Author: Ben Simon

By Ben Simon

On May 23, 1959, the first episode of Wrestling at the Chase aired on KPLR.  Fifty-five years later, Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling will celebrate that anniversary in a major way.

Ken Kasa defends the Classic Wrestling Championship in the main event rematch against Gary Jackson.  These two met last month and Gary appeared to have had Kasa trapped in the Texas cloverleaf for the win.

However, Kasa’s manager, Travis Cook blatantly interfered to cost his man the match, but save the title.  It’s cheap, but chalk that up as a successful defense.

Travis will have difficulty interfering this time; during the match, Cook is to be handcuffed to Big Daddy, a local legend and a successful manager from the old MMWA-SICW era.

Oh yeah, the Giant Assassin will be in East Carondelet too.  The nine-time MMWA Heavyweight Champion (spanning 1986-1993) doesn’t come around wrestling often.  It will be a treat to see him.

This nostalgic recipe for the evening would taste perfect with a Gary Jackson title win.  “Night Train” has made it clear that he believes he can win the strap.

In the co-feature, Ron Powers will throw down with Ricky Cruz in a no disqualification Loser Leaves Town match.  The winner is looking at a title shot around the corner; the loser must leave SICW for at least the remainder of 2014.

Also on the card: Jake Dirden & Heath Hatton vs. Bull Bronson & Frankie Wyatt, Shorty Biggs vs. Flash Flanagan, Big Jim Hoffarth vs. Waco, and a battle royal.

Famed manager of the 80’s and 90’s, Jim Cornette will be on hand for the event.  Travis Cook has made a video series to voice his displeasure at the special appearances.

Bobby “The Brain” Heenan was slated to appear.  However, Heenan suffered a broken shoulder recently and instead will appear in East Carondelet on June 21.

For advance tickets, call (618) 286-4848.

By Ben Simon

Mother’s Day is Sunday, and what better gift for Mom than a night of wrestling in the Gateway City on May 10?  Two of the three promotions represented on this site present offerings on Saturday night.

MMWA Wrestling in Soulard

MMWA Wrestling is at its home at the South Broadway Athletic Club.  Brandon Espinosa will defend the MMWA Heavyweight Championship against the man he won it from in February, Brian James.

Last month, Espy and Ace Hawkins met Gary Jackson and Brian James in a tag bout.  If either member of the latter team scored the fall, he would earn a heavyweight title shot.  James pinned Hawkins.

Espinosa complained post-match that neither man involved in the fall was legal.  Even though that seems it should be true, the call stands and “Da Bomb” James will attempt to prove he’s no fluke by becoming a two-time champ.

Also on the card, Lynn Mephisto puts his TV Championship on the line against mandatory challenger, A.J. Williams.  Williams won a four-way elimination match last month for the right.

As well, Webmaster Stevie K will try to survive against Barackus and Dave Osborne.  The winner will be the MMWA Survivor Champion.

Bell at 8.  For advance tickets, call (314) 778-4833.

Dynamo Pro Wrestling in Glen Carbon

In the Metro-East, Dynamo Pro Wrestling emanates from the Sports Academy in Glen Carbon with a highly-anticipated main event.

Jake Dirden is the most dominant Dynamo Pro Champion there has ever been.  His toughest challenge may be an angry Puerto Rican named Ricky Cruz.

Cruz is no stranger to title gold.  In fact, he was the greatest SICW Classic Wrestling Champion ever, amassing a reign with 13 defenses over 13 months.  He said he was screwed out of that title, and screwed out of a proper rematch for that title.

Listen to Ricky Cruz tell it as he believes it on RingSyders

Ricky believes Dynamo Pro Executive Director Mark Bland is holding him down as well.  Bland made Cruz start at the “bottom of the ladder” in Bland’s company.  In response, Cruz has put away everyone.

Last week, he beat Outtkast and Bradley Charles in a three-way.  There is no doubt that Ricky deserves a shot against “Dirdey” Jake Dirden.  This is a match where it’s hard to imagine either of them losing.

Also on the card, The Bum Rush Brothers and “Littlest Viking” Jake Parnell take on The Black Hand Warriors and their new buddy, Jack Gamble.  As well, Steven Kennedy, Bradley Charles, and Mark Sterling wrestle a three-way.

Bell at 7.  For ticket information, visit DynamoProWrestling.com.

By Ben Simon

Even though May 3rd isn’t really Cinco de Mayo (the fifth of May), this Cinco de Mayo on May 3rd will still be a nonstop wrestling party.  There are two events you should know about.

The South Broadway Athletic Club offers a unique setting for pro wrestling on May 3rd, outside the Casa Loma Ballroom at Cherokee and Iowa Streets.

As part of “Cinco de Mayo on Cherokee Street!”, MMWA Wrestling will have a 2 P.M. special mini-card.  The three matches are all featured on the above poster.  The event is free.

Da’Marius Jones, who trains out of Mexico, finds the main event three-way as the perfect opportunity to wrest the MMWA Heavyweight Championship from Brandon Espinosa.

Likewise, A.J. Williams is also in his backyard, South City.  A longtime junior heavyweight standout, the man once known as the “Angry Juvenile” will enjoy a rematch from his March 8th shot.

Espinosa doesn’t want to lose in just his second title defense, of course.  Can the leader of The Elitism retain on Cherokee?

Later that evening, Dynamo Pro Wrestling presents a full card at Fenton’s Stratford Bar & Grill, capped off with a Jake Dirden title defense.

Dirden’s opponent, Elvis Aliaga, began 2014 with a couple of matches against “Dirdey” that pitted WLW against Dynamo Pro, respectively.  Controversy prevented anything from being settled.

Aliaga has since lost his WLW Heavyweight Title, but has set his sights on the Dynamo Pro Championship.

Also on the card, Ricky Cruz vs. Kevin X, Outtkast vs. Bradley Charles, and Mark Sterling vs. Mike Sydal.  Bell time is 7 P.M.

Even if you don’t celebrate the Battle of Puebla, get out, drink, be merry, and have good times this Saturday with two events!

By Ben Simon

Gary Jackson is a legend and he’s not done yet.  The longtime Saint Louis veteran will take a crack at “Ironman” Ken Kasa and his Classic Wrestling Championship this Saturday, April 26, at the East Carondelet Community Center.

I’m trying to get back into the spotlight and be a champion again.  A lot of fans remember me when I had the (MMWA Championship, when it was the SICW’s crown, too)… they say I’ve still got what it takes to win this belt again.

Watch Gary Jackson’s full interview from Wrestling Explosion

A multiple-time champ at South Broadway, “Gorgeous” Gary has never held the top prize in modern SICW.  Over a year since his last shot at the Classic Title (CWC), “Night Train” looks to take Travis Cook’s most prized trophy from his most prized athlete.

That athlete is Ken Kasa, the CWC for 10 months.  Saturday will be Kasa’s 11th title defense, just two away from Ricky Cruz’s record of 13.

This SICW offering is titled “Barnburner” and it should be one indeed.  In a co-feature, Flash Flanagan makes his return to test Jake Dirden in a heavyweight showdown.

In this battle that pits a kendo stick against the Asiatic spike, this could get out of hand in a hurry.

Also, Ricky Cruz teams with the 410 lb. Bull Bronson to battle Chaz Wesson and Ron Powers.  As well, Heath Hatton wrestles promotional newcomer “The Iceman” Howard Moritz.

For advance tickets, call (618) 286-4848.

By Ben Simon

Update: Jake Dirden has retained against Jeremy Wyatt.  Dirden vs. Outtkast is confirmed for Off Broadway.

