The All American Pro Wrestling Champion Mississippi Madman (Photo Credit Brian “Flair” Kelley)
All American Pro Wrestling has a brand new Champion in the Mississippi Madman. The Madman battled Edmund “Livewire” McGuire in a classic that looked to go either way. With both men down the special ref of the evening Shane Rich turned on his good friend McGuire giving the edge to the unknowing Madman.
I was shocked and sadden in the Serial Thriller Shane Rich’s action on this evening. Rich has always been one of my friends and closest supporters of Missouri Wrestling Revival. I was still in disbelief when I caught up with Rich after the match in an interview that you will see in the near future at MWR.
Before the night was over the AAPW promoter suspended Rich for 90 days. I can only hope that Rich can take this time away and come back with a better attitude. With that said I just don’t see that happing. It looks to be Edmund “Livewire” McGuire vs. Shane Rich will be a 2010 must see for all MWR Fans.
In the meantime we would like to congratulate the Mississippi Madman in becoming the AAPW Champion.
Dubi meets the AAPW fans in Nashville and Mascoutah Illinois.
AAPW Recap of the Nashville Illinois show with pictures and promos from both Andy Douglas and Simon Dean.
This and much more from your #1 source for Independent Professional Wrestling in the Midwest.
We would like to thank AAPW Wrestling, Richard Zimmer and The Nashville Moose Lodge for their hospitality for helping us support Pro Wrestling in the Midwest
Years Wrestling: 9 Trained by: Scott Bishop originally First match: Vs. Brian Nelson Finishing maneuver:DDT
Date, place and who you beat to become AAPW Champ: Shane Rich May 9, 2009 at Powerhouse Athletics in Mt. Vernon IL.
In this installment I am joined with one of the best kept secrets in the MWR Coverage area. The All American Pro Wrestling Champion: Shawn Shultz.
(Photo courtesy of Shawn Shultz Myspace page)
Brian Kelley:
Shawn I know that you are one of the most booked wrestlers in wrestling, so thank you for taking the time to answer 10 Questions with the Champ.
Brian Kelley: 1) We just asked the fans who they felt were the most exciting Champion in the MWR coverage area. Unfortunately with you being so active down in the south and with Ring of Honor your exposure has been limited since you defeated Shane Rich for the AAPW title. You are one of the most hated but talented wrestlers today but very few in our area know this. What do you have to say to the fans who are unaware of the name Shawn Shultz ?
Shawn Shultz:
If you haven’t been able to come out and see me action come out and see any of the AAPW shows I’m on or any show I’m on,i love feed back from people and i love hearing the feed back from fans that have just seen me for the first time, that is always exciting for me!
Brian Kelley: 2) You are nicknamed “ The Modern Day Viking” where does that come from?
Shawn Shultz:
Lol actually Tony Lucassio has been a good friend of mine even before he started managing me and he loves the Nat Geo Channel and he was watching a special on vikings and the show said vikings trained everyday to be the best fighters and they went from town to town taking over… so he called me and said “hey man you are like a modern day viking” lol
Brian Kelley:
3) You have been fortunate to have been surrounded by talented people in your career. People like Bert Prentice, Chris Michaels, Chase Stevens and none other than Tracy Smothers. What advice from any of these individuals comes to mind that have helped you come as far as you have?
Shawn Shultz:
Wow what a question!!!! Man the advice i have gotten from these guys would take me forever to tell all of it, but what comes to mind is once when i started getting a bit of an ego tracy told me “you see all the same people on your way up that you see on your way down so careful how you treat people!” Tracy is a gift given to wrestling that I wish more guys in the business had the honor of being around! Chris Michaels showed me how to make a match beautiful and look effortless.Chase showed me how to party. Bert, wow talk about a guy that knows every aspect of the business, if you can sit back and just listen to Bert talk sometimes you can learn so much and you can understand how he has lasted so long in this business!
Brian Kelley: 4) Many a time wrestlers are asked who their favorite wrestle growing up was. Often the answer will be the Icon Sting; you had the opportunity to be in a movie on the life of Sting. What was that experience like and who were the people you look up too before you got into the sport?
Shawn Shultz:
Man, i have to be honest i was never a huge sting fan growing up, but i became one after being in the movie because the guy was so kind and respectful to everyone in it and he is one of the guys that makes you feel like you around a star just because he seems larger than life. My favorites growing up were Curt Hennig, Brian Pillman, Dean Malenko, and Jerry Lynn.
Brian Kelley:
5) On April 25th in Nashville Illinois you went toe for toe with then AAPW Champion Shane Rich and lost in a controversial finish where you claimed to have grabbed the bottom ropes before the three count. On May 9th in a rematch in Mt Vernon Illinois you defeated Shane Rich for the title and have since beat him in a second time. Rich is one of the most talented wrestlers in the Midwest how were you able to get the edge on the Serial Thriller?
Shawn Shultz:
One word, experience! You are right though Shane Rich is one of the toughest guys I’ve ever met in wrestling and he is a great example of the talent that is in the Midwest area.
He's that good.(Photo courtesy of Shawn Shultz Myspace page)
Brian Kelley:
6) Belts are in jeopardy when you enter a promotion. Shortly after claiming the AAPW title you went to NWA Dynamo Wrestling in Kansas on May 23rd to defend your NWA Mid America TV title against Shorty Biggs and Jeremy Wyatt (A man who also has a mean streak) Wyatt earlier in the year had a classic match at AAPW against the then Champ Shane Rich and came up very close to holding the title that you now own. Wyatt is known as “The Belt Collector” and felt that he had added another one to his record when he pinned Shorty Biggs to win the match. The problem was he had to pin you for the title. A match between you two could be a surefire classic. Who have been some of your favorite battles in your career?
Shawn Shultz:
Real fast NWA Dynamo is great show and they treated me great there and i would love to take one of “The Belt Collector”‘s Belts. My favorite matches were in the NWA Rocky Top(Knoxville, TN) days against one of Ricky Morton‘s trainees name Brad Thomas! Brad is one of the most talented guys I’ve ever been in the ring with and it seems like we were really doing something every time we were in the ring together. Also I had one of my favorite matches with Joey Mathews(Mercury from the WWE) at the fairgrounds in Nashville, TN. Joey is on a level all is own and he brought me to my next level in that one match! Jerry Lynn and I tear it up every time we are in the ring together!
