Missouri Wrestling Revival

Giving Back to Midwest Pro Wrestling!

  • Post With Us

    MWR Facebook Group

  • Follow Us

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • 2015 MWR Yearbook on Sale

  • Pro Wrestling Tees

  • CAC

  • Rob Schamberger Art

  • Rings and Cages

  • Windy Wine Company

  • Wrestle Talk Podcast

  • Galaxy Wrestling All Stars Comics

  • Piekutowski Sausage

Posts Tagged ‘michael strider’

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »

MWR Spotlight: Abu Colossus

Posted by Admin on August 20, 2008

Abu Colossus

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

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Your Trip to Space Mountain-Circus Maximus 2008

Posted by Admin on July 30, 2008

Your Trip to Space Mountain

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.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

The Barrio Boys Have Arrived.

Posted by Admin on May 29, 2008

The Barrio Boys Have Arrived

by Brian “Flair” Kelley

War was declared and it has been very ugly in Central States Wrestling since CSW’S “Reloaded”. Three masked men known as “The In Crowd” (later revealed to be Jason Strife, Tyler Cook and Payday Patterson) ambushed Central States Champion Michael Strider after he had just defeated Jeremy Wyatt in February in the very brutal no rope barb wire match. The effects are still being felt to this day.

Before it’s all said and done, causalities will be plenty as The In Crowd has recruited Steven Kennedy to assist them in their dominance of CSW’s fan favorites, but CSW has a bigger problem on their hands.

Domino Rivera, the Latino answer to Arn Anderson, speaks very little and is as fundamentally sound as they come. When he speaks you had better listen, because he brings the pain in every match.

Domino has won some big matches in the past. At CSW’s “Superstitions”, Domino ruined Mason Hunter’s Hall of Fame induction by defeating and bloodying Mason and then disrespecting him by unceremoniously dropping the plaque on top of him. Still, title opportunities have not came his way. This has left a bad taste in the mouth of Domino.

Enter Angel Medina, better known in the old ECW as Angel, part of the wrestling stable “Da Baldies” with Vito LoGrosso, Tony Devito, and Vic Grimes. Together they had a classic feud with New Jack over who was “King of the Streets”. Angel is one of the few men to have New Jack’s number and, wherever he goes, destruction follows.

Now known as the Barrio Boys, with Angel whispering in Domino’s ear one can never know what to expect. With Domino’s technical skills and Angel’s brutality, CSW is no place for the meek to make their mark. Right now the Barrio Boys are doing their best to finish off some unfinished business with Mason Hunter’s good friend Derek Stone and they proved how tough they were when they defeated the young tag team of Nate Bash and Benjamin Sailor at “Boiling Point”.

A word of advice to The In Crowd and CSW favorites: keep your distance and respect the Barrio Boys, because Domino and Angel are up to no good and they are just getting started. At CSW’s next show in Ottawa, Kansas on May 31, 2008 the Barrio Boys face Derek Stone and the up and coming wrestler Mike Sydal in what is shaping up to be a battle. Stone and Sydal will be fighting to merely survive the onslaught that the Barrio Boys plan to bring.

I am sure CSW Management will be holding their breath and hoping that Stone and Sydal can slow down the Barrio Boys, because, deep down, they know the In Crowd may be the least of their concerns. These two men, once an afterthought, could turn out to be a Central States nightmare.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you CSW!

Promoters around the Midwest, continue promoting your pretty boys and bodybuilders in the tag team division because if the Barrio Boys are on the card, bodies will fill the ring and your belts may never come back.

You can check out the Barrio Boys when CSW returns to Ottawa, Kansas this Saturday at the Ottawa Middle School which also goes towards a good cause as they support the Ottawa’s Triple A program. Find out more information at the CSW website http://www.cswwrestling.com/home/index.php A special thanks goes out to Renn for assisting with information to make this story happen.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Mark This Down

Posted by Admin on May 25, 2008

Mark This Down
by “Smart” Mark Anthony

No more disclaimers. No more excuses. It’s just me, “Smart” Mark Anthony with another edition of “Mark This Down”. Today, I’ll try to be a little less controversial. I won’t talk about anything that will get anybody severely riled up. I won’t entertain thoughts of talking backstage politics or the he said, she said stuff that can sometimes become a staple of the professional wrestling landscape. We all know that my people are going to call wrestlers underrated, overrated, or average. Wrestlers and promotions are going to call fans “marks” in a negative way and still beg them to buy merchandise and tickets to events. It’s all just a vicious cycle, but I digress.

This time around I’m taking another step to the foreground of Missouri Wrestling Revival. I’ll be going over the twenty guys that at this stage in the game I feel should be listed in Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s PWI 500. That elite list of professional wrestlers from around the world has lost a little of it’s prestige in this day and age due to my people, the Internet Wrestling Community, but while some of my people will say that it’s obsolete, I hearby decree it to be THE list of professional wrestlers.