A title rematch is signed for Dynamo Pro’s return to the Sports Academy in Glen Carbon, Ill. on April 19.  Jake Dirden will defend against Jeremy Wyatt.

Wyatt said that he was “screwed” out of his supposed title victory over the bearded Dirden earlier this month.  Wyatt earned the pinfall by nailing Jake with the title belt.  After Elvis Aliaga brought the foul play to light, the match was restarted and Dirden made good.

Note that Davey Richards will not appear at the April 19 event due to a TNA obligation.

The winner of the title scrap on Saturday won’t have long for a breather; the Dynamo Pro Championship is on the line again Tuesday, April 22 at Off Broadway in Saint Louis.

Outtkast of the Bum Rush Brothers will finally get his first crack at the title.  The match is his specialty: a “House of Fun”  hardcore match.  This one will get crazy and will be “fun” to see live.

Dirden’s face is on the poster but it could just as well be Jeremy Wyatt defending the Dynamo Pro Championship come next Tuesday.

For ticket information, visit DynamoProWrestling.com.

 

By Ben Simon

It’s unusual but not unknown for a small faction to grow into a monstrous one.  A virus is spreading in MMWA Wrestling.

Brandon Espinosa is not new to the faction game.  In fact, up until a couple of years ago, he led a group called the “Elitism.”  Could the Elitism return, bigger than ever before?  That notion is a dangerous one.

Espy and his longtime buddy Ace Hawkins interrupted last month’s main event tag match.  Their mission: to injure Gary Jackson and Brian James.  Barackus and Mephisto assisted.

The locker room emptied and a brawl erupted in the ring.  What was left in the ring was an army of necessity: Gary Jackson, Brian James, A.J. Williams, Da’Marius Jones, Dave Osborne, J-Mal Swagg, Webmaster Stevie K, Andrew Wilder, and Everett Connors.

On the outside: Espinosa, Hawkins, Mephisto, Jackson Whitechapel, Sean Orleans, the huge Barackus, and a returning Chase King.

Jim Harris has set the card for April 12.  The main event will pit Brandon Espinosa and Ace Hawkins against Gary Jackson and Brian James.  If either Jackson or James scores the fall, he will receive a title shot.

In the co-feature, Dave Osborne will finally get his hands on Barackus in a fair, one-on-one contest.  Barackus is undefeated; his claw hold is, so far, unbreakable.  One thing to look for here: can Osborne avoid or break the hold before Dave is KO’ed face-first on the canvas?  The former champ has been attacked by the huge Barackus multiple times.  Now, he looks for revenge.

Jackson Whitechapel and his agent, Sean Orleans, will deal with a wild card of a tag bout versus Da’Marius Jones and “Dogtown” Jake Dempsey.  Dempsey, a local boxing trainer, will make all his Boxing Training and his pro debut.  Will Dempsey try to get in the ring with his former commentary partner, Orleans?

On April 12, Jackson, James, Osborne, and company are fighting to keep the integrity of wrestling alive at the SBAC.  If they fail, it is possible more wrestlers will be tempted by the “faction’s” dominance.  And if that happens, South Broadway is looking at a hostile takeover in the wrestling department.

For advance tickets, call (314) 778-4833.

By Ben Simon

“Show me greatness!” shouted Mark Bland.

Dynamo Pro’s Executive Director of Operations sat ringside Feb. 1 for the gauntlet battle royal to determine a championship mandatory challenger.

Jeremy Wyatt (who entered at unlucky #1 in the field of 20) heard the message loud and clear.  He outlasted them all and receives his Dynamo Pro Championship match April 5 at the Stratford Bar & Grill.

Known as “The Belt Collector,” Wyatt has made a career out of doing just that.  He held the NWA Central States Heavyweight and NWA Missouri Heavyweight titles at the same time, a rarity seen only twice before.

Jake Dirden is the most dominant champion in Missouri, in terms of title defenses.  When “Dirdey” applies his Asiatic Spike sleeper hold, no one escapes.  He’s a wild man, but he won’t take Wyatt lightly.

The Black Hand Warriors (Michael Magnuson & Dave DeLorean) will defend their Dynamo Pro Tag Team Championship against the former and first champions, The Bum Rush Brothers (Shorty Biggs & Outtkast).

Outtkast was to fight Jake Dirden for the big title on March 1st.  However, freezing rain forced a cancellation.  Outtkast is not happy that he may have to wait through several more cards to get his deserved shot.  Ripping the tag title from the BHW would be a welcome consolation.

Also, Bradley Charles meets Dan Walsh, Elvis Aliaga will try to out-“fit” Mark Sterling, and a three-way tag team attraction will pit Gamble & Webb against Jake Parnell & Andino Giovanni as well as Brandon Espinosa & Ace Hawkins.

Buy tickets in advance at BrownPaperTickets.com.

By Ben Simon

You’ve heard the news?  Ken Kasa is still the Classic Wrestling Champion.  The “Ironman” defeated Jake Dirden, 2-1, in a best-of-three showdown last weekend in East Carondelet.

With the match tied 1-1, Travis Cook blatantly interfered, trying to get the champion disqualified.  This would yield a loss, yet a successful title defense.  Referee Jay King knew that the deciding fall in the match had to be a pin or submission for a title change.

Even though King wouldn’t disqualify Ken Kasa, Dirden couldn’t keep his composure and tossed Kasa over the top rope for a DQ in the third.

There is no rest for champion Ken Kasa.  He is signed to meet Heath Hatton for the title in Kasa’s 10th defense this Saturday at the Caseyville Village Hall in Caseyville, Ill.

Also on the card, Ron Powers and Chaz Wesson will tangle with Ricky Cruz & Ax Allwardt.  What condition will Wesson be in?  Ricky Cruz’s brutal chair assault left Chaz bloody and unconscious just this past weekend.

Listen to Ron Powers talk about the match on RingSyders

Note that Dave Vaughn was originally slated to team with Cruz in the match; Vaughn is taking a leave from pro wrestling.

The event is a benefit for the local fire department.  For tickets, call (618) 344-1781.

By Ben Simon

On Saturday, March 22, at the East Carondelet Community Center, SICW’s Classic Wrestling Champion Ken Kasa will put his title on the line against the Dynamo Pro Champion Jake Dirden.

The bout is an old school, best-of-three falls match with a one hour time limit.  This format was the norm for world heavyweight championship matches and many classic Saint Louis showdowns decades ago.

Listen to Ken Kasa talk about Dirden on RingSyders

These two met for the CWC in December in a one fall match.  After distraction by Dave Vaughn, Kasa reversed Dirden’s Asiatic Spike sleeper into a pin combination to retain.

Be there tonight to see either “Dirdey” walk out as unified champion or to witness the “Ironman” and the Travis Cook Organization make a successful ninth title defense.

By Ben Simon

In August 2010, I started this site to serve the former MMWA-SICW alliance.  Tony Casta’s and Herb Simmons’s promotions needed an online presence badly.  In fact, their “web site” mmwa-sicw.com simply redirected to a Myspace page.

This site, originally mmwasicw.com (without the hyphen), was created.  It was considered the new official web site of these organizations.

However, when South Broadway’s wrestling club and SICW divorced officially in late 2012, SaintLouisWrestling.com seemed like the kid no one wanted.

Neither promotion wanted or wants to share an “official” web site and I can’t blame them.  I could have just chosen a side and promoted it exclusively.

SaintLouisWrestling.com is too valuable for just one promoter.  That’s why I’m going to transition it to serving all of Greater St. Louis.  I’m a busy man, so it may take a while.

The Mid Missouri Wrestling Alliance has launched a new official web site: MMWAstl.com.  Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling has no official web site.

If you would like to write for SaintLouisWrestling.com, let me know.