Saint Louis Wrestling

By Patrick Brandmeyer

Now, as promised, a special comment about the Dynamo Pro Wrestling event at the Sports Academy in Glen Carbon, Illinois on June 28.

Pretty good turnout for the anniversary card…it sucks that this particular venue is hurt by soccer season forcing a layoff of several months in the wintertime. The lineup was hurt a bit by the absence of several key players, particularly Jake Dirden. The tag champs were also absent as Michael Magnuson and David DeLorean were at the WLW event in Troy, Missouri. Very little was announced for Dynamo besides the main event, but they posted a few matches last week. Jeremy Wyatt was posted as facing Steven Kennedy, but Kennedy wasn’t there so Brandon Aarons took his place. Rocket Mapache was scheduled to team with Dash Rando, but Mapache was absent so he was replaced.

Your ring announcers were Luke Roberts & Chris Roedel, your timekeeper was Ben Simon, and your referees were Patrick Hook, Keith Smith Jr., Michael Crase, and Jay King (Wow, four refs…that might be a recent record.).

Billy McNeil vs. “The Alternative” Brandon Gallagher: Dug the slightly altered look for Gallagher with the torn jeans (over his usual tights) and plaid shirt. Wonder how the fans with unicorn masks felt about Billy coming out in a gorilla mask for a change…heh. Gallagher wrestled in Mexico for the first time recently as he traveled there with The Hooligans, Alexandre Rudolph, and Jake Parnell. Had a hard time describing Billy’s finisher…it looked like he was going for an up-and-over flying headscissors from behind, but it turned into a top-rope double-kneedrive to the back instead of the front (like that Matt Sydal guy does). At any rate, it got the win in 10:19.

Executive Director Mark Bland hyped the card, mostly the main event…he brought out Crystal Yount as a member of Dynamo management and she acknowledged some of the people who have been a part of the promotion since the beginning.

Jackal vs. “The Fittest Wrestler On Earth” Mark Sterling: Jackal is one of those Dynamo originals; I haven’t seen him wrestle too often outside of Dynamo and (before that) GCW. Sterling got the win with an Air Raid Crash in 7:04.

Mike Outlaw vs. “Showtime” Bradley Charles: Outlaw made his pro debut at SICW last weekend against Dirden; he’s a Dynamo trainee and this was his first outing for his home promotion. This was a bit more competitive than last week’s bout; he has looked solid so far. SBC finished with a TKO cutter in 7:15.

Dash Rando & Cavana Fantastic vs. The Professionals (Shawn Santel & Mauler McDarby) (w/ Travis Cook): Rando claimed that Rocket Mapache had rabies so he couldn’t wrestle…that brought out Fantastic (also known as C.J. McManus) to volunteer his services. The match was long for something that would seem to be a one-sided affair on paper. On top of that, Fantastic dropped off the apron when Rando went for a late tag…that left the masked man to be double-teamed. Appropriately, it was a pair of Mafia Kicks that put Rando down for McDarby to pin in 11:25(!). Cavana cemented his status by laying out Rando with a post-match superkick.

“The Yoga Master” Mike Sydal vs. “Ironman” Ken Kasa (w/ Travis Cook): Interesting matchup here; was looking forward to it and I hope they get to face each other again. Almost missed the end as Travis got into a tug-of-war with Sydal over the yoga mat; Ricky Cruz ran out to throw the spiked face mask into the ring. Kasa hit Sydal with it for the cheap win in 8:44.

“The King Of Chaos” Ricky Cruz vs. Outtkast, “Hardcore Chaos” Match for the Dynamo Pro Title: Dynamo released YouTube clips of backstage encounters between these two to promote the match.  Ricky didn’t take any chances on whether the blood would flow as Cruz took a cheese grater to Outtkast’s forehead…eep. Bland tried to intervene when Cruz brought out the handcuffs again, leading to Outtkast accidentally knocking Bland off the apron and Cruz beating Bland down with a kendo stick. In the confusion, Jeremy Wyatt ran in to DDT Outtkast on a stop sign. That wasn’t quite it as they brought out the thumbtacks…then it finally took an Air Raid Crash off the apron and through the timekeeper’s table to end it. Cruz got the pin on the floor in 16:13…I wondered if the card was over at that point, but they hadn’t done an intermission yet and it took place after this match. I didn’t know what else was left (other than maybe Wyatt vs. whoever)…odd booking structure in that regard.

Brandon Aarons vs. “The Rebel” Jeremy Wyatt: Aarons had a competitive showing… Wyatt targeted the leg (as has been his tradition lately) and won with the Stretch Muffler in 9:54…Wyatt continued his bad-mouthing of ringside fans and that brought out Crystal (speaking for the company with Bland injured). She announced an impromptu six-man tag for the main event…

Outtkast, Billy McNeil, & “The Yoga Master” Mike Sydal vs. Dynamo Pro Champion “The King of Chaos” Ricky Cruz, “Ironman” Ken Kasa, & “The Rebel” Jeremy Wyatt (w/ Travis Cook): Wyatt accidentally BELTed Cruz and Outtkast got a pin on the champion in 15:32. Don’t know if that means Outtkast will get another title shot in the near future, but at least it evened the score from earlier in the night.

Hard to believe we’re halfway through 2014 already…the scene is pretty busy, but there are a few gaps in the month of July. There are no indy events next weekend due to the 4th of July holiday…the following Saturday, Dynamo has the “Stroke Ain’t No Joke” benefit in Glen Carbon and MMWA has their annual “Christmas In July” event with the big best-of-seven series. I may check out the WLW event at the Troy, Mo. fairgrounds on Thursday the 10th.

Good night, good luck, and #yaywrestling.

By Ben Simon

The 7th Anniversary Event for Dynamo Pro Wrestling was supposed to be a time of celebration.  Instead, it may be one of the most violent spectacles the area has seen.

Ricky Cruz puts his Dynamo Pro Championship on the line against Outtkast on June 28 in Glen Carbon, Ill.  The match is billed as “Hardcore Chaos” and, like the last title match, will allow no disqualifications.

Outtkast expressed heavy interest in the stipulation, despite what happened to Jake Dirden on June 14 in a similar No Disqualification war with champ Cruz.  If you haven’t seen it, take a moment.

With Dirden handcuffed to a turnbuckle, Cruz purposefully knocks out both referees, attacks Dirden with the belt, and threatens to cut the St. Louisan’s hair.

Executive Director Mark Bland intervenes and lands some punches on Cruz before Bland himself is leveled with a kendo stick.  The match has no means to finish; it is called a No Contest.

Ricky Cruz comments on his actions on June 14 (explicit language)

It was Outtkast and Shorty Biggs that chased off the man who now calls himself “The King of Chaos,” Ricky Cruz.  Outtkast gets an opportunity to stop Cruz and win the title in Cruz’s third defense.

However, by sanctioning the same stipulation with a maniac like Ricky Cruz, is Executive Director Mark Bland overlooking the safety of his referees and other personnel?  Bland must exercise caution to not get too involved, physically or mentally.

Bell at 8.  For ticket information, visit DynamoProWrestling.com.

By Patrick Brandmeyer

It was another full house for SICW…that’s par for the course nowadays, but probably helped by the presence of “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase as a special guest. He was being inducted into the St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame along with posthumous inductions of Rip Hawk and Wilbur Snyder. A lot of people were in line for autographs before the show and during the first intermission. The estimated attendance was 325.

Unfortunately, two of my friends didn’t have the best experience with the autograph signing. None of us were too clear on the setup and pricing; Jim Cornette was particularly sociable last month and I think we were expecting the same setup. It sounded like DiBiase had a busy weekend and he seemed fairly subdued during the in-ring interview (I had trouble hearing him over the fan chatter), so maybe he was tired…I don’t know. My friends left before the official start of the show, sorry to say. I only briefly got to meet him and shake his hand late in the show, so I’m probably not the best judge on this matter.

