Promoter Herb Simmons started the show by acknowledging the recent passings of Gypsy Joe and Muhammad Ali. Gypsy Joe was a bit before my time, but he had in-ring wars in his later years against such opponents as New Jack and Necro Butcher. Quite a few of the wilder rasslin stories in history involve the name of Gypsy Joe, to say the least. Herb also noted that it was the birthday of the late Bruiser Brody, segueing into the ten-bell salute.
“Your Canadian Hero” Sean Vincent vs. Britton Tucker: Tucker is not well-liked in East Carondelet; one female fan was particularly irate about Tucker’s mere presence and Tucker promised to take her out to Olive Garden after the show. Bwahahaha.
They had a solid opener and Vincent appeared to be on the verge of winning with his Mapleleaf Leglock, but “Unstable” Dave Vaughn entered the ring and blatantly attacked TUCKER…thus getting Vincent disqualified in 7:44. Har har. Afterwards, Vincent reaffirmed that Vaughn would not turn him back into a “villain” as he insisted he would.
“The Fury” Jason Vaughn vs. “The Incredible” Matt Kenway (Look At Him): We have two guys in SICW with the last name of Vaughn…cue the MARKET CONFUSION~! Kenway was substituting for Ax Allwardt(Vaughn’s scheduled opponent).
Vaughn’s two young children were in attendance and were VERY vocal in their support of their father. Kenway did a good job in the rulebreaking role and targeted Vaughn’s arm, but Vaughn made El Big Comeback and got the figure-four leglock out of nowhere for the submission in 6:08.
Bobby D vs. “Unstable” Dave Vaughn: Vaughn’s transition into Heath Ledger Joker continues with the similar hair and the eye makeup. Vaughn controlled most of the matchup, but had trouble putting D away and went for a chair.
That brought out Vincent to confiscate the weapon, leading to Bobby D getting the rollup pin on a distracted Vaughn in 5:14. Vaughn didn’t seem too upset about the loss, laughing about how Vincent’s interference proved that he truly was reverting to his old ways…more on this as it develops.
Flaming Freddie Fury vs. Purple Passion: WHEN EFFEMINATE MASKED WRESTLERS COLLIDE~! The fans in attendance had no idea what to make of this encounter, though I heard several people call out “This isn’t wrestling!”
The two ended up falling into 69 position on the ring apron and both were counted out in 5:43. The two literally left arm-in-arm.
“Dead Sexy” Daniel Gunner vs. Brandon Espinosa(w/ Travis Cook): . Travis started out by loudly complaining about the previous match, asking if Vince Russo had booked it. Espinosa followed suit, continuing his mindset that he’s above everyone else in the promotion by insulting several members of the locker room…that included his scheduled opponent for the evening.
This was a solid matchup with Gunner doing better than I would have expected. At any rate, Espy got the cross-armbreaker out of nowhere for the tapout in 7:18.
Big Jim Hoffarth vs. Bubba Troll(w/ Big Daddy): Hoffarth won last month’s Bruiser Brody Memorial Battle Royal and Troll was the last man eliminated, so Troll obviously wanted some payback in this battle of super heavyweights. I jokingly throw around “#ClubbingForearms” at times like this, but it’s not like we’re gonna see a lucha-style match out of these guys. I’m often told that casual fans would rather see a “fight” than a “wrestling match”, at any rate.
In a slight surprise, Troll got the win after a splash off the second rope in 8:30…Drew tried to get a word with Hoffarth afterwards, but he wasn’t feeling up to an interview after BEING SPLASHED FROM THE SECOND ROPE BY A LARGE OPPONENT. Timing, Drew.
“Night Train/Gorgeous/Great One” Gary Jackson & “Ironman” Ken Kasa vs. “The Icon” Chris Hargas(w/ Travis Cook), “St. Louis Handicap Match”: Hargas & Espinosa defeated Kasa in this style of match in May, so Hargas wanted to prove that he could do what Kasa couldn’t. The match had a fifteen-minute limit and the tag team would win if the single wrestler couldn’t win a decision in that time frame. Kasa wanted to fight on his own and asked Gary to stay outside the ring…so the match was basically a singles bout with Gary doing his beset to thwart interference attempts by Travis Cook.
