MWR Owner and Editor Brian Kelley: It is with great pleasure that I am with two of the many great fans that support pro wrestling in the Midwest today, Debbie and her younger brother Tim. Thank you Debbie and Tim for taking the time to talk to us here at MWR.
Debbie: Thanks for thinking of us for a spotlight, Brian. I tend to think of Metro Pro as another family and it is nice to be treated that way.
Brian: Let me ask you first, where did the two of you grow up and what were your first memories of the sport that we all love, pro wrestling?
Debbie: We grew up in Leavenworth KS and I loved what seemed to be “very late at night” Saturday night with the local wrestling show, the name of which I have long since forgotten, but the color commentary was done by Bill Kersten, Bob Geigel was the promoter and a wrestler and they had this nefarious bad guy named Handsome Harley Race.
Tim having a blast at Metro Pro Wrestling. Photo courtesy of Tim and Debbie
Tim: I remember the show was Big 2 Wrestling out of St Joseph MO on channel 2. But Debbie is incorrect about Bob Geigel, the promoter was Gust Karras. My favorites were Bulldog Bob Brown, Maddog Harley Race and Black Angus.
Brian: Before making your way to discovering Metro Pro Wrestling in Kansas, City for the first time, who were your favorite wrestlers and why?
Debbie: I really liked AJ Styles because he was a wrestler, not a sports entertainer. And Shawn Michaels for the same reason. Stone Cold and the Rock really amused me. And I still enjoy Chris Jericho.
Tim: I was always a fan of Stone Cold Steve Austin, but not so much Stunning Steve Austin. And, of course, Debra for two very good reasons.
This photo is for Tim :)
Brian: As I mentioned in the last question, I met the two of you at Metro Pro Wrestling . How did you find out about the event? Do you remember the date and what do you recall from that night?
Debbie: I went kicking and screaming because Tim wanted to go and I decided to humor him. I even took a book, expecting to be bored. I don’t think I ever did finish that book. But I did get to meet you and Dubray and the wildly talented Rob Schamberger and his equally awesome mom, Dee and her husband Roger.
Tim: I had been watching Metro Pro on Metro Sports and when I found out when it was taping I said I wanted to go. I discovered it late one night while watching Metro Sports and watched it every time it was on after that. Our first trip was November 2010, but don’t ask Debbie because she never gets this stuff right. By fall of 2011 we were regulars, we didn’t miss a show. At least, I didn’t. She decided to go to San Antonio to watch our nephew graduate basic training and I stayed home and got someone else to take me to Metro Pro. I keep my priorities straight.
Brian: The two of you have even taken some road trips to other MWR promotions to support local independent wrestling as well as your favorite wrestlers? This is a two part question, who is your favorite wrestler on the local scene and why?
Debbie: I am captivated by Leland Race. He is so intense and so talented. And I would be remiss not to mention my favorite duo at Metro Pro, Jeremy Wyatt and Mark Sterling. But I have to admit to taking several trips to see Miss Natural because her athletic abilities are so well-honed.
Leland Race
Tim: I favor Leland Race because of his wrestling ability.
Brian: What has been your favorite match or moment at a wrestling show on the Independent level that you have been at?
Debbie: The last Jeremy Wyatt/Adam Pearce match. It was just before Metro Pro went on hiatus and it was brutal, technical, funny and smart all at the same time.
Tim:Bruiser Brody vs Kamala in Kansas City in 1984 but as for recently. it had to be Adam Pearce vs Colt Cabana in their fourth match in the Seven Levels of Hate Series.
Debbie with the NWA Hall of Fame Wrestler and former MWR Wrestler of the Year Adam Pearce. Photo courtesy of Tim and Debbie
Brian: Another two part question Debbie and Tim, if I was to start a promotion and I came to you and asked you what I should do to improve on what you have seen, what would it be? Also, I am going to have you help me plan a match on my wrestling card, who are you going to have face each other and yes, it can be singles or tag team?
Debbie: Wow, you’d have to go a long way to improve on Metro Pro or WLW, but how about some more athletic, talented women like Stacey O’Brien and Miss Natural. They have had some women pass through, but none have the technical ability or the charisma to grab a crowd like those ladies. We need more ladies that are wrestlers, not divas. I think a mixed tag team of Trevor Murdoch & Miss Natural vs Leland Race & Stacey O’Brien.
