soon.
Missouri Wrestling Revival 