Everyone knows that I truly love pro wrestling but family is so much more important that even the passion that I have for the sport.

Myself with my father Steve Kelley,my son Josh,my mother Diane and my sister Dee Dee along with her two kids Faith and Marc.

This past week was laying heaving on my mind as Father’s day was upon us. It has been two years since my father Steve Kelley  has passed away and though life does move on, there isn’t an hour pass that I don’t think of him. When he was alive, both of us love the movies and were comic book fans. My dad and I went to the movies to every comic book movie that was made for several years prior to his passing. I am a Marvel Comics fans but it did not matter if it was a Marvel, DC or Independent comic book movie we always watched the movie on the big screen. Since he has passed, I have only been able to bring myself to go watch a movie on the big screen once and that was for the movie Avengers at the dollar theater in St Louis. I know it is silly but it just wasn’t the same and I had not been there since.

With the new Superman getting a ton of hype and Father’s day here, a part of me just wanted to stay home instead of even going to wrestling. The days passed, and the weekend was here, the excitement of seeing so many of my friends, wrestlers and fans, enticed me to move forward to live and make my way to St Louis. Add on the fact that so many of my friends were excited about the movie, Dubray and I talked about checking out the movie Saturday afternoon , but decided on spending time with our friends instead.

I was blessed to have my father in my life for 38 years, he wasnt perfect, or rich and we went to war at times but I could not of asked for a better dad in my life.

That leads me to SICW in East Carondelet, Illinois last night. A packed crowd was filling into the Community Center for the huge card that was main evented by the Classic Wrestling Championship match between Champion Ricky Cruz and former champ Ron Powers. Since the feud has heated up so much SICW promoter Herb Simmons had to enlist the services of a referee that was capable of maintaining order, and that responsibility would be on the shoulders of the first ever CWC title holder Danny Boy Hawkins.

With time passing by so fast, I needed to get my camera ready for action. Looking for a place to sit to put my flash on, I asked a fan if he would mind if I sat next to him for a second to do so. He was kind enough to say yes, and we shared some small talk. I asked him what match brought him out tonight and he proudly answered with a smile that he was the father of one of the wrestlers.Ernie Richardson went on to tell me that he son was Midwest Powerhouse Adam Raw, and that he unfortunately is unable to watch his son in action most of the time because he is on the road for his job, but was very happy to be there that night.

We shared some more pleasantries, and I told him it was nice meeting him and went to work. Midway in through the matches I was listening to the crowd pop for their heroes loudly and boo the villains when I noticed that there was a ton of different families in the building. It dawned on me, how great it would be to honor the fathers in the building with a special post for MWR by having them taking a photo with their kids.

Ernie Richardson with his son pro wrestler Adam Raw

So that conversation with Raw’s dad is the inspiration for this post. I am going to share with you two extra pictures that I have, that were not of that night but of the weekend. One is of Daryl and Kyle Valle; I consider both of the guys’ great friends before I even knew that were father and son. I believe years had passed before I found out on Facebook (Oh the wonders of Facebook) They have been much more than supporters of MWR; we have shared some great moments and conversations together through the years. They remind me so much of my dad and I, so I love photographing them every time I see them. That is how I do have a photo from the Dynamo Show of a dad and his son.

The second bonus photo is of wrestling promoter TNT Keny G. There is never a dull moment with TNT Keny G, and he has been a dear friend for many years now. He has a big heart and has open up his house to us when we come to STL, which allows us to afford double shots when we can. This was one of those weekends that it really helped us cover shows to the best of our ability for the site. TNT Keny G has worked with legends, champions and superstars but there is nothing that he is more proud of than his children. A father of three sons, Samuel, Dustin and Keny as well as three daughters Santana and Savannah.

For the wrestlers and fans that took part of this feature in a moments notice thank you so much, as it makes me feel good to meet you at the shows around the Midwest. If I miss you I apologize,as it was truly a spur of the moment project.Next year for Mothers and Father’s day I may ask for you the fans and wrestlers to send in photos of your Dad/Mom.

Thanks for checking out MWR today, and be sure to tell your loved ones how truly you care about them just not on that special day but every day.

Enjoy and I will see you at the shows.

Your friend
Brian Kelley

TNT Keny G with his sons.

Daryl and Kyle Valle

SICW Commisioner Keith Smith with his daughter Amanda

Ballistic Brent Myers with his father Promoter Bob Brooks

Referee Jimmy “Big Time” Harris poses with his son and grandson

The 2013 MWR Lifetime Achievement recipient and SICW promoter Herb Simmons poses with his son.

We are told that this is the Big Texans dad and his own son, but we are unable to confirm this or if the Big Texan made them pose for the photo so he could be a part of this feature. Yet, we are not going to argue with the SICW monster.

Wrestling star Bobby D and maybe the first photos of the generation of D’s