Stacey O’Brien and Miss Natural call a truce long enough to take a picture with one of the biggest fans. – Photo courtesy of Tim and Debbie.
Tim: I would mix the talent up more. Book matches where people aren’t always wrestling the same 3 or 4 people. I would like to see a three-way match with A J Styles, Jeremy Wyatt and Mark Sterling with the King brothers banned from the building and my good friend Michael Crase as the special enforcer for the match.
Tim celebrates with Referee Michael Crase-Photo courtesy of Tim and Debbie
Brian: Pro Wrestling is RED HOTin the MWR coverage area with Metro Pro Wrestling packing the Turner Rec Center as well as new promotions popping up in Missouri. I know you have plans to go on the road as well to check out other promotions, what are your upcoming events you hope to attend and if someone was to ask you why they should purchase a ticket to a local wrestling event, what would you say?
Debbie: We are going to see New Breed Wrestling a little farther south in Missouri and I would like to make it to St. Louis for one of the Anarchy shows this spring. From there, it’s not that far to Illinois or Iowa. It’s so little money for such a good time. This isn’t WWE. These people have worked hard to hone their technical skills, they actually come out to meet the fans and, seriously, where else can you get front row seat to three or four hours of entertainment where you can completely lose control and go crazy for only $20.00 And a chance to get your picture taken with Jeremy Wyatt! (It only took me a little over 2 years and was worth the wait.)
Debbie and the Metro Pro and 3XW Wrestling Champion Jeremy Wyatt – Photo courtesy of Tim and Debbie
Brian: Once again, thank you to the two of you for taking part in this edition of the MWR Fan spotlight. It is always a pleasure to see you two at an event as it is people like you that keeps the promotions to not only survive, but thrive in 2015.
Kansas City Safari Club International Annual Fundraiser
The 2013 Hunter’s Expo will be held February 1st through February 3rd at the Overland Park Convention Center.
EXPO HOURS
Friday, February 1st from 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Saturday, February 2nd from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sunday, February 3rd from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
ADMISSION
Adults-$8.00
Children 14 years and under are free
Print coupon for $2.00 off
Missouri Wrestling Revival is very excited to have the one and only “Road Dogg” BG James as a part of the MWR Trading Card series. The son of 2011 WWE Hall of Fame inductee “Bullet” Bob Armstrong and brothers to fellow wrestlers Brad, Scott and Steve, James will go down in history as one of the most entertaining wrestlers to ever set foot in the ring.
James was instrumental in bringing back WWE from the dire straights in the late 80’s in a war with rival WCW. With fellow stars “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, the Rock and Mick Foley and James’s faction of Degeneration X wrestling was cool once again. .
Degeneration X members included Shawn Michaels, Triple –H, X-Pac, Chyna, Rick Rude and James tag team partner Billy Gunn.
Together James and Gunn was the New Age Outlaws!!
The two would go on to win 5 WWE Tag Team Championships Four of their victories came over teams that included Mick Foley with four different partners (Kane, Terry Funk, the Rock, and Al Snow). They hold the fourth longest reign in WWE Tag Team history with 468 days.
James is also a former WWE Intercontiental and Hardore Champion before he went on to compete at TNA Wrestling to win 2 NWA Tag Team Championships with Ron Killings and Konann.
Though he would be able to hold onto gold several times, it is his charisma that is matched by very few that has made him a World wide star.
We are proud to announce that BG James is number #47 in the MWR Trading Card set.
The artwork of B.G James from the hottest comic in the Midwest, The Promotion. The promotion is drawn from none other than Rob Schamberger.
Please support Rob and his hard work by purchasing a copy of his comic for only .50 cents here.
For a complete list of Missouri Wrestling Revival trading cards as well as WWE , TNA and Japan sets check out the website Wrestling trading cards.com here.
To purchase MWR Trading cards:
1) Catch the star at a show to have them autograph the cards personally
2) Contact them via facebook or myspace
3) Send $1.50 in money order or check for each card at *
Brian Kelley
305 West 3rd Salisbury Missouri 65281
*Checks will take longer to clear than money orders so expect time for that to happen. Make sure you list exactly what card you are wanting to have.
Please note that when purchasing MWR Trading cards from the wrestlers, that they decide the prices for their cards. We highly recommend that you get them from the stars themselves and let them know that you enjoy MWR.
