The Barrio Boys Have Arrived.

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.

MWR Event Report: LWA on May 24, 2008

MWR Event Report
Lethal Wrestling Alliance on May 24, 2008

by Kari Williams
Lethal Wrestling Alliance made an impact in St. Peters, MO on May 24th at the Vetta Sports Complex. With a draw of 127, the LWA Superfans let their voices be heard from chanting, “Boring!” during the slower paced matches and screaming at the top of their lungs as “The Future” Donovan Ruddick slammed Gary the Barn Owl into a table.

Evan Gelistico & Jordan Lacey v. Pierre Abernathy & Dorian Victor

Originally, this bout was to consist of Pierre Abernathy challenging Evan Gelistico for the LWA Medallion. However, before the two could even lock up, Dorian Victor made his presence felt as he offered Abernathy a $5,000 check so that Victor himself had a chance at the Medallion. Abernathy agreed, but only moments into the bout, he interfered, which, in effect, caused a tag team match to develop between half of the members of the Bearded Men from Space Station 11 and Abernathy and Victor.

Jordan Lacey & Evan Gelistico defeated Pierre Abernathy & Dorian Victor.

K.C. Karrington v. Davey Vega

The bitter rivalry between these two competitors skyrocketed to a completely new level of disdain. Karrington and Vega held nothing back as they brawled relentlessly outside of the ring before the referee had even rung the bell. Vega’s conniving and deceitful ways brought about his loss of the match, as Karrington won by disqualification. Perhaps bitter about the loss, or simply so fueled by hate, Vega went on to berate Karrington after the bout and unremittingly hit him with a chair. However, the beating did not end there, as Vega began to douse his nemesis in lighter fluid, until The Ego Express’s manager, Tiffani, ran to the ring and pleaded with Vega. It took a handful of the other wrestlers to restrain Vega, who clearly has a score to settle.

K.C. Karrington defeated Davey Vega by disqualification.

LWA “Presidential Debate”

Keeping up with the election of the LWA president, is not near as hard as keeping tabs on the Democratic side of the United States presidential race. Prior to the intermission, the nominees for LWA president (Steve Miller, Bavarian Boy, Luke Roberts and Jacob Dangle) were asked a series of three questions. Roberts seemed to be the only one with a real sense of direction on the matters at hand, dishing out possible solutions and talking about everything that is right with LWA, as opposed to Miller, who only focused on the wrongs.

Tyler Cook v. Jeremy Wyatt

Without a president, things seemed to be changing at a rapid pace, as the bout between Cook and Wyatt became a fight for the LWA Medallion when Gelistico relinquished it. Both athletes waged war with all the vigor and vitality that make them championship material. Both men looked like technicians in the ring, with their pure athleticism and skill. After a lengthy, hard-fought battle, Wyatt’s prowess triumphed.

Jeremy Wyatt defeated Tyler Cook to become the new LWA Medallion Holder.

B.A.B.E. WATCH (Brandon Espinosa & Brandon Aarons) v. A.J. Williams & Michael Serious

“Girls go crazy!” was the “battle cry,” so to speak, as the smug team of Espinosa and Aarons made their way to ringside to face Mike Serious and the debuting A.J. Williams. During the fast-paced bout, the B.A.B.E.s did everything they could to distract the referee in order to bamboozle their opponents, including Aarons taunting Serious, who was not the legal man, so that Espinosa could choke out Williams. Despite a valiant effort by Serious and Williams, the immoral tactics of Espinosa and Aarons prevailed.

B.A.B.E. WATCH defeated A.J. Williams and Michael Serious.

Heavyweight Championship: “Future” Donovan Ruddick (Champion) v. Gary the Barn Owl

In this no-disqualification match-up, Ruddick and Gary beat the hell out of each other using anything and everything they could get their hands on. They brought a new meaning to ‘hardcore’ wrestling and ended the show in a meteoric fashion. Gary fought with valor, never giving up, despite a large laceration on his shoulder. Ruddick showed his dominance and provided validity for anyone who felt he was not worthy of holding the Heavyweight Title.

“Future” Donovan Ruddick defeated Gary the Barn Owl to retain the Heavyweight Championship.

Overall Assessment:

Despite a slow-paced first half, the LWA made up for it after intermission with three stellar matches that stole the show.

Mark This Down

Mark This Down
by “Smart” Mark Anthony

No more disclaimers. No more excuses. It’s just me, “Smart” Mark Anthony with another edition of “Mark This Down”. Today, I’ll try to be a little less controversial. I won’t talk about anything that will get anybody severely riled up. I won’t entertain thoughts of talking backstage politics or the he said, she said stuff that can sometimes become a staple of the professional wrestling landscape. We all know that my people are going to call wrestlers underrated, overrated, or average. Wrestlers and promotions are going to call fans “marks” in a negative way and still beg them to buy merchandise and tickets to events. It’s all just a vicious cycle, but I digress.

This time around I’m taking another step to the foreground of Missouri Wrestling Revival. I’ll be going over the twenty guys that at this stage in the game I feel should be listed in Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s PWI 500. That elite list of professional wrestlers from around the world has lost a little of it’s prestige in this day and age due to my people, the Internet Wrestling Community, but while some of my people will say that it’s obsolete, I hearby decree it to be THE list of professional wrestlers.

The PWI 500 dates back to the days when I was a wide eyed boy looking at professional wrestling as a legitimate sport. It was a great way for me to see how wrestlers I was more familiar with rated with others from around the world. Since the late 90s, the list has decreased in popularity due to the decline of pro wrestling magazines (in favor of… GASP! the Internet), but it still has a prominent place in a true wrestling fan’s heart.

I understand that I am getting a little on the ranty side, so let’s just look at my list.

20. Curtis Payne (Full Throttle Wrestling) – The new FTW champion won the belt in very dramatic fashion, proving that he belongs on this list.

19. Brett Young (Central States Wrestling) – Young is one of the best talents out there and while he doesn’t have the most impressive win-loss record, he has really turned it on in 2008 with valuable victories on the way to winning the NWA Kansas Title.

18. Shorty Biggs (Lethal Wrestling Alliance) – A crowd favorite, Shorty held the LWA Heavyweight Championship for months before losing it to “The Future” Donovan Ruddick in April.

17. Edmund “Livewire” McGuire (All American Pro Wrestling) – He’s currently at a point in his career where a lot of title shots for multiple titles could all come at once. A great guy with a very good win-loss record over the past year.

16. Gage Octane (3XWrestling) – The 3XW Champ is one of the best working in Iowa, hands down.

15. Mississippi Madman (Scott County Wrestling) – Come on, it’s the friggin Mississippi Madman!

14. Mark Sterling (3XWrestling) – 3XW’s Pure Wrestling Champion is also one half of the Pro Wrestling Phoenix Tag Team Champions. I don’t think there are too many in the Midwest that are better workers than this man.

13. Adam Raw (Lethal Wrestling Alliance) – Has it all, except for the LWA Heavyweight Title. Could a showdown with Donovan Ruddick catapult him to the top of this list next year? I say yes… and I know all.

12. Shane Hollister (Scott County Wrestling) – Few are having a better 2008 than Shane Hollister. He just recently beat Tyler Black for the SCW Heavyweight Championship.

11. “Serial Thriller” Shane Rich (All American Pro Wrestling) – AAPW’s Heavyweight Champ is always solid in the ring. He hasn’t had a bad match in 2008.

10. “The Future” Donovan Ruddick (Lethal Wrestling Alliance) – This is the guy everybody is talking about. He’s big, he has a huge upside, and he just grabbed the LWA Heavyweight Title away from Shorty Biggs.

9. Eric Ruffington (New Midwest Wrestling) – I’ve seen plenty about this guy through this site. The guy is entertaining and frequently has gold around his waist. He deserved to be in the PWI 500.

8. Jeremy Wyatt (Central States Wrestling) – One of the best in the Midwest, and he’s just as active in other places like LWA and PWP. The guy is tough and talented. That’s an excellent combination.

7. Keith Walker (AAW: Pro Wrestling Redefined) – The big guy had a lot of momentum but recently lost a lot of it when he left WLW. We’ll see what kind of impact he has in AAW and SCW.

6. Dangerous Derek (World League Wrestling) – The new World League Wrestling Heavyweight Champion had his stock rise significantly by defeating Chris Masters.

5. Dingo (Central States Wrestling: Missouri) – Can I get Dingo on TV? Like, seriously. This guy is that good, and NWA Missouri Champion to boot.

4. Jerry Lynn (AAW: Pro Wrestling Redefined) – He’ll be in the PWI 500 no matter what I say, but he still belongs on this list as the AAW Heavyweight Champ.

3. Michael Strider (Central States Wrestling) – I wish there was more Michael Strider to go around. I don’t think I’ve personally seen him wrestle for months now.

2. Tyler Black (Scott County Wrestling) – Ring of Honor has really helped raise the profile of this former SCW Heavyweight Champ.

1. Chris Masters (World League Wrestling) – Just recently losing the WLW Heavyweight Title doesn’t diminish his WWE experience for the majority of the year. I imagine he’ll rank highly, and should. He’s had some great matches in WLW.

That’s all I have for this edition of Mark This Down. Until next time, my people.

Missouri Wrestling Revival and this update are brought to you by:

Click here to go to our sponsor: Pro Wrestling and More Radio!

Pro Wrestling and More Radio plays wrestling related music… AND MORE! PWAM also supports breast cancer awareness and hopes for a cure. We are proud to be sponsored by PWAM, and encourage you to go give them a listen!

RELATED LINKS

“Mark This Down” for January 18, 2008
“Mark This Down” for January 27, 2008
“Mark This Down” for February 17, 2008
“Mark This Down” for April 10, 2008
“Mark This Down” for May 9, 2008

Your Trip to Space Mountain-All American Pro Wrestling at Chester IL

Your Trip to Space Mountain

by Brian “Flair” Kelley
I am back with a new “Your Trip to Space Mountain”. In this edition we find out if an independent show can be a lot of fun without a past or current superstar. Last time, you heard about an ICW show I attended that had TNA Superstars James Storm and Eric Young along with former WCW star Disco Inferno. For All American Pro Wrestling in Chester, IL at the Daniel Colbert Gym, though, there were no past or present superstars in sight.

The weather was beautiful as we arrived to the gym. We were among the first to enter the building to purchase two tickets for the 50/50 drawing. We sat in the middle of the front row so that I could get pictures of the show. While we waited two AAPW wrestlers, Edmund “Livewire” McGuire and The All American J.T. Calhoun, hung out with the fans, signed autographs and snapped pictures. I am sure the fans are bragging to their friends and family about what they missed. This was a positive in another way because when the show started the fans already knew that J.T. and Edmund were nice guys and were people who they should cheer for.

I always feel that it is important to start the night off with a solid match to set the tone of the whole evening and AAPW gave us two wrestlers that could be in the main event as the Cocky Shawn Shultz took on Brian James. Shultz can draw heat with ease and the crowd was thrilled to see James get the win as he upset Shultz with an inside cradle.

I have seen Mark Sterling and Darrien Sanders many times before, but this would be the first time that I would see them in person as The LONRS. These two have been making a name for themselves in the Midwest tag team division lately. The crowd was hot for The LONRS to get what was coming to them before the match even started. The fans were excited to see All American J.T.Calhoun and his partner Mike Masters enter the ring, with chants of “USA! USA!” ringing throughout the gym.

The LONRS dominated Masters with tag team perfection, beating on him and not allowing him to get a tag for nearly five minutes. Finally, Masters made the tag and had words with J.T. before stunning the crowd by walking away. J.T. fought with all his heart, but with The LONRS were on top of their game. It was too much on this night, even for the All American. Needless to say, the fans were not happy after The LONRS collected their victory. Darrien Sanders taunted the crowd with his air guitar skills to add insult to injury.

The next match seemed to be a mismatch, at least on paper, as MWR wrestler of the month for April 2008 “The Future” Donovan Ruddick faced “Playboy” Paul Rose. Rose was accompanied by his manger, Gaylord Stevens. Stevens is one of the best managers I have seen in the indies, because as soon as he walks through a curtain the fans know that they want to see his guy lose. “Playboy” Paul Rose, whom I had seen in action before, has a ton of charisma and can really move for a guy that looks totally out of shape. This may have been the hardest hitting match of the night, and it received my girlfriend’s favorite match award for the night. “The Future” would go on to win the match, but not without a fight as Rose and Stevens gave him fits throughout.

Intermission was here and “The Atomic Dogg” Ali Stevens, who was trained by Harley Race and had a short stint with WCW, was at the top of the stairs selling videos and all along smiled towards the fans. For the wrestlers out there, I may not be able to tell you how to wrestle but I have one small bit of advice: if you want to sell your merchandise, a smile goes a long way. A smile will leave a good taste in the fans mouth when they leave. Fortunately, this is not a problem most of the time and it wasn’t this night in Chester, IL. AAPW’s wrestlers were very professional.

As my girlfriend returned from smoking, they announced that “Serial Thriller” Shane Rich was going to be taking Polaroid’s inside the ring for $3.00. It looked as if nobody wanted to go first for the first five minutes, so I thought that maybe I could help them out by getting in line. I thought I’d try to make it look like it was the thing to do. I got up for my picture and introduced myself to Shane Rich, and as I asked for him to check out MWR I noticed that all because of me the line had become huge!

Hey, I am just joking! It was easy to see why they would want their picture taken with the champ. Shane looked to be in awesome shape and though this was my first time to see him live, I was excited to see him in action.

Intermission was over and AAPW had the card set up perfectly as they re energized the crowd with another good match. Edmund “Livewire” McGuire hooked up with Ax Stevens, who was accompanied by his manger Gaylord Stevens. Edmund used his speed to cause Stevens all kinds of problems, but just when you thought McGuire would get the win, Gaylord would interfere, allowing Ax to bring the pain for Edmund. “Livewire” has been on a roll as of late, but when he went up top for a leg drop, Ax moved and then used a piledriver for a victory that stunned not only myself but the entire crowd.
“#1″ Brett Young and K.C. Jackson entered the ring to demand some action, but had to belittle the Chester natives, too. K.C. and Brett let them know that they were all number two, which made them the first losers. This went on for some time before the intimidating promoter Sean Chambers had had enough. He called the Atomic Dogg to the ring. I am not a fan of a 2 on one contest because I feel as if it makes the wrestlers that are teaming up look weak, but on this occasion the wrestlers had a very entertaining match. It made sense and the Dogg was very over with the crowd. The Dogg would able to with stand the double teams and pin the two wrestlers for the victory.
In the main event of the evening former AAPW Champion, “Homicidal” Steven Davis received his 1 on 1 rematch with the current champ, “Serial Thriller” Shane Rich. Davis entered the ring with his manager, and I think AAPW has the use of managers down to a science. The managers had the right “bad guy” look and really knew how to work the crowd. This was a great match, and the girls in attendance were clearly on Shane’s side. They screamed every time Steven Davis got the upper hand.

Steven Davis was pulling out all stops to regain the title. The match was a back and forth affair, and the fans were really into it when Rich went for a moonsault off the top turnbuckle. Unfortunately for Rich, Davis moved out of the way. Rich landed on his feat but could not avoid a vicious spear from Davis which got Davis the win and his title back! I must admit I did not see that one coming.

AAPW then thanked the crowd for coming and the night was over. My only complaint during the evening was a common problem in independent wrestling, and that is the sound system. The reported 163 people in attendance witnessed what, in my eyes, was a top notch show. Although they did not have TNA stars on the card, I will say that this show was better than most I have seen with one. The storytelling was excellent and the wrestling was very very good.

All American Pro Wrestling was professional and very fan friendly. If you have a chance to check them out, I highly recommend it. I know that in the future that AAPW will be in my wrestling schedule. You can check out AAPW on the net at http://www.myspace.com/allamericanprowrestling.

Till next time, Support your local independent wrestling promotion by attending a show. Be sure to let us know what you thought about it .

Guest Blogger Series: Josh Ray

Guest Blogger Series:
Josh Ray

I know that I’m technically not a guest blogger for Missouri Wrestling Revival since I am own it, but I wanted to kick off a new feature on the site. I’m calling it the guest blogger series, and I welcome anybody to come on here and talk about anything wrestling related. Of course I prefer it to be about Midwest pro wrestling, but I really just want people to speak their mind or make a case for their ideas.

Today, I’ll go over a recent debate on Lethal Wrestling Alliance’s message boards:

Entertainment vs Wrestling.

Smart Marks vs Casual Fans.

Lethal Wrestling Alliance vs The World.

Okay, so that last one isn’t really the case. I just thought it’d be fun to say.

This should be something that I’m more vocal about, but I’ve waited to say something. I didn’t want to be controversial or step on any toes. LWA fans are passionate about the company and the company’s product, and they should get the first chance to speak their mind. I wanted to break things down in my own perspective.

I read on one of the numerous pro wrestling boards out there that it was a case of LWA either drawing two hundred non-wrestling fans or drawing thirty wrestling fans. I have to say that this statement is a bit shortsighted from a business standpoint, but more importantly it is flawed in it’s definition of “wrestling fan”. More on that definition later.

There is no doubt that LWA is attempting to implement an intelligent strategy. The company seeks a balance between those that come to LWA events for an alternative form of entertainment and those that enjoy the more traditional wrestling aspects of the shows. It boils down to money and appealing to the largest audience audience possible. While the LWA superfans are loyal and deserve to be treated to what they enjoy, LWA would be foolish to only cater to this small group. Please note that I’m not saying that the company should abandone those fans. I would venture to guess that LWA Superfans spend a proportionately larger amount of money than the average fan at these shows, and should be treated to an equally proportionate amount of consideration.

What they do not need is for people to be overly (emphasis on “overly”) critical of every small detail of what is in a show. Support them, tell your friends, let them know which wrestlers you like and which you don’t. Give them ideas, words of encouragement, or constructive criticism. The way I understand it, LWA’s last two shows have been very good. This will eventually bring in more fans. It takes time.

The fundamental flaw with one opinion in this discussion is that it identifies “wrestling fans” as fans who “ponder the order of matches on the show rather than making noise and enjoying themselves”. While I can sympathize with this view because I know some wrestling fans who are like this, I think it’s an incorrect view of fans. The Internet in general can give rise to a “vocal minority” versus a “silent majority”. Pro wrestling has the same problem.

If this view of wrestling fans were to be true, I as well as most of my friends would be considered a large anomaly. I love for a wrestling show to make some semblance of sense, contain great matches and have entertainment and comedy value mixed in. I love to make noise and have fun, too. I just want the best entertainment for my money.

Maybe that is part of the misunderstanding. I think some people mistake comedy as being synonomous with the word “entertainment”. Comedy is only one form of entertainment. For a wrestling event to be successful and encourage more people to attend (and come back), it needs comedy. It also needs more than that, though.

It needs drama.

It needs suspense.

Athleticism, too.

Combine all of this with comedy, great matches and sensical booking, and you’ve got one hell of a wrestling event.

Don’t misunderstand me, though. I totally understand where LWA fans are coming from. They were defensive about a certain post on their message board because, let’s face it, the LWA message board isn’t really a place to discuss the order of matches on a solid card. Complaining about something like that can go a long way to shoot your opinion right in the brain with a shotgun. The LWA superfans were well within their right to get defensive.

The superfans do, in fact, help make the LWA the LWA. If they are loud and obnoxious, yet you agree with them that the show was good, why does it matter that Pierre Abernathy and Delirious wrestled in the last match on the card? An opinion shouldn’t be negative for negativity’s sake. Sometimes I think that some wrestling fans take themselves entirely too seriously.

I honestly believe that a wrestling-oriented show with a mix of entertainment will, over time, draw the fans back to LWA events. The last two shows have been good, and the crowd will gradually increase as a result. Trends are what affect attendance. One or two good shows do not make up a trend, so as LWA continues putting on these shows, the trend will build a buzz and bring the wrestling fans back.

Sit back. Relax. Trust the LWA, as they seem to really be committed to success. That’s a quality that I think all wrestling fans take for granted.

Before I sign off of the first edition of the Guest Blogger Series, I did want to make it a point to say that I think there are better ways to put wrestlers and storylines over at shows than live commentary.

That debate is for another day.

Josh Ray is the owner and editor of Missouri Wrestling Revival. You can reach him at this e-mail or by adding MWR’s Myspace to your friends list.

Fan Favorite Prepares to Hang Up His Boots

Fan Favorite Prepares to Hang Up His Boots

By Kari Williams
MMWA-SICW wrestler Shaft has captured the Light-heavyweight Championship, Tag Team Championship and Heavyweight Championship in various promotions—during a four-year span. He has put his heart and soul into every match, sacrificing his body every month to please the fans. He will be retiring in less than a year.

“I said I wanted to do it until I was 51, and I just turned 50 May 3, so I [have] one more year, and I feel that it might be time,” Shaft said.

He had the opportunity to make his mark on the Midwest wrestling scene through a Connection within the industry.

“[I was] just sitting in the front row and hassling Phil E. Blunt, and then I end up seeing him on the street, and he asked me did I want to train to be a professional wrestler,” Shaft said.

Despite his short time in the business, Shaft has had the opportunity to face many opponents with different strengths and weaknesses, which provided him with many challenges along the way.

“[The] three guys that stand out the most would be Gary Jackson, Phil E. Blunt and Jeremy Lightfoot. Those three there, they’ve really been in the business way longer than me. We just went at each other. We don’t like each other,” Shaft said.

After retirement, he plans to stay within the business working behind the scenes. However, Shaft will spend the remaining time with his family of six daughters and four granddaughters.

“I just want to spend a little time around the house and play with them while I can chase them before I [won’t] be able to run,” he said.

Nonetheless, if the need arises, Shaft may lace up the boots one more time.

“Never say never. You know, that’s what they say Hulk Hogan said. If the opportunity presents [itself] then I guess I have to come back out and kick butt,” Shaft said.

The ‘never-say-die’ attitude that has become his unspoken motto transcends the wrestler’s viewpoint and translates directly to the fans.

“Keep coming down and support the independent wrestling, and come down here and raise a whole lot of hell!” he said.

He will “miss the kids cheering [him] on and having a good time.” He wants to be remembered as an outgoing person that always made people laugh. But what it all comes down to is that the fans come to the shows and have a good time, which is all that Shaft asks for.

MWR Event Report: 3XW on May 16, 2008

Personal Reflection:
3XWrestling’s “Final Countdown”
May 16, 2008

by Josh Ray (Owner/Editor)

It isn’t very often that I can get away from Southwest Missouri for a wrestling show these days, mainly because the price of gas is making treks to watch live indy wrestling way too expensive. Fortunately, I had a little money to burn and decided to venture out of my comfort zone to watch a wrestling promotion that I normally wouldn’t be able to see. After a very solid endorsement from a wrestler I respect about a month or two ago, I drove six-and-a-half hours to Des Moines, IA, for 3XWrestling’s “Final Countdown”.

The lineup for the card looked stacked. It was easy to get excited about a card featuring names like Shane Hollister, Egotistico Fantastico, Mark Sterling, Arik Cannon, and Gage Octane. It had to deliver!

3XW’s venue is a place called InPlay. InPlay is located in a great area of Des Moines and left a great first impression. I made it there two hours early and checked out the arcade located in the building, then ate at the restaurant that was on the second floor. The burger I had there cost me six or seven bucks, and was better than most burgers at places like Applebees. I was early. I was entertained. Most of all, I was full!

About a half hour before the doors opened, I was able to chat with some of the 3XW wrestlers and staff. It was a very professional setup and gave me an even better feeling about how the show would run. I couldn’t wait to sit down and enjoy the show.

When the doors opened, we grabbed good seats and checked out the hall where the show would be taking place. It looked really nice, and I think there was enough room for about 120 to 140 people comfortably. They had a merchandise table for 3XW and some of the wrestlers, plus a production table, a table ringside for the announcer and time keeper, a entrance curtain, and a hard camera position. I was pleased to see that they had a cameraman moving around the ring throughout the night, too.

I won’t go play by play and match by match because another guy that attended the show with me is going to. However, I do want to cover some of the things I considered highlights.

Casanova. This guy is a great performer. He had a solid opponent in Brady A. Dezire, but Casanova was a surprisingly good performer with sound wrestling skills and a definite ability to entertain. He was a crowd pleaser, for sure. I wouldn’t mind seeing him in a tag team with Brett Young. That would be too cool!

Full Throttle (Brandon Marino and Aaron Scott). I couldn’t help but be really impressed with these guys. I had never heard of them before so I asked one of the 3XW staff about them. He told me they are from Dynamo Gym in the St. Louis area. The two of them teamed up with Hunter Matthews to face Dingo, Kraig Keesaman, & Kyle O’Reilly. For this tag team two steal the show with men the caliber of the other four, to me that’s saying something. If I remember correctly, Aaron Scott had a devastating European uppercut, and Brandon Marino’s Irish whip could almost be classified as a finishing maneuver. These two were that awesome.

Northstar Express (Darin Corbin and Ryan Cruz). I finally got to see these two in action and they lived up to all of the hype, in my opinion. I’m not cutting down their opponents, though! Krotch and Mad Dog have a great dynamic and really brought out the best in Northstar Express.

Facial hair of the month, quarter, year, and quite possibly decade goes to…

Kraig Keesaman.

Shane Hollister vs Egotistico Fantastico. Hard hitting match that gave me a crash course in what these guys are all about. Both need to be booked often by everyone in the Midwest, and compensated nicely, too.

Same goes for the Gentleman’s Club (Gage Octane, Mark Sterling, and Todd Countryman). These guys easily maintained their most hated status the entire night.

The sound system. Seriously, it’s nice when you can understand what is going on!

Overall, the night really had no low spots. I was impressed by the fact that everybody seemed to really be working together to put on the best show possible. I wish 3XW all the best, and I really hope to catch another show soon!

Let’s hope those gas prices start dropping. It’s sad that the oil companies can make record-setting profits this past year and the indy wrestling scene has to suffer!

The Kari Williams MMWA-SICW Photo Essay

MMWA-SICW Photo Essay for May 10, 2008

by Kari Williams

Tag Team Title Match:
Dave Vaughn & Mr. Bibbs vs Waco and Tommy Riggs (w/ Big Texan)
Dave Vaughn & Mr. Bibbs win to retain MMWA-SICW Tag Team Titles.

Waco prepares to suplex Dave Vaughn to the mat. Immediately after delivering the suplex, Waco went for the pin, but Vaughn was able to get his shoulder up at the two count.

Tommy Riggs drops his version of “The People’s Elbow” on to a dazed Mr. Bibbs , as he tries to regain momentum for his team.

Mr. Bibbs and Dave Vaughn turn the tide for their team, preparing to demolish their competitors as Referee Jim Harris gives the champions a five count for the illegal man to hold the tag rope.

Shaft vs Jaysin Static
Shaft defeated Jaysin Static by submission via ankle lock.

Prior to starting the match, Shaft declared to Referree Bobby Patton, “First of all, you need to check his hair because that’s a lethal weapon.” With the match in progress, Shaft delivers a devastating suplex to the rookie competitor, Jaysin Static, who has been proving his worth in the months since his debut.

Shaft wrenches Jaysin Static’s ankle in a destructive way, trying to force Static to tap out.

Near the end of the match, Static made a daring attempt at a comeback, sending Shaft to the mat with a treacherous clothesline. However, in the end, Static succumbed to the ankle lock.

Six-man Tag Match (two remaining to face each other for the heavyweight title):
Lumberjacks Abe & Gabe and Kevin X vs Phil E. Blunt, Jerome Cody & Tommy Knight
Order of elimination:
1- Lumberjack Gabe,
2- Tommy Knight,
3- Lumberjack Abe,
4- Phil E. Blunt.
With Jerome Cody and Kevin X as the two remaining competitors, they faced each other later in the night for the vacant Heavyweight Title

In the six-man tag team elemination match, Kevin X was against all odds as he did his best to battle The Connection. He was able to get in some formidable offense in the opening moments of the match against “The Main Attraction” Tommy Knight.

In the no time-limit bout, X kept his cool, not letting emotions get the best of him, like he has done in the past. This method allowed him dropkick Knight to the mat.

Phil E. Blunt delivered an impressive superkick to X in the closing moments of the match. It appeared that Blunt would then set X up for a spear by Jerome Cody, but Cody inadvertently slammed Blunt to the mat. Capitalizing on The Connection’s misfortune, X eliminated Blunt, which made both Cody and himself the final two competitors.

Women’s Title Match:
Alexis Lightfoot vs Stacy O’ Brien
Stacy O’Brien wins to become the new MMWA-SICW Women’s Champion.

As the title match started, Stacy O’ Brien taunted the crowd, while Alexis waited in the ring to defend her title. Referee Jim Harris begins the 10 count for O’ Brien’s antics. O’ Brien had conflicts with Harris throughout the entire match. She argued and judged his refereeing skills with little concern for her competitor.

Despite Alexis’s valiant effort, O’ Brien was able to cheat her way to victory. With a shot to the head using an illegal object, O’ Brien quickly capitalized to become the new MMWA-SICW Women’s Champion.

Heavyweight Title Match:
Jerome Cody vs Kevin X
Kevin X defeated Jerome Cody to become the new MMWA-SICW Heavyweight Champion.

Jerome Cody was laying in wait prior to Kevin X’s entrance, hoping to gain an advantage with a cheap shot. As X walked to the ring, Cody lunged at him and forcefully smashed a steel chair directly onto X’s skull. Cody dominated the majority of the match-up due to his devilish ways, which allowed him to connect with a flying cross-body from the top rope.

Overcoming every obstacle that was put in front of him for months, X pulled a victory seemingly out of nowhere to become the new MMWA-SICW Heavyweight Champion. When X requested that Referee Bobby Patton put the belt around his waist, Cody stormed from ringside in disgust.

Moondog Rover vs Jeremy Lightfoot
Jeremy Lightfoot defeated Moondog Rover via roll up.

Moondog Rover tries to gain control of Jeremy Lightfoot in the opening moments of the bout using his traditional dog-like tactics.

Referee Jim Harris checks the status of Lightfoot after Rover reverts to tactics that would send him to the dog pound for sure.

Rover tries to gain some measure of control with a splash in the corner, but in the end Lightfoot defeats the mischevious mutt with a roll-up.

Junior Heavyweight Title Match:
A.J. Williams v. Tommy Riggs
AJ Williams defeated Tommy Riggs for the Vacant MMWA-SICW Junior Heavyweight Title.

After it was announced that Johnny Courageous would not be able to wrestle (as scheduled) due to a shoulder injury, A.J. Wlliams waited for his opponent, who turned out to be Tommy Riggs.

In his second match of the night, Riggs made every attempt to capture the Junior Heavyweight Title, going so far as to use “The People’s Elbow.”

However, the stars were lined up right for Williams, as his determination to regain the title propelled him to victory after connecting with a flying elbow drop and a moonsault from the tope rope.

“Wild Child” Billy Diamond vs Bobby D
Billy Diamond defeated Bobby D.

“Wild Child” Billy Diamond delivers an impressive suplex to Bobby D in the main event of the evening, determined to make the rainbow warrior lose his cool.

Bobby D tries to make a comeback against Diamond with an elbow drop, but to no avail.

Although Bobby D controlled a portion of the bout, Diamond had the wherewithall to fight back, delivering knees to the gut, and then following up the assualt to issue a resounding defeat.

MWR Spotlight: Luke Roberts (Part 3 of 3)

Luke Roberts (Part 3 of 3)

by Brian “Flair” Kelley

As far as wrestlers and the St Louis scene are concerned, we will start with the WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton. Have you had any past interactions with “The Legend Killer“?

I have had some indirect contact with Randy through his father. However, as far as direct contact, I have not had the privilege of working with him. He came to South Broadway about a year after I left to wrestle on the St. Louis wrestling scene.

How do you feel of his work as a wrestler?

As a wrestler, Randy Orton is coming into his own as one of the best “bad guys” in the sport. He has developed an attitude that incites professional wrestling fans to hate him. Given the right opportunities, I feel that Randy will be at the top tier of the WWE for years to come.

Let’s stay with the Orton family and talk about his father “Cowboy” Bob Orton, who I met at an OSWA show a while back.

I have had several run-ins with “Cowboy” Bob Orton. Every time I work with him, I always have a great time. Even though he may not be in his prime, he still can provoke a crowd to hate him. From working with him, it is easy to see that many of the skills that Randy Orton has are genetic.

St Louis has been represented well here recently with Delirious, MsChif, and Daizee Haze wrestling in LWA for the Michael Johnson Benefit show on May 3rd. Matt Sydal and Dingo have also made a splash. Which one has surprised you the most with their success?

If I had to choose one, I would have to say MsChif. The successes of the men notwithstanding, to excel as a women’s wrestler is a much more difficult task. Right now, she holds two of the most recognized championships in the world. That, combined with her athletic skills and her attitude, is the reason why I would choose MsChif as the St. Louis wrestler who has surprised me the most.

Who would you say in the past 18 years was the most underrated wrestler in the St Louis area?

In my career, the most underrated wrestler was John Blackheart. This man was technically sound and knew what it took to get a reaction out of the fans. He could go out and fly with the light heavyweights, brawl with the brawlers, manipulate the rules in the world of tag team wrestling, and do things behind a referee’s back that were pure gold. John Blackheart could go out to the ring with anyone and have a good match. He was just that good.

Who do you feel is the best tag team ever in professional wrestling?