The PWI 500 dates back to the days when I was a wide eyed boy looking at professional wrestling as a legitimate sport. It was a great way for me to see how wrestlers I was more familiar with rated with others from around the world. Since the late 90s, the list has decreased in popularity due to the decline of pro wrestling magazines (in favor of… GASP! the Internet), but it still has a prominent place in a true wrestling fan’s heart.

I understand that I am getting a little on the ranty side, so let’s just look at my list.

20. Curtis Payne (Full Throttle Wrestling) – The new FTW champion won the belt in very dramatic fashion, proving that he belongs on this list.

19. Brett Young (Central States Wrestling) – Young is one of the best talents out there and while he doesn’t have the most impressive win-loss record, he has really turned it on in 2008 with valuable victories on the way to winning the NWA Kansas Title.

18. Shorty Biggs (Lethal Wrestling Alliance) – A crowd favorite, Shorty held the LWA Heavyweight Championship for months before losing it to “The Future” Donovan Ruddick in April.

17. Edmund “Livewire” McGuire (All American Pro Wrestling) – He’s currently at a point in his career where a lot of title shots for multiple titles could all come at once. A great guy with a very good win-loss record over the past year.

16. Gage Octane (3XWrestling) – The 3XW Champ is one of the best working in Iowa, hands down.

15. Mississippi Madman (Scott County Wrestling) – Come on, it’s the friggin Mississippi Madman!

14. Mark Sterling (3XWrestling) – 3XW’s Pure Wrestling Champion is also one half of the Pro Wrestling Phoenix Tag Team Champions. I don’t think there are too many in the Midwest that are better workers than this man.

13. Adam Raw (Lethal Wrestling Alliance) – Has it all, except for the LWA Heavyweight Title. Could a showdown with Donovan Ruddick catapult him to the top of this list next year? I say yes… and I know all.

12. Shane Hollister (Scott County Wrestling) – Few are having a better 2008 than Shane Hollister. He just recently beat Tyler Black for the SCW Heavyweight Championship.

11. “Serial Thriller” Shane Rich (All American Pro Wrestling) – AAPW’s Heavyweight Champ is always solid in the ring. He hasn’t had a bad match in 2008.

10. “The Future” Donovan Ruddick (Lethal Wrestling Alliance) – This is the guy everybody is talking about. He’s big, he has a huge upside, and he just grabbed the LWA Heavyweight Title away from Shorty Biggs.

9. Eric Ruffington (New Midwest Wrestling) – I’ve seen plenty about this guy through this site. The guy is entertaining and frequently has gold around his waist. He deserved to be in the PWI 500.

8. Jeremy Wyatt (Central States Wrestling) – One of the best in the Midwest, and he’s just as active in other places like LWA and PWP. The guy is tough and talented. That’s an excellent combination.

7. Keith Walker (AAW: Pro Wrestling Redefined) – The big guy had a lot of momentum but recently lost a lot of it when he left WLW. We’ll see what kind of impact he has in AAW and SCW.

6. Dangerous Derek (World League Wrestling) – The new World League Wrestling Heavyweight Champion had his stock rise significantly by defeating Chris Masters.

5. Dingo (Central States Wrestling: Missouri) – Can I get Dingo on TV? Like, seriously. This guy is that good, and NWA Missouri Champion to boot.

4. Jerry Lynn (AAW: Pro Wrestling Redefined) – He’ll be in the PWI 500 no matter what I say, but he still belongs on this list as the AAW Heavyweight Champ.

3. Michael Strider (Central States Wrestling) – I wish there was more Michael Strider to go around. I don’t think I’ve personally seen him wrestle for months now.

2. Tyler Black (Scott County Wrestling) – Ring of Honor has really helped raise the profile of this former SCW Heavyweight Champ.

1. Chris Masters (World League Wrestling) – Just recently losing the WLW Heavyweight Title doesn’t diminish his WWE experience for the majority of the year. I imagine he’ll rank highly, and should. He’s had some great matches in WLW.

That’s all I have for this edition of Mark This Down. Until next time, my people.


Missouri Wrestling Revival and this update are brought to you by:


Click here to go to our sponsor: Pro Wrestling and More Radio!

Pro Wrestling and More Radio plays wrestling related music… AND MORE! PWAM also supports breast cancer awareness and hopes for a cure. We are proud to be sponsored by PWAM, and encourage you to go give them a listen!

RELATED LINKS

“Mark This Down” for January 18, 2008
“Mark This Down” for January 27, 2008
“Mark This Down” for February 17, 2008
“Mark This Down” for April 10, 2008
“Mark This Down” for May 9, 2008

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

MWR Spotlight: Luke Roberts (Part 3 of 3)

Posted by Admin on May 17, 2008

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.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

MWR Spotlight: Shorty Biggs

Posted by Admin on April 8, 2008

Missouri Wrestling Revival Spotlight:
Shorty Biggs

By “Your Trip to Space Mountain” writer Brian “Flair” Kelley

Nickname: The Don Mega

Height/weight: Height? C’mon man what’s my name? As for weight, about two bills and some change.

Entrance Music: “Ante Up” by M.O.P.

