I’ve made plenty of friends through the world of independent wrestling and podcasting. One of them is this week’s guest, Seanan Young. Mr. 100 is the founder of Podzilla 1985, home of many great shows, including Pro Wrestling Unscripted.
He’s also a big part of Cape Championship Wrestling. We discuss his involvement there and what the future looks like during these uncertain times with COVID-19.
Consider donating to the My 1-2-3 Cents/Stride Pro Wrestling Action Figure Drive. Please send a new, unwrapped wrestling-related toy to 201 E Main St. Suite 3C, Carbondale, IL 62901 (c/o Kevin Hunsperger). If you’d rather not pay for shipping, you can Venmo or Paypal me, and I’ll be going to Five Below and picking up figures there.
All donations are going to the Toys for Tots program in Carbondale, Illinois. They distribute to five counties here, and hundreds of kids could benefit from your generosity. Let’s get 250 wrestling figures in the hands of children in southern Illinois!
Each donation made will automatically get you entered into a raffle for a My 1-2-3 Cents prize pack. Thank you all for your kindness. If you can’t donate, simply sharing the details about the drive will help as well!
I’d love to know what you think about this show. Please leave a review and send me a screenshot of it! Please follow My 1-2-3 Cents on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@my123cents). You can also subscribe to the My 1-2-3 Cents blog and YouTube channel. And follow the Jittery Monkey Facebook page for updates too. Thanks!
Remember, check out the Pro Wrestling Tees store. Proceeds from every Stride Pro Wrestling shirt sold go to support Stride during COVID-19. And shop COLLARxELBOW with promo code MY123CENTS. Right now, you can save at least 10 percent on items.
Don’t forget to leave a review. I’d love to hear YOUR 1-2-3 Cents about My 1-2-3 Cents.
I’ve known Dalton Anthony for a few years now, first hearing him on the Podzilla 1985 Pro Wrestling Unscripted podcast. Then he and some of his co-hosts came to a Stride Pro Wrestling show as fans. But it wasn’t long before that fandom turned into Dalton stepping through the ropes.
He’s been wrestling in both Stride and Cape Championship Wrestling for more than a year and continues to improve. In fact, he’s now a co-holder of the Stride Pro Wrestling Tag Team Titles with Jay Spade. Expect big things from the Wrestling Buddies in the weeks and months to come.
The 2019 Cape Comic Con is in the books. This year the Jittery Monkey Podcasting Network took the event by storm. We set up a table and meet lots of potential new listeners. We also gave away some swag.
After the con, we headed over to Cape Championship Wrestling. This week on the podcast, Chad and I summarize the experience and talk about indy wrestling, Joey Ryan’s penis and WWE haters.
We talked fandom and how to tie the movies into pro wrestling. You can learn more at the Stride website here.
Be sure to rate the podcast on your favorite listening app as well as the other programs here on the Jittery Monkey Podcasting Network.
Also over on the My 1-2-3 Cents YouTube channel, I’ve started a new feature called Go Figure Friday. Be sure to check it out and subscribe to the channel.
My 1-2-3 Cents Episode 201: Hulk Hogan vs. Braun Strowman[ 22:56 | 0.01 MB ]Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (560)
Ask My 1-2-3 Cents
This week’s episode is a #AskMy123Cents. I took to social media (late of course) and got a few questions, including who on the current WWE roster I would book against Hulk Hogan in his prime. By the title of this show, you’ve figured out it’s Braun Strowman.
I enjoy the interaction with other fans to make this show possible. Thanks to everyone who interacts on the various forms of social media. You can always reach out here or on any of the usual platforms.
Also, I’ve got a store on Pro Wrestling Tees. The monkey shirt is the only one currently available, but new designs are coming soon. Thanks to those who have already bought a shirt. Click here to shop.
My 1-2-3 Cents Episode 185: Superfan "Macho Man" Randy Savage[ 25:02 | 0.01 MB ]Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (751)
“Cream of the crop”
“Macho Man” Randy Savage is one of the all-time greats in the world of professional wrestling. I have fond memories of Savage during his run in the WWF and the build-up to him winning the championship 30 years ago.
This week on the podcast, it’s another Superfan edition. Lane Austin, Stride Pro Wrestling referee and Cape Championship Wrestling general manager, is a “Macho Man” Superfan. So I asked him about his fandom of Savage and some of his favorite memories. We chatted prior to a recent Stride Pro Wrestling event in Christopher, Illinois.