Shultz headlocks Brad Thomas (Photo courtesy of Shawn Shultz Myspace page)
Brian Kelley: 7) Your hard work and perseverance has allowed you to be blessed with training at former WWE developmental company Deep South Wrestling under the tutelages of Bill Demont for your first two stints and old friend DR Tom Pritchard in your final visit. What were the differences in the philosophy of these two wrestling minds?
Shawn Shultz:
Oh man, honestly I think Dr. Tom maybe one of the best teachers in the world and he helped me a lot before he went to deep south because we were together a lot in the Indy’s but he has a great way of teaching and he is the man who taught me that if i feel it is correct and i make it look correct, everyone else with think it is correct as well! Tom helped me more than I think he realized because I actually listened. When it comes to Bill you are talking about a guy that loves this business soooo much and it shines through every time you talk to him! Bill was big on being in great ring shape and even though I wasn’t there for the weekly training days I heard everyone talk about the killer cardio! I want to thank Bill and Tom for all the help!
Brian Kelley:
8) Former Ring of Honor Champion Jerry Lynn, Bobby Eaton and Ricky Morton have also had a hand in your training. With your education of so many greats in the sport I noticed on your website Shawnshultzweebly.com you stated that you will be starting training serious, passionate, and hard working wrestlers. On the site I was impressed of this statement “training consist of learning the basics until you believe that they are ready to have a match. You will also take the responsibility of getting you your first 5 bookings so he can make sure everything is handled correctly” Shawn, In the ring you are hated but no one can deny the hard work that you put in the squared circle and training regimen. I am asked many times at shows and via e-mail from young men and women asking where to get training?. Why is it important to get proper training from the start?
Shawn Shultz:
Unfortunately, it is really easy to get into wrestling right now and a lot of guys don’t care if they train people well or get trained well. My thing is every time I’m in the ring with someone that has done it in this business or just talking to a legend I am still training and learning. The object of pro wrestling is to make money and if you aren’t trained correctly and really don’t know the what and how and when and where or wrestling you will never be taken seriously enough to make money!
Brian Kelley:
9) You are managed by Tony Lucassio who brags on having a 500lb attitude to go along with his 90lb big mouth! The two of you have traveled around the United States and now bring to the net a very interesting Internet TV Show staring the two of you called the SHULTZ AND LUCASSIO SHOW. What can fans come to expect on the site?
Shawn Shultz:
To be entertained and laugh! Tony and I love being on the road and we love all the crazy characters that are in the Indy’s so we just wanted to share that with the world!
Brian Kelley:
10) This past October in Nashville Illinois you defended your AAPW Championship against the ultra popular and red hot Curly. Curly and you are like night and day in style which seemed to cause you problems at first but in the end you would deliver a vicious DDT for the win. MWR Fans will not have to wait long to get to see you in action when you return December 5th at All American Pro Wrestling. To take Edmund “LIVEWIRE McGuire who won 3 matches in a tournament in West Frankfort, IL. On Saturday October 24th. He defeated Carnage, “Playboy” Paul Rose, and Mike Masters to wina shot for your title. The ever popular McGuire is on a roll. Any thing you want to say to the #1 contender for your title?
Shawn Shultz:
Wait, what? Its McGuire?? I didn’t hear of this! That can’t be right!!! I gotta call AAPW!!
The pro wrestling season typically heats up in the Spring and into early Summer. May is a time to look at what has happened thus far in the year, and make educated predictions as to what is yet to come. On that note, the April 2009 Awards should serve as a measuring stick when playing fortune teller. Here are the winners, as voted by the MWR Awards Committee:
Simply put, a Midwest wrestling show isn’t a show without Sterling, who wrestled in eleven matches for nine companies (MWA, PWE, SCW, PWP, 3XW, AAPW, LWA, MECW, NWA Dynamo) in April. Sterling is also one half of the tag team champions at 3XW with Gage Octane (Gentelmans Club). A student of the game Sterling rarely gets outwrestled.
1st Runner Up – Jeremy Wyatt (LWA, PWP. 3XW, AAPW, PWE, DPW)
2nd Runner Up –Tyler Cook (3XW,LWA,DPW)
3rd Runner Up – Jimmy Rockwell (3XW, MECW)
Others receiving votes: Jerry Lynn, Shane Rich, Zach Thompson
April 2009 Tag Team of the Month
Zero Gravity (Brett Gakiya and CJ Esparza )
( PWE, HVW, NGW)
Zero Gravity (Brett Gakiya and CJ Esparza ) Photo Credit: Brian Kelley
Zero Gravity became the first ever PWE Tag Team Champion by defeating The Northstar Express in exciting fashion. At NGW defeated Feature Presentation proving that they are one of the top teams in the Midwest.
1st Runner up – The Gentleman’s Club ( Mark Sterling and Gage Octane) 3XW
2nd runner – The NorthStar Express (Darin Corbin and Ryan Cruz)(3XW,PWP,SCW,PWE,LWA,PWE)
3RD Runner up – (tie) Ax Stevens and ”Thunderbolt” Brandon Walker (AAPW), Money Makin Jam Boyz ( Mississippi Madman and K.C. Jackson) (AAPW, MPW)
Others who received voted: Knights of Fire (Jaysin Strife and Vic Victory), Sexy and Smooth (”The Canadian Sex Icon” Ryan Slade and A.J. Smooth), Dustin Lane and Darin Waid
April 2009 Female Wrestler of the Month
MsChif (LWA)
On April 4th MsChif defeated one of the most talented female wrestlers today Sara Del Rey at LWA. MsChif is widely considered one of the top wrestlers not the Midwest but around the World.
1st Runner Up – Rain 2ND Runner Up- Mia Martinez (3xw)
One Vote: Mike Sydal?? The crazy MWR Awards commiteee.
April 2009 Promotion of the Month
All American Pro Wrestling
(AAPW)
The quality of the AAPW show in Nashville on April 25th was possibly their best since last year. Our first time in this town, they had a paid attendance of 155. Not too shabby. The crowd was HOT. Yes, it was a bit warm in the Community Center, but not that kind of hot. The card was solid top to bottom. The crowd was so happy that The Nashville Moose Lodge, who raised $1,000 from the event, asked AAPW to set aside 4 more dates for fall and winter of 2009/2010!
