July 31, 2014 was a career defining moment of young Sam Udell, having just been cut from his
WWE developmental contract, Udell faced an uncertain future. “It was weird, I didn’t know what I
was going to do, but I knew that I would be alright. I was excited for the new adventure. I love
stories. I love telling stories, I love listening to stories. I knew I’d get a lot of cool stories out of
the next few years,” Udell explained.
Udell was born in Denver, Colorado on March 20, 1988 to Chris and Janet Udell. Udell’s father
was a huge influence on him growing up. “My dad always knew that there was something
different about me. He would tell me that other people can grow up to work 9-5 jobs, I’m
supposed to do something else, I’m supposed to be in front of people.He was big on goal
setting, and being conscious of whether or not what you’re doing will bring you closer or further
from achieving your goals.”
Growing up in Denver, Udell was an avid sports fan, following the Denver BroncosNFL team
and the WWE (WWF at the time).
Udell played football and wrestled at St. Mary’s Prep high school in Colorado Springs, a suburb
of Denver and lead the state of Colorado in quarterback sacks his senior year from his
defensive end spot. Udell would win male athlete of the year and player of the year honors in
football and city and league wrestling champion and Tri-Peaks league wrestler of the year.
Even though he has the work ethic of a Champion Dak Draper always has time to enjoy the view in the mirror.
Udell was recruited by Chadron State, a Division II wrestling power house in Chadron, Nebraska
to join the University’s wrestling program. Udell wrestled and lettered three years and placed in
the top 12 in the nation his senior year in the NCAA national tournament. It was at the NCAA
finals that he caught the eye of WWE talent scout Gerry Brisco. “Late in the summer of 2011
they brought me to FCW for a tryout. I was in FCW for a week. The only thing I did well was my
promo.”
Udell didn’t get signed, but Brisco told him to work on his body and to find a wrestling school. “I
moved back to Denver and ended up meeting Pat Tanaka and trained with Pat for about nine
months. Gerry Brisco called me again and offered me another tryout. I did well in the ring and in
the promo again and after the promo, they pulled me aside and told me they were gonna sign
me.”
Udell signed a two year WWE developmental contract in August, 2012. The first year he spent
in Tampa before the current WWE Performance Center was built in Orlando. Udell worked in
developmental as Travis Tyler, mostly in an enhancement role.
Udell was released from the developmental contract on July 31, 2014 and moved back to
Denver to work on the independent scene. Udell made ends meet by becoming a personal
trainer and wrestled weekends on the independents.
Unbeknownst to Udell, the wheels were in motion in Kansas City, Missouri for the biggest
opportunity of his wrestling career.
A lifelong wrestling fan by the name of Major Baisden sold his tech company, Iris Data Services,
for $134 million and was looking for his next business opportunity. Born in Sacramento,
California, Baisden graduated from the University of California-Davis at only 19 years old.
Basiden worked as a manager for the legal tech support unit of the California Department of
Justice and helped to move the company into the digital age. In 2007, Baisden moved to
Kansas City and formed his own company, Iris Data Services.
After selling his company in January, 2015 and staying on through the year as a consultant,
Baisden contacted Chris Gough. Gough had experience working for the WWE (1999-2003) and
founded Metro Pro Wrestling in Kansas City in 2010. Gough also produced the documentary on
wrestling in the Central States territory called “KC On the Mat.” Baisden offered to buy Metro
Pro Wrestling and hired Gough to run his new organization, the “National Wrasslin League” in
August, 2016.
Gough was named directer of operations of the new company and his duties include,
announcing, booking and hiring of talent. One of the first calls Gough made when recruiting
wrestlers was to Udell. Gough had always wanted to book Udell for his Metro Pro Wrestling
promotion. “He was appealing to me because he had been to the WWE like me. I knew he
would appreciate this opportunity because of that.”
Udell met with Gough and Baisden in Kansas City, liked what he heard and signed a two year
contract. Udell became Dakota (Dak) Draper from Denver, Colorado.
“I gained a lot of confidence wrestling in the independents. That was the thing that held me back
in WWE, I was always trying to be a character instead of being myself. Now I can be Dak
Draper who thinks he is above everyone else.”
Draper refers to himself as the “Mile High Magnum” as a tribute to his home city and one of his
favorite wrestlers, Magnum TA. Draper says being a heel is natural for him. “Dr. Tom (Prichard)
told us the first day of (WWE) developmental that the best wrestling characters are extensions
of ourselves with the volume turned up. I didn’t really understand it at the time, but I am starting
to now.”
Draper exploded on the NWL scene and quickly became the most polarizing figure on the NWL
roster. Boasting to be 6’5”, tan and handsome; Draper’s arrogance attracted the ire of some
fans, but also the adulation of many more. Draper’s t-shirt is the best selling merchandise item
for the NWL.
Draper won a tournament to crown the first NWL Kansas City champion, defeating rival Blaine Meeks in the final. Draper has since cleared out all challengers in the division and remains the
only undefeated member of the NWL roster.
While speaking into a microphone has always been Draper’s strength, his verbal skills and in
ring presence have improved during his time in the NWL. “I created a weekly YouTube show
called ‘The Magnum Minute’ which has helped me so much on the microphone. Editing videos
of myself over and over makes it easy to improve.
Draper appreciates being involved in the NWL promotion. “I really want to make the NWL a
successful company. Its really cool to be involved in the process of creating wrestling instead of
people telling you what to do.”
No one wrestler is more giving of his time in promoting wrestling for the NWL than Draper.
Draper’s verbal skills and outgoing personality make him the go to man on the NWL roster when
it comes to radio and television appearances for promoting upcoming events. Draper routinely
spends his free time making personal appearances trying to promote the NWL brand.
“I got the right basics in NXT and then went out and got a chance to apply what I learned on my
own. I got to think and grow with no safety nets,” Draper explained when talking about his in ring
performance. “I’m not playing a role when I’m out there anymore, I’m being who I’ve wanted to
be for my entire life. I’m comfortable when all eyes are on me, and I’m at my best when I’m
comfortable.”
Through aggressive marketing efforts, NWL has secured television time in Kansas City for the
first time since the mid to late 1980’s when Central States was a TV staple. I asked Draper if
being on local television has brought him any recognition when he is out in downtown Kansas
City. “Actually, I was out in the Power & Light District and someone recognized me. That didn’t
happen, even in Orlando. I had some tickets to our next show with me and gave the guy a
couple of tickets to watch the Mile High Magnum.”
NWL television is also available in St. Joseph, Joplin and Springfield, Missouri as well as
Wichita, Kansas. The NWL you tube channel also shows the television program after they have
aired on TV.
Promoter Herb Simmons started the show by acknowledging the recent passings of Gypsy Joe and Muhammad Ali. Gypsy Joe was a bit before my time, but he had in-ring wars in his later years against such opponents as New Jack and Necro Butcher. Quite a few of the wilder rasslin stories in history involve the name of Gypsy Joe, to say the least. Herb also noted that it was the birthday of the late Bruiser Brody, segueing into the ten-bell salute.
“Your Canadian Hero” Sean Vincent vs. Britton Tucker: Tucker is not well-liked in East Carondelet; one female fan was particularly irate about Tucker’s mere presence and Tucker promised to take her out to Olive Garden after the show. Bwahahaha.
They had a solid opener and Vincent appeared to be on the verge of winning with his Mapleleaf Leglock, but “Unstable” Dave Vaughn entered the ring and blatantly attacked TUCKER…thus getting Vincent disqualified in 7:44. Har har. Afterwards, Vincent reaffirmed that Vaughn would not turn him back into a “villain” as he insisted he would.
“The Fury” Jason Vaughn vs. “The Incredible” Matt Kenway (Look At Him): We have two guys in SICW with the last name of Vaughn…cue the MARKET CONFUSION~! Kenway was substituting for Ax Allwardt(Vaughn’s scheduled opponent).
Vaughn’s two young children were in attendance and were VERY vocal in their support of their father. Kenway did a good job in the rulebreaking role and targeted Vaughn’s arm, but Vaughn made El Big Comeback and got the figure-four leglock out of nowhere for the submission in 6:08.
Bobby D vs. “Unstable” Dave Vaughn: Vaughn’s transition into Heath Ledger Joker continues with the similar hair and the eye makeup. Vaughn controlled most of the matchup, but had trouble putting D away and went for a chair.