Experience: 6 years plus tax.

Promotions: Central States Wrestling (CSW) and Lethal Wrestling Alliance (LWA) are primarily my promotions right now. There are other promotions I work for from time to time.

Biggest Match: They are all BIGG (pun intended) to me, but if you are looking for specifics, I’d say Human Tornado, Dingo, Michael Strider, and Kory Twist were big matches for me.

Signature Move: Short Stop, Short Kut, and the Def Jam.

It is nice to have Shorty Biggs, current LWA Heavyweight Champion with us today.
It’s good to be here. Thanks for having me.

Who or what would you say inspired you to get into the wrestling business?

Like most pro wrestlers, I started out as a fan. My great grandmother was in her living room one day yelling at TV. I rushed in to see what was going on, and I saw the Four Horsemen trying to jump Sting. From there, it was on like Donkey Kong.

One day years and years later this kat I knew told me that he was a pro wrestler and that I should come and check out one of the local shows he was on. It took me about six months to do so, but I finally made it out to a show. By the end of the show I decided that this was something I wanted to get in on, so I went down to the training center. When I went down there, it wasn’t to learn how to wrestle. I was going down there to learn how manage. That’ right, Shorty was supposed to be a manager.

Well, I got in the ring with some jeans and a pair of Timberlands on and I ran some drills. The next time I went to the training center, a guy who was in charge of the talent told me that they didn’t want me to manage. I thought, “damn! I pissed somebody off already!” The guy told me that they wanted me to wrestle. I guess they liked the way I ran the drills. Three months later, I had my first match against a guy named Ricky Recuse.

Damn that was pretty long winded, my bad.


Where did you receive your training from?

If I started naming off every person who helped out in my training then this interview would have to be separated into chapters, so I’ll just say I have received training from every wrestler I have stepped in the squared circle with. I have learned something from them all, and as long as I keep wrestling I will keep learning. So BIGG ups to everyone who
has ever stepped in to the ring with me.


What other promotions have you worked for other than Gateway Championship Wrestling (GCW), LWA and CSW?

I have worked for many promotions throughout the Midwest, and I look forward to working all over the US and maybe one day in another country. If I get into the names of all the promotions, it would be like spilling a bowl of alphabet soup on the floor.


On December 8, 2007 at Yuletide Terror on in House Springs you defeated Pierre Abernathy, a man some have said was hiding from you, for the LWA Heavyweight Championship. How would you describe the feeling you had when the refs hand fell the third time and you were champion.

It was a mixture of feelings. I was excited, happy, thrilled, tired, beat up, half blinded, and relieved. A lot of people didn’t think that I could pull it off, but when it was all said and done the Don’s hand was raised. It was like being at a concert and the artist you came to see played your favorite song. You just get amped, go crazy and lose your mind.


You later defended the belt at LWA’S Proving Ground. It was a flashback to 1985 and St. Louis versus Kansas City, as you took on Kansas City’s own Jeremy “The Rebel” Wyatt in a match. At times it looked like the belt would go to Kansas City, but you were able to get the win and fortunately make the LWA fans happy. Shortly thereafter, you wrestled “The Rebel” again in NWA Central States Wrestling Missouri and were on the short end of that match. What are your thoughts on Wyatt?

Let me tell you something about “The Rebel”. There ain’t no half-steppin’ in that dudes game. I have had great matches with him. It’s something about those Kansas City kats. They bring it, and I would have it no other way. Wyatt is a true talent and I can’t wait mix it up with “The Rebel” again. I don’t know about barbed wire matches or anything like that since I like my face too much, but anytime Wyatt wants to throw hands, I’m down.


You have been a fighting Champion. You have defended the belt against former St Louis Wrestler of the Year Dingo, who is lighting-quick, but once again you came out on top. Your success against Dingo gave you no breathing room, though, as now you have the “69 Monster” Donovan Ruddick targeting you. Many claim him to be the future of the St. Louis wrestling scene, so what will be your strategy as you prepare to face him?

I would be spittin’ fibs if I said I ain’t think twice about Ruddick. I mean, that’s a big dude. I have fought big men before and I ain’t no little dude myself. The thing that gets me is that he has jumped me like two or three times, but it’s always when my back is turned. Now I’m not trying to say the man is scared, but maybe the guy is thinking twice about me, too. To bottom line it: There are no such things as monsters, and Shorty Biggs it the illest and realest kat that you’re ever gonna meet. Ruddick, watch your step kid because I don’t care if you are 6’9″, 7’12″ or 8’14″, when we get in the ring face to face I’m giving out dirt naps, so get your PJs ready.


Out of everybody you have wrestled and all of the matches you have had, which would you say has been your toughest bout?

I’ve had some pretty tough ones. None of them have been easy. If I have to pick… well, there was a tables match with Strider that was no picnic. I’ve been kicked in the face by Kevin X. Also, it seems that every match I have with Dingo doesn’t go long, but I’m always beat up the most in them.