Your ring announcer was Drew Abbenhaus; your referees were Keith Smith Jr. and Jay King.

Joker vs. Dark Secret: This wasn’t exactly a fast-paced opener, but obviously it wasn’t supposed to be. They kept it basic (there were some comedic moments) and it worked for what it was. Joker showed some rare technical acumen with a backslide pin in 5:28.

Outtkast vs. Ax (Allwardt): It was a surprise to see Outtkast make his SICW debut, though his tag partner Shorty Biggs has been a part of the roster for a while.  Outtkast showed a bit more of his technical side in this match and looked good doing it.  ‘Kast’s streak of hitting his corkscrew moonsault senton ended at one…after that, Ax got the win with the small package driver at 7:21.

“The Old School Warrior” Chaz Wesson vs. Frankie “The Thumper” Wyatt: Some of the top matches on the card seemed to have the vibe of old guard vs. new guard and this was one of those matches. This was one of a few matches on the show that was oddly short (i.e. under five minutes).  Doing a sunset flip off the top rope seemed like a bad idea in theory on an opponent as large as Frank Wyatt…but it worked in this case and Chaz got the win in 3:26.

Promoter Herb Simmons interviewed Ted DiBiase in the ring prior to the first intermission; as I noted, I had trouble hearing him so hopefully the TV airing will be a bit more audible. He brought out the Million Dollar Belt for in-ring pictures during the first intermission.

“Dirdey” Jake Dirden vs. Mike Outlaw: this was Dynamo trainee Outlaw’s singles pro debut.  He hit some good-looking token offense, but otherwise it was fairly one-sided in favor of Dirden. Dirden had some near-misses against Classic Champion Ken Kasa in recent months…perhaps he’ll go back after that belt in the near future. Outlaw escaped a chokeslam attempt but got caught in the Asiatic Spike for the submission in 2:01.

“The Don Mega” Shorty Biggs vs. “The Iceman” (Howard Moritz): This initially threatened to break down into a dance contest, but it turned into a more standard contest after that.  Hadn’t seen much of Iceman until recently but he’s an entertaining man. Shorty won via Shortcut in 7:45.

“Night Train/Great One/Gorgeous” Gary Jackson vs. Bull Bronson(w/ Travis Cook): Due to multiple unprovoked (*snicker*) attacks on his person as of late, Travis has hired Bronson as a bodyguard of sorts. Gary had an uphill battle in this one; it was similar to the match he had with Barackus at MMWA in that regard. Wasn’t sure who would win this one…as it turned out, it ended in a DQ when Bronson threw Gary over the top rope in 4:31. This issue isn’t over yet…

Big Jim Hoffarth vs. Flash Flanagan: This stemmed from Hoffarth running off Flanagan during last month’s Ron Powers-Ricky Cruz match; Flanagan eliminated Hoffarth from the battle royal at the end of the night, then Hoffarth pulled Flash to the floor to eliminate HIM. It didn’t take long for this one to break down into a fight…it went out of the ring and back into the ring a few times. Finally they took it to the floor for good and they were both counted out at 3:32. This feud…MUST CONTINUE~!

Heath Hatton & “The Man of Tomorrow” Daniel Eads vs. Classic Champion “Ironman” Ken Kasa & “The King Of Chaos” Ricky Cruz (w/ Travis Cook): Hatton had a few previous run-ins with Kasa and he had a non-title bout with Ricky when they were both fan favorites. I think Eads faced Kasa at the Belleville show last year. This main event was a case of the young guns targeting the established guys in the promotion…it was a solid tag match and the fans were into it. Eads took out Ricky with a step-up Superman Punch outside the ring, then Hatton took Kasa down into the Crippler Crossface…with Cruz out of position to break up the hold, Kasa was forced to tap out in 16:23…Kasa is still the champion, but Hatton has put himself in line for a title shot at the July show.