That brought out Vincent to confiscate the weapon, leading to Bobby D getting the rollup pin on a distracted Vaughn in 5:14. Vaughn didn’t seem too upset about the loss, laughing about how Vincent’s interference proved that he truly was reverting to his old ways…more on this as it develops.
Flaming Freddie Fury vs. Purple Passion: WHEN EFFEMINATE MASKED WRESTLERS COLLIDE~! The fans in attendance had no idea what to make of this encounter, though I heard several people call out “This isn’t wrestling!”
The two ended up falling into 69 position on the ring apron and both were counted out in 5:43. The two literally left arm-in-arm.
“Dead Sexy” Daniel Gunner vs. Brandon Espinosa(w/ Travis Cook): . Travis started out by loudly complaining about the previous match, asking if Vince Russo had booked it. Espinosa followed suit, continuing his mindset that he’s above everyone else in the promotion by insulting several members of the locker room…that included his scheduled opponent for the evening.
This was a solid matchup with Gunner doing better than I would have expected. At any rate, Espy got the cross-armbreaker out of nowhere for the tapout in 7:18.
Big Jim Hoffarth vs. Bubba Troll(w/ Big Daddy): Hoffarth won last month’s Bruiser Brody Memorial Battle Royal and Troll was the last man eliminated, so Troll obviously wanted some payback in this battle of super heavyweights. I jokingly throw around “#ClubbingForearms” at times like this, but it’s not like we’re gonna see a lucha-style match out of these guys. I’m often told that casual fans would rather see a “fight” than a “wrestling match”, at any rate.
In a slight surprise, Troll got the win after a splash off the second rope in 8:30…Drew tried to get a word with Hoffarth afterwards, but he wasn’t feeling up to an interview after BEING SPLASHED FROM THE SECOND ROPE BY A LARGE OPPONENT. Timing, Drew.
“Night Train/Gorgeous/Great One” Gary Jackson & “Ironman” Ken Kasa vs. “The Icon” Chris Hargas(w/ Travis Cook), “St. Louis Handicap Match”: Hargas & Espinosa defeated Kasa in this style of match in May, so Hargas wanted to prove that he could do what Kasa couldn’t. The match had a fifteen-minute limit and the tag team would win if the single wrestler couldn’t win a decision in that time frame. Kasa wanted to fight on his own and asked Gary to stay outside the ring…so the match was basically a singles bout with Gary doing his beset to thwart interference attempts by Travis Cook.
Travis was able to get involved enough that the referee was distracted after Kasa delivered the John Wu Dropkick…at that moment, Jackson chased Travis back to the dressing room area. Kasa locked on a version of the rear naked choke as the time limit ticked down, but Hargas didn’t tap out until RIGHT after the closing bell sounded at 15:00. Technically Jackson & Kasa won the match, but Kasa wanted a decisive victory…so the July show will feature a thirty-minute Ironman Match between Kasa and Hargas. Goodie.
Johnny Blade vs. “The Tokyo Monster” Kahagas(w/ Travis Cook): Blade returned to the St. Louis area fairly recently after previously being a regular for both SICW and the Mid-Missouri Wrestling Alliance. Kahagas won with a pumphandle Michinoku Driver in 5:54.
Ron Powers vs. Attila Khan for the Classic Title, Travis Cook Banned From Ringside: The past two months of Wrestling Explosion have attempted to compare this rivalry to Bruiser Brody vs. Abdullah The Butcher, as Powers is a protege of the late Brody and Khan has a similar style to the “Madman From The Sudan”. This wasn’t a technical classic and wasn’t expected to be…Khan played that popular Memphis game of “Where Oh Where Could The Foreign Object Be?” Hey, it ticks off the fans and that’s what counts for a rulebreaker. Ron had control when the rulebreakers’ locker room essentially emptied on Khan’s behalf to cause the DQ in 3:53. It started with Bubba Troll, then continued with Brandon Espinosa, Chris Hargas, and Kahagas with Big Daddy attempting to direct traffic.
It took a while for the fan favorites’ locker room to get the memo, but finally Ken Kasa and Gary Jackson hit the ring to help. Once they brought chairs into the fray, the rulebreakers backed off…that wrapped up the show.
Is it WRESTLING or RASSLIN, that is the question that has been asked for many years, and it depends on who you are talking with. Years back they pronounced it RASSLIN, in the good old days of “Good Versus evil” as time went on it became Wrestling. Today after forty one years of that debate, I call it fun. Yes and this past April of 2016 that is just what we did at SICW All-star WRESTLING. I had the honor of being invited back to Las Vegas to the CAC where all the greats of the WRESTLING business attended, among the talented upcoming workers to the legends that are still with us. Legends like Paul Orndorff, Sgt Slaughter, Ricky Steamboat, JR Ross, Mean Gene Okerlund, Howard Fnkle, The Killer Bee’s, Ken Patera and a host of others. My main reason for returning this year was spend time with my friend, one of the greatest of all times, Terry Funk. Terry and I was in Vegas last year along with Stan the Lariat Hansen and Barbara Goodish the widow of the late Bruiser Brody.
I wanted to make sure this year that I met up with Terry because the following weekend he was coming to SICW All-Star WRESTLING in East Carondelet to make an appearance. The main attraction that weekend was the “Terry Funk Title Tournament”. It was to be several matches to see who became the number one contender for the SICW Classic Championship that was currently held by Flash Flanagan. I wanted to make sure Terry remembered he was going to be a big part of the double weekend shot, you see not only was he and another Legend, Cowboy Bob Orton appearing in East Carondelet Illinois, the next day they were traveling for SICW to Cape Girardeau Missouri for not only a WRESTLING show, but during the day a Comic Con.
Well just as it was back in the days of RASSLIN, you always expect the worst and hope for the best. My lovely wife Mickey and I returned home on that Thursday and immediately began the final steps of preparing for the first ever SICW Friday Night Event. That’s right, in all the forty plus years I never remember doing a Friday night, yes it was scary. You may ask then why, well as I stated above, my friend Ken Murphy from the Cape had his annual Comic Con scheduled and he wanted Funk and Orton along with Ron Powers, Kahagas the Tokyo Monster, and Earl and Dave Hebner from the WWE referee era to participate.
So I arranged to move our monthly Saturday night event to a Friday to help accommodate the Cape show. And as you can figure we were all ready for the Friday night action, Terry Funk, Cowboy Bob Orton, Larry Matysik and all the SICW stars were ready, the capacity crowd was fired up, we were ready for some good old WRESTLING or RASSLIN.
Shortly before the sound of the first bell one of those wrenches got thrown in to the game plan, our Champion Flash Flanagan, who I knew was having shoulder issues informs us that it’s not only one should that needs repaired but both of them. Being the true professional that he is, he wanted to go out and compete to help give the fans the best show possible. After a long discussion with Larry Matysik, Terry Funk Bob Orton , it was determined that it wasn’t in the best interest for Flash to wrestle that night.
So, as during the history of this crazy business we call WRESTLING or RASSLIN, we went to a plan B, yes Plan B that in a matter of a few minutes it was determined that instead of naming the winner of the “Terry Funk Title Tournament” the number one contender, the winner would become the SICW All-Star Champion. Simple right, you got it, the event went on and the action was great as always. The new champion was named, Ron Powers recaptured the gold and the celebration with him, Terry Funk and Cowboy Bob Orton took place in the ring.
Look for a recap of the exciting night of wrestling soon at this very website
After being jet lagged from the trip from Vegas and making sure Terry got in town on time, the night was long and I must say my wife and I was a little tired. We ended taking Terry to the hotel. We dropped him off at midnight and told him we would pick him up at 7am, what another true professional, no complaints at all. We arrived home around 12:45 am. As always after a show I need to unwind, I laid down around 4am.
As the sun came up I knew it was going to be a long day. Even though I was looking forward to my two and half hour drive with Terry Funk, it was still stressful, new territory, hadn’t ran a show in Missouri for many years. We arrived shortly to find Terry Funk standing outside the hotel waiting on us. As the true veteran he is, he was bright eyed and bushy tailed. I must say there isn’t anything more rewarding than to spend a couple of hours in a car with such a legend as Terry Funk. We talked about everyone and everything pertaining to the WRESTLING or RASSSLIN business. The stories that man has could have kept me entertained for hours. I thought that with him flying in late, then being at the show all evening and getting in to the hotel late that he may fall asleep on the drive to Cape, boy did he fool me. The only smart one was my wife, she curled up in the back seat and took advantage of my driving.