LWA has brought in Total Nonstop Action (TNA) stars like Alex Shelly, Samoa Joe and Chris Sabin, along with Ring of Honor star Davey Richards. Next up is AJ Styles on May 24th in St. Charles, MO. Who would you like to face if the powers to be were to bring in a current TNA or ROH star?

Well, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but every time LWA brings in aTNA or ROH star, Alex Shelly excluded, I seem to miss that show. I call it the curse of the Biggbino, and yes I will be missing the show that AJ Styles will be at. That, my dude, sucks. To be honest with you, it would be an honor to wrestle any of the names you mentioned.


One show that I am totally excited about is when CSW returns to Cape Girardeau, MO. It will be at the 2008 Comicon, which will be a good way for us comic geeks to get our fix of both wrestling and comics. Headlining the event will be NWA World Women’s Champion and TNA Women’s Champion Awesome Kong vs. NWA Midwest Women’s Champion MsChif. These ladies are two of the most talented women in the wrestling world today, and they will be on the CSW card along with ROH star Davey Richards, CSW stars Michael Strider, Tyler Cook, Dingo, and Jeremy Wyatt. Any idea at this point as to who you will be going up against?

Man, I am just excited about the whole event. I love going down to Cape Town. They show me a lot of love when I’m down there. I’m also thrilled to be a part of such an epic event for CSW. I think it’s cool that we get to have pro wrestling and the comicon under the same roof. I think wrestling fans and comic fans are both cut from the same thread. I mean, I like super heroes.

The main event alone is worth the price of admission. Kong, MsChif, Richards, Dingo, Strider and the rest of the CSW roster… what more could you ask for? It’s going to be a show that is talked about for sometime.

I don’t know who I’m going up against, but whoever it is had better be ready. This event is major, and I’m going to get my shine on.


Independent wrestler Johnny Vinyl once stated that you are “the most charismatic performer in St. Louis”, and one can easily make that argument. Truly, some of your talent and charisma comes naturally, but what would be your advice for someone coming into the business.

Did Vinyl put on some chap stick before he started kissing the junk in this trunk? (Shorty points to his backside and laughs)

I’m just playing. Thanks for the compliment JV. For real, when I’m out there in the ring I’m just being me. Just be yourself. You also have to know your limits. Not everybody is cut out for this business. Make sure your family and education come first, because when it’s all said and done that’s all you got. Your family was there before wrestling and you better make sure they will still be there after wrestling. Everybody knows that you should have some form of education, so there is no reason for me to even get into that. If any of you young ones out there don’t know about that, then hit me up on Myspace and we’ll talk about the reasons why.


Jeremy Wyatt was able to make his matches with you seem as if it was all about Kansas City versus St. Louis, but I know that you are popular with the Kansas crowd as well as St. Louis. Where else should we plan on seeing the Don wrestle this summer?

I would love to come back out to Kansas. There are true wrestling fans out there and ain’t nothing better than that. Just keep checking my Myspace page. I should have all the dates up there.


Last but not least do you have anything to say for all the Shorty fans out there?

I want to thank all the little shortys out there. Show some love for Shorty. There is nothing better than to go out and entertain you all. It’s the reason I’m in this business.

Thank you Bri Bri for taking the time to rap with the Don Mega and giving the peeps a chance to get know me.

I want give a shout to some of my peeps: G-ma, G-pa, BK, Diddy, Brubaker, Glenda Anne, The Click, Mr.Smith, EJ, CY, BBB, Detective Mesh, The CSW East and West, The Gateway Fam, The LWA Posse, The Fam Fam. You know who your are, and if you have to ask then don’t bother. Every single person in this business, whether you are in front of the crowd or behind the scenes. Anyone and everyone who has supported me.

If you have done anything to support the progress of this business that I love, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.
You can check out Shorty at http://www.cswwrestling.com and http://www.lwawrestling.com.

On April 19, 2008, LWA will be in Fairview Heights, IL. Shorty Biggs defends his LWA Heavyweight Championship against “69 Monster” Donovan Ruddick. Check it out!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Your Trip to Space Mountain

Posted by Admin on March 12, 2008

Your Trip to Space Mountain
by Brian “Flair” Kelley

The second installment of “Your Trip to Space Mountain” is a special treat for you. I have asked the local wrestlers and promotions to provide us, the fans, a DVD recommendation that showcases their best work. I’m hoping to give you something to look for online and at the tables during intermission at the next show you attend.

I was a little disappointed that very few took me up on my offer to be a part of this, but thankful for the ones that did reply. The wrestlers stated that it was hard to choose a particular DVD and wished me the best. I hope that you take the time to pick up one – if not all – of the DVDs they recommended. I know I will!!


Darrien Sanders

Central States Wrestling: X Marks the Spot 2 (April 29, 2006)

Darrien Sanders vs. AJ Styles

“It was the show where NOBODY thought I could hang with the “Phenomenal” AJ Styles!”
-Darrien Sanders

AJ Styles makes his debut in CSW to take on “Showtime” Darrien Sanders. This was my first time attending a CSW show, and had driven 3 hours to see AJ Styles. When it was through, though, I would know the name “Darrien Sanders”.