1st Runner Up – MMWA-SICW
2nd Runner Up – IWA Productions
3rd Runner Up – All American Wrestling
Others receiving votes –Rampage Championship Wrestling
April 2009 Personality of the Month
Josh Ray and Brian Kelley
(Missouri Wrestling Revival)
The MWR Family
One of our awards committee members wrote, “The two main men behind MWR. They do a lot of work, research & writing to help promote independent wrestling across the Midwest. They also log tons of hours in driving time to personally attend shows and support various companies around the Midwest”
(On a personal note, although we appreciate the gesture from the MWR Awards committee, both Josh and I abstained from voting in this category out of respect to the rest of the hard working men and women in the Midwest pro wrestling scene. We would also like to include Kari Williams who is a wonderful writer and the true talent of the three of us.)
1st Runner Up- JJ Merrick
2nd Runner Up – The Mad Conservative Crimefighter 3rd Runner Up – Travis Cook
Others receiving votes: Mark Storm
April 2009 Match of the Month
Lethal Wrestling Alliance Heavyweight Title vs Career Match:
“The Rebel” Jeremy Wyatt vs Jordan Lacey
April 18, 2009 in House Springs, MO
Bodies hit the floor when Wyatt and Lacey hooks up. This picture is from the fans bring the weapons match last month in March but the LWA Faithful was not please to see the "The Belt Collector" Jeremy Wyatt retain the LWA Championship and retire fan favorite Jordan Lacey in his hometown of House Springs on April 18. (Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat )
No match could match the emotion that flowed through the building as the fans wanted the hated Wyatt to lose the belt and didn’t want the loveable Lacey to lose his career. The controversial finish had fans throwing beer into the ring, with Wyatt retaining his title and officially retiring Jordan Lacey.
1st Runner Up:
3XWrestling Cruiserweight Title Match
Part of the MWR Midwest Best Series
Jimmy Rockwell (c) vs. Mike Sydal April 17, 2009 in Des Moines, IA
2nd Runner Up:
All American Pro Wrestling
All American Pro Wrestling Tag Team Title Match The Money Makin’ Jam Boys (c) vs. Ax Stevens and “Thunderbolt” Brandon Walker
April 25, 2009 in Nashville, IL
3rd Runner Up:
All American Pro Wrestling Mike Sydal and Rebel Lucha vs. Mark Sterling and Eric Fantabulous
April 25, 2009 in Nashville, IL
Others receiving votes:
Gary Jackson vs. Phil E Blunt (MMWA-SICW ,April 11, St Louis, MO) The Prestige Rumble, (SCW/PWN Davenport Iowa) (Mississippi Madman vs. Issan Hadeev (PWE April 4, Springfield Illinois ) Jaysin Strife and Vic Victory – Arik Cannon and Ryan Cruz (PWP April 11, Council Bluffs Iowa)
All American Pro Wrestling returns on March 14 in West Frankfort, IL The AAPW Champion Shane Rich has just survived a war with “Homicidal” Steven Davis in 2008, then in January he not only retained the title against the popular Edmund “Livewire” McGuire but the MWR awards committee honored it as the January match of the month.
AAPW has delivered a Midwest dream match as Shane Rich will have his hands full when he takes on the MWR Wrestler of the Year in 2008, Jeremy “The Rebel” Wyatt. Wyatt will look to hit Shane Rich with the devastating move they call in Iowa the “Kansas Tumbleweed”; they may as well call the “Title Changer” because if he hits Rich with it then we will have a new AAPW Champion. Rich and Wyatt is a main event you do not want to miss.
You will also get to see one of the most exciting tag teams in the Midwest the AAPW Tag Team Champions The LONRS (Mark Sterling and Darrien Sanders) defend their belts against the tag team the fans voted on in the Fan Choice voting last fall, Vinyl and Vega. Vinyl and Vega had been on a roll in 2008 before they took a hiatus from the sport. They return in the biggest match that the two have ever been in. How will the ring rust affect the St Louis duo with an attitude? This will be exciting!!
After unmasking Crimson Shock on January 24th, Ty Blade will be pitted in a match with the mysterious masked man. If Crimson Shock loses, HE MUST REMOVE THE MASK AND REVEAL HIS IDENTITY!
Carnage was fired from Brooklyn Bobby’s stable and “Homicidal” Steven Davis publicly humiliated him at the last event. Carnage attacked Davis during a lumberjack match and beat Davis throughout New Beginnings Assembly. Now, Carnage not only gets Davis one on one in a match but has the opportunity to earn his first victory in almost 2 YEARS.
Also scheduled:
Mike Masters Ax Stevens Curly Payday Patterson Mike Sydal Tony Stetson
Tickets are $10 Adult $6 children 12 and under
Tickets available online at allamericanprowrestling.com or at the door
Bell time 7pm
New Beginnings Assembly, 1011 E. 6th st., in West Frankfort, IL.
On Jan 10th Mannix wrestled in a Gauntlet match against 3 men,K.D. McClain, Evan Money before he lost to Dewey “Booger” Dawson and his MECW title. Mannix may have lost the belt but he gained the respect of the MWR awards committee with his gallant effort.
1st Runner Up – Shane Rich (AAPW)
2nd Runner Up – Dingo (LWA,NWA-DPW,HVW)
3rd Runner Up – Steve Anthony (WLW)
Others receiving votes:Mason Beck, Jordan Lacey, Gary Jackson, Kahagas, Jeremy Wyatt,Pierre Abernathy,
January Tag Team of the month
Steven Kennedy and KC Karrington (Ego Express) (LWA, NWA-DPW)
It’s hard to belive that one of the most respected and talked about tag teams in St Louis has not won the tag team of the month at MWR…Till now!! After winning the first ever LWA Tag Team titles the Ego Express followed it up with a January 3 win against Brandon Espinosa & Mike Sydal (w/ Brandon Aarons) to retain the LWA Tag Team Titles. On January 24 at LWA they defeated Babewatch again to retain the Tag Team Titles; Steven Kennedy pinned Brandon Espinosa after the Fatality. January 31 they lost in a close match against the LONRS at NWA Dynamo
1st Runner Up- Mad Dog McDowell and Aaron Masterson (Bayou Outlaws) ( MECW)
2nd Runner Up The Money Makin’ Jam Boys (Mississippi Madman & K.C. Jackson) (AAPW)
3rd Runner Up – Dustin Lane and Darin Wade (WLW)
Others receiving votes: Axis & Ryan Phoenix, Jeff Harris & Aaron Matthews, The Hybrids, Huge In Japan (Jimmy Rockwell & Ricky Kwong), BA.B.E.WATCH (Brandon Aarons and Brandon Espinosa .