Terry talked about how the business was back in the day, how guys he helped get into the business, like our late friend Bruiser Brody. He talked about how it was in Japan and how guys back then respected the business. I must admit, the guy has a memory, he talked about the show in the high school gym we did years ago when Greg Valentine, Orton, Spike Huber and Chris Adams who were are working with us. He talked about the first time Brody told him about our small independent promotion. He stated the name of Larry Matysik and Herb Simmons is known way beyond the St. Louis area, I must admit I wasn’t surprised about Larry, but me, big old Herb Simmons that had just been fortunate to be in the right place and the right time and have a friend like Larry to introduce me to Sam Munchnick, Brody, Murdoch, Valentine, Dory, Dibiase, Ox Baker, Jerry Blackwell, Dick The Bruiser, Bulldog Bob Brown, Harley Race and man the list could go on for a long time. It has been a real treat to be able to say I have done what only some other have dreamed of. I truly owe a lot to not only Larry, but to my wife who allowed me the time to live this dream.
The Walking Dead Actor was excited to come see Terry Funk after meeting his fans at the Comic Con earlier that day.
After spending the day in Cape Girardeau with Ken Murphy and standing for hours while Terry and Bob signed pictures, I must say the day seemed like it was never going to get over. There were hundred’s of fans that wanted to get a picture and talk with the WRESTLING or RASSLIN legends. They began signing a little after 9:30 and only for about an hour from 3-4pm when they did a Q&A, did they take a break from meeting and talking with the fans. Around 4:30 we went to lunch, Terry, Orton, Kahagas, Ron Powers, my wife and I. Again sitting with that crew was another experience, they had all worked together and they all had the stories. Around 5:30pm we headed to the AC Brase Arena, the building that was home to the ICW, operated by Angelo Poffo, Randy Savage and other legends from back in the day. It was a beautiful building and upon our arrival fans were already standing in line, see Terry and Orton and the boys were scheduled to do another Meet & Greet. So not only was I scheduling that, I had to get the card ready for the night. My right hand man, Dr. Drew, SICW ring announcer and Television Play by Play guy was a life saver. He jumped in and help get it lined up. Between him, Ron Powers and Gary Jackson the show went off great. The crowd was in to all the action and our friend Ken Murphy was pleased.
I lucked out that after we got the ring down my good friend Gary Jackson decided he would stay in town and take Terry Funk to the airport early in the morning. It was midnight when we left Cape, so it was good for me and the wife not to worry about getting back down there to get him to the airport. My wife repaid the favor for me driving down, she drove home. It was a great weekend both in East Carondelet where the best WRESTLING or RASSLIN fans are, and then to meet new fans in Cape was just as good. The talent worked hard both nights and without them and great fans there is no show.
So I hope this painted the picture of two shows in April, back to back with two Legends, Funk and Orton, and all the other great SICW Stars, oh, and did I mention, the next morning we started on working on the third show for April that was scheduled for the last Saturday in April in Millstadt Illinois, my point is in this business its run run run, and fun fun fun. Until next time we meet at the matches take care and be sure to support independent wrestling and also Check out MRW (Missouri Wrestling Revival) for all the greatest information on WRESTLING or RASSLIN.
Fans attending the World League Wrestling event on June 26th expected to see new Tag Team Champions being crowned…but an unexpected team walked out with the gold that night.
The night started with the roster assembled at ringside for a ten-bell salute. Several legends of the wrestling business had recently passed away and those in attendance paid tribute to “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, Tommy Rogers, “Nature Boy” Buddy Landell, and Cora Combs.
The opening match saw Jon Webb made his triumphant return from Japan as he faced Michael Magnuson of the Black Hand Warriors. Webb had learned a lot in his stint with the NOAH promotion as he went toe-to-toe with the bigger and stronger Magnuson.
Jon Webb is back!!
Magnuson nearly powered his way to victory, but Webb surprised him with a rana into a pinning combination for the win.
“Dangerous” Derek McQuinn had been on a roll since his return to action, but the fans were on the side of his opponent John E. Rock. Rock had momentum on his side due to the support of the audience at the Harley Race Wrestling Arena, but the former WLW Heavyweight Champion had the edge in experience as well as underhanded tactics. When Rock climbed to the top turnbuckle, Dangerous Derek shoved the referee into the ropes to knock his opponent off balance.
Rock tumbled to the mat and Derek took advantage of the situation, winning with his trademark spear.
“The Legacy” Leland Race had a tough test as he defended his WLW Championship against “The Ego” Dustin Bozworth.
The challenger had recently appeared on “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Ranch show and was hoping to ride that fame to greater in-ring success. However, Race had held the title since November and wasn’t planning on his reign being ended so soon.
Leland Race rocks the Ego with a beautiful dropkick.
Bozworth seemingly had control of the match when Superstar Steve Fender and Dangerous Derek attacked the champion, causing a disqualification win for the titleholder. Bozworth didn’t participate in the two-on-one beatdown as the pair had just ruined his chance at winning the belt…when Fender teased a cash-in of his Harley Race Invitational Tournament trophy for an impromptu title match with Leland, Bozworth’s presence made him reconsider and Fender left the ring with McQuinn.
Fan Favorite Stacey O’Brien
A long-standing rivalry continued as Stacey O’Briendefended the WLW Women’s Championship against “Miss Natural” Heather Patera.
Miss Natural won the title for the first time in 2002 and has held it a record-setting seven times in total. However, Stacey’s first title win came at Miss Natural’s expense in 2008 and the two have been battling since that time. On the heels of their best-of-five-match series over the belt, Stacey was a six-time champion and was hoping to close the book on the long rivalry However, the bout ended in controversy as a pinning combination seemed to leave both women’s shoulders on the canvas. Miss Natural thought she had won, but Stacey got a shoulder off the mat and was declared the winner.
Miss Natural taunts the crowd and lets them know that at the Night of Champions she is coming for her WLW Ladies Championship
Miss Natural angrily grabbed the title belt before it could be presented to the champion…she wanted the feud to end as well and she challenged Stacey to a best-of-three-falls match at the Night Of Champions event in August. Stacey accepted the offer and the two shook hands, but Miss Natural kicked her in the midsection and laid her out with the Natural Disaster!
When Jon Webb and Jack Gamble left for their tour of NOAH, the WLW Tag Team Titles were declared vacant and a four-team tournament was held to determine the next champions. The Black Hand Warriors duo of Dave DeLorean and Jayden Fenix had defeated John E. Rock and Matt Creed to advance; on the other side of the bracket, the upstart team of Kickin’ Kyle Roberts and Justin D’Air scored a huge upset over Superstar Steve and Dangerous Derek. However, Roberts suffered a broken collarbone in the matchup and Brandon Espinosa substituted for him in the tournament finale.
Despite their limited experience as a unit, Espinosa and D’Air worked well together; however, DeLorean and Fenix had the advantage in tag team continuity. They gained the advantage when DeLorean dropped Espinosa onto the edge of the ring with a modified Death Valley Driver, but Espy finally managed to make the tag to D’Air. D’Air lived up to his name as he flew around the ring, culminating in a huge somersault plancha onto DeLorean and a Van Terminator-style dropkick with DeLorean seated in the adjacent corner. Espy powerslammed DeLorean and D’Air followed up with his 450 Splash, but Fenix broke up the pinfall attempt in time.
DeLorean and Fenix rallied and were able to take Espinosa out of the match long enough to finish off D’Air with their Tombstone/flying double-stomp combination…DeLorean pinned D’Air after that and the Black Hand Warriors were once again Tag Team Champions!
The night wasn’t quite over…as DeLorean and Fenix celebrated their win, Superstar Steve and Dangerous Derek attacked them from behind! The teams battled it out, but Steve and Derek had the advantage over the worn-down champions…and Steve revealed that he could cash in his trophy for ANY title shot, electing to use it for an impromptu challenge for the tag belts!
Superstar Steve and Dangerous Derek strike!
The former Gold Exchange members isolated the less-experienced Fenix and Derek took him down with a spear…the referee barely had time to call for an official opening bell before he was counting Derek’s pinfall! Just like that, we saw new WLW Tag Team Champions crowned for the second time in the span of a few minutes!
The night provided more questions than answers…will the Black Hand Warriors be the unlikely fan favorites against the newly-named “Elite Aggression” duo?