Look for Darrien to connect with a huge Mafia kick that nearly takes AJ’s head off.

Where to Buy: Contact CSW via their website (http://www.cswwrestling.com/).

Derek Stone

Derek may not know this, but he is my girlfriend’s favorite independent wrestler and throughout the years I have seen many Derek Stone matches. From his WLW Championship days as the Sheik to pulling shenanigans with fellow wrestler Mason Hunter, Derek never fails to entertain. Derek stated I could chose any CSW material, so I chose one match that everyone can truly enjoy.

Central States Wrestling: Superstitions (October 13, 2006)

Derek Stone vs. “#1” Brett Young w/ Steve Girthy in a “Loser Wears a Dress and Serves Concessions” Match.

Derek had a feud with Girthy Management’s stable of wrestlers and “#1” Brett Young had managed to beat Stone in a “Loser Eats Dog Food” match in August 2006. Young looked to embarrass Stone again on Friday the 13th. The aftermath is something I will never forget.

Bonus : Not a couple of minutes, but 20 whole extra minutes of the loser serving concessions to the fans wearing a French maid outfit.

Where to Buy: Contact CSW via their website (http://www.cswwrestling.com/).

Jeremy Wyatt

He is a man of very few words, but if he says “buy it” then I would be the last to argue with him.

Pro Wrestling Phoenix: Phoenix Rising (April 2007)

Jeremy Wyatt vs. Arik Cannon

“This was the first time we ever faced off, and it turned out to be one of the best matches in the Midwest in 07”
– Jeremy Wyatt

Where to Buy: Contact PWP via their website (http://www.prowrestlingphoenix.com/).

Johnny Greenpeace

Gateway Championship Wrestling: Mschif Volume 1

Johnny Greenpeace vs MsChif

Johnny Greenpeace had “Tree” at ringside, but was it enough to overcome the talented Mschif and her partner in crime Delirious? Johnny had his hands full throughout the match, but hit Mschif with a t-bone suplex that she won’t soon forget.

Where to Buy: You can look for it online, but your best bet would be to go to the St. Louis Wrestling Community site/forums and ask around.

Mark Sterling

Mark Sterling is always ready to let you know how good he is, so it’s no surprise he was quick to reply.

Central States Wrestling: Deal with the Steel 3 (December 9, 2006)

Mark Sterling vs. Dingo for the NWA KS Title

Dingo had beaten AJ Styles in August of 06 and was named #1 contender to Mark Sterling’s NWA KS title. On October 13, 2006 after a 30 minute time limit draw, Sterling refused to shake Dingo’s hand and even spit in his face. Dingo challenged Sterling to a ladder match with the NWA KS belt suspended above the ring. What followed was a brutal match filled with dangerous risk taking and intense ring action.

Where to Buy: Fans can buy the DVD from http://www.cswwrestling.com/.

Pro Wrestling Phoenix

PWP wanted to highlight a couple of DVDs that best showcase what they have to offer. DVDs include “My Bloody Valentine” (2/18/07), which features the following matches:

1. The Dark Circle (Chris Havius & Damien Van Horn w/ Adrenne Rose) vs. The Pride & The Passion (Zac James & Tyler Pride)
2. Donnie Peppercricket vs. Preston Maxwell
3. Jaysin Strife vs. “Golden Boy” Vic Victory
4. Joey Daniels w/ Paul Daniels vs. “Showtime” Darrien Sanders w/ Deidre
5. Jeremy Wyatt vs. “Sensational” Sean Cruz
6. “Babyface” Tony Cortez vs. Hype Gotti in a No Rope Barbed Wire Match for the PWP Heavyweight Championship.

The 2nd Anniversary Spectacular (5/18/07) features:

1. Jeremy Wyatt vs. Sean Christian
2. “Sensational” Sean Cruz vs. Buck Albright
3. The Dark Circle (Chris Havius & Damien Van Horn w/ Adrenne Rose) vs. The Daniels Bros for the PWP Tag Team Championship
4. Jaysin Strife vs. “Golden Boy” Vic Victory in a 30 Minute Iron Man Match
5. Michael Strider, Hype Gotti & The Pride & The Passion (Zac James & Tyler Pride) vs. Abu Colossus, “#1” Brett Young & The LONRs (Showtime Darrien Sanders & Mark Sterling)
6. “Babyface” Tony Cortez vs. Sonjay Dutt for the PWP Heavyweight Championship

Lastly…

Battle of the Phoenix 07 (7/20/07) features:

1. “Babyface” Tony Cortez vs. “Sensational” Sean Cruz for the PWP Heavyweight Championship
2. Hype Gotti vs. “#1” Brett Young in a “Lumber-Rat” match
3. The Pride & The Passion w/ Deidre vs. The Northstar Express, The LONRs, & The Legacy in a 4 way elimination match
4. The Dark Circle w/ Adrenne Rose vs. The Pride & The Passion for the PWP Tag Team Championship
5. Joey Daniels vs. Arya Daivari
6. “The Rebel” Jeremy Wyatt vs. “The Anarchist” Arik Cannon in a 2/3 Falls match
7. The Phoenix Challenge (25 man Royal Rumble style match)

All these DVD’s and many others can be ordered by emailing ProWrestlingPhoenix@hotmail.com DVD’s are $15 each + shipping.