January Woman Wrestler of the Month
Alexis Lightfoot.
Alexis Lightfoot takes it to Stacey O’Brien (Photo Kari Williams)
The MMWA-SICW women’s champ defeated the WLW women’s champ Stacey O at MMWA and retain her title earlier in the month when she beat Destiny Diamond.
1st Runner Up – Mickie Knuckles(IWA-MS)
2nd Runner Up ––Stacey O’ Brien (WLW) (MMWA-SICW)
3rd Runner up-Jessika Haze (HVW, NBWA)
Others receiving votes: “Serenity” Brandi Harris
January Promotion of the Month
NWA Dynamo Pro Wrestling
NWA-Presents Dynamo Pro Wrestling returned to Kansas in Ottawa was a success for everyone involved. The touching fundraiser for New Heart for Jimmie Bass was a rousing success. Kansas fans showed that they care for others by showing up in droves (275) to support the cause along with watching some great wrestling. With some of the top young wrestlers to their disposal, expect NWA Dynamo to be a force in the Midwest.
1st Runner Up – AAPW 2nd Runner Up – LWA
3rd Runner Up – WLW
Others receiving votes: HVW, Rock and Roll Wrestling, NBWA,
January Personality of the month
Travis Cook
Travis Cook (Photo Kari Williams)
Nursing a ‘serious’ neck injury, Travis Cook accompanied The Connection to ring side for each member’s match, and continued getting illegally involved. His tactics helped rack up some wins for The Connection this month, giving them more power than ever in MMWA-SICW.
1st Runner Up- Dingo (NWA Dynamo Gym)
2nd Runner Up – Gaylord Stevens ( AAPW)
3rd Runner Up- Patrick Brandmeyer
Others receiving votes: Luke Roberts and Adam Raw,Mr.K “The Mayor of Midwest !”, Jewels,
January Match of the month
Serial Thriller” Shane Rich V. Edmund “Livewire” McGuire
1-24-2009
West Frankfort, Illinois
(All American Pro Wrestling)
These guys delivered big for AAPW to start the year. Rich and McGuire had the crowed in suspense and disbelief in what they were seeing. A great chess match between two of the young guns on the Midwest. Edmund came very close to going home with the AAPW heavyweight title but on this night Shane Rich was the one who got his hand raised.
1st Runner Up-
Jeremy Wyatt vs. Tyler Black
1-3-2009
O’Fallon Illinois
(LWA)
2nd Runner Up-
Hunter Matthews v. Shane Hollister
1-3-2009
O’Fallon Illinois
(LWA)
3rd Runner Up-
Dingo v Kahagas
1-10-2009
Granite City Illinois
(HVW)
Others receiving votes: Jason Vendetta v HWC Champ “Bloody” Harker Dirge (NBWA)
The Hybrids vs. The ISH (Brett Gakiya & Nick Brubaker) (NMW)
Jeremy Wyatt vs. Dingo (LWA) ,Tyler Black vs. Devon Moore (IWA Midsouth), Egos vs. LONRS(NWA-Dynamo)
No wrestler in the Midwest is as hot as Jeremy “The Rebel” Wyatt. On October 17th at 3XW he earned the right to be the number one contender to the 3xw Pure Championship title held by Tyler Cook by defeating former Pure Champion Maddog McDowell and international star Arik Cannon.
A week later he returned to LWA where he cashed in his Medallion to LWA President Luke Roberts before Roberts could declare the LWA title strip the injured Jordan Lacey of the belt. Since Lacey could not defend the belt, Roberts had no other choice but to give the Rebel the title. Wyatt never one to walk away from a fight successfully defended the belt that night in another three way, this time with KC Karrington and once again Arik Cannon.
Less than 24 hours, Wyatt made his way to Pro Wrestling Phoenix to take on the mammoth Abu Colossus for the PWP Championship. Wyatt was able to defeat one of the most impressive big men in the Midwest to become the new PWP Champion. It is only fitting that Jeremy Wyatt wins once again in October.
1st Runner Up –Casanova[3XW]
2nd Runner Up – “Bloody” Harker Dirge [NBWA]
3rd Runner Up – Shane Rich [AAPW]
Others receiving votes: AJ Williams [MMWA-SICW]
October Tag Team of the Month
The Northstar Express (Ryan Cruz and Darin Corbin) [PWP] [AAW] [LWA]
The Northstar Express traveled to LWA for a classic match up between Johnny Vinyl & Davey Vega. The upstart tag team of Vinyl and Vega was able to get the upset win. The Northstar Express did not let that get them down as they headed to PWP and took on one of the arch rivals the LONRS for the Tag team titles. The LONRS had beaten the Northstar Express twice before this encounter so with their final chance to become the PWP Tag Team Champions, in a match up between two of the top tag teams in the Midwest, the Northstar Express was able to get the belts that have eluded them all year.
1st Runner Up – The LONRS (Mark Sterling and Darrien Sanders [AAPW] [PWP]
2nd Runner Up – Johnny Vinyl & Davey Vega [LWA]
3rd Runner Up Dinn T. Moore & Brian Breaker [WLW]
October Women of the Month
Amy Henning [WLW]
Not content in just being the daughter of Curt “Mr Perfect” Henning, Amy has worked hard at WLW. The first match ups between her and Stacey O’Brien was the classic wily veteran taking advantage of young rookie. On October 24th in Warsaw Missouri, Amy proved that she is a quick learner and defeated O’Brien to become the new WLW Ladies Champion. MWR staff took notice and voted her the October Women of the Month
1st Runner Up –Stacey O’ Brien[WLW]
2nd Runner Up – Malia Hosaka [3XW]
3rd Runner Up –Melanie Cruise [POWW]
October Promotion of the Month
High Voltage Wrestling
Many doubted the new promotion in St Louis capable of having a show much less being successful. HVW on October 4th welcomed fans and wrestlers alike to come and see what they were all about.The night showcased powerhouses Donovan Ruddick, High flyers DaCobra, a top tag team in the Hybirds and a ACU-30 Title defense. HVW delivered a rollercoaster of action and suspense that impressed the wrestling world.
High Voltage Wrestling understands that they can not fly under the radar. They have reloaded for their next show. They will crown the first HVW Champion when “The Future” Donovan Ruddick takes on Brandon Espinosa. Mark Sterling will battle DaCobra and Kahagas has been brought in to take on MWR Wrestler of the Month Jeremy Wyatt. This and much more is why HVW has earned the respect of MWR.