These cards are limited and are not mass produced making them highly collectable.
Jason Jones feels the punching power of BG James (Photo Credit Bill Smith )
We were thrilled to catch up with the one and only BG James as he was a guest for Harley Race’s World League Wrestling recently. James was one of the most influential wrestlers during the Attitude Era as one half of the 5-time WWE Tag Team Champions of the World with Billy Gunn.
Together they were the New Age Outlaws and joined Shawn Michaels and Hunter Hearst Helmsley as Degeneration X entertaining fans around the World.
St Louis fans one of the original NWO members, Scott Hall will be in St Louis for a wrestling spectacular that you will not want to miss on April 30th.
Scott Hall has been a former AWA Tag Team Champion with Curt Hennig, and then exploded at the WWE as Razor Ramon. As Razor Ramon he would be a prominent figure during the Attitude era.
He would go on to defeat Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania in a Ladder match, in what many still consider the standard for that type of match to this day.
During the Monday Wars it would be Scott Hall who would invade WCW along with Kevin Nash and Hulk Hogan as the NWO changing wrestling as the world knew it.
Since then you have seen him at TNA Wrestling, Juggalo Championship Wrestling and host of the his very own internet show Last Call with Scott Hall .
You will not want to miss a true rebel of Pro Wrestling on April 30th .
Plus
The Midwest Sweetheart Santana G making her way back home from thrilling fans in Flordia. One of the most popular young wrestlers in Florida she has been improving with each match while taking on many of the best in the sport including Becky Bayless(Cookie on TNA) MsChif, Roxxie Lottalove, and Jessika Haze.
Fans of the big men will love the massive monster known as Rick Fuller. Fuller has been in the ring with Hulk Hogan, Booker T and Jeff Jarrett.
A man who defies gravity is the man Jonathan Gresham. Gresham is one of the most exciting young stars in the game today. Recently seen on Ring Of Honor on DirectTV on HDNet.
The bad boys of the Midwest the Kansas City Killers will be in the house as Mark Sterling and Jeremy Wyatt are always worth the price of admission.
St Louis’s own The Lumberjacks Abe and Gabe have been looking for someone to step up for some time now. Who will be that team to take on one of the most decorated tag teams in ST Louis’s history ?
Brandon Espinosa has impressed the fans from city to city and will look to pick up a huge win at VFW Pro Wrestling Showcase.
Dave Vaughn “The wrestling machine” had a great 2010 and been heating up in 2011. Vaughn will be in action with his no nonsense
The powerhouse known as Nation will be coming to St Louis. Trained by former WWE Superstar MR Hughes, you will not want to miss Nation tear it up on April 30th.
Wrestling fans this event is shaping up to be a great one, Mark your calendar to meet one of the best ever in Scott Hall along with the top young stars of the Midwest on April 30th.
Many claim that he is the greatest wrestler of All-time!!
His name is Ric Flair! He has thrilled fans with matches between legends such as Harley Race, Ricky Steamboat, Terry Funk, Sting and Shawn Michaels. He has wrestled around the world and is a 16 time World Champion.
We are thrilled that he took the time to show off the Missouri Wrestling Revival t-shirt with MWR’S Dubray Tallman.
Helloooo wrestling fans as the great Bill Kersten would say. I am thrilled that today we are celebrating our 1,000 post here at Missouri Wrestling Revival. Throughout the past two and half years you have been able to come to MWR site to check out upcoming shows, interviews and stories of the top stars of not only the Midwest but around the world.
MWR started out simple enough from one of my best friends Josh Ray who had the dream to bring attention to wrestling in the Midwest. He worked hard to get the site going and along with myself and Kari Williams the site was off and running.
Thankfully we had a good friend Peter Hahn whos sister Rachel, is a wonderful graphic artist that came up with the logo that has became the face of MWR.
I have been so busy getting ready for school, preparing for my sons school year and other projects that I have yet to unveil some great new logo’s from our good friends at Awesome bomb radio so no time is better than the start of a new thousand. Adult MWR fans take a chance to check out the Awesome Bomb Radio for some wild and crazy interviews with some of the top wrestlers in the game today.
Everyone at MWR has worked hard to be respectful and polite to each promotion, wrestler and fans that we have gone across.