My Final Thoughts

This concludes this edition of “Your Trip to Space Mountain“. Be sure and take the time to get these recommended DVDs from some of the hardest working athletes in the Midwest. These DVDs have everything, from the superstars of today to the stars of tomorrow, and you’ll have the chance to say that you saw them first.

I encourage you to take a trip to an independent show to support the next generation of wrestlers.

Till next time as the Man Ric Flair says WHOOOOOOOOOOOO

[Editor’s Note: No bias was given in the preceding article. Many wrestlers, promoters, and fans no Brian “Flair” Kelley as the ultimate wrestling fan. He supports just about every promotion that holds shows within five hours of his home in Central Missouri. He contacted MANY different wrestlers and promotions, and these are the ones that replied. The next time this man is in your area, treat him well. He deserves it for his support of Midwest wrestling.]

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

MWR February 2008 Awards

Posted by Admin on March 2, 2008

MWR February 2008 Awards

February 2008 is in the record books, so once again MWR takes a look at Midwest wrestling with monthly awards!

Let’s take a look at the nominees and winners!


February 2008 Wrestler of the Month

Honorable Mention – Michael Strider (CSW), Shorty Biggs (LWA/CSW), Cecil Cerveza (GAW), Evan Gelistico (LWA), Chris Masters (WLW), “Serial Thriller” Shane Rich (AAPW)

Winner – Payday Patterson (CSW)

How can a guy be wrestler of the month and not wrestle a single match? Well, Payday managed to shock Central States Wrestling fans by doing a Pearl Harbor job on both Michael Strider AND Jeremy Wyatt after a brutal barbed wire match on February 2, 2008. He had been inactive for more than a year due to a career ending “Best of 7” series of matches against Michael Strider, during which he was cheered by many CSW fans. Add to this the fact that he somehow managed to recruit Jaysin Strife and CSW fan favorite Tyler Cook, and you can see how giving CSW a huge “F— You” earns him the top spot for the month of February.


February 2008 Tag Team of the Month

Honorable Mention – None

Winner – “Da Bomb” Brian James & Brandon Espinosa (AAPW)

NO PICTURE IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE

These two make the grade for the month of February by defeating the debuting tag team of Mark Sterling and Darrien Sanders at a big AAPW show. While Sterling and Sanders made their debut as a tag team for AAPW, they are no strangers to the Midwest wrestling scene, and are a very formidable combination. James and Espinosa strengthen their reputation by defeating them in an AAPW ring.


February 2008 Promotion of the MonthHonorable Mentions – Lethal Wrestling Alliance, MMWA-SICW, All American Pro Wrestling, Scott County Wrestling

 

Winner – Central States Wrestling


CSW has struggled since last summer to build the type of momentum the promotion had for a very long period of time, but the month of February gave the fans something that they can get behind. Both a very modern Myspace page and official web page have been released, revealing more about the new roster and upcoming events. They put on a solid show on February 2, 2008 that culminated in one of the best Midwest main events of the past year featuring Jeremy Wyatt and Michael Strider. On top of that, CSW has kicked off a very promising angle that could turn the entire promotion upside down with the return of Payday Patterson and the underhanded recruitment of Jaysin Strife and Tyler Cook. There are a few minor things that need to be ironed out with the company, such as the fulfillment of last years silent auction obligations and the free DVDs that are owed to some of the diehard fans that purchased VIP tickets, but the resolving of these issues seems right around the corner!


February 2008 Woman Wrestler of the MonthHonorable Mention – MsChif (LWA)

 

Winner – Miss Natural (WLW)

Another slow month for women’s wrestling, but this month’s award goes to Miss Natural. She retained the WLW title this month by defeating Rebecca Raze, and doesn’t look to be letting go of the title anytime soon!


February 2008 Personality of the Month

Honorable Mention – Joey Eastman (AAW), Brian “Flair” Kelley (MWR), Crimefighter (St. Louis Wrestling Community)

Winner – Todd Countryman (3XW)

Todd Countryman is one of the most prominent figures in 3XWrestling, and not for good reasosn. Alligning himself with the top two wrestlers in the company right now (Gage Octane and Mark Sterling), he is positioned to be a powerful force in Midwest wrestling for quite some time.


February 2008 Match of the Month

Honorable Mentions – “Serial Thriller” Shane Rich vs “Homicidal” Steven Davis (AAPW) [For AAPW Heavyweight Championship]

Winner – Barbed Wire Match: Michael Strider vs Jeremy Wyatt (CSW) [2/2/2008 in Lawrence, KS] [For CSW Heavyweight Championship]

CSW takes another award with this brutal match! Thumbtacks, barbed wire, and two of the most talented wrestlers in the Midwest!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Combat Tested, Mother Approved

Posted by Admin on February 6, 2008

“Combat Tested, Mother Approved”
Issue 1

by Joshua Ray

Introduction, Thoughts, and Paying Respect to Wrestling!