WLW Tag Team Champions Superstar Steve and Dangerous Derek
Will they be on the same side as their old rivals Gamble and Webb, who just recently got back from Japan and will surely be wanting their belts back? Where does Michael Magnuson stand after being noticably absent while his partners were being screwed out of the championships? We don’t know the answers to those questions yet, but the fans certainly saw a memorable night of action in Troy!
World League Wrestling and Harley Race Present Live Pro Wrestling
Wednesday – July 15, 2015 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm
World League Wrestling and Harley Race Present Live Pro Wrestling
Driving Directions to the Fairgrounds
The Lincoln County Fairgrounds is located on Fairgrounds Road, Troy, MO 63379.
From the St. Louis Area: Take Hwy 70 or Hwy 40/64 to Wentzville. Take Hwy 61 North at Wentville to Hwy 47 exit in Troy. Turn left onto Hwy 47 headed west. Follow Hwy 47 until you pass Clonts Field (Football) on your left. After the field you will turn right onto Fairgrounds Road. The grounds are approximately 1/4 mile on the right.
From west:Take Hwy 70 East to the Hwy 47 Exit in Warrenton. Take Hwy 47 North to Hawk Point. At the four way stop in Hawk Point turn right continuing on Hwy 47. Turn left on Hwy H, just west of Troy. Take a right on Fairground Road. The fairgrounds will be just past the church on your left. Or stay on Hwy 47 until Fairgrounds Road is on your left. Turn left and follow for approximately a 1/4 mile. The fairgrounds will be on your right.
It is a pleasure to have with us today pro wrestler and owner of St. Louis Anarchy Matt Jackson, better known to wrestling fans as Pierre Abernathy. Since his debut in 2003, Pierre has made an impact in the wrestling scene in many aspects of the wrestling business. Pierre, thank you for taking the time to speaking with us at Missouri Wrestling Revival
Pierre: No problem, thanks for having me.
MWR: What was your first memories of pro wrestling and who did you look up to growing up?
Pierre: The first pro wrestling event I can remember watching live was WrestleMania VI with Hogan vs. Warrior.
I was a huge Hogan fan so when he lost that sucked for me. I can remember going to the STL arena watching all the WWF live shows and I was at the only show WWF did at the old Busch Stadium, so that was cool.
MWR: The first opportunity that I got to see you in action was in Lawrence, Kansas for NWA Central States Wrestling as you and Gary Jay lost a three way to Nick Tyson on September 30, 2006. At that point you had been wrestling a little over than three years. How did you get your start in pro wrestling and who were the most helpful in your success?
Pierre: I first got my start when I met Jordan Lacey, he bought a ring and we were going to train in it. The issue was that he didn’t have the training to train us and to his credit he knew that. Most guys would NEVER admit that they had no business training people but he did. We later met Adam Raw and Nick Tyson and they did our training.
Adam Raw- Photo Michael Van Hoogstratt
From there they started the LWA and we worked there and branched into Gateway Championship Wrestling. Unlike most guys, our trainers did not travel, so we didn’t have a lot of help getting out of town shots. It was Matt Sydal and Delirious who taught us in a 12-hour seminar that we needed to get in a car and get out of STL and make résumés and start sending them out and do seminars all over and that is what we did.
MWR: What early match that you had gave you the confidence to succeed as a pro wrestler?
Pierre: Honestly I can’t think of one match. I always had confidence in my promo work more than my wrestling at the start. I think if I had to pick a break out match, I had a three-way match with Gary and Dorian Victor kind of early on that I liked. Plus, working Gary every weekend in a new state we could feel ourselves growing as wrestlers every week.
MWR: You would be part of the group that would spearhead The Lethal Wrestling Alliance. Who else were involved and what is the legacy of that promotion?
Pierre: Honestly I didn’t have anything to do with the start of LWA. LWA was started by Adam Raw and Jordan Taylor. When Jordan went into the Navy it went into the committee of five guys: Adam Raw, Nick Tyson, Frank Cashion, Mike D and Tim P ( I don’t want to butcher the spelling of their last names).
Jordan Lacey has been a part of the most brutal matches in the modern era of STL wrestling. Here he wars it out against the former MWR Future Star winner Alex Rudolph.
So Tyson was supposed to write the shows and book the talent but he wasn’t doing it, so I would in the background write the shows and send them with him to meetings and no one would know about it and he would get the credit. Fast forward a few years, he was going to quit, so Raw was kind of freaking out thinking he would have to write the shows all himself. I had to tell him I was really doing it all this time, which shocked him and so then I started writing and booking talent from there. Years later when the others quit, it became myself, Raw and Jordan Lacey. In the end of LWA, it was just me and Jordan Lacey.
Many of the top rising stars int the sport has made their way to SLA.
MWR: Fans at LWA were blessed to enjoy some great matches featuring local talent against many of the top stars in the world. Not too long ago, Austin Aries was the TNA World Champion, Davey Richards was a Ring of Honor World Champion and most recently one half of the TNA Tag Team Champions with Eddie Edwards, and Samoa Joe is quite possibly the most talked about free agent in the world today, but they all entered the squared circle at LWA.
These matches along with other stars including Delirious, Mike Quackenbush and The Motor Machine Guns against LWA homegrown talents are featured on the DVD US vs. Them (click here to purchase). What memories stand out about this historic matches at LWA?
Pierre: There are tons of thoughts I have about that. The two big ones being the first “name talent” we ever used was Alex Shelley and our fans hated him with a passion because he was facing their guy in Nick Tyson and when Tyson tapped him out the legit emotion that came after is what this business is about to me: real emotion. The Second was Samoa Joe: A lot of people were saying behind my back (but I hear everything) that I was making a big mistake putting Dorian in that match and not Adam Raw, and to be honest at that time Raw was a better wrestler than Dorian—hell, Dorian was only a few years in, I think. However, Dorian grew from that match and it taught him how to step up… That’s my job: I have to force you to go outside of your comfort zone and step up to the plate, because if you can’t I need to know that before you fall on your face in maybe a way bigger situation. That night Dorian stepped up and grew from it.
MWR: You are a member of the famed Submission Squad with. Time has shown that you guys are among the most entertaining tag teams in the country, but early on in your career you teamed up with Evan Gelistico against Davey Vega and Gary the Barn Owl to showcase LWA for Chikara’s King of Trios 2009. In a weekend filled with top Indy wrestling stars like Bryan Danielson (Future WWE Champion Daniel Bryan), Austin Aries, and El Generico (WWE’SSami Zayn) , the match would receive chants of “DON’T COME BACK!” Many men after that night may have given up, but it only shows how much heart that the four of you had, during that time. Many people snickered and counted you out, but you guys have had the last laugh by becoming among the most traveled talents in the country. Looking back what went wrong, what could you have done different and what advice would you have for a young wrestler that would experience such a situation?
Pierre: I would say that you cannot let what people say bother you. When that happened to be honest it didn’t bother me, it did more the other guys for different reasons. Vega because he lacked confidence anyway so that almost killed him, Gary because the ECW arena was his dream and we just got booed out of it and Evan because he loved the idea of working Chikara. I am telling the God’s honest truth that it didn’t bother me because I was expecting it the whole time. Here you have the biggest weekend of the Chikara calendar with legit stars from all over the world and then you have four dudes from a company in Missouri that none of them knew.. How were they supposed to treat us? Plus, we did ourselves zero favors because of the way we worked the match. We are known for our personalities and we showed zero of it and that is what sucked. However we made a lot of money after that match because people wanted to see if either A) we really sucked or B) they knew we didn’t and wanted to bring us out. So I would do it all again, plus we went back there in 2014 and killed it, so it came full circle for us.
MWR: As I mentioned you have traveled around the country, including Canada. What has been your personal favorite places to wrestle and why?
Pierre: I love most every trip but I’ll pick one place and say ACW in Texas. Texas was like my second home for many years and I love the fans and friends I made there. Some of my favorite memories came from hangouts I had in Texas.
MWR: For seven years the LWA was known for an alternative style of wrestling that combined strong style, hardcore, comedy and good times for the fans, but a new day came that saw you announce the merging with the Texas based promotion known as Anarchy Championship Wrestling (ACW). That decision has allowed the fans to see many of the top stars of the Texas area make their way to the Midwest, while giving the young stars in this area to grow by challenging themselves against other top talents that may not have a chance to work with. In your eyes, who have taken advantage of working in the land of Anarchy and who are some of the top young stars that fans should have their eyes on for the future?
Pierre: Since we started Anarchy, we have seen ACH become a top star in the USA and I won’t do what a lot of others do and try and take credit for that man’s success. His success has helped us grow, so thank you to him.
Gary Jay and Davey Vega are in my opinion the two top guys in the area and they prove that every time they work in a ring. The fact neither of them are under a contract is a shame. The Hooligans are guys you have seen grow in Anarchy. Christian Rose has been tearing it up other places for a while but our fans are finally seeing how good he is. Two guys who I think could be the next 2 big stars are Jo Jo Bravo and Mat Fitchett. Jo Jo has gotten really good really fast and it’s up to Fitchett how far he wants to go. He has been ready for a long time now. One guy to watch I think is Everett Connor; I call him my new project because he is a good kid with potential.
The only guy who I think may be worse now than he was when we started SLA is Evan Gelistico… [sarcasm]
MWR: The Submission Squad was ranked number 12 in 2011 in the MWR’S top 30 tag teams during the MWR years. Four years later, the SS is still running strong, even capturing the Metro Pro Wrestling Tag Team titles recently as the Commission.
Because LWA and later SLA did not have tag belts along with the outside travel, it may have hurt your rankings in the poll. That year a team that you guys know very well the Hooligans were ranked number one, and are currently the St. Louis Anarchy tag team Champions. What has made the Hooligans and the Submission Squad such a great rivalry?
Pierre: We just have good chemistry and we strive to do the same thing and that’s have a great match. We clicked since the first match we had at an IHW show in Dupo IL.
At one time we worked with the Hooligans at least once a weekend for like five months in a row, I think… Plus those guys love tag team wrestling as much as we do so it’s easy, The Hooligans are amazing talents.
MWR: SLA has recently been the home of double shot weekends in Alton, Illinois. You have promoted events for years, what are the advantages and disadvantages of having back to back events?
Pierre: Well it doubles the stress. I mean we have only done two, so I really do not know yet. I’ll say the advantage is for the fans as they will get 2 events a weekend instead of 1. As we keep going with this I am sure more advantages and disadvantages will come clear.
MWR: St. Louis Anarchy events have always been a can’t-miss show as talents around the world have been in action during each of your events. Men like Kyle O’Reilly, Michael Elgin, Chris Hero, the Young Bucks, Davey Richards, Akira Tozawa, and TJ Perkins have all appeared in the past. Who would you like to see that has not appeared yet?
Pierre: We used him in LWA but I really want to bring our fans Alex Shelley as he was supposed to work a show but got hurt. I am hoping to bring some more guys from overseas in. To be honest we will always use that name talent that people have come to think about when thinking of SLA but I am wanting to use more guys who are great but not maybe as well known…. Like there are Gary Jays and Davey Vegas all over the USA who are great but just can’t get breaks and I want to give them their breaks because you never know who could be the next ACH that you just are overlooking.
MWR: On August the 21st and 22nd, Circus Maximus 2015, an event what many fans say is THE event of the year for SLA? Circus Maximus has always delivered with a great mix of national talent as well as the top rising stars around the country. I am going to do a rundown of this years’ SLA talent pool for the double shot weekend and I would like for you to give your thoughts on them. We will start off with the current SLA Champion Gary Jay.
Pierre: Hardest working man in Anarchy, he tears down the house every time and then is the first person to lead people in tearing down the ring. He gives his all to the company and should be getting more chances outside it.
MWR: Tommaso Ciampa
Pierre: I’m looking forward to seeing him in SLA. He’s a tough dude so guys will have their hands full with him.
MWR: Davey Vega
Pierre: The “Ace of Anarchy” isn’t just a nickname, it is who Vega has become. He went from a guy who would legit vomit before a match to a guy who I know will always have one of the best matches on the show. He’s the man.
MWR: Mat Fitchett
Pierre: The Dirty Rook could be a star if he is able to really hit the road and do it. Sometimes though real life things are more important but he’s an awesome talent.
MWR: Jonathan Gresham
Pierre: He won’t be at Circus Maximus, but he’s an amazing hold for hold wrestler who stole the weekend at Gateway to Anarchy.
MWR: Jo Jo Bravo
Pierre: One of the top up and comers in Anarchy. He has held his own with some of the best in the world.
MWR: Christian Rose
Pierre: Great talker and wrestler and our fans are getting to finally see that. Plus, behind the curtain I love talking good and–even better–shitty wrestling with Rose more than maybe anybody.
MWR: Matt Cage
Pierre: He’s a lot like Rose in that he has been tearing it up other places and our fans will finally get to see more of that in Anarchy.
MWR: Angelus Lane
Pierre: The 1st lady of Anarchy. I am very proud of Layne. She has grown by leaps and bounds as a wrestler and she improves every event we have.
MWR: Viking War Party
Pierre: Going to have to buy me chairs if they keep breaking them. Both guys are awesome. Alex I have known since before he started, I am happy every time I see them work and get better and better.
MWR: Ricky Starks
Pierre: Big deal in Texas and I think he can do the same here so keep your eyes on him as I think he is going to do well.
MWR: The Cause: Mr. Gelistico, Mr. Raw, Mr. Adams, Mr. Everett
Pierre: We will have to see.
MWR: Zakk Sawyers
Pierre: The 2014 Anarchy Rookie of the year. He’s not a rookie but was in Anarchy and he stepped up huge. A hard worker in and out of the ring and really appreciates his spot on the roster and he earns it.
MWR: Mikey McFinnigan
Pierre: Kinda just starting to see what he can do. He will do well in Anarchy, he’s very entertaining.
MWR: Jeremy Wyatt
Pierre: The best LWA champion of all time. Jeremy is one of my favorite wrestlers and is a pure class act to deal with outside the ring. Jeremy makes no bones about his wrestling days coming to an end and I’ll be sad to see him go, but he’s a guy who will leave better than he came in and how many guys can honestly say that. He’s always done anything I asked him to do and I don’t think Jeremy knows how much I respect him and appreciate his run with the LWA title.
MWR: Steve O Reno
Pierre: Honestly, I worked him in ACW and I knew he was good. Other than that I have only seen his two matches in SLA and that is it. I think he is very entertaining and he can wrestle, too, so I think big things are on the horizon for him.
MWR: Bolt Brady
Pierre: I think his change in attitude will be good for him in SLA. I like making people do stuff they may not be used to doing. Bolt is a pro and will do great. He’s getting a lot of miles under him too which is awesome. I like Bolt a lot.
MWR: PACO
Pierre: In SLA, he became a star in one weekend. Taking Trik Davis to the limit and taking a hellish beating from Gary Jay. I think Paco is a hungry kid who will do big things.
MWR: Pierre, Thank you so much for joining us today, it is always a treat to get to speak with you. How can fans follow you and the world of St. Louis Anarchy?
Pierre: I am on Facebook under Pierre Abernathy and Twitter is @PierreAbernathy. You can like SLA on Facebook at Saint Louis Anarchy and on Twitter @stlanarchy. Thanks for the time!
Saint Louis Anarchy presents Circus Maximus 2015
Stage One: Friday August 21st Stage Two: Saturday August 22nd
Live from Spaulding Hall Club in Alton IL (402 E 4th Street)
Doors Open at 6:30pm, Shows Start at 7:00pm
Tickets (PER NIGHT):
Front row: $15, Second Row. $12. General Admission. $10 in advance all tickets are $15 at the door
$1 BEER, FULL BAR AND FOOD. Please do not record show or stand on chairs
Also special guest musicians Mental Fixation (Stage 2 only)
STAGE ONE MATCHES SIGNED:
Main Event Trios Action: Team Anarchy: Davey Vega, Mat Fitchett, Angleus Layne vs. Team BOSS w/Dorian Victor and Greg Jovi: Gary Jay, Christian Rose, Jeremy Wyatt
Tag Team Titles on the Line: The Hooligans (c) vs. The Cause (Mr. Adams, Mr. Everett)
Zakk Sawyers vs. Tommaso Ciampa
Grudge Match: Alex Castle vs. Matt Cage
Jo Jo Bravo vs. PACO
Steve O Reno vs. Mikey Mcfinnigan
BOSS vs. Anarchy: Bolt Brady w/Greg Jovi vs. Ricky Starks
STAGE TWO MATCHES SIGNED:
Saint Louis Anarchy Championship Match (NO TIME LIMIT) Gary Jay (c)w/Dorian Victor vs. “Ace of Anarchy” Davey Vega
Mat Fitchett vs. Former ECW/WWE Star LITTLE GUDIO
Christian Rose vs. Tommaso Ciampa
Matt Cage vs. Zakk Sawyers
Sugar Dunkerton vs. Steve O Reno
TALENT SIGNED FOR CM WEEKEND:
Saint Louis Anarchy Champion: Gary Jay
Saint Louis Anarchy Tag Champions: The Hooligans
Davey Vega
Mat Fitchett
Tommaso Ciampa
Jo Jo Bravo
Christian Rose
Matt Cage
Angelus Layne
Viking War Party
Sugar Dunkerton
Ricky Starks
The Cause: Mr. Gelistico, Mr. Raw, Mr. Adams, Mr. Everett
Zakk Sawyers
Mikey Mcfinnigan
Jeremy Wyatt
Steve O Reno
Bolt Brady (stage one)
PACO (stage one)
Donovan Danhausen
When you say the name Larry Matysik to a wrestling fan in St Louis, you get the same warm feeling that St Louis Cardinal fans get when you mention former ST Louis Cardinal announcer Jack Buck. Admiration and great memories quickly come to mind.