I have a strong belief that to be successful that no one can do it alone. In the history of MWR there have been some wonderful supporters of the site that is vital to MWR’S place in wrestling today. I am going to attempt to thank everyone that has made MWR possible. At every promotion we have worked with there has been not only promoter, wrestlers but also referees, ring announcer, security, video crew and fans that I have nothing but love and respect for. Several have become close friends, while others I have not seen in a long time, though time has past by and we may have not seen each other this post is still for you.
1) The Fans: I hope that you have found MWR a place that you come to enjoy. You are the most important piece to the puzzle to making a show a success. At times we are very busy at a show but I want you to know that I thank you for clicking on the site and we are always excited to get to meet you. Your support for the hard working men and women of the sport keeps the hope alive for pro wrestlers to live their dream. If you have not checked out a local show near you I urge you to check out a promotion soon.
We have made many Friends thanks to the MWR site. Drew and Gary are two great guys that I met at local shows, they knew us from the work we do thanks to MWR. During the Wrestling Legends on tour the three of us got to pose with some of the top wrestling stars ever in the sport. These are just two of the many fans that we are proud to call our friends.
2) The Promoters: These guys are judged, hated and sometimes forgotten. It takes a special person to risk there money and spend their time to run a show. The cold hard fact is that it is a LOT of work to be one and at times luck to be successful in this profession. Without them doing the ground work a show never gets off the ground. They have opened their doors to us and I hope they know we have been honored to try our best to get the word out about the dates of their show.
3) The Wrestlers, managers and referees: Call it a sport or call it entertainment, one can not deny that it takes true talent to make a show a success..
During the years I have been all around the Midwest checking out shows in the big cities and the small towns and I can say that I have no doubt that there is no athletes that cares more for their fans that the wrestlers.
We have been at a few shows that have had less than 30 people, that did not stop the wrestlers from going out there and giving it their all, then took the time to come meet the fans.
I watched time and time where they have took that extra moment to talk, pose for pictures and sign autographs to the kids of all ages and thanking them for their hard earn money to watch them do what they love.
There have been many shows where the wrestlers have donated their time and skills with no pay to support a fundraiser for a local family or school.
No matter what state we are in, or the three letters of the promotions every wrestles have the same goal and that is to entertain you with the best of their abilities.
This past weekend I was in Lincoln Illinois for the Arts and Balloon Festival where the a huge crowd witness some exciting wrestling action. One of the many talented wrestlers in the Midwest today, Knight Wagner asked if he could do a promo commemorating the moment that so many fans had a chance to see what wrestling was like in our area.
I was honored by the kind words that he said in the promo for our website in hopes that you the fans will check us out to find out where you can see the next wrestling show in your area. I want to share with you the words of Knight Wagner.
To be honest there have been many such compliments given to the MWR family from many many wrestlers that understand that this site is built for the fans, the promoters and wrestlers themselves.
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It has been a pleasure to work each and every one of you. I have seen some of the craziest, weirdest and breathtaking matches ever in the past two plus years at MWR. The love that you have for wrestling is only equaled by the desire to give the fans their money’s worth. MWR could not be as successful or fun without your cooperation
4) Dubray Tallman: The old saying is behind every successful man is a good women. Thankfully I have Dubray to help support me while we drive the six hours roundtrip for many shows. There is no group of friends that live close enough that we can ride with to make the trip faster or cheaper. In less than a year and half we have made over eighty shows in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Illinois. At times the site takes away from what we can do elsewhere or together as it takes time to write and edit everything. Prior to the show Dubray works on one of the most popular articles that we have Dubi meets the fans. Often Dubi Meets the Fans is the among the top post for weeks on end . Dubray I love you.
5) Josh and Sara Ray: The founder of MWR is also one of my best friends. Josh has a great mind and love for the business. If only the two of us lived closer no telling how much more successful MWR would be. They don’t get much better than Josh and Sara
6) Kari Williams: MWR’S number one writer, you have read Kari’s articles from the inception of the site. Young and talented there is no doubt that you will find Kari’s work in a much bigger forum one day. Dubray and I always are thrilled to see Kari and her mother Joan.
