Contributors

BEN SIMON, Administrator
PATRICK BRANDMEYER, Author
BRIAN KELLEY, Missouri Wrestling Revival

This web site covers six Greater St. Louis wrestling promotions.  Official site inclusion requires a promoter to exhibit several factors: fan attendance, regularity, professionalism, historical significance, and marketing.  This is the cream of the crop.

There are more; they are acknowledged on the Calendar, but not followed as closely as the ones listed below (in order of founding, but with the most prominent first).

The Promotions

Glory Pro Wrestling

• South Broadway Athletic Club, Saint Louis, Mo.

DAN KUJAWA, Owner
COREY INSKIP, Owner

Glory Pro Wrestling was founded by Michael Elgin in 2017, and had its initial events at Alton’s Spaulding Club. Fans flocked to the company and recognized it as a spiritual successor to Saint Louis Anarchy (while that company was shelved for the NWL).

Elgin sold Glory Pro to his trainees Kevin Lee Davidson and Danny Kujawa at the end of 2017. Davidson left the company in September 2020. The company is the “super-indie” for Saint Louis, with top current names, not signed to WWE, competing for its championships.

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MMWA Professional Wrestling

The South Broadway Athletic Club has hosted wrestling of some sort for a century, but for the professional ranks, it has been 50 years.  In 1985, Tony Casta ousted Timmy Kearns to become promoter at the SBAC and the Mid Missouri Wrestling Alliance (formerly “Association”) was born.  This organization is St. Louis’s oldest wrestling promotion!

The SBAC, which practically (but not actually) owns MMWA Professional Wrestling, lies in historic Soulard.  Its events are regularly covered by the Riverfront Times, HEC-TV, and by various college photo slideshow projects.  This attention regularly draws more fans (from all walks of life) than any other organization.  The promotion had a weekly show on public access from 1985-2014.

Tony Casta died on May 4, 2020, leaving operations to his nephew, Anthony.

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SICW Wrestling Explosion

• East Carondelet Community Center, East Carondelet, Ill.

HERB SIMMONS, Executive Director
DANNY BOY HAWKINS, Commissioner
Official Media: SICW.org

Herb Simmons has promoted wrestling since the late 70s.  Names like Lou Thesz and Bruiser Brody have appeared on his Southern Illinois cards.  In the 80s, Simmons started calling his promotion Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling, or SICW.  It is the spiritual successor of the St. Louis Wrestling Club.

SICW’s demographic is older; they’re holdouts from the St. Louis Wrestling Club days who don’t like what they see on Monday night TV.  They do enjoy the legends’ appearances, almost every month.

The MMWA-SICW partnership produced decades of body slams and memories.  In October 2012, the South Broadway Athletic Club ended its relationship with Herb Simmons and then-Commissioner Keith Smith. The MMWA and SICW are now distinct, but have co-promoted occasionally since 2014.

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World League Wrestling

• World League Wrestling, Troy, Mo.

LELAND RACE, Owner
Official Media: HarleyRace.com

Founded by Karl Lauer in 1996 as World Legion Wrestling (1999 by Harley Race as “League”),  WLW has served Missouri and adjacent states with family-friendly cards and special guests. Harley moved the office from Eldon to Troy, Missouri (in Greater St. Louis) in 2013.

WLW and its Harley Race Wrestling Academy have a working relationship with Pro Wrestling Noah. Thus, many WLW champions and alumni have had an opportunity to compete in Japan.

Harley Race died on August 1, 2019, leaving operations to his son, Leland.

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Dynamo Pro Wrestling

JIM YOUNT, Owner
CRYSTAL YOUNT, Owner
Official Media: DynamoProWrestling.com

Founded in 2007 as the Missouri portion of NWA Central States Wrestling, Dynamo Pro has booked events in Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois. The outfit took its current name in 2008 and split from the NWA in October 2012.

The Younts encourage wrestlers to compete for multiple promoters. In fact, Dynamo Pro allows outside championships to be defended on its cards.

After losing their residency at Concordia Turners in 2022, the Younts cut their schedule back substantially. The future of Dynamo is unclear.

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WrestleMax STL

• Turner Hall, Columbia, Ill.

KEVIN LEE DAVIDSON, Owner
ERIC ENRIGHT, Owner
NOAH DAUM, Owner

In 2021, Kevin Lee Davidson founded WrestleMax STL. The first event was February 20, 2021, the first event in the City of Saint Louis in ten months. The company took a hiatus in early 2022, but returned that August.

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NWL (Defunct)

• O’Fallon Elks Lodge, O’Fallon, Mo.

MAJOR BAISDEN, President
MATT JACKSON, General Manager

The most active promoter in Missouri in 2017, the National Wrasslin’ League was the legal successor of Saint Louis Anarchy in the Gateway City.  Originally, NWL called the Casa Loma Ballroom (and then Matteson Square Garden) home. Later, the NWL ran in St. Charles County, the only promotion to do so. The marketing juggernaut held events in Saint Louis once a month.  It ceased operation on April 12, 2018.