Travis was able to get involved enough that the referee was distracted after Kasa delivered the John Wu Dropkick…at that moment, Jackson chased Travis back to the dressing room area. Kasa locked on a version of the rear naked choke as the time limit ticked down, but Hargas didn’t tap out until RIGHT after the closing bell sounded at 15:00. Technically Jackson & Kasa won the match, but Kasa wanted a decisive victory…so the July show will feature a thirty-minute Ironman Match between Kasa and Hargas. Goodie.
Johnny Blade vs. “The Tokyo Monster” Kahagas(w/ Travis Cook): Blade returned to the St. Louis area fairly recently after previously being a regular for both SICW and the Mid-Missouri Wrestling Alliance. Kahagas won with a pumphandle Michinoku Driver in 5:54.
Ron Powers vs. Attila Khan for the Classic Title, Travis Cook Banned From Ringside: The past two months of Wrestling Explosion have attempted to compare this rivalry to Bruiser Brody vs. Abdullah The Butcher, as Powers is a protege of the late Brody and Khan has a similar style to the “Madman From The Sudan”. This wasn’t a technical classic and wasn’t expected to be…Khan played that popular Memphis game of “Where Oh Where Could The Foreign Object Be?” Hey, it ticks off the fans and that’s what counts for a rulebreaker. Ron had control when the rulebreakers’ locker room essentially emptied on Khan’s behalf to cause the DQ in 3:53. It started with Bubba Troll, then continued with Brandon Espinosa, Chris Hargas, and Kahagas with Big Daddy attempting to direct traffic.
It took a while for the fan favorites’ locker room to get the memo, but finally Ken Kasa and Gary Jackson hit the ring to help. Once they brought chairs into the fray, the rulebreakers backed off…that wrapped up the show.
“Memories Of Elvis” star Steve Davis sang the National Anthem; after that, they had a ten-bell salute to Blackjack Mulligan and Balls Mahoney (R.I.P.).
Bobby D vs. Attila Khan(w/ Travis Cook): Travis gave a grand reintroduction to Khan, who hadn’t been seen in SICW since his cage match loss to Gary Jackson in December. Other than a brief flurry of offense by D (somersault plancha included), Khan dominated most of this opening bout. Khan pulled him up from a pin attempt after the inverted DDT, then hit the finisher a second time for the easy win in 3:02.
The dynamic duo of Terry Funk and Larry Matysik did a random draw to determine the first-round matches in the Funk Title Tournament; the winner would be guaranteed a shot at the Classic Wrestling Championship. The draw produced several interesting bouts.
Ron Powers vs. Big Jim Hoffarth, Terry Funk Title Tournament Quarterfinal: I didn’t expect a lot of technical wizardry in this one, but the two heavyweights did start the match with an exchange of holds. Of course, it quickly turned into a slugfest that culminated in two straight instances of simultaneous clotheslines. The power game was the deciding factor as Ron delivered a huge released German suplex for the win in 4:17; the two shook hands after the match. Given the tournament field, Powers seemed like the clear favorite to emerge victorious…but a few new wrinkles would surface in the big picture.
“Unstable” Dave Vaughn vs. Ax Allwardt(w/ Big Daddy), Terry Funk Title Tournament Quarterfinal: Big Daddy managed both men, so he entered on his own after both wrestlers made their way to the ring. Vaughn returned to wrestling as a member of Big Daddy’s new stable as the veteran manager returned to his rulebreaking ways; the group also includes Bubba Troll, who was absent on this night. Vaughn had said that Big Daddy got him out of an insane asylum; he had “SANE” written on his wrist tape, though his demeanor would indicate otherwise. Vaughn had only recently returned to action after a layoff of several years, so it may take some time for him to get back into prime ring shape. With a matchup of two rulebreakers, the fans weren’t too invested in the bout; Vaughn seemed to be the lesser of two evils in this case. Big Daddy loudly proclaimed that he didn’t care who won as he got the winner’s share of the purse money in either case; however, he distracted the referee after Vaughn hit his signature spear. That distraction enabled Ax to hit Vaughn with his chain behind the referee’s back, scoring the tainted win in 5:54. On the heels of Vaughn and Ax’s tag team loss in March and this outcome, Big Daddy fired Vaughn from his stable…but a YouTube video showed Vaughn attacking Sean Vincent later in the night, so that feud will continue. At any rate, Ax was set to face Ron Powers in the semifinals.