I’ve been planning on writing a column for the site since I started this thing a month ago, but until now I hadn’t had the time. Between my actual job and a labor of love known as Missouri Wrestling Revival, I have been keeping myself very busy and very tired. I’m not complaining, though, as I am enjoying every minute of it. I have time to do both and still spend time with the family, so life is good.

A little bit about me:

I’m a wrestling fan. I was a fan in the early 80’s when my grandma (mom’s side) would take me to the shows to yell at the bad guys in Alabama. I was a fan when I move to Missouri at the age of 5 and my grandpa (dad’s side) would record, rent, and buy any wrestling he could get his hands on so that we could watch together. I stayed a fan until 1999 when I was 18 and joined the Army.

I spent years deployed and in the field, with no real time to stay up to date on wrestling, so I missed WCW and ECW being bought by WWE, and all of the lackluster wrestling that followed. I returned to wrestling in 2005 while attending Korean language school after becoming an interrogator for the Army. I needed time to unwind, and wrestling once again provided an outlet for me to keep from stressing out. By this time, I was married with a kid on the way… I wanted to spend time watching wrestling with my son just as my grandfather had done with me.

In 2007 I left the Army (at the time I was in California) and moved back to Missouri, where I now reside. I work as a government civilian and love the time I have to pursue my dreams as opposed to marching through the desert in Iraq or other great places. Wrestling is a part of that dream.

Now I’ll get to the meat and potatoes of my first column on the site.

Since returning, I have went out of my way to get my wife involved in my labor of love. I try to make her sit down and watch wrestling, but it just doesn’t appeal to her very much. To her, most of the angles are boring and unrealistic. Promos are rarely entertaining to her, although she enjoys old videos of the Rock, Stone Cold, Flair, and others deemed as great “talkers”, which lends to the theory that those guys really ARE great. She’s still very entertained by Ric Flair even though he is old.

Recently, as I’ve got more involved with wrestling and shown interest in the business side of it, I’ve tried to bring my wife to live wrestling events. She’s not been very enthused, but she’s been to three shows with me. The first was a WWE house show, the second one she was sick, and the third one was this Saturday. It was Central States Wrestling’s “Reloaded”.

Now, don’t get me wrong. This is not some lame plug for CSW. This is a look at what it takes to bring in those fans that sit down and watch WWE every Monday, Tuesday, and Friday, yet won’t go to an Indy wrestling show. This is how Indy wrestling won my wife over.

To understand my wife’s frame of mind as it pertained to that show, you need to understand that:

– She’s not a wrestling fan, but watches about 5 to 10 hours of TV wrestling (and MMA) per month with me.

– She got up at 6AM with her husband, prepared the food and packed, spent time with her son and then helped her sister-in-law and mother get ready to babysit.

– She then rode in a car for 4-5 hours, checked into a hotel in Lawrence, KS, and then went to eat and relax.

By the time the show rolled around, both of us were tired. The first match was exciting but things slowed down until the main event, which was Michael Strider vs Jeremy Wyatt in a no rope barbed wire match.

She seemed out of it for most of the show. I passed the time by talking with friends and buying/trading DVDs in between matches. Until that main event, she was very apathetic… and apathy is a trait you don’t want in a crowd at a wrestling event. That main event made her interested in the product, and afterward I talked to her about what she did or did not like.

The no rope barbed wire match really got to her, but in a good way. She couldn’t stop talking about the respect she had for wrestlers like Michael Strider and Jeremy Wyatt who obviously put a tremendous amount of effort into entertaining the fans. In her mind, it seems like some wrestlers just go through the motions and aren’t there to entertain. She said that she would go to a show anytime that she knew people like those two were going to be there.

I was curious whether or not the blood had anything to do with it, but she was quick to let me know that the blood wasn’t a factor. To her, the main thing was that the wrestlers gave it their all and tried to make sure the crowd was involved. She pointed to Mark Sterling, who earlier in the night had berated the fans and seemed to always be aware of fan reaction and how to keep them involved in his match with Darrien Sanders.

She also mentioned the first match and how fast paced and interesting it was. It featured Hype Gotti, Jaysin Strife, and Tony Cortez. While there wasn’t as much interaction with the fans in the match, it was entertaining and all three seemed to be aware of crowd reaction.

One thing is for certain, and that is that she has a newfound respect for professional wrestling. In her eyes, these men and women go out there and do extraordinary things and getting hurt in the process, simply for our entertainment. We all need to look at wrestling through these new eyes. Promoters, fans, Internet smarks, and wrestlers should all take a look through my wife’s eyes at the things that do and do not work, and give each other the respect without all of the attitude.

She reminds me of how wrestling used to be.