1st Runner Up –LWA 2nd Runner Up – 3XW
3rd Runner Up –PWP
Others receiving votes – IWA Productions,
October personality of the Month
Josh C Ray
A good leader is able to make those around him strive to reach their full potential.He can inspire confidence in others and draws out the trust and best efforts of the team. All this is true of Josh Ray.
Josh C Ray built Missouri Wrestling Revival out of respect and love for Pro Wrestling. MWR has the same qualities as the owner who started it. Josh is caring, hardworking, trustworthy, and passionate along with the highest integrity.
He has spent countless hours working on the site, reaching out his hand to whoever needed it. He never settled for anything but the best. He introduced the MWR “Wrestling Revival Cup” rankings and spearheaded the MWR Best of the Midwest series which is a dream to show other wrestling fans that the Midwest has some of the best talent in the world.
He is married to a beautiful woman, who is also his best friend, Sara. They are proud parents of a young son Jalen.I dare you to have a conversation with him that doesn’t mention his boy Jalen.
A proud American who has served our country once before, he has once again been called by his country to return to Iraq. His dream to support Pro Wrestling will stay alive while he is gone, but he still looks forward to returning to Missouri to lend a helping hand to Midwest pro wrestling
Josh, your colleagues have awarded you with the MWR October Personality of the month.
1st Runner Up –Tiffany Lafane[LWA]
Others receiving votes: None
October Match of the Month
The Norhtstar Express
Vs.
The LONRS
[Pro Wrestling Phoenix]
October 25th in Council Bluffs, IA
The LONRS had twice defeated The Northstar Express while retaining the Pro Wrestling Phoenix Tag Team Titles. On October 25th, the LONRS (Mark Sterling and Darrien Sanders) looked to have their number once again. The Northstar Express Ryan Cruz and Darin Corbin) would not give up. One PWP fans stated “I’ve never heard stiffer superkicks in my 3 years of PWP fandom”. In a night of near falls, the Northstar Express walked away with the win but both teams earned the October Match of the Month.
The new promoter on the block, TNT Kenny G and his promotion High Voltage Wrestling were to have their first show on Saturday October 4th. Many people thought that he should not be running in the venue that he was in ( Granite IL ), because other promotions such as LWA, FTW, and FIST have run there prior to HVW. One reasoning was “Because you’re Lazy” and when he posted a message on the St Louis Wrestling Community Board, asking local talent to contact him to do be a part of a show, many had a reason to be cautious of High Voltage Wrestling.
A couple of weeks prior to the show TNT Kenny G posted on the message board that Brandon Espinosa (I like him) DaCobra (I have wanted to see him) were to be on the show so he had my attention, but with the Missouri/ Nebraska football game on prime time and Kimbo (14 seconds of fame) Slice was to fight UFC Legend Ken Shamrock, I wanted to save money and stay home and watch TV for once. Then he had to do it, he posted that Spoiled Steven Kennedy (One of my favorites) Cecil Cerveza (I have wanted to see) Mephisto along with Gary the Barn Owl taking on his rival Pierre Abernathy. I just couldn’t’t resist the temptation of a night of wrestling that promised a little bit of everything. So with the goal to convince my girlfriend to go, I explain to her that “The Future” Donovan Ruddick was involved in the main event. The Future is one of her favorites so she was on board for another wrestling trip.
The first thing that I noticed as I paid for our tickets was that the employees, ticket taker, security and concession booth were all supporting a High Voltage Wrestling T-shirt, they had two different styles Red and Yellow or Black and yellow. That made this new promotion look very legit, and organized and I had not even made it to my seat yet.
We sat in the front row so that I could get the best pictures possible and were grateful that they didn’t have a ring rail. Some promotions have and some don’t. I have grown fond of not having something in front of me. There would be times in the night that we had to flee from our chairs due to the action coming our way. Do you need to ask why I love Indy wrestling?
We have made many friends going to shows, so I made my rounds and said hello to one fellow wrestling fan, Patrick Brandemeyer, who is also a comedian and had been offering cookies to whoever comes and sees him perform at the Westport Funny Bone. I gave him a hard time by asking him if the cookies would be fresh baked before heading back to my seat.
High Voltage Wrestling’s very first wrestling match was an exciting bout between DaCobra and Jon Divosi. DaCobra is a star in the making with lighting quick moves and devastating kicks. Divosi to his credit was able to get hit from every direction. Divosi must have felt he had a win with a modified side effect off the second rope but DaCobra just barely kicked out. DaCobra was able to catch a second wind, went to the top rope and hit one of the most exciting moves I have ever seen live – The 630 Splash!!! You may think I am lying but I was so excited that I forgot to cheer as the ref counted to three. I turned to my girlfriend and said “I would hate to be the wrestler that had to follow that match”.
DaCobra is set to hit the amazing 630 splash.
The second match would be a tag team match as the team of Bandana Mafia (Evan Gelistico and Davey Vega) taking on Steven Kennedy and Rick Stone. While the ref did a search for weapons he found many hidden Bandanas hidden in the ring attire of the Mafias. To the best of my knowledge the match between the two teams were the first time they had been together. The Mafia really took it to Stone, all the while getting under Kennedy’s skin as Kennedy frequently entered the ring without being tagged. This prompted the ref Eric Davis to spend energy and time on getting him out the ring. With the refs back turned, the Mafia, at one moment used a bandanna to choke Stone. The confusion played into their favor as the team of Stone and Kennedy never got off the ground and with a cheap shot from Gelistico would seal the win for the Mafia.
The Promoter of HVW, Kenny G came out to the ring to thank the fans for coming and being a part of their grand opening. Out came Kris Synz, who stated that he was in fact a three time Hardcore Champion and was appalled that he was not a part of High Voltage Wrestling’s night of wrestling. Synz made the mistake of getting in the face of Kenny, and Kenny made quick work of the former hardcore champion with a flying kick using a baking pan on top of him in the corner. Kenny just got his breath when Mephisto came out from the back to tell Kenny that he had just disposed of a never was and that if he ever wanted to get in a real hardcore wrestlers face to step up. Kenny did not hesitate to go at Mephisto and a match was started. Though the bell was rung these two men went at it outside almost as soon as it started, which prompted a double count out.