“The Fury” Jason Vaughn & “Dead Sexy” Daniel Gunner vs. Britton Tucker & Waco: In the tradition of Wrestling At The Chase, this tag match had two referees; Earl Hebner was the main referee and Jay King was on the floor. Vaughn and Tucker are newcomers to SICW; I first heard of Tucker from his days in World League Wrestling. Vaughn(market confusion~!) recently started with the promotion and I don’t know much about him. I would have expected the official’s roles to be reversed, but it was Hebner who was knocked down during the match’s closing moments. Vaughn small-packaged Tucker and Jay King entered the ring to count the fall in 8:40.
“Ironman” Ken Kasa vs. “The Icon” Chris Hargas(w/ Travis Cook), Terry Funk Title Tournament Quarterfinal: Kasa was booted from the Travis Cook Organization and it was his old friend Hargas who dished out the beating to accentuate that executive action. Kasa was looking for payback, but Hargas attacked him from behind as he was entering the ringside area. Hargas hit him across the back with a chair for the fun of it…and this happened before the opening bell, so it put Kasa at a several disadvantage. Kasa fought back and nearly won with a rear naked choke, but Travis reached through the ropes to rake Kasa’s eyes out of the referee’s line of sight. The fight repeatedly spilled out of the ring, finally resulting in a double countout in 7:12.
Promoter Herb Simmons interviewed the special guests for the evening: Terry Funk and Director Of Affairs Cowboy Bob Orton. Classic Champion Flash Flanagan entered the ring with some harsh words for the legends and said he had PLANNED to make a name for himself at their expense…but circumstances dictated otherwise as he has a torn rotator cuff. Flash admitted that he’s not cleared to compete and had to surrender the championship…he seemed to be in the process of a turn to fan favoritism in recent months, mostly through common enemies with the other “good guys” on the roster. Simmons, Funk, and Orton mutually agreed that the winner of the night’s tournament would earn the vacant championship…it seemed like the tourney winner would be next in line for the belt anyway.
“Your Canadian Hero” Sean Vincent vs. “The Tokyo Monster” Kahagas(w/ Travis Cook), Terry Funk Title Tournament Quarterfinal: The winner of this match would get a bye to the finals due to the Kasa-Hargas double countout. Travis was on fire with his pre-match promo as Kahagas was his last horse in the race. While Vincent had a good run of momentum in the previous months, this seemed like a foregone conclusion as the former titleholder was driven to regain his gold. Kahagas got the win after a huge lariat in 6:22…and Vincent’s night got worse as he was attacked by Vaughn outside the building (as noted earlier).
Ron Powers vs. Ax Allwardt (w/ Big Daddy), Terry Funk Title Tournament Semifinal: Big Daddy’s distraction backfired this time as Powers gave Ax a taste of his own chain, notching the victory in 5:07 to go to the finals.
“Night Train/Gorgeous/Great One” Gary Jackson vs. “Volatile” Curtis Wylde(w/ Wyldefyre): This stemmed from Wylde wanting to rebound from his cage match loss to Sean Vincent in December, making a statement by attacking Jackson after his own cage match with Attila Khan. They caused each other’s eliminations in a six-man tag, then Wylde got suspended for attacking a referee during a singles bout between the two. Wylde bought a ticket to the March show and attacked Jackson AGAIN…Herb Simmons wanted to fire him outright, but Gary convinced him to let them settle things in the ring.
Wyldefyre put herself between Wylde and Jackson at the opening bell and was a constant nuisance for Gary…Wylde repeatedly used her as a human shield whenever Gary gave chase. The end came when Wyldefyre interjected herself AGAIN as Jackson was preparing to finish off her man. Gary avoided her slap attempt and picked her up to throw at Curtis Wylde, causing her to deliver an unintentional rana on Wylde! However, the referee made the unusual decision to call for the bell, disqualifying Jackson in 9:12 for using Wyldefyre as a weapon. The Wyldes celebrated their ill-begotten win while Gary confronted the referee over his thought process…that brought Herb Simmons into the situation.
Gary wanted one more shot at Wylde and Herb made it so for the May 21st show…with Wyldefyre locked in a cage to keep her out of things!
Ron Powers vs. “The Tokyo Monster” Kahagas(w/ Travis Cook), Terry Funk Title Tournament Final: The tournament was originally to determine the next challenger to Flash Flanagan’s Classic Wrestling Championship, but Flanagan’s injury and forfeiture meant that the tournament winner would become the new titleholder.