Here’s to all of those wrestlers out there with a dream and the integrity to give it their all for the fans. Here’s to the promoters that work with their talent and their fans to create a great and profitable atmosphere.

Here’s to the fans that give proper respect where respect is due, and don’t critique everything as if they could do it better.

This is Josh… Combat Tested, Mother Approved!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

MWR January 2008 Awards

Posted by Admin on February 1, 2008

It’s that time!

After much deliberating, the MWR staff (with your help) has completed our first ever monthly awards. These awards are meant to give a pat on the back to those who distinguished themselves this past month, and is in no way derogatory to anyone who did not receive honors. We here at Missouri Wrestling Revival openly admit that we can not cover every single promotion, match, and wrestler, but we do hope to help educate wrestling fans in the area as to what is going on in the Midwest!

Let’s take a look at the nominees and winners!


January 2008 Wrestler of the Month

Honorable Mention – Michael Strider (CSW), Shorty Biggs (LWA/CSW), Adam Raw (LWA), Eric Ruffington (NMW/GAW)

Winner – Jerome Cody (MMWA-SICW)

Jerome Cody (MMWA-SICW) went 3 and 0 for the month of January, including a Battle Royale! On 1/12/2008, he defeated Jeremy Lightfoot w/ Shaft as a special guest referee. One week earlier he defeated Jeremy Lightfoot after winning a 20-man Battle Royale the same night. He’s proven that he’s durable and talented, and he’s MWR’s Wrestler of the Month for January 2008!


January 2008 Tag Team of the Month

Honorable Mention – Phoenix Twins [Tweek & Dash] (AAW), Trik Davis & Danny Daniels (SCW), Zero Gravity [Bret Gakiya & CJ Esparza](NMW/SCW)

Winners – North Star Express [Darin Corbin & Ryan Cruz] (AAW)

It was very tough to choose a top tag team this month as there were solid claims to the spot by each and every one of the honorable mentions, but in the end we had to go with the North Star Express. This month Darin Corbin and Ryan Cruz unexpectedly won the AAW Tag Team straps by defeating the Phoenix Twins AND the Murder City Machine Guns in a January 19th bout!


January 2008 Promotion of the MonthHonorable Mentions – All American Wrestling, Lethal Wrestling Alliance, MMWA-SICW

 

Winner – Scott County Wrestling

Scott County Wrestling had two extremely good shows this month. With talent like Mississippi Madman, Shane Hollister, Trik Davis, Danny Daniels, Shane Hollister, and Tyler Black, only the best is to be expected. Tyler Black vs Shane Hollister is a great angle/feud, and Trik Davis and Danny Daniels becoming tag team champions at the event following their number one contendership win was interesting, as well. In the coming months we could see SCW back in the winners column in the promotion of the month category, as matches such as Trik Davis & Danny Daniels vs Zero Gravity and the Tyler Black vs Shane Hollister rematch are possibly on the horizon!


January 2008 Woman Wrestler of the MonthHonorable Mention – Lacey (LWA)

Winner – MsChif (LWA)

In the month of January, nobody else in the Midwest comes close. There was only one women’s wrestling match in the Midwest that MWR covered, but that isn’t to say that this award is a freeby for MsChif. MsChif is recognized around the region as the best female wrestler, winning the Stranglehold Awards best local female wrestler for 2007. Looks like she’s started the new year off right!
Honorable Mention – Tiffany Lafane (LWA), Todd Countryman (3XW), Kimberly Kash (EPW), “Smart” Mark Anthony (MWR), Justin Poole (LWA Forums and LWA Superfan), Crimefighter (St. Louis Wrestling Community)
January 2008 Personality of the Month

 

Winner – Joey Eastman (AAW)

Mr. Eastman pulled off a major personal victory when he signed Arik Cannon and the North Star Express to his stable on January 19th. Later in the evening they won the AAW Tag Team titles, by beating fellow stablemates the Phoenix Twins and the defending tag team champions, the Murder City Machine Guns. The Phoenix Twins aren’t happy with Joey Eastman’s new additions, which could prove troublesome down the road for the January 2008 Personality of the Month, but for now Mr. Eastman is riding high!


January 2008 Match of the Month

Honorable Mentions – Dingo vs Michael Strider (CSW) [1/12/2008 in Mt. Vernon, IL], Tyler Black vs Shane Hollister (SCW) [1/4/2008 in Rock Island, IL], Shorty Biggs vs Jeremy Wyatt (LWA) [1/5/2008 in Fairview Heights, IL]

Winner – Trik Davis & Danny Daniels vs Zero Gravity [Brett Gakiya & CJ Esparza] (SCW) [1/4/2008 in Rock Island, IL]

VS

SCW called this “quite possibly the greatest tag team match in SCW’s history”, and for good reason. This was a fast paced match for number one contendership to the SCW Tag Team titles! While Davis and Daniels won the match and then went on to win the Tag Belts at the next show, it looks like Zero Gravity just might be in line for a rematch… this time with the SCW Tag Team Titles on the line!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »