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Posts Tagged ‘Steven Kennedy’

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MWR Event Report: LWA on September 20, 2008

Posted by Admin on September 30, 2008

MWR Event Report:
Lethal Wrestling Alliance on September 20, 2008

By Kari Williams

On September 20 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in O’ Fallon, IL, the LWA brought yet another night of incredible, fast-paced action for all of the 93 fans in attendance, including the Superfans.

Six-Man-Mayhem: Shamus O’ Flannery v. Mephisto v. Michael Morbid v. Adam Rich v. “Thee” Brandon Espinosa v. Billy McNeil

Bodies flew every which way in the opening bout of the evening as these six men battled it out for an opportunity at the LWA Medallion. Every wrestler showcased his physical attributes, proving that they all deserved the win. This mayhem kicked off the show in tremendous fashion and set the stage for what would come. In the closing moments, Space Station Eleven’s own Billy McNeil pulled off an impressive victory.

Billy McNeil def. O’ Flannery, Mephisto, Morbid, Rich and Espinosa by pinning Espinosa after a neckbreaker.

Dorian Victor & Darin Childs v. “Spoiled” Steven Kennedy & JC Bravo

Two IWA-Texas stars, Childs and Bravo made their debuts in LWA. Both had a good showing, despite the dislike showed by the Superfans. Victor and Kennedy worked as cohesive units with their respective partners, showcasing the level of talent on the roster. In typical fashion, Victor and Childs attempted to cheat their way to victory on numerous occassions. However, it was not to be.

“Spoiled” Steven Kennedy & JC Bravo def. Dorian Victor & Darin Childs when Kennedy pinned Victor.

Luke Roberts’ Statement

Roberts made a point to come out and let all of the fans, as well as those in the locker room, know the consequences that may occur throughout the evening. He stated that if even one man from either the Bearded Men from Space Station Eleven or the Submission Squad came to the ring for any reason other than his match, every member from both factions would be immediately suspended for 60 days.

“Blackheart” Johnny Vinyl & “Spitfire” Davey Vega v. Evan Gelistico & Gary the Barnowl

After the no-contest in August between the Submission Squad and the Bearded Men, both teams sought vengeance. Gelistico and Gary dominated the majority of the match, which caused Vega to say “What you don’t know is that he’s got this perfectly under control,” referring to Vinyl, who had suffered some brutal punishment. The outcome of the match proved that Vinyl truly did have everything under control, as he knocked out Gelistico with a crowbar.

“Blackheart” Johnny Vinyl & “Spitfire” Davey Vega def. Evan Gelistico & Gary the Barnowl when Vinyl hit Gelistico with a crowbar.

Michael Elgin v. Andrew Davis

In a battle of newcomers, neither man had the ability to win over the crowd, despite their athleticism and ability in the ring. Elgin and Davis wrestled a solid match filled with technical prowess, but with neither suceeding in gaining the fans acceptance, one could hardly know whom he or she wanted to win.

Michael Elgin def. Andrew Davis

Dingo v. JT Lamotta

This fast-paced bout began with an impressive display of chain wrestling, immediately followed by a standoff between Dingo and the IWA-Texas star. The match showcased the greatest talent in the area, and beyond, giving all in attendance a look at the best wrestling in the area. Lamotta showed his skill and tenacity, and although he came up short, proved that he warrants a return to the LWA.

Dingo def. JT Lamotta with a roll-up while holding the tights.

First Blood Match for the Heavyweight Title: “Future” Donovan Ruddick v. XXX Jordan Lacey

Ruddick and Lacey tore each other apart in their quests to retain or gain the title. They literally held nothing back as a ladder, a steel chair, a street sign, and even broken glass were brought into the mix. At one point, Lacey pummeled Ruddick with consecutive chair shots to the back. The broken glass became Ruddick’s downfall, despite him being the one to bring it into the mix.

XXX Jordan Lacey def. “Future” Donovan Ruddick by drawing first blood on broken shards of glass

The Aftermath

Only seconds after the bell rang, the Submission Squad attacked Lacey, prompting the Bearded Men—and the rest of the locker room—to come to the aid of their respective parties. Luke Roberts was at a loss of what to do, considering his threat earlier in the evening. During the ruckus, Lacey suffered an injury causing the show to end with a somber feeling.

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Your Trip to Space Mountain-Circus Maximus 2008

Posted by Admin on July 30, 2008

Your Trip to Space Mountain

by Brian “Flair” Kelley
Wise men say that there is always a calm before the storm. This was never so true as heading into the Lethal Wrestling Alliance’s Circus Maximus 2008. While driving to the Knights of Columbus building in O’Fallon, IL on July 12, 2008, there was a light rain and a coolness in the air before the show started. Throughout the year, LWA has been very active on the independent scene yet at times the quality of the shows have been questioned by not only the fans and the self proclaimed superfans, but also acknowledged by LWA management when they posted the “State of the LWA Address” to the LWA website on April 7, 2008. In the address, they asked for the fans to stick around and promised a wild ride along the way.

The ring was on the second floor of the building and as my girlfriend and I headed toward our seats, we saw our friends from SLAMZONE selling all our favorite wrestling merchandise and the Knights selling concessions to satisfy our hunger. As Dubray and I sat in the front row, she decided to drink a beer (which was only one dollar) and we got ready for a good time.

The show started with Paul Parker introducing Luke Roberts who spoke about the importance of why he should be the LWA President and said he was looking out for the fans and planned on watching some LWA Wrestling with the fans themselves and he sat in the front row near me as the first match was announced.

The first match pitted B.A.B.E.WATCH Brandon Aarons and Brandon Espinosa against Shamus O’Flannery & Mephisto. B.A.B.E.WATCH has been on quite a roll in the LWA and their teamwork seemed to be the difference between the two teams, as Espinosa was able to pin O’Flannery while Aarons made sure Mephisto was unable to help his partner.

Surprisingly, the next was a match that I thought should have been closer to the main event. The LWA Medallion holder Jeremy Wyatt defended the Medallion against LWA Favorite XXX Jordan Lacey. Lacey has been able to defeat the Monster and current Champ Donovan Ruddick so I knew that in match Wyatt would have his hands full and Wyatt must have known as well because he threw everything at Lacey. With Lacey out of the ring trying to catch a breath, Wyatt was in the ring when he decided to suicide dive onto Lacey, I told Dubray to “get ready here he comes” and stood up to catch a picture of the action. Wyatt slammed into Lacey and I hear a THUD coming from Wyatt’s head on the cement floor which stopped me from taking pictures, hoping that he was alright. I looked over to the right of me and there was my girlfriend on the floor with her legs in the air by the rail with an empty cup in her hand. She was getting help up. I was laughing, and asked her why she did not get out of the way when I warned her to move.

The LWA family was first class and offered to get Princess a band aid. I looked over and half the room was concerned for her health with this tiny little scratch on her leg. I joked with her that Wyatt had went head first in the pavement and here she is getting babied with her small little boo boo. Dubray apologized to the fans next to us for giving them a beer bath and Wyatt was able to defeat Lacey with the Crash Landing and we had started the night off with two very good matches.

[The Rebel Jeremy Wyatt had to hit XXX Jordan Lacey with all he had to retain the LWA medallion.]

The action was soon restarted as we had ourselves a four-way with four men who have made names for themselves around the Midwest. They went at it to prove to the LWA crew why they should be among the LWA elite. The four corners were filled with talent. In one corner you had the ladies’ choice Tyler Cook. In the second corner was the Livewire himself, Edmund McGuire. In the third corner was the unpredictable Payday Patterson. To finish off the four corner affair was the ultra talented Mark Sterling. Payday was able to disrupt the match with some crazy antics at the start and went back and forth with moves galore until Tyler was able to pin McGuire with a Perfectplex. This was a big win for one of the most underrated wrestlers in the Midwest as he hopes to catapult himself towards the top of the LWA.

[Edmund McGuire and Tyler Cook send Payday Patterson on a trip he would like to forget.]

Intermission was here and everyone that I spoke to was very pleased with the first half of wrestling. Dubray went to get another beer, and Chuck from SLAMZONE asked her if she was going to drink it or spill it. She thought it was funny because not only did she lose a beer with the fall from the Wyatt/Lacey match, but also during the four way when the guardrail was knocked back towards us during some wild action. Dubray’s beer count was 3 (bought) and 1 (drunk).