It didn’t take long for this battle of heavy hitters to get out of hand…the two brawled out of the ring and all the way around the Community Center, whacking each other with chairs and other furniture. The referee allowed a lot of leeway with the stakes involved in the matchup, so they eventually made it back to the ring as the match continued. Seemingly out of nowhere, Powers hit the RKO for the win in 6:05 to become the NEWWWWW SICW Classic Wrestling Champion!
After the match, Flash Flanagan entered the ring…tension ensued, but he graciously handed the title belt over to Powers and then beat down Travis Cook with his kendo stick. That brought out the rest of Cook’s troops(Attila Khan and Chris Hargas), but Terry Funk and Cowboy Bob Orton hit the ring to help Powers fight them off! Once the dust settled, Herb proposed that Flash give the belt to the tournament’s namesake Funk; Funk then presented it properly to the new champion Ron Powers to close the show!
SICW returned in 2016 with a bang as Flash Flanagan for the third time became the SICW Classic Champion by defeating the man who had pinned him for the title in December Travis Cook’s client Kahagas in a fierce brutal battle that in the end, Ron Power‘s powerful right punch were the deciding factor.
Travis Cook quickly made his presence known early and often as he continued to interfere in the match on the behalf of the Champion. Flanagan was reeling when Powers came out from the back to confront Cook walking with the crutches thanks to an injury he had suffered the month prior in the fatal three way title match. Due to Powers being in crutches, Cook arrogantly mocked the former champ, but it would not last long as the Powers wrapped his powerful hands around the neck of Cook as the crutches fell to the floor.
Cook’s other henchman Brandon Espinosa attempted to jump Powers but was quickly dropped to the ground with a right hand. Kahagas was pounding on Flanagan when he saw that his manager was in trouble and as the ref was checking on the challenger Powers slugged the Champ allowing Flanagan to capitalize for the 1-2-3.
Earlier in the night the Sean Vincent continued his climb up the championship title hunt after a huge win against his arch rival Curtis Wylde in a cage in December, Vincent became the sole survivor in a 6-man tag elimination match when he teamed up with Ken Kasa and Gary Jackson to defeat Wylde (accompanied by Wyldefyre), Chris Hargas and Dave Vaughn with manager Travis Cook.
The victory would be a painful one though as Vaughn drilled Vincent when they were the final two remaining with a brutal low blow costing him and his team the match thus making him the winner of the match.
The main event was exciting but there was no doubt that shocking moments of the night would come in the Red River Jack and Bubba Troll clash. The contest started off simple enough as Red River Jack came to the ring with his manager Big Daddy and the two men locked up to see who was the best on that night.
Bubba Troll looked to use his power early on but Red River Jack used his experience to gain the advantage. When Red River Jack went to bounce off the ropes for leverage, Big Daddy tripped his own man allowing Troll to pounce. Still Red River Jack was able to get the advantage and Big Daddy called out the hired guns of Ax Alwardt and Dave Vaughn to attack.
Red River Jack leveled the three men with RKO’s and punches and then turned his attention to Big Daddy who had entered the ring hoping to land a cheap shot. Big Daddy’s fear got the best of him and he feel down as he was trying to get away and was trapped against the ring post when out of the blue Red River Jack unmasked himself to show to the crowd that he was the WWE Hall of Famer “Cowboy” Bob Orton. Orton justifiable payed back his manager for his betrayal and left him reeling in pain. As Orton left the building Big Daddy promised revenge in the coming months at SICW.
SICW once again had proved that anything can happen at the East Carondelet, Illinois Community Center. Fans were also thrilled to hear that former NWA World Champion Terry Funk will be a special guest on a rare Friday night SICW event on April 15 and on the 16th when SICW joins up with Mr Ken Murphy, and the Cape Comic Con for a huge show in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
The fall months of November were red hot as the best in the Midwest battled it out in cages, survivor series matches, and Iron Man matches and much more. We got to see wrestling superstars such as Ricky Morton, Davey Richards, D.J. Shiima Xion, and Colt Cabana in action and new champions.
Once again Missouri Wrestling Revival continued their tradition as being the home for fans to find out about this must attend events. Let us take a look at just a small sample of the great matches that you should of have seen live.
All photos take by Brian Kelley
11/07/2015 – Dynamo Pro Wrestling- Fenton, Missouri
Dynamo Pro Wrestling Champion and Missouri Wrestling Revival Missouri Champion Ricky Cruz fought Evan Morris to a no contest.