7) Matt Murphy: Matt is one of the most underrated wrestling minds today. He has always been willing to give his advice and assistance for the site. In fact I didn’t take his advice early on and paid for it. Lesson learned, listen to Matt Murphy. Seriously Matt was kind enough to have his book showcased here at MWR in a weekly article that many MWR fans loved. If you missed it, there is a link at the top of the page that you can go to do catch up. MWR fans if you have read this article or book PLEASE take the time to review it on Amazon.com here.
8) Greg Anthony – Anthony brings to the site, a fan that is talented enough to excel in the sport today as a wrestler. I am never bored and often surprised to what he has to say in the MWR favorite the Golden Circle. As with Murphy if you have missed any of his articles I urge you take a look at the top of the page and enjoy.
9) Patrick Brandmeyer– As much as I love local professional wrestling, the truth is at times it can be nearly impossible to find out information on the past as well as the current history of the business. I often look to my good friend Patrick Brandmeyer for the what, how and why in the St Louis wrestling market and beyond. If a promotion wants a good source of advertisement then most defiantly contact Brandmeyer to make his way to your show.
10) ST Louis Wrestling Community and the Nose Bleed seats- Many people think that the man known as the Crimefighter and his website the ST Louis Wrestling Community are a competitor of the MWR website. The truth is that I have always enjoyed working with Crimfighter and his colleagues from the Nose Bleed SeatsChris Lee and MOAV5706. I often use the site and their advice for articles that you read here. They have had some great podcast and they are the number one source for all your wrestling in Central Illinois. Check them out here.
11) MWR T-shirts– Nothing brings a smile to my face than seeing a fan or wrestler wear a MWR Shirt. In the four states that we cover we have given away or sold 100’s of our shirts to wonderful people such as yourself. We started out with free drawings during intermission to a lucky fan.
Fans like this wonderful women has been thrilled to catch a MWR T-Shirt from a Midwest Superstar (Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogsraat)
Then one day at PWP I was taken photos when Murder Militia’s #1 Brett Young came to the ring wearing an MWR shirt . That kicked a light bulb in my head, why don’t we have a wrestler wear to ring and unlike the greedy Young who kept his shirt, we have them throw it to a lucky fan. This promotion has been more than a success and I would like to thank all the wrestlers who have worn the shirt in the past in this promotion. The fans I feel have had a lot of fun in catching them . Most recently one fan told me that her daughter was so impressed with catching the t-shirt and having her picture taken with the wrestler(Jimmy Karryt) that she has that picture of her and him as the background picture on their computer. You can not purchase moments as special as that.
Words can not describe how important my friend Nick Ridenour has been this year in working with us to have quality and affordable t-shirts with the small budget we have.
12) MWR Top Draws – A very popular feature at MWR is the art work from MWR’S Dartallion Allen JR. Allen brings to life your favorite stars in a cartoon style. Mwr fans look in the very near future a chance to vote for who you think Allen Jr should draw in the MWR Classic Wrestler Top Draw. Till then take the time to click above to see one of Midwest brightest artist today.
13) MWR Trading Cards– This is my new passion and a set that I take great pride in. A worthy collectable for the fans of MWR, the set features the stars of the Midwest and around the world that we have all come to love or hate. We started off with the MWR award winners for 2008 and 2009, card number one was the 2008 MWR Tag team of the year the Northstar Express Darin Corbin and Ryan Cruz with Pnut, the three who is awesome in promos looked just as good in a trading card.
“The Future” Donovan Ruddick takes the time to pose with young fans that had purchased his MWR Trading Card prior to him autographing the collectable that fans have been clamoring for the past few months.
Since then we have added a who’s who of stars in the Midwest including three people that I am forever grateful who brought worldwide recognition to the set, site and other wrestlers of the series and they are international stars MsChif, Davey Richards and Ring of Honor World Champion Tyler Black.
A big thank you goes out to Alyssa Major for her amazing talent on these cards.
As of press time we have announced Nineteen trading cards and each and every individual brings their own flair and worth to your collection. Look for many other superstars of the ring to grace their presence in the set. In fact I am so excited to name them that I need to stop writing about it.
For a look at these card check out our checklist at the number one site for wrestling trading cards Wrestlingtradingcards.comhere.