A familiar feud was rekindled when Gary the Barn Owl defended his ACW U-30 belt against the European scumbag Pierre Abernathy. The action was back and forth throughout the match. At one time Pierre pounded Gary in the corner unmercifully and looked to have a chance to win the title but Gary persevered in the end with a flying flat liner and was able to get the win and retain the title.
Pierre Abernathy steps on Gary the Barn Owl in the corner.
It was time for the intermission and I went do some work for the site and lost track of time, which led me to miss the first match to my disappointment. The Hybrids (Jason Lyte & Donovan Cain) defeated the tag team of Cecil Cerveza & D’Andre King.
Brandon Espinosa used his speed to keep Adam Evans off of his game in the first round of the HVW Heavyweight tournament.
I came back in time to see the co –main event between Adam Evans accompanied by the Magic Man taking Brandon Espinosa in the tournament to decide the first round for the HVW Heavyweight title. Adam Evans has the look to go far in the sport, and though I respect Espinsoa, I gave him very little chance winning this with the odds so stacked against him. Evans himself seemed to take his opponent lightly and taunted him by relaxing on the top rope after taking him to school. Espy has improved so much in this year alone, that he can not be overlooked. Evans seem to have the match in hand but still the Magic Man could not resist interfering by trying to throw fire at Espy, but this backfired and burned his own man which allowed the upset to happen. Espy will take on the winner of the “The Future” Donovan Ruddick and Bobby Danger at next months show.
Donovan Ruddick overpowers Bobby Danger early in the match.
Bobby Danger is not a small guy by no means, but he was facing one of the most powerful men in the Midwest . Danger, to his credit brought everything he had and knew that in this match he would have to use his speed to get the edge over the Future. It looked to pay off with a corkscrew plancha to almost move on in the tournament, but when Danger went and hit a flying body cross the Future rolled with it, powered him up into the Razors edge into a monster slam and within a moment we had out second contestant in the tournament to become the HVW Heavyweight Champion.
Espy with a renewed confidence came out to the ring to confront the man who he will take on November 22 when HVW Presents Fuel for Fire again at Granite City . The Future and Espy could not wait till November and the fists were flying. The locker room attempted to separate the two men outside the ring. Bobby Danger excited the crowd with a plancha outside the ring on top of all the wrestlers. Bodies were lying onto the floor when Promoter Kenny G stated that next month the man KAHAGAS would be in action and for them.
TNT Kenny G blows a fuse after the pandemonium that ensued after the main event.
High Voltage Wrestling’s first show was well planned by the promoter Kenny G. He showed class by inviting the local talent to come and introduce themselves at the show. This show had some St Louis flavor to it and with some outside talent he was able to add freshness to their first show. The matches were well booked and in turn, the wrestlers gave the fans a great show.
Their next show on November 22 at Granite City IL , will have
Brandon Espinosa challenging “The Future”, Donovon Ruddick to see who will hold the right to be called the first High Voltage Wrestling Mid-West Heavyweight Champion.
“The Future” Donovan Ruddick goes for the HVW Title on November 22
Kahagas has taken on some of the wrestling’s best, When he enters the Midwest, he looks to bring the pain to MWR #1 ranked wrestler Jeremy “The Rebel” Wyatt.
DaCobra vs. Mark Sterling
The Ego Express VS Brett Young and Mike Sydal
Also in action – The Bandana Mafia, Gary Jay, Cecil Cerveza, Pierre Abernathy, Deandre King, Cheapshot Mcgrot, Shane Rich, Mephisto and more !
If you missed the last show don’t make the same chance again.
For more info check out http://www.myspace.com/hvw_midwest
On November 22, Brandon Espinosa will have a chance to shock the Midwest and be the very first HVW Champion.
The battle of PWI 500 stars Jeremy Wyatt (449 ) vs. Kahagas (373).
It’s that time again! This is Missouri Wrestling Revival’s fifth installment of monthly awards as we progress toward the midyear point. The month of May was busy for MWR and the entire Midwest wrestling scene. MWR expanded our coverage area in an attempt to bring pro wrestling fans better coverage of events in this part of the country, and we hope this will reflect in future MWR Awards posts as well as future articles and features on the site.
The committee has also expanded, as now we have eight members who nominate and vote on the awards. Let’s see how they voted!
Wrestler of the Month
Shane Hollister [AAW/SCW/3XW]
Hollister had one of the toughest schedules of all wrestlers in the Midwest for the month of May. It all started with a tough tag team loss (with Bryce Benjamin) to the Motor City Machine Guns in AAW. It was all good after that, as he followed the loss up with a victory (although tainted) over Egotistico Fantastico in a hard-hitting affair, the closed out the month by defending his Scott County Wrestling Title not once, but twice in one night. He retained the title after defeating Danny Daniels and Marek Brave. It was a successful month for Shane Hollister, as he wrestled some of the best in the business and came out on top in three out of the four encounters.
1st Runner Up – Mark Sterling [CEW/3XW/TLCW/CSW/PWP/AAPW]
2nd Runner Up – Justin Sane [Fusion Tradition Wrestling]
3rd Runner Up – Josh Abercrombie [AAW]
Others receiving votes this month from the committee: Jaysin Static [MMWA-SICW], Brett Gakiya [NGW]
Tag Team of the Month
Phoenix Twins (Tweek & Dash) [SCW/AAW]
The Phoenix Twins continue to impress wrestling fans across the Midwest. This month, Tweek and Dash won two non-title matches against current tag champions in SCW and AAW. They also each competed in singles matches as part of “Best of Three” series of matches with members of Zero Gravity, splitting the contests and inching closer to being the number one contenders for the SCW Tag Team Titles. For 2008, Tweek and Dash have set the bar very high. It often seems as if they are the only tag team that can surpass this high standard.
1st Runner Up – The LONRs (Mark Sterling & Darrien Sanders) [PWP/AAPW]
2nd Runner Up – B.A.B.E.WATCH (Brandon Espinosa & Brandon Aarons) [LWA]
3rd Runner Up – Mr. Bibbs & Dave Vaughn [MMWA-SICW]
Others receiving votes this month from the committee: Northstar Express (Darin Corbin & Ryan Cruz) [SCW/AAW/3XW], Midwest Ground & Air (Benjamin Sailor & Nate Bash) [CSW/PWP]
With a terrific venue, entertaining champions, and a staff that cares about the fans, 3XW has it all. Looking at the champions can tell a wrestling fan all he or she needs to know: Gage Octane (3XW Champ), Mark Sterling (Pure Champ), Casanova (Cruiserweight Champ), and Northstar Express (Tag Team Champs). 3XW had a great month of May and no doubt is looking forward to their next show in Des Moines, IA on June 20th!