The first match in the second half was a contest between one of my favorites, MsChif, and her old rival, Billy McNeil. This next comment may upset some of my good friends in the business, but I don’t think too highly of women taking on men in a matchup unless it’s meant to be a joke such as a woman wrestler feuding with a manager. With that said, I am not qualified to comment on the match except to say that MsChif is one of my favorite wrestlers in the Independents and among the top ten wrestlers who I would pay to see on the local scene. Though I don’t really approve of the concept, I respectfully watched the match and applauded the wrestlers for their hard work.

[MsChif and Billy McNeil battle once more at Circus Maximus.]

Up next was the highly anticipated match between LWA favorites Adam Raw and Nick Tyson. Both had stated that this would be their final match. What a shame, though, as I have not been able to see LWA from their beginnings. I have seen Tyson many times, including the classic match in which he made TNA Superstar Alex Shelley tapout. If you missed it, LWA has it on the Cuts, Scars and Superstars DVD.

Adam Raw had some classic battles with Michael Strider that are still being talked about to this day. Unfortunately for the fans, these two wrestlers have stated they have lost their love for wrestling and this was to be their last match. With no disrespect to either man, this match never seemed to get momentum and before I knew it, the match was over and the crowd seemed stunned as Raw was able to get the pinfall victory with a brainbuster. Tyson left quickly and Raw stayed in the ring to thank the LWA fans for all their support throughout the years. One has to wonder if this will leave a bad taste in each ones mouth and we can only hope for a return.

[The Technical Messiah Nick Tyson brings the pain to Adam Raw.]

The second match of the triple main event was for the LWA title, as Donovan Ruddick defended the belt against the man he took the belt from, Shorty Biggs. Shorty fought with all his heart and every time Ruddick would knock him down, the Don Mega would get back up to hit Ruddick with all he got but Donovan proved to be too powerful as he hit Shorty Biggs with a spinebuster to retain the LWA Heavyweight Title.

[The Bearded Men From Space Station 11 and The Ego Express were united and ready for a fight.]

We were warned but, to be truly honest, no one had prepared for the aftermath, destruction, and betrayal that was to come when the The Submission Squad (Dingo, Pierre Abernathy, Davey Vega and Johnny Vinyl) took on Evan Gelistico, Gary the Barnowl, Steven Kennedy and KC Karrington in a Survivor Series Hardcore Streetfight. This war had started ugly when Vega and Vinyl had taken out Ego Manager and Karrington’s girlfriend Tiffany LaFane with one punch heard throughout the LWA in Granite City. Since then, Karrington had been out for revenge with Vega only to have Vega get the upper hand and attempt to set KC on fire in one of their encounters.

The eight men entered the ring and to the crowd it was like slow motion. Then all hell broke loose as wrestlers were everywhere. The Ego Express flew from the ring in unison onto Dingo and Pierre, who were on the floor. The next thing I knew, Evan Gelistico threw Pierre head first onto a table and before I knew it I was sandwiched at the bar trying to take pictures with Evan and Pierre battling on one side and Dingo trying to give Steven Kennedy a face lift with his hand on the other. The action was everywhere. I looked across the room and Gary and Johnny Vinyl were laying into each other. Then Evan and Pierre decided that Knights of Columbus Hall was not big enough for either men. They battled down the steps and into the parking lot with body slams and pinfalls on the pavement as well on top of the cars. These two were not giving an inch.

[Pierre Abernathy attempted a pin after body slamming Even Gelistico in the parking lot. Just one of the many brutal actions that brought the police to the Knights of Columbus to be a part of Circus Maximus.]

Curiosity was killing this cat, so I headed back to towards the ring to see what I was missing. It was total pandemonium in the building, with chairs everywhere.

[The Ego Express throws caution to the wind as they go airborne on top Dingo and Pierre Abernathy.]

The fans were loving it while trying not to become part of it, and at one time I found myself standing next to fellow MWR columnist Kari Williams. I asked her when she was going to train so that she could be part of the first all-girl street fight, but I was unable to get a reply as Karrington and Vinyl tore each other apart and were coming our way.

You will have to ask somebody else about who pinned whom to get out of the matches, as this was no place to be keeping a score card. I heard that it came down to a bloody K.C. Karrington and Davey Vega with ladders and chairs in the ring, with Karrington getting the upper hand by bringing out his secret weapon, lighter fluid. Just as he was to get his revenge, his girlfriend Tiffany appeared from the back to plead for Karrington to just let it be. Karrington was blind, with nothing but payback in mind for Vega. As he attempted to put lighter fluid on the ladder, Tiffany did the unspeakable by doublecrossing her lover with a punch below the belt. She assisted Vega to his feet and the two of them lit a glove with lighter fluid and with one throw ended the match and broke one man’s heart.