14) MWR Photographers– People that know me, know that I love photos of wrestling. Often I will go to a website and see results from a show but never know what that person looks like. At MWR you get a chance to put a name with a face in an exciting fashion
I am blessed to be able to have some of the great photographers in the Midwest at MWR that allow us to use their work and expensive equipment for the site. A very underrated aspect to the scene is a photographer, these hard working professionals are able to capture that moment when your favorite wrestler goes for that high risk move, or the final moment when a wrestler wins the championship. With pictures you capture history.
Mike Van Hoogstraat, Gary Giaffoglione, Bill Smith and Scott Fieldstein are regulars with MWR who donate the pictures for you the fans to enjoy. I love all of these guys for their contribution and friendship.
15) Absolute Wrestling Radio: Amazingly when I wrote this article for 1,000 post I had somehow forgotten to recognize the AWR family. It’s not that they were not worthy or I hadn’t thought of them its just that I thought I had them done. Make no mistake about it that AWR was very crucial to MWR inception to the wrestling world. Based out of St Louis AWR has been a place where fans can listen and call in to talk about the WWE, TNA , local wrestling and MMA.
Mark Bland Matt Kreuger and Andy Echle have been a lot of fun throughout the time that I have known them and have created some of the most memorable moments in MWR history. They have always done a wonderful job getting the word of MWR out to the masses. We look forward to all of your hard wok and friendship.
Promotions
In the past two and half years MWR has covered and worked with each of these promotions in one form or another. I don’t want to thank anyone in particular because of the fear of forgetting anyone. Once again there are many great people that are in each of these promotions who have made a positive impact for the MWR site.
3XWrestling
All American Pro Wrestling
All American Wrestling
Central States Wrestling
Great American Wrestling
High Voltage Wrestling
IWA-Mid-South
Independent Hardcore Wrestling
IWA Productions
Lethal Wrestling Alliance
New Midwest Wrestling
New Breed Wrestling Alliance
NWA Supreme Wrestling
NWA Dynamo Pro Wrestling
Metro East Championship Wrestling
Metro Pro Wrestling
MMWA-SICW
Pro Wrestling Epic
Pro Wrestling Next
Pro Wrestling Phoenix
Pro Wrestling Next
Rampage Championship Wrestling
World League Wrestling
I hope that you check out these promotions live in the very near future.
Thank you MWR Fans and we hope to celebrate 1,500 soon. Till then look for all the exciting developments and happenings in the world of Pro Wrestling in the near future at MWR.
Sincerely,
Brian Kelley
Owner/ Editor of Missouri Wrestling Revival
My good friend Josh Ray and I spoke recently about the celebration of the MWR 1,000 POST. He stated that he had an article he would like to share with you so we started MWR post 1 with Josh Ray so it is only fitting that we end 1,000 with my good friend Josh.
By Josh Ray
Even though I left Missouri Wrestling Revival in the talented hands of Brian Kelley and Kari Williams a year ago to pursue other pro wrestling opportunities, as founder of this website/community I am extremely attached to any of MWR‘s successes and failures. It doesn’t matter whether the ideas came from my own mind or the mind of a friend, because once it is implemented by the site, it becomes part of the family.
As family, career, and life in general have siphoned time from one of my passions, most of my Midwest pro wrestling knowledge comes in spurts from MWR. It is a great site that has helped in more ways than it will ever get credit for, and that is due to a combined effort from contributors to MWR, promoters, wrestlers, behind-the-scenes staff, and of course fans! When Brian and I chatted last week and he informed me that the 1000th post was fast approaching, I wanted to get involved.
A lot is said of a wrestler’s desire and love of the business. Sometimes paid in hot dogs and other time not paid at all, these men and women travel at great physical, emotional, and financial expense because they love to entertain and they strive to improve. Unfortunately, there are other pieces of this puzzle that often go overlooked. These overlooked pieces are evident in those train wrecks that inevitably occur. Great wrestlers can make a great match, but those that work in supporting roles (the overlooked pieces I am referring to) are what make an entire event a success. In fact, those working in these supporting roles can make or break everything from the attendance to the safety at the show.
Those in these supporting roles include the promoter himself/herself, the booker, the referee, ring announcer, managers/valets, sound man/woman, camera crew, photographer, security, bloggers/journalists, and other volunteers. These men and women are no less a part of the wrestling business than the wrestlers themselves, but they often do what they do with little or no fanfare. There is no World Wrestling Entertainment developmental program for most of these roles, and many serving in these capacities are expected to do the work for free to pay their dues and to be a part of the show.