Check out the latest shirt from COLLARxELBOW. When you shop their site, use the promo code MY123CENTS at checkout and save 10% on your order. This GI Joe look will be perfect for July 4.
What a weekend. It all started off Friday afternoon with a trip to Cape Girardeau, Missouri to interview Lou Ferrigno (you know, The Incredible Hulk). My buddy Tom Harness and I did that interview for our new show Another Round with Tom & Kevin. Lou was in town for the 13th annual Cape Comic Con.
Lou was a great guest and took time to talk with us before and after the interview. We appreciate his time and organizer, Ken Murphy, hooking us up. From there we stopped by the Broadway Biergarten for a 420 beer by Lagunitas. (It was 4/20 after all.)
Saturday we returned to Cape for the actual Comic-Con event and followed it up with Cape Championship Wrestling‘s Super Show II. Tom and I review the weekend on the way back to southern Illinois Saturday night. Check it out and also go watch that interview with Lou Ferrigno. Here’s the link. Thanks to everyone for the support.
I’m also a sponsored athlete (stop laughing) for COLLARxELBOW brand. Shop online and use the promo code MY123CENTS and you’ll save 10%.
Looking for the #1 below-the-belt grooming and hygiene company? Look no further. Check out my link to Manscaped and save when you shop here.
My 1-2-3 Cents Episode 178: Superfan "Rowdy" Roddy Piper[ 1:03:41 | 87.46 MB ]Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (680)
“Hug the ones you love.”
I’m kicking off another new feature here on the My 1-2-3 Cents podcast called “Superfan”. I’ll be having conversations with fellow pro wrestling fans about their all-time favorite wrestler. The first installment is with Barry Karafa from Cape Championship Wrestling.
Barry is a HUGE “Roddy” Roddy Piper fan. The quote you see at the top of this post was handwritten by Hot Rod in a Christmas card he sent to Barry the December before Piper’s death. We talk about that card and other memorabilia Barry has honoring Piper. We also share childhood memories and how Piper influenced the world of professional wrestling. By the way, you can see more of Barry’s collection over on the My 1-2-3 Cents Instagram page.
Barry is also part of CCW. The company is in Cape Girardeau, Missouri and has their ‘WrestleMania’ event this upcoming weekend. CCW: Supershow II is part of the Cape Con weekend. You’ll see all the stars of CCW along with Legends like Dan “The Beast” Severin (former My 1-2-3 Cents podcast guest) and Tommy Dreamer. You can still get tickets to the Supershow.
I’m also a sponsored athlete (stop laughing) for COLLARxELBOW brand. Shop online and use the promo code MY123CENTS and you’ll save 10%.
Looking for the #1 below-the-belt grooming and hygiene company? Look no further. Check out my link to Manscaped and save when you shop here.
Stride Pro Wrestling has had two great shows in October. The most recent happened Saturday night. There was a title change that night. Listen for more details. This week’s show is dedicated to all things indy wrestling. I discuss the latest with Stride and an update on Cape Championship Wrestling.
There’s also a statement from popular Stride star Cash Borden. Listen for details on why he is no longer with the company. Plus, the first-ever match for Stride has been announced for the December 9 show. But before we get there, Jay Spade gets his championship rematch against Roger Matheus.
CollarXElbow Partnership
Don’t forget, I’m also now a part of COLLARxELBOW. You can shop online and use the promo code MY123CENTS to save on t-shirts when you shop. The company has added some new shirts in recent weeks. It’s a great way to support indy wrestling and My 1-2-3 Cents. Thanks as always for your support.
“Don’t follow your dreams, chase them.” That’s the mantra on this week’s guest JD Wilk. He’s a rising star in both Stride Pro Wrestling and Cape Championship Wrestling. He’ll be teaming up with Jay Spade against “Big” Roger Matheus and Farmer Billy Hills. Wilk talks about his beginnings, the obstacles he’s overcome along the way and his future in professional wrestling.
You can keep up with all things Stride Pro Wrestling via the Facebook page or the My 1-2-3 Cents blog. The next show is this Saturday night, Sept. 9 at the Illinois Star Centre Mall. Bell time is 6:30.
I also want to do a shout out to a few other podcasts I’ve become a big fan of. Besides the shows here on the Jittery Monkey Podcasting Network (Positive Cynicism, Nerds United and the Five Heart Podcast) I am also a big fan of Tom & Jim’s Top 5, Skullbuster Wrestling and Podzilla 1985. Also, Bruce Prichard and Conrad Thompson are helping folks impacted by Hurricane Harvey with Love for Houston. You can make a donation to the Red Cross here.