[Davey Vega, with the disgusting Betrayal of KC Karringtons girlfriend/valet Tiffany LaFane is the last man standing after burning KC’s face with a loaded glove.]

As the LWA team rushed to Karrington’s side, Tiffany LaFane pranced around the ring with a smile on her face, proud of her beautiful chaos. Circus Maximus had been everything and more for this writer, but I yearn for the day that Tiffany is put in her place. I plan on being there to see her get what is coming to her.

The LWA delivered a night to remember and many questions remain. Can anyone defeat Donovan Ruddick for the LWA title? Just how will Karrington recover from the betrayal of Tiffany? Who will be the LWA President? What surprises do LWA management have in store for us as we head toward the second half of the year? Time will tell, and I can’t wait.

The LWA returns to the Vetta Sports complex in ST. Peters MO on August 9th as the Ego Express takes on Vinyl and Vega in a grudge match that you should not miss. Check out http://www.lwawrestling.com/ for all of your LWA news.

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MWR Event Report: LWA on June 28, 2008

Posted by Admin on July 6, 2008

LWA Arena Report
By Kari Williams

The atmosphere at the Knight of Columbus Hall in House Springs, MO was buzzing—and not just in the alcoholic sense—on June 28 as 100 LWA fans prepared for an intense night of full-throttled action.

“Thee” Brandon Espinosa with Brandon Aarons vs. Gary the Barn Owl

Despite the fans showing their full-fledged support for Gary the Barn Owl, Espinosa had all the support and encouragement he needed in his best friend, Brandon Aarons. Gary and the fans appeared to get to Espinosa with their snide remarks. As a result, the resident Barn Owl dominated. However, Aarons’ presence at ringside proved to be the deciding factor.

“Thee” Brandon Espinosa def. Gary the Barn Owl with interference by Brandon Aarons

In a precursor to the main event of the evening, Jordan Lacey attempted to make the champion, “Future” Donovan Ruddick lighten up by singing the Garth Brooks tune, “Friends in Low Places,” as well choice selections from a few other genres. When that failed to lift Future’s spirits, Lacey turned to dance—specifically, Soulja Boy. Ruddick walked to the back, disgusted, and it appeared as though Lacey had only angered the champ.

Dorian Victor vs. Rick Stone

The Money Mogul Dorian Victor prepared to put a beating on Rick Stone in the second match of the night. Stone attempted to make Victor put his money where his mouth was, but came up a few dollars short. Victor capitalized and succeeded in delivering the Bankbuster to ensure a three count and another check in the “win” column.

Dorian Victor def. Rick Stone

Dingo vs. Steven Kennedy

In a bout filled with as much technical prowess as one can find, Dingo and Kennedy had, arguably, one of the best matches of the night. Trading holds relentlessly, neither man held back one ounce of aggression in this fast-paced, high-impact showdown. When it came down to the final moments, Dingo’s wherewithal proved to be most influential on his performance.

Dingo def. Steven Kennedy with his feet on the ropes for leverage

“The Rebel” Jeremy Wyatt vs. Mark Sterling

Coming off of his victory last month, Wyatt looked to retain his newly won Medallion against Sterling. In a technically sound match, both competitors showcased their strengths in unique fashion. Despite Sterling’s best efforts and stellar performance, it was shown on this night why Wyatt holds the Medallion.

“The Rebel” Jeremy Wyatt def. Mark Sterling

Pierre Abernathy & Johnny Vinyl vs. Evan Gelistico & K.C. Karrington

The Submission Squad, as well as Gelistico and Karrington, were primed and ready for this battle. The crowd got into this match from the get-go, firmly on the side of Gelistico and Karrington. An all-out war was being waged, setting the stage, so to speak, for Circus Maximus. Each competitor was on top of his game, going above and beyond to prove that they deserve to win. However, Karrington and Gelistico proved to be the more cohesive unit.

