Saint Louis Wrestling

Leland Race has announced a quick turnaround for the next World League Wrestling event at Race Wrestling Arena in Troy, Mo. on Saturday, March 27.

The main event could be remembered as a history-maker. Fifteen wrestlers will enter a Royal Rumble match, to be known as the “Rival Riot.”

The winner will be the next mandatory challenger for WLW Heavyweight Champion Moses.

Jack Gamble is the first to declare his entry, and he has requested and received the #1 entrance.

15-man Royal Rumble match
featuring ^#2Derek Stone, ^#4Kyle Roberts, Jack Gamble, Jaden, Jon Webb, Mike Sydal, Niles Plonk, Stephan Newton, Jayden Dominic Rose, and more TBD

WLW Junior Heavyweight Championship
Sean Patrick (c) vs. Jayden Dominic Rose

^#2Derek Stone vs. ^#4Kyle Roberts
Jon Webb vs. TBA

Bell at 7. Tickets are $15 at the door. The event is expected to stream live for $7.99.

World League Wrestling plans to stage their event at the Race Wrestling Arena in Troy, Mo. on Saturday, March 6.

However, it will not be without a major cleanup operation. On Sunday the 21st, Leland Race arrived at the venue and training center to find that a burst pipe had been spraying the facility with water for up to two days.

The card will be WLW’s first in 2021, and will feature a main event consisting of all the current champions.

Main Event
^#1Moses & Sean Patrick vs. Camaro Jackson & Jon Webb

^#2Derek Stone vs. ^#4Kyle Roberts
^#3Rahim De La Suede vs. Jayden Dominic Rose
Steve Fender vs. Jaden
Jack Gamble vs. Stephan Newton

Masks are required.

Bell at 7. Tickets are $15 for adults at the door. The event will no longer be streamed live.

Amidst the scattering of wrestling events in the metro area during the pandemic, Saint Louis City has not hosted one since March 14.

A new company, presented by Kevin Lee Davidson, debuts with “WrestleMax STL Presents Episode 1” at Red Flag on Saturday, February 20.

David Lee Memorial Tournament Qualifiers
Moonshine Mantell vs. Calvin Tankman
Camaro Jackson vs. Jake Something
Manders vs. Levi Everett
Kevin Lee Davidson vs. Mike Outlaw

Three-Way Dance (Elimination; Final two qualify for DLMT)
JDX vs. Devon Monroe vs. Jah C

Blair Onyx vs. Su Yung

Social distancing and masks will be strictly enforced.

Bell at 5. The event is sold out and will not be broadcast or streamed.

Derek Stone and “The Deliverer” Moses are set to battle for Stone’s WLW Heavyweight Championship at the Race Wrestling Arena in Troy, Mo. on November 7.  As they are the top two ranked wrestlers in the State, the winner will also be awarded the vacant Missouri Heavyweight Championship, Missouri Wrestling Revival’s endorsement of being the State’s best.

As before, MWR’s belt will be defended in every one-on-one match the eventual champion has in Missouri, no matter the promotion.  MWR’s first Missouri champ in 13 months will be determined at World League Wrestling’s event on Saturday.

Read the title announcement and rules

The match sees Derek Stone make his second defense of the WLW Heavyweight Championship.  Stone strives to begin his second year as champion strong by retaining “Harley’s belt.”

Is “The Deliverer” Moses on your radar? He should be. Moses was on a yearlong singles winning streak, before meeting Stone on October 3. Despite a near 100 lb. weight disadvantage, he put up a real fight against the champ last month.

Factoring all wrestlers, in all companies, and a pandemic, these two are the best in Missouri.

This rematch is for everything.

ORDER THE iPPV FOR ONLY $7.99!

Missouri Heavyweight Championship (vacant) | WLW Heavyweight Championship
^#1Derek Stone (c) vs. ^#2Moses

Jaden vs. Kyle Roberts
Jayden Dominic Rose vs. Stephan Newton
Camaro Jackson & Jon Webb vs. Orion Creed & Jack Griffin

Bell at 7.  Tickets are $15 at the door. ORDER THE iPPV FOR ONLY $7.99!