Others receiving votes this month from the committee: Lethal Wrestling Alliance
Woman of the Month (Female Wrestler)
Stacy O’Brien [WLW/MMWA-SICW]
Stacy O’Brien has emerged in the second quarter of 2008 as the premier female wrestler in the Midwest. She currently owns the World League Wrestling and MMWA-SICW Women’s Championships. She defeated Ms. Natural and Alexis Lightfoot for each belt, respectively. In yet another month where female wrestlers have been inactive, Stacy is a step in the right direction.
1st Runner Up – Alexis Lightfoot [MMWA-SICW]
Others receiving votes this month from the committee: None.
Personality of the Month
Luke Roberts [LWA]
Luke is an eighteen-year pro wrestling veteran in various capacities with high hopes (and an equally high possibility) of becoming the Lethal Wrestling Alliance President. A former Personality of the Month winner for other contributions to the St. Louis area wrestling scene (March), Luke Roberts is well-respected and well-spoken.
1st Runner Up – Steve “Botch” Szoke
2nd Runner Up – Joey Eastman [AAW]
3rd Runner Up – Davey Vega [LWA]
Others receiving votes this month from the committee: None.
Match of the Month
No Disqualification Match for the LWA Heavyweight Title: Donovan Ruddick (C) defeated Gary the Barn Owl to retain. St. Peters, MO on May 24, 2008 [LWA]
1st Runner Up –
War Games Elimination Match for Number One Seed in IWC Heavyweight Title Tournament:
Dan-O-Mite is the sole survivor.
Dan-O-Mite, Chance Prophet, Dekin Cane, Enigma & Iceman
vs
Kyle King, Devan Scott, Brian Blade, JC Thunder & Justin Pain
Ottawa, KS on May 9, 2008
[IWC]
2nd Runner Up –
AAPW Heavyweight Title Match:
Steven Davis defeated Shane Rich (C) to become the new AAPW Heavyweight Champion.
Chester, IL on May 17, 2008
[AAPW]
3rd Runner Up –
Bunkhouse Stampede – Fans Bring the Weapons – Over the Top Rope Elimination Match
For the Fusion Tradition Wrestling Tradition Title:
Justin Sane last defeated Daddy Mac to become the first Tradition Champion.
Cookeville, TN on May 24, 2008
[Fusion Tradition Wrestling]
Others receiving votes this month from the committee: None.
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:
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!
by Brian “Flair” Kelley
I am back with a new “Your Trip to Space Mountain”. In this edition we find out if an independent show can be a lot of fun without a past or current superstar. Last time, you heard about an ICW show I attended that had TNA Superstars James Storm and Eric Young along with former WCW star Disco Inferno. For All American Pro Wrestling in Chester, IL at the Daniel Colbert Gym, though, there were no past or present superstars in sight.
The weather was beautiful as we arrived to the gym. We were among the first to enter the building to purchase two tickets for the 50/50 drawing. We sat in the middle of the front row so that I could get pictures of the show. While we waited two AAPW wrestlers, Edmund “Livewire” McGuire and The All American J.T. Calhoun, hung out with the fans, signed autographs and snapped pictures. I am sure the fans are bragging to their friends and family about what they missed. This was a positive in another way because when the show started the fans already knew that J.T. and Edmund were nice guys and were people who they should cheer for.
I always feel that it is important to start the night off with a solid match to set the tone of the whole evening and AAPW gave us two wrestlers that could be in the main event as the Cocky Shawn Shultz took on Brian James. Shultz can draw heat with ease and the crowd was thrilled to see James get the win as he upset Shultz with an inside cradle.
I have seen Mark Sterling and Darrien Sanders many times before, but this would be the first time that I would see them in person as The LONRS. These two have been making a name for themselves in the Midwest tag team division lately. The crowd was hot for The LONRS to get what was coming to them before the match even started. The fans were excited to see All American J.T.Calhoun and his partner Mike Masters enter the ring, with chants of “USA! USA!” ringing throughout the gym.
The LONRS dominated Masters with tag team perfection, beating on him and not allowing him to get a tag for nearly five minutes. Finally, Masters made the tag and had words with J.T. before stunning the crowd by walking away. J.T. fought with all his heart, but with The LONRS were on top of their game. It was too much on this night, even for the All American. Needless to say, the fans were not happy after The LONRS collected their victory. Darrien Sanders taunted the crowd with his air guitar skills to add insult to injury.
The next match seemed to be a mismatch, at least on paper, as MWR wrestler of the month for April 2008 “The Future” Donovan Ruddick faced “Playboy” Paul Rose. Rose was accompanied by his manger, Gaylord Stevens. Stevens is one of the best managers I have seen in the indies, because as soon as he walks through a curtain the fans know that they want to see his guy lose. “Playboy” Paul Rose, whom I had seen in action before, has a ton of charisma and can really move for a guy that looks totally out of shape. This may have been the hardest hitting match of the night, and it received my girlfriend’s favorite match award for the night. “The Future” would go on to win the match, but not without a fight as Rose and Stevens gave him fits throughout.
Intermission was here and “The Atomic Dogg” Ali Stevens, who was trained by Harley Race and had a short stint with WCW, was at the top of the stairs selling videos and all along smiled towards the fans. For the wrestlers out there, I may not be able to tell you how to wrestle but I have one small bit of advice: if you want to sell your merchandise, a smile goes a long way. A smile will leave a good taste in the fans mouth when they leave. Fortunately, this is not a problem most of the time and it wasn’t this night in Chester, IL. AAPW’s wrestlers were very professional.
As my girlfriend returned from smoking, they announced that “Serial Thriller” Shane Rich was going to be taking Polaroid’s inside the ring for $3.00. It looked as if nobody wanted to go first for the first five minutes, so I thought that maybe I could help them out by getting in line. I thought I’d try to make it look like it was the thing to do. I got up for my picture and introduced myself to Shane Rich, and as I asked for him to check out MWR I noticed that all because of me the line had become huge!
Hey, I am just joking! It was easy to see why they would want their picture taken with the champ. Shane looked to be in awesome shape and though this was my first time to see him live, I was excited to see him in action.