11/13/2015 – St. Louis Anarchy- Alton, Illinois
St. Louis Anarchy Champion Gerald James (w/ Dorian Victor) def. Davey Richards in a best-of-three-falls match.
Davey Vega def. D.J. Shiima Xion
11/14/2015 – St. Louis Anarchy- Alton, Illinois
D.J. Shiima Xion def. Everett Connors (w/ The Cause)
Gorgeous Jordan Lacey def. St. Louis Anarchy Champion Gerald James (w/ Dorian Victor) by DQ in a best-of-three-falls match.
Mat Fitchett won the thirty-man Anarchy Rumble. Order of entry: Davey Vega, Evan Gelistico, Steve O. Reno, Mikey McFinnegan, Danny Adams, Billy McNeil, Everett Connors, Matt Cage, Jake Parnell, Trik Davis, Alex Castle, Sean Orleans, Howard, Greg Jovi, Dash Rando, Austin Blackburn(miraculously rising from his wheelchair), Mallaki Matthews, Super Electro, Mat Fitchett(#19), Dorian Victor, Zakk Sawyer, Jack Adonis, Paco Gonzalez, Christian Rose, Adam Caster, Mike Sharona, Nikki Strychnine, Jojo Bravo, Alexandre Rudolph, and Ricky Starks. Eliminations: McFinnegan by Gelistico, McNeil by Connors, Parnell and Reno by Gelistico, Davis by Cage, Jovi by Orleans, Orleans by Gelistico/Adams/Connors, Rando by Castle, Howard by Gelistico, Castle by Cage, Cage by Gelistico/Adams/Connors, Adams & Connors by Vega, Gelistico by Vega, Blackburn by Vega, Mallaki by Vega, Electro by Fitchett, Sawyers by Victor, Victor by Vega, Adonis by Fitchett, Sharona by Rose, Rudolph by Rose, Strychnine by Rose, Caster by Vega, Starks by Jojo, Paco by Rose, Jojo by Rose (after the referees missed Jojo eliminating Rose on the other side of the ring), Rose by Vega, Vega by Fitchett.
11/21/2015 – Gateway Elite Wrestling – Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri
Jack Gamble def. Elvis Aliaga in a tables match.
11/28/2015 – Wrestling Invades America – Swansea, Illinois
Wrestling Invades America Champion Kevin Lee Davidson def. Leone Mephisto
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Pro Wrestling Epic Champion Brandon Aarons def. Adam Caster.
12/05/2015 – Metro Pro Wrestling – Kansas City, Kansas
Metro Pro Wrestling Central States Champion Ace Steel def. Ricky Morton after “Santa Claus” Bobby Eaton interfered.
Metro Pro Wrestling Champion Jeremy Wyatt def. Mark Sterling in a 60 minute Iron Man Match in overtime at the 80 minute mark.
12/06/2015 – Pro Wrestling Championship Series/ St. Louis Anarchy – Alton, Illinois
Colt Cabana def. Jeremy Wyatt
Pierre Abernathy def. Kikutaro by submission
Gerald James def. Zakk Sawyer (2-1 falls)
Grado def. Everett Connors
Survivor Series Match: The Resurgence – Steven Kennedy, Jake Dirden, Davey Vega, & Mat Fitchett vs. Chaos Nation – KC Karrington, Adam Caster, Evan Gelistico & Pierre Abernathy . . . Survivors: Mat Fitchett & Davey Vega.
12/12/2015 – Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling -East Carondelet, Illinois
Sean Vincent def. Curtis Wylde in a cage match
Gary Jackson def. Attila Khan in a cage match
Kahagas def. Ron Powers and Flash Flanagan to win the SICW Classic title in a cage match (triple)
One of the Hottest feuds in 2015 in the Midwest has been Sean Vincent feuding with the double trouble duo of “Volatile” Curtis Wylde and Wyldefyre in a war that has been going on for close to a year (Started in Dec. ’14). Wylde had used underhanded tactics with the heal of red headed beauty Wyldfyre’s brick loaded purse to pick up a count out win at SICW in August.
In September the feud came to an explosive moment when the match contained the stipulation that if Vincent lost, he would be forced to leave, but if the Wylde’s lost they would become his servants for a whole weekend.
The battle went back and forth, but the key moment happened when once again Wyldefyre looked to once again help her man by nailing Vincent with her purse, but it backfired as she nailed her man allowing Vincent to get the win.
Due to the stipulation of the match, the Wylde’s did spend time of the ranch and thanks to Sean Vincent and the voice of SICW Dr. Drew we now have complete footage of the weekends hilarious moments on the ranch.
Accolades:
-Ranked #417 in the 2011 Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 500
-2009 & 2012 St. Louis Invitational Cup Champion
-IHW Heavyweight Champion (x2) (defeated Sean Vincent)
-PWP United States Champion (Defeated Harker Dirge)
-PWE United States Champion (Defeated Mark Sterling)
-HVW Livewire Champion (Defeated Mike Sydal)
-LWA Tag Team Champion w/ Mike Sydal (Defeated The Hooligans)
-CCW Tag Team Champion w/ Brandon Espinosa (Defeated Knuckles ‘n’ Knives)
-MECW Independent Champion (Defeated Count Kharfu)
Brandon, thank you for joining us a Missouri Wrestling Revival as you prepare for quite possible your biggest night in wrestling this Saturday in Pontoon Beach, Illinois for Pro Wrestling Epic.
1) You began your training at the Dynamo Pro Wrestling gym under the watchful eye of one of the very best wrestlers in this era, Dingo. I know you have a lot of respect for your time with Dynamo and Dingo, please explain how that came to be?
Brandon: Back in the early 2000’s I attended Gateway Championship Wrestling Shows with my father and brother (who are also huge fans of pro wrestling) in the summer of 2006 I had the opportunity to take part in a 3 day seminar with Dingo, Kory Twist, and Cameron Cage. Being that I was only 16 years old at the time I had to get my parents to sign a release form for me, not only did they sign it, but my father actually signed up for the seminar and participated with me. Eventually GCW went out of business and I continued my training under Dingo until in late 2007 when the Dynamo Pro Wrestling Gym opened. The promoters for NWA: Central States Missouri were also the owners of the Dynamo Gym and eventually NWA:CSMO became Dynamo Pro Wrestling. It was quite in experience for me all around, I didn’t have many friends growing up that were into the whole wrestling scene so when I was at the Dynamo gym training with the guys not only did I not feel like I was an outcast, I felt like I was among friends and family.
That environment really helped me not only to want to stick it out through the brutal training sessions and the constant ribbing from the older guys, but it gave me an appreciation for how this business works. Dingo was a huge influence on me when I first started and he would even drive me to training and shows just so I could be apart of it all. He always stuck his neck out for his students, all he asked was that we gave everything we had, as he was putting his name on us and he didn’t want to be embarrassed. I am forever grateful to Dynamo and Dingo for everything I learned coming up, it helped me become not only wrestler I am and will become but the 25 year old man I am today.
2) It has been awhile since we last saw Dingo in action full time, for those that may just are becoming a fan of wrestling in the MWR coverage area and may not have seen him in action, how would you describe your former trainer?
Brandon: Dingo was tough as nails, I’ve seen a lot of tough guys over the years, but he was definitely one of the toughest and most intense wrestlers I’ve seen especially in this area. He was very technical and very smooth in the ring, he had a certain flow to him that you just don’t see anymore. It’s very unfortunate that he is not around anymore, he was one of those guys that had “it”.
3) What was your training like under Dingo and what do you remember from your very first match?
Brandon: His training was very particular, he paid attention to all the minor details. If you did something half-ass he would make you do it over and over and over and over again until you stopped screwing up. He was a hard ass, but also understanding. He never talked down to anyone but wasn’t afraid to tell you if something you did was horrible. To this day I still carry some valuable lessons he taught me over the years and I hope to one day pass them on.
My first match was against Adam Rich at an LWA event in Mehlville, MO in August of 2007. We were technically the dark match, I wore my eyeliner which my little sister applied on me backstage (don’t bring your little sister backstage to a wrestling show) and a cut off shirt because I thought I was fat, haha which now I laugh about. Adam and I had what I would call a pretty great first match. Like it wasn’t amazing, but hell for a first match I felt like it was pretty ok. Well, I also slipped on the top rope at the end of the match but that’s not important
4) Early on you found success as a member of B.A.B.E. Watch with 2 members that would go on in their careers to win the MWR Wrestler of the Year in singles action, none other than Brandon Espinosa and Mike Sydal. What was the highlight of that team in your eyes and what did you lessons did you take from that experience?