Don’t forget, I’m also now a part of COLLARxELBOW. You can shop online and use the promo code MY123CENTS to save on t-shirts when you shop. Thanks as always for your support.
My 1-2-3 Cents Episode 145: Six Cents Favorite Summer Moments[ 49:14 | 0.01 MB ]Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (564)
Chad Smart from Positive Cynicism and I have taken a page out of the book of podcast Tom & Jim’s Top 5. Instead of sharing our top 5, we’ve changed things up and are doing a top 6 show at least once a month. For the first episode, we run down our top 6 summer time wrestling moments. Our fandom goes back to the mid-1980s and we pull up a wide range memories.
I’d also like to invite you to come check out Stride Pro Wrestling and Cape Championship Wrestling. The next Stride show is coming up on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Illinois Star Centre Mall in Marion.
Don’t forget, I’m also now a part of COLLARxELBOW. You can shop online and use the promo code MY123CENTS to save on t-shirts when you shop. Thanks as always for your support.
He’s the best of the best. Austin Lane has 20 years of experience under his belt and has worked in both WWE and TNA. He’s currently the number one contender for the Cape Championship Wrestlingheavyweight title. Lane faces champion Hollis Giroux in the company’s first ladder match on Saturday, Aug. 26.
We discuss his early days in the business, along with his current status with CCW and what it’s like to wrestle his wife, Nikki. Be sure to check out the interview and stick around for the match of the week. It’s one that features Lane in action from last year’s CCW: Homecoming show.
Looking ahead, Stride Pro Wrestling will be back on Saturday, Sept. 9 at the Illinois Star Centre Mall. Stay tuned here for more updates on that event.
A few months ago I started listening to a couple of new podcasts that are part of Podzilla 1985. Pro Wrestling Unscripted, Mr. 100 & the 5 Star Man and Podzilla After Dark are the three I listen to regularly. There’s a fourth show called Nerd Up that I check out from time to time too. The show originates from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, my old stomping grounds and the hosts talk about everything from wrestling to movies to current events; things that interest me.
The Podzilla gang is very supportive of Stride Pro Wrestling and I’ve met Dalton Anthony and Asa Gray at some of our shows. When I heard their recent discussion on the new line of WWE action figures that were announced at San Diego Comic Con, I knew he was the right guy to ask questions to.
So I invited Dalton on and it made sense to do the interview in person because they were coming to the most recent Stride show. So he and I (and Asa briefly) discuss all things wrestling. We talk action figures, but also Cape Championship Wrestling (they’re part of the announce team there) as well as their shows. It’s a fun interview, check it out and support Podzilla 1985, CCW and of course Stride Pro Wrestling.
After several weeks of solid guests on the show, I decided to let you all weigh in on this week’s show. So it’s another episode of Ask My 1-2-3 Cents. There were some great questions, including my thoughts on the Shield reuniting, who my favorite WWE Superstar is and will I ever wrestle again. I also answer a question about the current product and if I’ve ever stopped watching wrestling for a period of time.
Coming up this week in local indy wrestling, Cape Championship Wrestling’sAnniversary show is Saturday, July 29. Former WWE Superstar Billy Gunn is coming to town for that event. And a week later, it’s Stride Pro Wrestling’sHot August Night 2 at the Illinois Star Centre Mall. That event begins at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 5.
Thanks as always for your support. Be sure to check out these fine social media sites too.
This week’s guest is a friend of mine from several years ago, Farmer Bill Hills. We first met when Farmer came to All American Pro Wrestling. He’s now a big part of both Stride Pro Wrestling and Cape Championship Wrestling. He has a shot at the Stride Championship Saturday, July 8 at the Illinois Star Centre Mall.
Farmer and I talk about his early days and what he’s up to now. Not only is he an indy wrestler, he’s an entrepreneur of sorts. Check out all the merchandise in his store here. You can get more than the usual tee shirts and hats. Farmer has also just joined up with the folks at Collar x Elbow so be sure to check out their stuff as well as Farmer’s new podcast, Southern Discomfort.
No guest this week. Instead, I’m answering your questions. Topics include Vince McMahon being on TV to help boost ratings, Braun Strowman’s future and the Women’s MITB match. In addition to the questions, there are some shout outs this week to new friends and old.
Stride Pro Wrestling has a fundraiser show June 10 at Summersville Grade School in Mt. Vernon, IL. Bell time is 6:30 p.m., but you can do a meet & greet with “Cowboy” Bob Orton starting at 5 p.m. (for $25). Cape Championship Wrestling‘s next show is Saturday, June 24 at 7 p.m. at the AC Brase Arena in Cape Girardeau, MO.
Also, check out The Gorilla Position and Podzilla 1985 along with Pro Wrestling Unscripted. They’re great fan run blogs and podcasts.
My 1-2-3 Cents Episode 127: Cape Championship Wrestling Super Show[ 33:54 | 0.01 MB ]Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (871)
Editor’s note: my apologies to Davey Vega and the folks at Missouri Wrestling Revival. I inadvertently called Vega Danny instead of Davey. Sorry!
It’s been an action-packed weekend. The 12th annual Cape Comic Con returned to Cape Girardeau, Missouri. There were plenty of vendors, artists and authors on hand. Costumed characters made their way around the Osage Center and several celebrity guests were there including Santiago Cirilo from the Walking Dead, voice actor Michael Nicolosi and lots of professional wrestlers.
I talked my buddy Tom Harness from Harness Digital Marketing into going or at least his alter ego iBatman. He’s the guest on today’s show. We talk more about his first experience at both Cape Con and later in the night with Cape Championship Wrestling.
Courtesy: Tom Harness
Tom watched WWF back in the day but hasn’t experienced anything quite like CCW and “Sexy” Sarge for example. The ‘King of Dong Style’ Joey Ryan was there too. Tom’s reaction was priceless. Colt Cabana, Leva Bates and Jeff Cobb were also special guests who wrestled and a WWE Hall of Famer surprised fans by making a special appearance.
It was a fun day and we’re already looking forward to the 2018 Comic Con. Be sure to support my friends in the world of professional wrestling and beyond by following them on social media. Don’t forget to check out My 1-2-3 Cents the blog and KevinHunsBlogger too.
Nerds United Episode 75: Talking Smit and the Cape Comic Con[ 41:15 | 0.01 MB ]Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (916)
This weekend is the 12th Annual Cape Comic Con in Cape Girardeau, MO.
This year’s Cape Con preview episode features two of my favorite people and best friends, Jared and Nia Smith, of Talking Smit fame. We’re talking about some of our memories of recent Cape Con’s, the mistake that I made once and the good times had by all.
Learn about their favorite memories of their trips to Cape Con (spoiler, this pic place a part):
Cape Con 2017 will once again reunite me with my good friends, but we also talk about what is anticipated the most for them this year. Being that they’re both big wrestling fans, they’re eager to see two great nights of wrestling at the Arena. It’s Girl Fight and the Luna Vachon Memorial Tournament Friday night and the CCW Super Show Saturday night. Big names are brought to Southeast Missouri for a great weekend, and you can see them all (and the CCW talent) at the Con itself.
Enjoy the show. We get a silent cameo from my son who walked over to the broadcast area late in the show (he was a little more vocal about midway through).
They don’t come much bigger, meaner or tougher than “Big” Roger Matheus. He has terrorized the Stride Pro Wrestling roster for about a year now. Matheus has a huge opportunity coming up on May 6 as he faces Heath Hatton for the Stride Pro Wrestling Championship in a TLC match. It’s happening at Pinckneyville Unit 204 school.
Matheus talks about his upcoming title match as well as his history in the business and what role Bobby Lashley plays in it. There’s a mention of the Boogeyman too. Thanks for listening and supporting the show and My 1-2-3 Cents the blog.
My 1-2-3 Cents Episode 125: Girl Fight, Super Show coming to CCW[ 24:24 | 0.01 MB ]Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (714)
Cape Championship Wrestling has been entertaining wrestling fans in southeast Missouri, southern Illinois and western Kentucky for nearly a year. CCW will have a big presence at this year’s Cape Con event. On Friday, April 21 it’s ladies night as CCW teams up with Madman Pondo for Girl Fight. It’s the first ever Luna Vachon Memorial Tournament.
Then on Saturday, April 22 it’s the CCW Super Show. You’ll see all the stars of CCW including champion Brandon Barbwire, tag champs Farmer Billy Hills & Dell Tucker and Austin Lane. Plus guests scheduled to appear include Colt Cabana, Joey Ryan and Jeff Cobb. The company’s COO Jason Wells explains more in today’s podcast.