Even WWE legend Shawn Michaels acknowledged many of the great supporting members of WWE during his retirement speech on the March 29, 2010 edition of Monday Night RAW:
This is really gonna sound strange to you guys, but there’s a whole lot of people in those big ‘ol trucks out back, there are these guys here holding the camera, Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and of course the greatest announcer of all time Jim Ross… but I want to thank all you guys. You guys always made me look better than I ever really was and I so appreciate that.
I want to follow in those great footsteps in this, the 1000th post on Missouri Wrestling Revival, by naming my own MWR “Supporting Roles” All-Star Team. This is by no means definitive and is solely based on my opinion with some input from trusted friends.
Supporting Roles All-Star 1st Team
Booker – Matt Murphy
I have talked with Matt numerous times and know his credentials. This would be the guy to go to in order to get the matches lined up… and the first guy I would talk to to straighten out any backstage issues.
Referees –
Brandon Schmidt
Eric Davis
Both men work hard and want to continue learning. You’d be hard pressed to find two more competent officials to ref a show.
Ring Announcer –
KL Snow
The man with the green socks has a great voice for ring announcing and is one of the nicest men you’ll meet in and out of the ring. He no longer operates in the area, but is worth the money to bring in.
Video –
Skylar Pierce
This guy shoots and edits wrestling video on a regular basis and continues to improve. Watch 3XW’s Outside the Ring on Youtube to see the progression of his video work.
Camera – Jenny Bessman 3XW’s video team under the guidance of Skylar Pierce is my logical choice, with Jenny getting the by name selection, but without excluding the video talents of Sean Wilkerson. These guys keep the 3XW machine moving in the right direction by continuing their line of DVDs and providing footage for the 3XW web show Outside the Ring.
Security –Brandon “Bubba” Wacholtz
When I put together the MWR show for November 2009, “Bubba” was my first choice for security. Very professional in a security capacity and anyone that says otherwise has probably deserved being removed from a show.
Backstage Photographer –
Michael R. Van Hoogstraat
Many of the great Midwest wrestler photos from backstage that you see on this site and across the Internet come from this man!
Ringside Photographer –
Gary Giaffoglione
You feel right there in the middle of the action when Gary is at the helm.
Mouthpiece –
Magic Man
I extended the offer to Magic Man a long time ago… whenever I have a video camera he is always welcome to jump in front of it.
Mouthpiece –
Chad Mylan
Quite honestly, I mark for very few things in this world… but I mark for Chad Mylan. I am a Mylanite.
Booster –
Chuck Maddox
A genuinely nice guy with a love for professional wrestling that many do not come close to matching. Chuck is the guy you’d want to work with on any marketing plan or budget.
Journalist/Blogger –
Kari Williams
The resident workhorse at MWR has a career beyond this site that is right around the corner. I am very proud to have met her and often go to her for writing advice.
That is all I have for this, the 1000th post on Missouri Wrestling Revival. Remember, if its worth supporting then support it. If not then run the other way and something better will eventually come along!
3 -Time WWE Tag Team Champions Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch
We were all hit with a bombshell yesterday. Lance Cade has passed away. I’ld first like send my sympathies to his friends and family that dealing with tough time first hand. I just met Trevor Murdoch a fews months back and can only imagine how he feels about this tragedy. Over the last decade, us as a wrestling community have had more than our fair share of death. This one seems to hit really close to home for me. Lance was 29 years old, the same as am I. Lance and I made our debuts not far from each other. I pretty much saw his entire career. Just because they say “only the good die young”, doesn’t make it right.
We had just started working a regular basis and we went to a Memphis Championship Wrestling show at a fair somewhere and that was the first time I had seen Lance live. He was tagging with Tracy Smothers as the team TNT(Tennessee-N-Texas). Long blonde hair, slender frame but still a big guy. Reminding me, and everyone else, of Barry Windham. MCW’s television once featured a blood bath between Lance and William Regal, a match I went out of my way to see.
The whole Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy bunch that came out in ’99 had very high hopes. Lance, Spanky and Brian Danielson have all had much success. Of the three, I always found myself wanting to see more of Lance. I wanted him to be in something he could really sink his teeth in to and give us that memorable moment that would live forever and catipult Lance into a bigger role. I got my wish when he pinned Shawn Michaels live on Monday Night Raw in a tag match. Soon after though he was released for a mistake he made outside of the ring.