Brandon: Espy and Sydal are two phenomenal talents here in the Midwest and dare I say the country. Both guys have taken the time to perfect their craft and it shows by the top tier matches they compete in on a consistent basis. I think as a trio our biggest highlight was at an LWA Event in 2009 when the three of us faced off against The Northstar Express & Arik Cannon. That was also the night Espy left the group. Some of my favorite memories of teaming with Espy were our segments and matches at High Voltage Wrestling. Keny G was great and pretty much let us do our thing and I had the time of my life. When it comes to Mike Sydal and I, the biggest highlight would have to be when we defeated the Hooligans for the LWA Tag Team Titles. I never felt like B.A.B.E.WATCH really peaked as a whole, but we all started doing well for ourselves as singles wrestlers and there was no point in holding each other back. Those two guys will always have special places in not just my wrestling career, but my heart.
5) From there, you did not slow down as you went on to find success in singles competition as you took to take on the very best in the Midwest, including Jeremy Wyatt, Mark Sterling and a man that would become the NWA World Champion, Kahagas. How hard was the transition from tag team action to trying to survive at such a young age against some of the best in the sport?
Brandon: It was awesome because the guys you just mentioned are not only some of the best wrestlers in The United States, but they are incredible wrestlers to learn from. Wrestling Kahagas was great for me because he was one of the first veterans I had the chance to get in the ring with and really learn from. Over the years Ive had the privilege to wrestle Wyatt and Sterling on more than one occasion and every time I take away more knowledge from them and apply it to myself. The transition overall wasn’t difficult, but I learned to expect more from myself in the ring because now it was just me every time go to the ring.
6) You were instrumental in the success of Independent Hardcore Wrestling that was based in Illinois where you really came into your own. The fans really rallied around you as many wrestlers looked to make a name for themselves in a new promotion. Though the promotion did not last long, the crowds were red hot from top to bottom, what do you see as your highlight in the company that’s saw you feud with the likes of Eric Allen, Steven Kennedy, Sean Vincent, KC Karrington and Cameron Cage?
Brandon Aarons and IHW found success with the fundraiser for the St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Brandon: I think the highlight for me was just someone giving me the chance to show what I could do when the handcuffs are off. Winning the IHW Title the first time was huge because after that I held 3 other titles for 3 different companies besides IHW. I felt like I was starting to get noticed, to get my name out there more than ever. One of my personal favorite matches was against KC Karrington back in 2011. I don’t think Ive ever jelled with someone so well in a match before and to me that was the match where I told myself I never wanted to quit wrestling no matter how tough life got for me or how hard it was going to be to make it in this business. Unfortunately, a few months later I was sidelined with injuries and soon after IHW ceased operations.
KC Karrington just felt the swift kick from Brandon Aarons.
7) MWR has covered Pro Wrestling Epic in the past, including the Epic 8 Tournament when it was based out of Lincoln, Illinois. This tournament is under new management, but the Epic 8 tournament survives and fans in the St. Louis area will be able to see this historic tournament in Pontoon Beach this Saturday. Fans may be surprised to know that during your time as a former PWE US Champion you were challenged by the then Ring of Honor World Champion Tyler Black (WWE’S Seth Rollins). You were able to get the win via DQ, as well as a handshake from a man that I stated in the recap on this site who I felt was the best wrestler in the world, and I feel that holds even more weight today. I was thankfully on hand to cover the event in person, yet I ask you what do you recall from that historic match in your career?
Brandon: That was without a doubt the biggest, most humbling experience I have ever had in Professional Wrestling. I learned so much about myself and also what it will really take to get to the next level. The match itself isn’t what stands out to me when I think about it, I was 20 years old, some young kid one the indies trying to make a name for himself going up against a guy who was regarded as the best in the world, what stands out to me is he gave me a chance, he let me work hard, and he worked hard for me in return. I’ll never forget that.
8) At that point you were one of the hottest young stars in the sport, that is until an injury took you out of action for a whole calendar year. I covered your return match against the current MWR Wrestler of the Year, Ricky Cruz at Dynamo Pro Wrestling. I know you have never back down from a challenge, but that first match back was rough as the “King of Chaos” took advantage of your ring rust. Thankfully, in the past 6 months I can tell that you were hitting your stride as 2015 has come upon us. What was it like to sit back and watch others move up the ladder?
Brandon: It pissed me off. It made me feel worthless. It gave me a dose of reality that once you’re gone, not a lot of people give a shit. You have to always keep yourself current in whatever you do. You have to refuse to fall to the back of the pack. If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse. I told myself if I came back I would do it with the goal of never giving up until I’ve done what I set out to do when I was some 16 year old kid, and that is to let every single person know who I am. This is me pushing myself, stepping on toes, doing what is best for me and my career. A lot of people don’t realize how selfish this business is, but I do.
9) You recently won the 2015 Sexiest Male of the Year based on the most votes by the fans over Valentines weekend. Your MWR Trading card #15 states on the back that it is a FACT that when you enter the ring ,“GIRLS GO CRAZY”.
I hate to be the one to ask ,but since then we have received tons of letters from girls wanting to know if you are single, and what’s the best strategy for them to get a date with you?
Brandon: That is a FANTASTIC question. I actually am single at the moment, unfortunately I’m not really looking. Wrestling is amazing in so many different ways, unfortunately it doesn’t make the best business to have a relationship in. If I was to take the time to find a girl she would need a certain set of skills: She would need to be fit (health is a priority), she needs to be trustworthy (no easy girls), she needs to be patient (my schedule gets crazy), she needs to trust me (don’t hack into my fb/email), and she needs to be funny, none of this boring and annoying stuff I get all the time. Also don’t stalk me. I get that enough. Lastly but certainly not least, you need have great hair, odds are we will be sharing hair products
10) By winning the MWR Sexiest Male award as well as coming off the huge main event during the last PWE in Pontoon Beach you will now have a target on your back as you look to make history.
Now I ask you to please tell the MWR fans why they should make their way to see this exciting night of action on Saturday.
Brandon: This past year I have been pushing myself in the gym, and in the ring to show everyone why they need to keeps their eyes on me. This Saturday I am going to show everyone why they’ve been needing to keep their eyes on me, and continue to do so. I promise a performance from myself that no one has seen before. I want the standard in Midwest Wrestling to be higher than it has ever been. I want to be the person that helps raise it up. The show this saturday means more to me than anyone can ever imagine. Everything I’ve gone through the past few years with injuries, relationships, friendships, all my personal issues, it all leads to this Saturday Night in Pontoon Beach, Illinois where I’ll show up and give the greatest performance of my professional wrestling career.
I would like to thank you Brandon for taking part in this Q and A, and we look forward to presenting you the MWR Sexiest Male of the Year trophy while wishing you the best in the Epic 8 tournament.
SICW- February 21st a “Double Main Event” SICW Classic Championship on the line as Gary Jackson gets his last shot against the Champion Flash Flanagan. Plus “Red River Jack” with his Manager will have a battle with the “Wild Man” from Mongolia, Attila Kahn who is under the control of Travis Cook. Plus SICW as this will another television taping for the only locally produced wrestling program “SICW Wrestling Explosion” that airs every Sunday at noon on Charter Cable and YouTube. You can check out http://www.sicw.org for all the updates. Also if your group is interested in hosting a fundraiser call 618-286-4848 to obtain information on how SICW with 40 years of experience can assist you, The best wrestling talent in the area. Plus meet WWE Legendary Superstar James J. Dillon.
SICW- Saturday March 21st don’t forget another WWE Legend will make his way to the Wrestling Capital of the Mid- West, East Carondelet Illinois, Nikolai Volkoff is coming to visit the SICW fans and his good friend he worked for in the late 80’s our friend Larry Matysik. Mark that date at the East Carondelet Community center. Call now to reserve you seats 618-286-4848. Thanks to all the fans that continue to support the SICW.
SICW April 18th – Join SICW as they make their debut in MILLSTADT Illinois on Saturday April 18th at the St. James Parish Center at 8pm. Join SICW as they assist the Millstadt Athletic Club with this fundraiser. Special guest, WWE Legend, father of Randy Orton, Cowboy Bob Orton will be in Millstadt Illinois. Join Cowboy Bob Orton and all the SICW stars in April. Call 618-719-6749 for ticket information. Plus check out sicw.org If your group is looking for a fundraiser let SICW with their 40 years experience assist you. SICW may be heading back to Belleville Illinois, stay tune for all the updates as SICW makes 2015 bigger and better.
Missouri Wrestling Revival 