Evan Gelistico & K.C. Karrington def. Pierre Abernathy & Johnny Vinyl

Presidential Elimination

Moving the presidential race one-step closer to its end, Jacob Dangle was eliminated from the competition. Then, it was brought to everyone’s attention by Steve Miller that Bavarian Boy cannot run in the election because he is not old enough. With two candidates gone, and only two remaining, fans will have to wait until July 12 to see who the newly crowned president will be—Luke Roberts or Steve Miller.

Brandon Aarons with Brandon Espinosa vs. Mike Serious

Serious sought to gain a measure of retribution on Aarons after the tag team loss Serious and A.J. Williams suffered last month. With Espinosa in his corner, Aarons had the fate of his match secured. Whenever it appeared as though Aarons was in trouble, Espinosa came to the rescue. Nonetheless, Serious’ performance should not be looked upon in shame, as he capitalized at every possible opportunity.

Brandon Aarons def. Mike Serious

“Future” Donovan Ruddick vs. XXX Jordan Lacey in a Last Man Standing Match

After the encounter earlier in the evening, Ruddick was in no mood to be messed with. Even so, Lacey was prepared for battle, as he brought a ladder and a sledgehammer into the mixture, among other objects. The match ended in pure, unbridled havoc, as Ruddick slammed ferociously into a pile of metal chairs.

“Future” Donovan Ruddick def. XXX Jordan Lacey to retain the Heavyweight Championship

Overall Analysis:

The fans were in rare form on this night, giving the show that extra ounce of adrenaline it needed. Every match was a stellar performance, and all of the competitors came across as more determined than ever to succeed. A safe assumption of the night is that every, single fan walked away pleased to have chosen LWA as their entertainment for a Saturday night.

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MWR June 2008 Awards

Posted by Admin on July 5, 2008

Missouri Wrestling Revival’s
June 2008 Awards!

Six months down for the year 2008. Six more months to go. Let’s take a look at the winners and runners up for the June 2008 Awards, as voted by the Missouri Wrestling Revival Awards Committee.

Interested in becoming a member of the committee? Contact Josh Ray.

Wrestler of the Month

“The Rebel” Jeremy Wyatt [LWA/3XW]
1st Runner Up – Dingo [LWA/IWA:MS/ROH]
2nd Runner Up – Tyler Black [AAW/ROH]
3rd Runner Up – Brandon Aarons [LWA]

Others receiving votes this month from the committee:
None.

Tag Team of the Month

Adrenalin Overdose (Bryce Benjamin & Shane Hollister) [AAW]


Benjamin and Hollister continue to gain steam as a tag team combination. This past month, they defeated Northstar Express to win the AAW Tag Team Titles!

1st Runner Up – Full Throttle (Brandon Marino & Aaron Scott) [Full Throttle Wrestling]
2nd Runner Up – Steve Anthony & Marc Godeker [WLW]
3rd Runner Up – Sage Ramsey & Jason Wells [NMW]

Other tag teams receiving votes from the committee:
None.

Promotion of the Month

World League Wrestling [WLW]


Harley Race’s WLW always puts together quality events with an old school feel to them, Mr. race and company have started a great tradition of helping the Dan Gable/Lou Thesz Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in Iowa raise money each year. This year the museum in Waterloo, IA was devastated by the flooding and who was there to help them? World League Wrestling. They held a great event on June 27, 2008 to raise money for repairs.

1st Runner Up – Lethal Wrestling Alliance [LWA]
2nd Runner Up – DIEHARD 4-EVER [Wrestling tribute to Steve “Botch” Szoke]
3rd Runner Up – Impact Zone Wrestling [IZW]

Others receiving votes this month from the committee:
None.

Woman of the Month (Female Wrestler)
Sara Del Ray [ROH]

When Ring of Honor made the trip to Chicago in this past month, Sara Del Ray made her presence felt by defeating two women who’ve made a name for themselves in the Midwest in MsChif and Daizee haze. Hopefully the entire Missouri Wrestling revival coverage area can see more of this talented wrestler!

1st Runner Up – MsChif [WLW/SHIMMER/ROH]
2nd Runner Up – Stacy O’Brien [WLW/MMWA-SICW]
3rd Runner Up – December [PCW]

Others receiving votes this month from the committee:
Kimberly Kash [PCW]

Personality of the Month

Mark Bland [Absolute Wrestling Radio]

Mark Bland is one of the men behind Absolute Wrestling Radio, a radio program in the St. Louis are (syndicated on the Internet) that covers pro wrestling and mixed martial arts. The great thing about the show is that it also lends broadcasting power to local independent wrestling promotions. AWR and the broadcast team were the first writre-in winners of an MWR Award!