Intermission was over and AAPW had the card set up perfectly as they re energized the crowd with another good match. Edmund “Livewire” McGuire hooked up with Ax Stevens, who was accompanied by his manger Gaylord Stevens. Edmund used his speed to cause Stevens all kinds of problems, but just when you thought McGuire would get the win, Gaylord would interfere, allowing Ax to bring the pain for Edmund. “Livewire” has been on a roll as of late, but when he went up top for a leg drop, Ax moved and then used a piledriver for a victory that stunned not only myself but the entire crowd. “#1” Brett Young and K.C. Jackson entered the ring to demand some action, but had to belittle the Chester natives, too. K.C. and Brett let them know that they were all number two, which made them the first losers. This went on for some time before the intimidating promoter Sean Chambers had had enough. He called the Atomic Dogg to the ring. I am not a fan of a 2 on one contest because I feel as if it makes the wrestlers that are teaming up look weak, but on this occasion the wrestlers had a very entertaining match. It made sense and the Dogg was very over with the crowd. The Dogg would able to with stand the double teams and pin the two wrestlers for the victory. In the main event of the evening former AAPW Champion, “Homicidal” Steven Davis received his 1 on 1 rematch with the current champ, “Serial Thriller” Shane Rich. Davis entered the ring with his manager, and I think AAPW has the use of managers down to a science. The managers had the right “bad guy” look and really knew how to work the crowd. This was a great match, and the girls in attendance were clearly on Shane’s side. They screamed every time Steven Davis got the upper hand.
Steven Davis was pulling out all stops to regain the title. The match was a back and forth affair, and the fans were really into it when Rich went for a moonsault off the top turnbuckle. Unfortunately for Rich, Davis moved out of the way. Rich landed on his feat but could not avoid a vicious spear from Davis which got Davis the win and his title back! I must admit I did not see that one coming.
AAPW then thanked the crowd for coming and the night was over. My only complaint during the evening was a common problem in independent wrestling, and that is the sound system. The reported 163 people in attendance witnessed what, in my eyes, was a top notch show. Although they did not have TNA stars on the card, I will say that this show was better than most I have seen with one. The storytelling was excellent and the wrestling was very very good.
All American Pro Wrestling was professional and very fan friendly. If you have a chance to check them out, I highly recommend it. I know that in the future that AAPW will be in my wrestling schedule. You can check out AAPW on the net at http://www.myspace.com/allamericanprowrestling.
Till next time, Support your local independent wrestling promotion by attending a show. Be sure to let us know what you thought about it .
Hollister had one of the toughest schedules of all wrestlers in the Midwest for the month of May. It all started with a tough tag team loss (with Bryce Benjamin) to the Motor City Machine Guns in AAW. It was all good after that, as he followed the loss up with a victory (although tainted) over Egotistico Fantastico in a hard-hitting affair, the closed out the month by defending his Scott County Wrestling Title not once, but twice in one night. He retained the title after defeating Danny Daniels and Marek Brave. It was a successful month for Shane Hollister, as he wrestled some of the best in the business and came out on top in three out of the four encounters.
The Phoenix Twins continue to impress wrestling fans across the Midwest. This month, Tweek and Dash won two non-title matches against current tag champions in SCW and AAW. They also each competed in singles matches as part of “Best of Three” series of matches with members of Zero Gravity, splitting the contests and inching closer to being the number one contenders for the SCW Tag Team Titles. For 2008, Tweek and Dash have set the bar very high. It often seems as if they are the only tag team that can surpass this high standard.
Stacy O’Brien has emerged in the second quarter of 2008 as the premier female wrestler in the Midwest. She currently owns the World League Wrestling and MMWA-SICW Women’s Championships. She defeated Ms. Natural and Alexis Lightfoot for each belt, respectively. In yet another month where female wrestlers have been inactive, Stacy is a step in the right direction.
I have seen Mark Sterling and Darrien Sanders many times before, but this would be the first time that I would see them in person as The LONRS. These two have been making a name for themselves in the Midwest tag team division lately. The crowd was hot for The LONRS to get what was coming to them before the match even started. The fans were excited to see All American J.T.Calhoun and his partner Mike Masters enter the ring, with chants of “USA! USA!” ringing throughout the gym.
The next match seemed to be a mismatch, at least on paper, as MWR wrestler of the month for April 2008 “The Future” Donovan Ruddick faced “Playboy” Paul Rose. Rose was accompanied by his manger, Gaylord Stevens. Stevens is one of the best managers I have seen in the indies, because as soon as he walks through a curtain the fans know that they want to see his guy lose. “Playboy” Paul Rose, whom I had seen in action before, has a ton of charisma and can really move for a guy that looks totally out of shape. This may have been the hardest hitting match of the night, and it received my girlfriend’s favorite match award for the night. “The Future” would go on to win the match, but not without a fight as Rose and Stevens gave him fits throughout.
Intermission was over and AAPW had the card set up perfectly as they re energized the crowd with another good match. Edmund “Livewire” McGuire hooked up with Ax Stevens, who was accompanied by his manger Gaylord Stevens. Edmund used his speed to cause Stevens all kinds of problems, but just when you thought McGuire would get the win, Gaylord would interfere, allowing Ax to bring the pain for Edmund. “Livewire” has been on a roll as of late, but when he went up top for a leg drop, Ax moved and then used a piledriver for a victory that stunned not only myself but the entire crowd.
“#1” Brett Young and K.C. Jackson entered the ring to demand some action, but had to belittle the Chester natives, too. K.C. and Brett let them know that they were all number two, which made them the first losers. This went on for some time before the intimidating promoter Sean Chambers had had enough. He called the Atomic Dogg to the ring. I am not a fan of a 2 on one contest because I feel as if it makes the wrestlers that are teaming up look weak, but on this occasion the wrestlers had a very entertaining match. It made sense and the Dogg was very over with the crowd. The Dogg would able to with stand the double teams and pin the two wrestlers for the victory.
In the main event of the evening former AAPW Champion, “Homicidal” Steven Davis received his 1 on 1 rematch with the current champ, “Serial Thriller” Shane Rich. Davis entered the ring with his manager, and I think AAPW has the use of managers down to a science. The managers had the right “bad guy” look and really knew how to work the crowd. This was a great match, and the girls in attendance were clearly on Shane’s side. They screamed every time Steven Davis got the upper hand.
Missouri Wrestling Revival 