Both men were the fans best friend when it came to providing them with the much desired information about what was transpiring in the sport that they were into.
Buck was the man to hear the play by play of Cardinal greats such as Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, Willie McGee and Bruce Sutter. Fans watched as Matysik called play by play in matches that saw “King Kong” Brody, Dick “the Bruiser, Lou Thesz, Gene Kiniski, Pat O’Connor, Harley Race, Buddy Rogers and many more in action.
St Louis promoter Sam Muchnick was wise enough to know that for wrestling to succeed in St Louis, a sports town that he would have to bring the same respectability that the Cardinals brought to the city.
Wrestling at the Chase
A main piece to the puzzle would be the Voice of Wrestling at the Chase. The television program which broadcast from 1959 to 1983 from the majestic Chase Hotel would be the face of wrestling in St Louis.
Larry interviewing David Von Erich after beating Harley Race
Matysik has been much more than a man calling the play by play of great matches in St Louis. At the young age of 16 in 1963, Muchnick hire Matysik and would be very supportive and helpful in the career that saw Matysik also man the publicist and office manager, as well as book the matches.
In 1984 he would begin working with Vince McMahon and then WWF (now WWE) till 1993.
Matysik has since gone on to write some of the must read books in the industry including
1) Wrestling at the Chase: The Inside Story of Sam Muchnick and the Legends of Professional Wrestling
Wrestling at the Chase is a fond, informative, amusing, and even poignant look at the who’s who of professional wrestling and legendary St. Louis promoter Sam Muchnick.
St. Louis was the capital, and Muchnick the ruler of professional wrestling, before Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Entertainment took over. What happened in St. Louis paved the way for today’s multi-billion-dollar sports entertainment industry. The centerpiece of this magical operation was “Wrestling at the Chase,” a television program which broadcast from 1959 to 1983 from the majestic Chase Hotel.
Larry Matysik was Muchnick’s protégé and longtime announcer for the television show. With an insider’s eye for detail and accuracy, he recalls funny and amazingly touching tales about the characters who created professional wrestling as we know it. Ric Flair, “King Kong” Brody, Dick “the Bruiser,” the Von Erichs, Lou Thesz, Gene Kiniski, Pat O’Connor, Johnny Valentine, Dick Murdoch, Harley Race, Buddy Rogers, Jack Brisco, and Andre the Giant are all prominently featured. So is Muchnick himself, the Damon Runyan of wrestling, a man who helped mould the bizarre business of circus and sport. The savage twists of the politics of wrestling are on display as well, particularly the changes that rocked the mat world during the early ’80s.
2) Drawing Heat the Hard Way
Thrilling but flawed, entertaining despite the swerves and double-crosses, captivating even when repugnant… professional wrestling has enjoyed the attention and loyalty of untold millions for nearly a century. How and why is precisely what Larry Matysik examines in his third book, Drawing Heat the Hard Way: How Wrestling Really Works.
Wrestlers have their own private language, and in the unique world of wrestling “drawing heat” is a very good thing: the successful generation of crowd reaction and fan excitement. The Hard Way? That’s both exactly what it sounds like and something no one in the industry plans for: a legitimate and unintentional wound suffered because something’s gone awry. In Drawing Heat the Hard Way, Matysik explains what it takes to win the hearts and minds of wrestling fans, and how, at times, mistakes, controversy and unexpected turns of events have damaged the reputation or forever changed the business he loves.
If anyone understands wrestling, the problem-child offspring of whatever “real” sport is, it’s Matysik. Drawing Heat the Hard Way takes on the way wrestling is booked or planned; analyzes the roles of wrestlers and announcers, and explores steroids as an industry and fan issue. It also considers wrestling’s power-brokers, from those who influence the business by reporting on it, like Dave Meltzer, to those who make the final decisions on what gets broadcast every week, like the omnipresent Vince McMahon, and even to those who influence the sport with their pocketbooks — the fans themselves.
At times humorous, occasionally heartbreaking, always insightful, Drawing Heat the Hard Way is ultimately an objective take on what it means to be a wrestling fan, from someone who knows the business inside and out.
3) Brody: The Triumph and Tragedy of Wrestling’s Rebel
The most unpredictable and charismatic grappler of all time? The brute that made brawling an art before the term “hardcore” was coined? The confrontational businessman who fought for every penny he felt he deserved?
“Bruiser” Brody had no peers when it came to blood and guts, controversy and independence. Most wrestling promoters portrayed their top talent as exactly that kind of free-spirited, take-no-guff personality. They didn’t mean it, though — which explains why so few would admit to respecting Brody even as they featured him time and again.
So why did they give him work? Simple. “Bruiser” Brody delivered the goods in the ring and at the box office.
In the 1970s and early 80s, Brody was one of the few performers, along with Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair, to be recognized as a national star. With his fiery personality, Brody also conquered the international market.
Nearly two decades after his murder in Puerto Rico, Brody: The Triumph and Tragedy of Wrestling’s Rebel delivers a complete portrait of Brody’s remarkable life. Co-authors Barbara Goodish, Brody’s widow, and Larry Matysik, a close friend, offer a first-time opportunity to truly understand one of the sport’s most complex and controversial human beings. Goodish’s account of her husband’s horrific murder and its aftermath is both heartbreaking and compelling, while Matysik’s insider knowledge of the business puts Brody’s place in wrestling history into perspective. With a foreword by WWE announcer Jim Ross, Brody offers readers the unvarnished truth about one of the greatest wrestling legends of all time.
4) An electronic book- From the Golden Era
This unique digital publication offers a complete record of every twist and turn, of every performer, of all the battles from television’s legendary Wrestling at the Chase, and every card presented at both the historic Kiel Auditorium and The Arena (Checkerdome) during the glory era of the St. Louis promotion.
Wrestling at the Chase announcer and St. Louis insider Larry Matysik adds background about the personalities, business, secrets, and politics to make this electronic book a revealing, in-depth account of three decades of wrestling’s golden era. Featuring everything from attendance figures, to booking strategies, to insights and NWA championship bouts, From the Golden Era: The St. Louis Wrestling Record Book is the once-in-a-lifetime document that every serious wrestling observer must have.
Matysik has also been instrumental in keeping the history of one of the highest rated wrestling television programs Wrestling at the Chase alive with Classic St Louis Wrestling, hosted by Matysik himself. In 2007. Matysik headed a team to bring to St Louis the St Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame.
He was joined in this effort by promoter Herb Simmons, webmaster Mitch Martsey, sports journalist Keith Schildroth, and longtime fan Nick Ridenour. The Hall of Fame was created to honor the role St. Louis played in helping to establish professional wrestling in North America. Today the hall can be seen at the historic South Broadway Athletic club.
In 2011 fans in St Louis will once again be able to hear the Voice himself call wrestling matches when he returns to TV on Sunday February 6, 2011 at 11:30 am and then rebroadcast on Sunday evening at 10:30pm on Charter Cable channel 8. The matches will be taped in East Carondelet Community Center on Saturday January 22nd.
Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat
We were thrilled and excited when Matysik agreed to accept the 2009 MWR Lifetime Achievement Award. Earlier this month at MMWA-SICW, MWR’S Dubray Tallman had the honor to present the plaque to a true gentleman and ambassador of pro wrestling, Larry Matysik
Once again, thank you so much for your positive contribution to pro wrestling Larry Matysik.