1st Runner Up – Crimefighter [St. Louis Wrestling Community]
2nd Runner Up – Al Snow [WWCW/IZW]
3rd Runner Up – Pat Tanaka [USWO]

Others receiving votes this month from the committee:
Candi Summers [AAW]

Match of the Month

LWA Medallion Match:
“The Rebel” Jeremy Wyatt (C) defeated Mark Sterling to retain.
House Springs, MO on June 28, 2008
[LWA]
1st Runner Up –
5-way Match for IZW Impact Division Title:
Kenny Campbell defeated Mitch Carter, Jermaine Johnson, Dustin Heritage & Seth Allen.
Oklahoma City, OK on June 14, 2008
[IZW]
2nd Runner Up –
Dingo defeated Steven Kennedy.
House Springs, MO on June 28, 2008
[LWA]

3rd Runner Up –

Ladder Match for PCW Midwest Title:
“Hot Bod” Shawn Davis (C) defeated “Feature Presentation” Johnny Mac to retain.
Oak Park, IL on June 20, 2008
[PCW]

Others receiving votes this month from the committee:
Egotistico Fantastico & Gilbert Lewis vs Kyle Rich & Prince Ali (Lincoln, IL) [DIEHARD 4-EVER]

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MWR Spotlight: Johnny Vinyl

Posted by Admin on June 15, 2008

A look into hopes and dreams of “The Brand New Classic” Johnny Vinyl

By Kari Williams


“Ever since I found out you can make a living at wrestling outside of WWE, it’s what I’ve wanted to do.”

When Johnny Vinyl walks to the ring, he hears the echoes of jeering fans, but that has not stopped “The Brand New Classic” from pursuing his dream — in fact, “getting someone so mad that they take a swing at you is a great feeling.”

Vinyl’s initial attraction to wrestling was a casual glance on Saturday mornings, but soon grew into much more.

“I became a serious watcher the same time everyone else did, the Attitude Era. Some kids on my baseball team at around 2nd or 3rd grade were talking about it during our Monday afternoon practice. That night I went home and turned on Raw. I remember the first main event I ever saw was Austin/Undertaker vs. Mankind/Kane vs. Rock/D’Lo Brown vs. New Age Outlaws,” Vinyl said.

However, it was not until seeing the straightedge superstar C.M. Punk that Vinyl had an interest in pursuing wrestling as a career. He noticed that Punk did not have the biggest and best body (at the time) and that he was not 6’8”, but still had a presence that translated to fans.

“Throughout school I was always on speech and debate teams, and did a little bit of drama for half a year before I realized the girls weren’t as hot I was hoping. So I knew I could talk in front of people and if I could just get the athletic side of things down, I’d do alright,” he said.

Opportunity presented itself to “The Brand New Classic” in the form of the now-defunct Gateway Championship Wrestling (GCW) in the St. Louis, MO area. For approximately 18 months, Vinyl trained under Ring of Honor (ROH) star Dingo.

“Davey Vega and I went to [GCW] shows all the time in high school. One day they put up an ad on their website about guys interested in training. I was the only one to respond to it. Since I was 17 at the time, I had to drag my mom out there to Overland, which is where they were doing the training at the time, and she was pissed,” he said.

In addition to the GCW Dojo, Vinyl has “done seminars with Samoa Joe, Nigel McGuinness, Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin and Mike Quackenbush.”

For Vinyl, getting “Quackenbush to namedrop [him] and wear [his] t-shirt on the CHIKARA Podcast was pretty cool.”

However, he may not go so far as to call that a success because of the circumstances.

“I don’t know how much of an ‘accomplishment’ it was since it was a big rib, but I still enjoyed it,” he said.

Within the next two years, Vinyl aspires to be working for CHIKARA, however, his overall dream is to wrestle “in Europe and Japan and make a living through wrestling.”

Up to this point in his career, two specific matches have stuck out in his mind — one was working with MsChif and Daizee Haze, which he considers “a real cool honor,” and the other is being involved in the eight man elimination street fight main event at Lethal Wrestling Alliance’s [LWA] upcoming “Circus Maximus” on July 12, 2008.