Hey there wrestling fans! The Saint Louis wrestling scene is starting up again, but not without some last minute cancellations.

Some of the upcoming dates on the calendar are from pre-pandemic times; they simply have not been canceled. I always check with the promoter to see if the event is still on as the date approaches.

The calendar is always updating. Keep an eye out.

Longtime pro wrestling and concert photographer Joe Henley has passed after a battle with cancer.

Known to the scene as “Photo Joe,” Henley was a hobbyist at the wrestling events. With his ringside access, his captures were invaluable to the promotion of big cards on this web site and others.

Joe was a true unsung hero. Some promoters don’t make posters, or really any good advertising material for their cards. Joe’s photos always pulled through in the clutch.

Besides his photography, Photo Joe will most be remembered for his infectiously positive attitude and his smile. He always remembered your name.

The funeral is Friday, July 31 at Eddie Randle & Sons Funeral Home on Natural Bridge Ave. Visitation at 5. Service at 7.

Glory Pro Wrestling has canceled its event that was to be held on Saturday, August 1.

Refund details will be made available on Glory Pro’s social media channels.

The reports of Saint Louis wrestling’s death are greatly exaggerated.

Professional wrestling in Greater Saint Louis returns on Saturday, July 11 at World League Wrestling’s event at the Race Wrestling Arena in Troy, Mo.

Bell at 7. Masks are available at the door but are not required.

The last card to run in the metro area was March 14.

John Castaldi, better known as “Little Dynamite” Tony Casta, died today following a battle with cancer. He was 80 years old.

Casta was the promoter of wrestling at the South Broadway Athletic Club, officially the Executive Director of MMWA Professional Wrestling since 1985.

“Little Dynamite” debuted as a wrestler in 1975. After competing at the SBAC since around 1980, Tony propositioned the venue to replace house wrestling promoter Timmy Kearns with Casta himself.

“I thought the wrestling that (Tim) was putting on wasn’t very good, and I told them I could do it better,” Tony said years later.

In an era of big men, Tony Casta topped out at 185 lbs. That may have been why the Mid-Missouri Wrestling Association (as it was then known) activated a Junior Heavyweight title. Casta was the first champion.

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He retired from the ring in 1992, before returning for a one-off tag team match in 2009.

Tony was honored in 2018 as an inductee into both the Independent St. Louis and Midwest Independent Wrestling Halls of Fame.

Tony’s longtime co-promoter Herb Simmons shared a tribute video.

Wrestlers and personnel spanning generations will miss “Little Dynamite” Tony Casta.

Visitation is from 4-8 on May 7 at Heiligtag-Lang-Fendler Funeral Home in Arnold.

Travis Scott Bowden has died at the age of 48. A Memphis native, Bowden was also vital to an impactful (yet brief) part of Saint Louis wrestling history: the National Wrasslin’ League.

The NWL’s VP of Marketing, Bowden fanned the flames on social media to ignite the rivalry between NWL KC and our own NWL STL.

Bowden also came up with the idea of the “Fight Club,” a season pass to boost attendance at NWL events here and in Kansas City.

If you only ever got a chance to chat with Travis at the Casa Loma Ballroom on that first Thursday card, you would know his passion for wrestling.

However, Travis lived in Los Angeles with his family, and the constant travel to Missouri was rough. Shortly after the NWL began running live events, Bowden was released from his contract.

Travis Bowden brought his Memphis roots and style to the NWL dance. He was anything but a corporate “suit.”

Known as Scott Bowden, Travis was a hated manager in the United States Wrestling Association (also known as “Memphis”) from 1991-96.

Bowden has always been a custodian of Memphis wrestling history. He ran a web site and hosted the “Kentucky Fried Rasslin'” podcast.

We will miss you, Travis. Thank you.