Please join us at MWR on January 1st when we will announce the recipient for the 2010 MWR Lifetime Achievement Award.
This week I am excited to take the trip to Waterloo Iowa for the annual George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. A wonderful weekend set aside for wrestling fans old and alike to pay respect to the sport that they love.
On Friday July 10, Harley Race’s World League Wrestling will excite the fans with a Night of the Legends pro card at Young Arena. This is one event every year that I mark on my calander and so should you.
Thanks to World League Wrestling I was able to catch up with rising star “The Vietnam Phenom” Bao Nguyen eariler this year.
Nguyen is scheduled to be at the Night of the Legends card along with WLW Stars “King of the 450” Steve Anthony, Brian Breaker, Curt Hennig’s daughter Amy, Ricky Steamboat Jr, Darin Waid, Jason Jones and WLW Champion “Superstar” Steve Fender.
The pro hall of fame is located inside the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum. The museum was nearly destroyed by the historic flood of June 10, 2008, but re-opened this month.
The 11 th class is comprised of living wrestlers Nick Bockwinkel, longtime world heavyweight champion in the AWA; Ricky Steamboat, a superstar in the WWF, and Fritz Von Goering, who wrestled many of the top stars of the 1950s and ‘60s, and all five of the other inductees at one point in his long career.
Three deceased wrestlers are also being inducted: Bronko Nagurski, Luther Lindsay and Karl Gotch.
Bockwinkel was the son of former pro star Warren Bockwinkel and was a top college football prospect at Oklahoma University before injuries put him on the sidelines. He then turned his attention to pro wrestling full time, early in the 1950s. Over the next 30 years, he wrestled every major star in the business and held the AWA world heavyweight title for nearly seven years, as well as dozens of lesser belts. One of the most popular heels in wrestling history, he has been president of the Cauliflower Alley Club (CAC) for the past several years and resides in Las Vegas.
A native of Hawaii, Steamboat was an amateur wrestler in Florida before entering the pro ranks in 1976, for Verne Gagne’s AWA. He entered the WWF in 1985 and became known as The Dragon and often struck karate poses in the ring, and electrified the crowds with his skills and antics. His title bouts with Ric Flair are among the best matches of the past two decades. Ricky captured the NWA world championship in 1989. He retired 1994 and lives today in Denver, N.C., working for the WWE.
Von Goering was a street-tough kid from Chicago when he turned pro in 1950. He learned the business the hard way, traveling around the country to take on the biggest names in the industry and learning all he could. He spent gym time with pure wrestlers like Dick Hutton, Lou Thesz and Luther Lindsay to learn the craft and today is one of the last from his generation. He won numerous regional titles in his 27-year career. He lives in Campbell, California.
From northern Minnesota, Bronko Nagurski is one of the greatest football players of all time, and is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Professional Football Hall of Fame. While starring with the Chicago Bears in the late 1930s, Nagurski approached Lou Thesz about wrestling in the off-season and used his great athletic skills to become a huge draw in wrestling, holding the world NWA title several times in the late 1930s and early 1940s. He died in 1990, at age 82.
Lou Thesz was one of many who considered Luther Lindsay the best African-American wrestler of all time. Big, powerful and fast, he played football at Hampton Institute in Norfolk, VA, and later in the Canadian football league. He then turned to pro wrestling and was trained by Stu Hart in the art of hooking. Well known for his skills and athletic abilities in the ring, he was popular outside the ring as well. He died from a heart attack during a match in 1972, at the age of 47.
Karl Gotch holds a near mythical spot in the history of wrestling. A native of Belgium, he made the 1948 Olympic team at age 18. He then moved to England, where he trained in the legendary Wigan “Snake Pit,” learning hooking and ripping techniques that made him one of the most feared wrestlers of all time. He was an absolute legend in Japan and all places were shooting ability is revered. He died in 2007 at age 82 in Florida.
The induction ceremony is the key part of the big weekend. It begins with a Celebrity Golf Tournament at noon Friday, July 10, and continues with a big pro card at Young Arena on Friday night, starting at 7. Harley Race and the WLW are putting the event together for the third straight year.
The official inductions will take place at noon on Saturday in the Gable museum. After the ceremony, fans will be able to meet with the inductees and former hall of famers in attendance.
The induction banquet takes place at 7 p.m. at the beautiful Five Sullivans Convention Center two blocks from the museum. Seating is limited and tickets are $60, and includes the souvenir program.
Dan Hodge, Class of 2000, and the only man to ever win national titles in both boxing and wrestling; he will be signing copies of his new book, “Oklahoma Shooter: Than Dan Hodge Story;
• Harley Race, Class of 2005 and eight-time NWA world heavyweight champion;
• Baron Von Raschke, Class of 2002, great star of the 1970s and ‘80s, who was third in the World as an amateur wrester;
• Bob Geigel, Class of 2002, former wrestling star and legendary Kansas City promoter;
• Mad Dog Vachon, Class of 2003; a former Canadian national amateur champion who wrestled in the 1948 Olympics before becoming a pro icon
• Larry “The Axe” Hennig, Class of 2006 and father of the late Curt “Mr. Perfect” Hennig, Class of 2007.
FRIDAY, JULY 10
10 a.m. – Museum opens (until 5 p.m.)
Noon – Celebrity Golf Tournament at Irv Warren Golf Course.
7 p.m. – Night of the Legends pro card at Young Arena
SATURDAY, JULY 11
10 a.m. – Museum Opens (until 5 p.m.)
Noon – Official inductions at museum, fan festival afterwards
7 p.m. – Banquet at Five Sullivan Brothers Center (advance tickets mandatory)
SUNDAY, JULY 12
9 a.m. – Museum opens (until noon
For more information, persons can contact Kent Sesker, marketing director, at 319-233-0745.
For more information on theThe Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum go here
To find out where you can check out more World League Wrestling. go to their website here.
Missouri Wrestling Revival Spotlight:
Edmund “Livewire” McGuire
By “Your Trip to Space Mountain” writer Brian “Flair” Kelley
Editor’s Note: After this interview was conducted, “Thunderbolt” Brandon Walker was injured and will be unable to face Edmund “Livewire” McGuire tomorrow. AAPW and MWR wish Mr. Walker a speedy recovery!
Height: 5’9”
Entrance Music: “How Many Wanna” by Ja Rule [Instrumental]
Experience: 5
Promotions: All-American Pro Wrestling (AAPW), National Wrestling Coalition (NWC), IWA Productions, United States Championship Wrestling , New Focus Wrestling
Biggest Match: Versus “Homicidal” Steven Davis in Carbondale, IL on 8/19/07 [AAPW Heavyweight Championship Tournament Finals to crown the 1st EVER AAPW Heavyweight Champion]. I was unsuccessful thanks to “Thunderbolt” Brandon Walker’s outside interference.
Signature Move: The Livewire Legdrop (top rope legdrop), Superkick
Edmund, what attracted me to you for the interview was seeing you in action with All American Pro Wrestling. I had taken the time to search for you on Myspace, and what stood out to me was the fact that you are such a student of the sport. You have quite a passion for wrestling. What drew you to wrestling and who did you look up to?
Well, it was really easy for me to get caught up in the wrestling craze thanks to my family being huge fans. Ever since I can remember, I have been a die-hard wrestling fan. I grew up on 80’s NWA, WCCW, WWF, WCW, AWA, and USWA Memphis. I, till this very day, remain a fan of the old-school era of wrestling, and study it relentlessly in preparation of matches. I have so many wrestlers that I idolized and looked up to, and who I saw as inspirations for me to get into this business: “Cowboy” Bob Orton, Jr., Harley Race, Dory Funk, Jr., “Nature Boy” Ric Flair, Nick Bockwinkel, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, “Superstar” Bill Dundee, Jerry “The King” Lawler, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit, “Flyin” Brian Pillman, The Undertaker, and “Diamond” Dallas Page are some of the most notable ones that I remember idolizing.
Who trained you and was it what you expected?
“Homicidal” Steven Davis & “Dangerous” Donny Sixx trained me. I really can’t say it’s what I expected, but I went in with a positive attitude, kept my eyes and ears open and my mouth shut, and gave my very best efforts to learning the craft of pro wrestling. I am grateful for all of the knowledge and time these gentlemen put into training me and molding me into who I am today.
Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, Kid Kash, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, Koko B. Ware, The Naturals, “Showtime” Eric Young, “Tennessee Cowboy” James Storm, Abyss, and Traci Brooks have all wrestled for AAPW, which must be a thrill for an up and coming wrestler such as yourself. Out of these Superstars which ones impressed you the most and really went that extra mile to work with the stars of tomorrow?
Koko B. Ware, hands down. Koko went out of his way to encourage me and to explain to me the art of promos. You know, how to make them believable. I made it a point to pick his brain regarding certain aspects of this business, and he was gracious enough to lend his ear and his time to me. For that, I’m fortunate as well as grateful.
It seems these days that all you hear about are the negative aspects of the sport when wrestling or wrestlers are the topic of conversation, but I must say that my experience with wrestlers on the Independent scene has been only positive. When doing research about you, a story came up about you attending a boys birthday party. Please tell the readers about how this came about and what were the results?
Well, the young man whose birthday party I was the surprise guest for attends most of AAPW’s area events. His mother asked me days prior to that whether I was available and if I could be a surprise guest for her son’s birthday party because he’s a huge fan of mine. I looked at it as a chance to do something for someone that wasn’t done for me when I was young, so it wasn’t at all a problem for me. I jumped at the opportunity. It’s not everyday that a kid has a wrestler for a birthday party guest! We all had a blast, and the young man and his family and friends attended that night’s event in West Frankfort, IL.
My Girlfriend and I took the 250-mile road trip to Carbondale, IL some time ago to see AAPW and what the promotion had to offer, and really had a good time. The show was very well run, and we look forward to coming back. How would you describe AAPW to a fan that wants to see some wrestling action?
I would describe All-American Pro Wrestling as a very family and fan-friendly wrestling organization that prides itself on providing good, clean entertainment. We do our best to emphasize the term ‘pro wrestling’, and in-ring action is strongly emphasized. I agree with you when you say that anytime pro wrestling is discussed, it’s usually referred to in a negative light. AAPW does it’s best to bring some class and respectability to professional wrestling. We sort of have an old school atmosphere to our events. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having a little pizzazz in independent wrestling, but when it all boils down, it’s spelled w-r-e-s-t-l-i-n-g. We do our best to contribute to that philosophy. We want people to feel at home when attending our events, and we want to be a wrestling promotion they can call their own and be proud of.
With your quick moves you can electrify a crowd, which makes you very popular with the fans. You have won some big matches in AAPW but it seems as if Brandon “Thunderbolt” Walker has been a thorn in your side since nearly the beginning. In West Frankfort, IL in January after beating Chocolate Thunder (who substituted for a missing-in-action Brandon Walker), you made a challenge to “Thunderbolt” Brandon Walker for April 12, 2008 in West Frankfort for a No Countout No Disqualification match, yet once again in Mt Vernon, IL you were taking on Mike Masters when Thunderbolt pushed you off the top rope to allow Masters to take advantage and get the pin. Later in the evening, you decided to get some payback on Walker by heading to ringside, distracting Walker in order for “The All American” J.T. Calhoun to secure a victory in their match. This leads us to April 12th in West Frankfort, IL at the New Beginnings Assembly. Doors open at 6PM with a bell time of 7PM.You will finally have a chance to get a payback win off Thunderbolt. How do you feel going into this?
You’re absolutely correct, Brandon Walker has indeed been a thorn in my side for the longest time now, dating back to August when he cost me the opportunity to become the very first AAPW Heavyweight Champion. There seems to be an underlying bitterness in Brandon. Since returning to Southern Illinois after a lengthy absence (following a stint of being on top in this area for years), Brandon sees that there’s a new crop of young lions on the prowl. I guess he chose me to target. I, being one to never back away from a fight, embraced the competition and after a while it turned personal after a series of back and forth battles. We’ve each got a victory over one another, and on April 12th I plan to settle this score with Brandon once and for all!!!
What goals do you have for yourself in wrestling?
To have fun. Plain and simple. Not too many people in this lifetime can say they lived their dreams, and I am blessed to be able to say that I have. I feel as though I have yet to reach the tip of the iceberg, and I’m going to continue to give it my all and entertain audiences to the best of my abilities. As far as particular goals, I’d like to tour the U.S. & foreign countries in pursuit of pro wrestling experience. WWE is always an option…
Now it is time for the Space Mountain Free Fall where you can give your thoughts on the wrestlers that are scheduled for April 12 with AAPW:
“Thunderbolt” Brandon Walker:
Officially exterminated after April 12th courtesy of Edmund “Livewire” McGuire.
Shawn Shultz:
Arrogant, obnoxious, super-talented athlete who I’ve waged war with once… and won!
Carnage:
Diabolical, mysterious and savvy…
Keith Knox:
Hmmm… I feel sorry for Shawn Schultz on April 12th.
“Homicidal” Steven Davis:
One of the toughest competitors I’ve ever stepped into any ring with. I have welts on my back and chest that will last me a lifetime thanks to this guy.
Ax Stevens:
Wily and dangerous. He’s been on a hot streak like none other here in AAPW lately. We’ve battled all over IL, IN, MO and AR, and I consider him to be one of my fiercest rivals. We have a score that has yet to be settled, and one day, we’ll get the chance to close the book on our storied rivalry.
“The All American” JT Calhoun:
For a man his size, it’s astonishing to see someone with that kind of speed, strength and agility. Much props to JT.
Vulcan:
I’ve never had a chance to cross paths with Vulcan, but I’ve worked with him in other companies. From what I’ve seen, it’s all about brute force with Vulcan. His smashmouth style has earned him championships and he’s got a reputation for throwing the rulebook out the window. Let’s just see how he tests his mettle against the competition here in AAPW.
Mike Masters:
As good an athlete as Mike Masters is, I must admit that I’ve lost respect for him. I know wrestling’s all about wins and losses, and as hard as the reality of it may be, I can accept losing to a better competitor. Mike proved in Mt. Vernon, IL back in February that he’s willing to stoop to any level necessary to gain respect. It takes a very respectable individual to steal a cheap victory from me after Brandon Walker interfered… at least in Mike’s eyes it does! I proved to him in Carbondale, IL last month that that deed doesn’t come without a heavy price Believe me, he got his receipt tenfold in the form of him having his shoulders pinned to the mat… one. two, three!
Playboy Paul Rose:
What a character this guy is! He’s another in a long line of wrestlers who’ve tried to take me down and have been proven unsuccessful. I’m still trying to figure out what kind of gall this guy has for coming out in pink feather boas, pink Speedos, and bleach-blond hair.
“The Future” Donavan Ruddick:
He’s making his AAPW return on April 12th, and is looking to destroy any and everyone in his path, I’m quite sure. I’m going to be sure to keep my eye on this individual closely.
“The Serial Thriller” Shane Rich:
A class act in every sense of the term. He’s gone through a lot of trials and tribulations to get to where he is in AAPW, and I commend him for never giving up and never giving in. It’s paid off for him by him winning the AAPW Heavyweight Championship. Don’t let my respect for him lead you to believe that I won’t be chasing him down for that title someday.
Brandon Espinosa:
I’ve been in the ring with this tremendously talented athlete only once, and he emerged the better man that night. If given the opportunity, I’d like to believe that the results would be a bit different… unfortunately for Mr. Espinosa…
J.C. Blade:
One of the hungriest young competitors that we have here in AAPW. He’s looking to make a way for himself. I encourage him to keep up the good work and never lose faith, no matter how rough the competition may be.
In Altamont, IL a new promotion IWA is having a Fund Raiser to benefit the Blue Knights. Their charity is the SAFE Program. What can you tell us about this new promotion?
I can safely say that IWA is going to be an experience like none other. I am looking to carve out a path in IWA just like I have in AAPW and many other promotions that I work for.
It is also scheduled for AAPW to bring hot wrestling action to Chester, IL on May 7, 2008. At this point are there any more dates where we can see Live wire McGuire in action?
Well, I’m booked all the way through June. I am getting booked in advance, and it’s possible that by then I’ll be booked up another few months. I’m going to be all over Illinois and Indiana and I’m working on bookings in Michigan and Ohio, so I encourage any and all to contact me via my Myspace page (www.myspace.com/livewire_mcguire) and inquire.
Any last words for your fans?
I am so eternally grateful for the encouragement and support that you’ve shown me, and I thank you all so much! Your continued support would be greatly appreciated as I continue making a way for myself in this lovely sport of professional wrestling. Thank you and I hope to see and meet you at the events! God bless!
Missouri Wrestling Revival 