“When Vega and I were put together, a whole lot of people only saw us a jobber team that would probably be dumped in a couple of months, so being in the main event of what could end being LWA’s biggest show to date is really a great feeling. When you look at that card and you see Ms.Chif on there, you see Billy McNeil’s comeback, you see Adam Raw and Nick Tyson wrestling each other for the last time, it’s going to be very diffilcult to main event that show, but we’re going to do our best to tear the house down,” he said.

Lastly, Vinyl has a shout-out of sorts to all of his female fans.

“I’m considering making a baby tee or spaghetti straps or something like that for my next [shirt]. If any girls would be interested in buying something like that or, even better, have some idea on what style to make and what to put on it, visit my Myspace at myspace.com/bncjohnnyvinyl and give me some feedback,” he said.

Johnny Vinyl Fast Facts:

Years Wrestling: I first walked into a wrestling school three and a half years ago, [and] I’ve been doing shows for almost two years now.

Companies Worked For: I wrestled a couple [of] matches under a mask for GCW, but as Johnny Vinyl I’ve worked for LWA, UWA [Ultimate Wrestling Alliance], LAW [Lethal Attitude Wrestling] in Arkansas, TLCW in Tennessee, one match for CSW, [and] maybe a couple others here and there.

Most Important Lesson From Wrestling: If I could sum up the wrestling business in one word, it would be ‘respect’. Wrestling taught me to respect people who deserve it, even if you don’t personally like them that much.

Favorite Match Thus Far: Fairview Heights with [Davey] Vega against K.C. Karrington and Steven Kennedy. Nobody thought we could pull off that match because all four of us weren’t exactly loved by the crowd. But we did some mic work at the beginnning and some little touches in the match that got the crowd behind the Ego’s. And the finish with Vega blasting Tiffany LaFane with a forearm was the loudest reaction I’ve been a part of yet.

Dream Match: Myself and Davey Vega versus Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black. I think those two as an overall package are the best tag team going in North America. No offense to the Briscoes, Motor City Machine Guns, or Steen and Generico because they are all fantastic, too, but I enjoy The Age of the Falls’ gimmick, character, and chemistry together. I would love to have that match.

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The Barrio Boys Have Arrived.

Posted by Admin on May 29, 2008

The Barrio Boys Have Arrived

by Brian “Flair” Kelley

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Don’t say I didn’t warn you CSW!

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

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

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MWR Spotlight: Luke Roberts (Part 2 of 3)

Posted by Admin on May 15, 2008

Luke Roberts (Part 2 of 3)

By Brian “Flair” Kelley


You have also been an accomplish referee, do you remember the first match that you were a part of in that role?

I honestly don’t remember the first match that I refereed, but I do remember the first show that I refereed on. It was about four years ago. Basically, Butch Fletcher had a referee no-show a Mid-America Extreme show in Cahokia, Illinois. The referee he had for the evening had only refereed one show prior to that one, so he was nervous that he could not handle the job. I knew that I had a pair of black dress pants and my wrestling boots in my bag, so I told him that I would be willing to referee if he wanted me to. He accepted and the rest is history.

A referee can make or break a match. What kind of advice would you give someone that aspired to try to make it in the business?

My advice is simple.

  • Watch what the referees on television do on a regular basis.
  • Don’t speak to anyone unless you are spoken to.
  • Don’t think that, just because you are a referee, you deserve to get involved in the match. Referees are not wrestlers for a reason.
  • Make it a point to associate with the more experienced referees and watch what they do in the ring.
  • Referee on as many shows as you can. Experience is vital for a referee.

What are some of the common mistakes that a referee makes during a match?

The biggest mistakes referees make all relate to not paying attention to the match. I have seen referees make two counts instead of three counts, not disqualifying a wrestler for doing something that is obviously illegal, seeing a wrestler interfere in a match, or counting three when a wrestler’s shoulders are not even on the mat. In addition, referees sometimes think that they are the biggest part of the match and should be treated as such. In my opinion, if a referee gets out of line, big things can and will happen.

How much more difficult is it to be a part of a tag team match than a one on one contest?

In my opinion, tag team wrestling was actually easier than singles wrestling. In most cases, tag team wrestling gives the wrestlers an opportunity to draw on the emotions of the wrestling fan. It really allows the wrestlers to showcase the experience and teamwork that they have as professional wrestlers.