The best tag team in professional wrestling, in my opinion, would be Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard. They thought and wrestled in almost perfect harmony with little to no communication necessary.

Who do you feel is the best tag team in St. Louis in the past 20 years?

That’s easy! Billy Bob and the Techno Kid! Just joking! Seriously, the answer to this question will stun a lot of people. From all of the tag teams that have wrestled in St. Louis on a regular basis, I would say that the Ego Express is the best tag team that I have seen in the past 20 years. They know what the other one is thinking at all times. They genuinely seem to like and trust each other. Their knowledge of the rules and how to break them is outstanding. Also, they have a manager/valet that fits their plans perfectly. The Ego Express, whether you like them or not, has all the tools to hang with any tag team in professional wrestling.

Is there anyone that comes to mind that never got the chance, but really deserved it?

I feel that “The Punisher” from the MVWA never really got his time in the spotlight. In his heyday, he could drive a crowd to almost riot status before he even entered the ring. If he would have had a company like an MMWA, GCW, or LWA to sign him and he could have stayed healthy, he could have been huge.

At the moment, you have the chance to become LWA President. You are running against Jacob Dangle, Steven Miller, Bavarian Boy. For those who have not been a part of LWA, tell us what that is about.

Since Yuletide Terror 2007, the LWA has been without a president. Management has decided that someone needs to take control of the LWA before chaos destroys the company. Seeing that I have refereed and ring announced for the LWA, a friend of mine tried to convince me to run for the LWA presidency and I brushed it off. Yet, as time went on, I heard that Steven Miller had found a loophole and weaseled his way into the election process. Once I heard that he was running, I knew that I had to give serious thought about running for LWA president.

Steven Miller thinks that, if Bavarian Boy or Jacob Dangle is elected president of the LWA, he can use his influence with Donovan Ruddick to intimidate them into doing what he wants. However, Mr. Miller knows that I am not, nor will never be, scared of anyone. I know that since I am running for LWA President against Steven Miller, if I lose, I will probably be out of a job.

The fans of the LWA need to make their opinions known. I recommend that everyone goes to www. lwawrestling. com and vote for who you think should be the new LWA president.

Let’s go to Word Association

South Broadway – lacking originality

MECW – professional

LWA – talented roster

UWA – rebuilding

CSW – tradition

AAPW – dedicated to its fans

WLW – Harley Race

SLAMZONE – hardworking

SHIMMER – true women’s wrestling

FTW – The Independent Icons

RCW – misunderstood

NWA – territorial professional wrestling

WWE – cheese

TNA – innovative

ECW – WWE light

ROH – True Professional Wrestling

St Louis Hall of Fame – tribute to St. Louis wrestling history

Best pro wrestling book – “Hooker” by Lou Thesz

Hulk Hogan – all about “the Benjamins”

Ric Flair – legend

Ultimate Warrior – joke

WrestleMania 24 – lackluster

HHH – heart of the WWE

Samoa Joe – class act

Kurt Angle – machine

Motor City Machine Guns – great people

Davey Richards – tough as nails

“The Future” Donavan Ruddick – monster

Michael Strider – crazy

Shorty Biggs – the “fifth”

Gary the Barn Owl – Bearded Men from Space Station 11

Brian James – “It’s All Good”

Scott Murphy – true friend

Stacey O’Brien – future of St. Louis women’s wrestling

Sean Vincent – Canadian superstar

Cameron Cage – funny, funny, funny

Cabal – Chewbacca

Edmund “Livewire” McGuire – outstanding

Adam Raw – intense

Pierre Abernathy – Submission Squad

Playboy HH – hides behind his stable

Austin Aries – quiet

Pete Madden – Trainer

“Atomic Dog” Ali Stevens – Powerhouse

Steven Miller – power hungry

Phoenix Twins – Tag Team Specialists

Brandon Aarons – Hollister

Mephisto – psychotic

Douglas O’Shea – hated everywhere he goes

Evan Gelistico – Zero Gravity

Jeremy Wyatt – The Rebel

Shaft – the heart of MMWA

Tyler Cook – underrated

Awesome Kong – brutality personified

Mark Sterling – intimidating

Trent Stone – impact player

Billy McNeil – death-defying

Lightfoot – Lightfoot Driver

Brandon Espinosa – No Fear

Johnny Greenpeace – Tree

Dingo – dedicated to professional wrestling

Ego Express – “old school” tag team wrestling

Johnny Vinyl and Davey Vega – arrogant

Eric Davis – versatile

Justin Wade – throwback

The Lumberjacks – tough

Dorian Victor – Must Be the Money

The Connection – Bullies

Editors Note: This has been the third and final installment of MWR’s Spotlight on Luke Roberts. Luke is a key piece of the pro wrestling puzzle in the St. Louis area, and I am proud that he chose to sit down and give us a little of his time. Hopefully we can chat again with him sometime soon.

MWR Spotlight: Luke Roberts (Part 2 of 3)

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.