 

By Ben Simon

“The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase will receive his St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame plaque June 21 at SICW’s event at the East Carondelet Community Center.

Posthumous inductions include Rip Hawk and Wilbur Snyder.  The trio will be the first St. Louis Hall inductees since 2010.  The Hall honors wrestlers and non-participants who made it it big here in the days of the National Wrestling Association and the classic National Wrestling Alliance.

The St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame plaques are on display at the city’s most popular independent wrestling venue, the South Broadway Athletic Club.

The full card is set for the evening.  The main event pits Ken Kasa & Ricky Cruz against Heath Hatton & Daniel Eads.  Hatton won the 14-man battle royal last month.  Kasa has surpassed the one year anniversary of his Classic Wrestling Title reign.

Also, Gary Jackson vs. Bull Bronson, Big Jim Hoffarth vs. Flash Flanagan, Chaz Wesson vs. Frankie Wyatt, and Shorty Biggs vs. “The Iceman” Howard Moritz.

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

By Ben Simon

This Saturday, June 14, fathers and sons in Greater St. Louis will treat themselves to either of the dynamic pro wrestling cards in our region.  As always, the decision as to which to attend is difficult.

MMWA Wrestling in Soulard

On June 14 at the South Broadway Athletic Club in Saint Louis, two rivals meet in a tag team match with combustible elements.

MMWA Heavyweight Champion Brandon Espinosa and his Elitism stablemate, Chase King, will take on Brian James and rookie Everett Connors in the main event.

Also, the reactivated MMWA Tag Team Championship is on the line when Elitism-affiliated Jackson Whitechapel and Sean Orleans defend against A.J. Williams and Da’Marius Jones.

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

Dynamo Pro Wrestling in Fenton

Ricky Cruz once said that he had the Dynamo Pro Championship coming to him; it was inevitable.  Once he got that opportunity at Jake Dirden, he made the most of it and is now the champ.

On June 14 at the Stratford Bar & Grill in Fenton, Dirden will get his rematch for the title.  “Dirdey” Jake has been unstoppable on Missouri turf in 2014.  Will he continue the trend?

The bout with Dirden is Cruz’s second defense.  Ricky’s last outing was a victory over Alexandre Rudolph at Off Broadway.

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

 

 

 

By Ben Simon

By popular acclaim, Alexandre Rudolph will receive his first shot at Ricky Cruz’s Dynamo Pro Championship on Tuesday, May 27th at Off Broadway in the Lemp Neighborhood.

Cruz pinned Jake Dirden two weeks ago in Glen Carbon to finally win the gold.

“The American Viking” Alexandre Rudolph is known for fitting in just fine at Dynamo’s festive Off Broadway cards.  The Stag Beer flows freely and the big man is proud to show the sponsor some love with chants of “Stag, Stag, Stag, Stag!”

Ricky Cruz is straight-edge and doesn’t drink.

Once adored by fans for his pleasant demeanor and always-smiling face, the Puerto Rican champ has since fallen out of favor with the public.  For his part, Ricky would tell you he’s just “being real.”

Rudolph’s most recent win was a pinfall victory over Da’Marius Jones last month.  Alexandre hasn’t had a shot at a major Saint Louis title since September 2012.  He must stay serious if he hopes to beat Ricky in Cruz’s first defense.  Chances don’t come often.

Also on the card, the vacant Dynamo Pro Tag Team Championship will be decided as The Bum-Rush Brothers (Shorty Biggs & Outtkast) take on rivals The Black Hand Warriors (Michael Magnuson & Dave DeLorean) in a best-of-three match.

Mark Bland vacated the tag title after a double-pin occurred with officials in disagreement in Glen Carbon.  Those in attendance noted that, all legal men considered, Travis Cook’s boys should have been awarded the belts.  Magnuson & DeLorean can make it right on Tuesday.

Bell at 8.  For ticket information, visit DynamoProWrestling.com.

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.