Throughout the years, what match would be your highlight as a referee?

As a referee, I would say that my biggest match was Nick Tyson vs. Alex Shelley in the LWA. The match was outstanding. I was completely focused on the match. Everything was in alignment in the universe that night. Another match that would rank up close to that match was a cage match between “Cowboy” Bob Orton and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine for CJTPAAW.

Just being respected enough by the promotion to referee a match between these two WWE Hall of Fame wrestlers was enough for me. They gave the fans a match that was worthy of their money. I felt honored a couple of years later to spend almost two hours with Greg Valentine, fellow wrestlers “The Punisher”, Rage, Dexter Poindexter, Rick Ruby, and referee Scott Murphy. Scott Murphy thought that Valentine would not remember me at all from that match. Not only did he remember the match, but he complimented me on the job I did that night. That match was definitely one to remember.

In this age of gimmick matches and special stipulations, is there one certain type that you dislike more than any other?

As a referee, I am up for almost any kind of match. Nothing really phases me. I am not really a big fan of the ultra hardcore matches. Those kind of matches really draw people away from professional wrestling. I don’t see any reason why anyone would want to attempt to grossly disfigure themselves for any amount of money.

One aspect of wrestling that is easily is forgotten is the chemistry between the heel manager, his guy and the referee. What manager do you feel was the easiest to work with?

I feel that the manager that was the easiest to work with was Harvard Cornell III. He knows exactly when to draw my attention away from his wrestler or wrestlers. He always gives 100% in the ring and believes that his wrestlers are the best thing ever in professional wrestling

Any stories where you were disgusted with a manager who just did not get it?

There is one manager, who I will not name, that consistently disgusted me. He always made it a point to get involved as many times as possible in the match. I actually asked a couple of friends of mine at the time to count the number of times that this manager interfered or got involved in the match. I believe that they counted over 20 times during the match where the manager got involved. When I got back to the locker room, I voiced my opinion to anyone who would listen. Needless to say, I have not been assigned one of his wrestler’s matches again.

Have you ever been in a situation where you or the wrestlers have forgotten the finish?
I
f I had to count how many times wrestlers forgot things in their matches, I would never finish. Just kidding. I can only think of a handful of times where that has happened.

What wrestler would you say was the easiest to referee?

I can’t really limit this to just one wrestler. I would say that Dingo, Pierre Abernathy, Donovan Ruddick, Steven Kennedy, K.C. Karrington, Gary the Barn Owl, Evan Gelistico, Jordan Lacey, Justin “the Iceman” Wade, Sean Vincent, “Volatile” Curtis Wylde, and Shorty Biggs are wrestlers who make my job as a referee very easy.

In what ways can a wrestler help, and on the flip side hurt, the performance of the referee?

A wrestler can help a referee during a match by their interactions with the referee. A wrestler can make a referee look like the symbol of authority in a match. A wrestler can also make a referee look like a complete moron. In the ring, the match tends to be that much better if the referee has a history with the wrestlers involved.

During the Wrestlemania classic featuring Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat, there was a reported 22 false finishes. Do you feel as if there are too many false finishes in some matches today?

Honestly, I think that there are not enough false finishes in professional wrestling today. False finishes, as you call them, are what makes wrestling fans enjoy matches. It is what keeps the fans wanting to come back and see what it will take to finally defeat a particular wrestler, tag team, or champion. When anyone thinks that a match is going to end and it doesn’t, it shows the wrestling fan that a match can end at any time. It keeps the level of unpredictability of professional wrestling intact.

On a lighter note, when women wrestle against each other, often the ref is used in a comedic role. Is this something that you enjoy or do you find it hard to do?

When promoted and positioned correctly, comedy matches are fun for me. I tend to be very straight laced in the ring, but at times I can’t help myself in matches. Every time I refereed a match for Gary the Barn Owl in LWA, I would almost lose it whenever he would make me flap my arms like he does. In the days of the Arch Town Criminals, Shorty Biggs would make me chuckle when I would try to count to five. I really enjoy comedy matches. They make me remember why I love professional wrestling so much.

Editors Note: The final installment of this interesting and insightful edition of MWR Spotlight will be published in the next few days. I want to thank Luke Roberts for being kind enough to give us a little of his time, and encourage those who would like to be spotlighted, profiled, or interviewed by Missouri Wrestling Revival to contact me.

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