Another name added to list of “too soon” in pro wrestling. Lance will be missed, in the ring by his fans and at home by his friends and family. Everyone take time to remember the important things in life. Which changes from person to person. Whatever makes us better, happy people can only be a good thing. I think the world was a better, happier place with Lance in it and it saddens me that we never got the opportunity to meet or maybe even lock horns in the squared circle. I promise.
Today’s wrestlers aren’t afraid of being paralyzed,the long term effects of steroids or a half a dozen other reasonable things to be afraid of. The most terrifying thing for a pro wrestler in this era is the number 30. Or more specifically the age 30. The general consensus is that once you’ve hit the magic number, you’ve missed the boat. You may get good opportunities to work good shows but a dream of being a WWE contracted wrestler is over. Is this fact or merely a bitter fiction that has made its bed in our world.
I did some heavy research for this article. I asked the question of several veterans who use to work the territories. Were they afraid of 30 or some other magical number? it wasn’t that they were afraid of 30 but aware of it. If someone hadn’t become a star or had gotten a good as they were going to by the time they hit 30 they usually started making alternative plans for the future. The big difference between then and now is that it was their decision. Plus with several profitable companies and bookers, if one promoter didn’t see anything in you, whose to say the next one wouldn’t.
When Vince started offering contracts to guys like to build a national WWF. He didn’t hire guys 18-20 years old. He hired guys that were seasoned, guys that he knew he could be in relativly any situation and they could perform because this wouldn’t be their first rodeo. And it made for a great product, were from top to bottom you had genuine workers. Guys that were working together to make money. Now everyone wasn’t a Randy Savage or Ricky Steamboat but everyone played their role perfectly.
Now it isn’t to say that WWE has never and will never hire someone over the age of 30. Because they have, most notably guys like The Boogyman and Rico, who were in their late 30s even 40s when hired. The ratio to twenty-somethings vs thirty-plus is a one sided margin for sure. So what is “being in your prime” in pro wrestling now?
Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker
You look at Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker, two guys in their 40s who went and had probably the greatest match in Wrestlemania History. Neither man could have had that match when they were 25. Because they hadn’t had the 1000s of matches prior to learn from.
I personally know for a fact that if WWE would have hired me when I was 20 years old, I would have screwed it up in some way. Because I was stupid like all 20 year olds. Its like any sport, you draft someone directly out of high school and you have to deal with a maturing process. You draft a college senior and 4 year starter then,for the most part, you take that maturing process out of the equation. I personally would rather hire someone who is a great worker at 33, that could work for 10 more years than someone who is gonna be just “ok” for 20. But I promise I don’t know everything.
Chemistry, to most people, is the science of matter. How molecules, atoms, etc react and interact with each other. In wrestling its pretty much the same thing except there is no science to it. In chemistry if you take part “A” and mix it with part “B” then it creates part “C”. In Wrestling if you take part “A” and mix it with part “B” sometimes you get part “C” but sometimes you get shit!
You never know, for sure, who is going to mesh well with who. Just because you have two great workers doesn’t mean you have a for sure 5 Star match(Rating system is a trademark of RRO News and Brian Tramel and may not be reproduced without the express written consent of RRO). Same goes for two not so great workers. I’ve seen two guys that really didn’t have much going for them but for some reason they gelled really well together. It’s a crap shoot; it’s the world letting us know that there are no guarantees in life.
Prime example, I saw Shawn Michaels vs. Mr.Perfect! How could that possibly be bad? They just didn’t get in a good groove and Shawn even mentions it in his book. Motley Cruz is a guy that I have a lot of respect for inside the ring. When I was TLCW champion we got a chance to work one another for the first time in a long time. We had high expectations but when we got to the match we both were waiting for the other to call the match or take the lead and it ended up being a very bland match.
Maybe wrestling isn’t as complex as advance chemistry but it isn’t kindergarten stuff either. There really isn’t a substitute for good chemistry in wrestling. Rock/Austin, Flair/Sting… the list goes on and on. Because it’s not the moves that we remember but the feeling we get from those who have immeasurable chemistry. So don’t watch for that forgettable high spot but rather that unforgettable feeling this business can produce on any given night.
Missouri Wrestling Revival 