Stride Pro Wrestling is working on a big show in May. It includes a TLC match for the Stride Pro Wrestling championship as Heath Hatton defends against Roger Matheus. And former WWE Superstar (Brodus Clay) Tyrus will also be on hand.
It’s a great time for indy wrestling. Come out and support the men and women of the mat. Thanks!
I’m excited to share this week’s podcast! It’s an interview with the latest inductee announced for the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2017 Diamond Dallas Page. I have to thank my friend Rob Fairless from the 25th Hour Radio Show for setting this one up. My buddy Tom Harness (Harness Digital Marketing) and I interviewed DDP last week, hours after the Hall of Fame announcement.
DDP talks about life in the ring as well as his DDP Yoga program and the new apps he has recently rolled out including DDP Yoga Now and the DDP’s Video Alarm. You can find both in the app store.
In addition to the DDP interview, there a few other shout-outs this week for indy wrestling. “Farmer” Billy Hills and Dell Tucker are the new Cape Championship Wrestling tag team champions. Congrats to both on being the first tag champs for the company. Also, Stride Pro Wrestling returns March 4 with a big anniversary show. Bell time is 6:30 at the Illinois Star Centre Mall in Marion.
My 1-2-3 Cents Episode 118: Barbwire Will Break 'Broken' Matt Hardy[ 32:49 | 45.07 MB ]Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (753)
Cape Championship Wrestling is a relatively new company based in southeast Missouri. Each month special guests are brought in and are a part of the show. Past stars have included King Ricochet, Trevor Murdoch and James Ellsworth. “Broken” Matt Hardy is coming to the promotion this Saturday night, Feb. 25. He faces the CCW Champion Brandon Barbwire.
Barbwire is the guest on this week’s show. He talks more about his career and his time as CCW champ. Barbwire also discusses how he prepares for someone like Matt Hardy and the other legends of wrestling he’s faced in his 13-year career.
CCW features plenty of fine talent from the region, including Brandon Espinosa, Farmer Billy Hills and Sarah Summers. Saturday’s show will crown the company’s first tag team champions too. Bell time is 6 p.m. and there is a chance to do a meet and greet with “Broken” Matt Hardy prior to the action.
You can get more information on the show right here.
This week’s guest is Jason “Tha Brain” Wells from Cape Championship Wrestling. The promotion is located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri and features a lot of great independent talent. Tickets for their next show Caged Chaos (Jan. 28) go on sale Monday, December 5. The featured guest is former ROH champion, Davey Richards.
You can get tickets starting at 5 p.m. (12/5) right here. The card has already taken shape.
CCW champion Brandon Barbwire w Jeff O’Dell takes on Hollis Giroux in a steel cage match for the Championship.
TNA Star Davey Richards takes on Tony Kozina.
Austin Lane & Lil Bit vs Sarah Summers & “Farmer” Billy Hills
Dell Tucker vs Jason Vaughn
The Blaster vs Cody Wilson
D’Mone vs Double H’s Surprise
Be sure to also check out this post about Dalton Minnick. He’s an 11-year-old wrestling fan fighting for his life right now. His family is trying to get visits, pics and figures from wrestlers around the country. You can learn more here.
Stride Pro Wrestling also returns at the Illinois Star Centre Mall in Marion on Saturday, Dec. 10. It’s Star Wars night. Come with a Star Wars shirt and get ready for Hostile Holiday. Bell time is 6:30 p.m. See ya there.
Cape Championship Wrestling made a splash in its inaugural show in July and this past weekend, they raised the bar once again with their CCW Homecoming show at the historic AC Brase Arena Building in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The Arena Building was once a tour stop for International Championship Wrestling, which was ran by Angelo Poffo and featured his son’s Lanny Poffo and, oh what was his name…oh yeah, Macho Man Randy Savage! History flows through this building and now, Cape Championship Wrestling calls it home!
The night kicked off with promoter Ken Murphy and GM Hunter Hendricks in the ring, in which Hunter Hendricks noted that The Pinnacle, led by Jeff O’Dell, had been making things rough and that he was going to do his best to ensure that tonight went smoothly. Suddenly, The Pinnacle’s music hit. Jeff O’Dell, Sarge O’Riley, Billy Hills, Sarah Summers and CCW Champion, Brandon Barbwire, came to ringside. In a show of dominance, they cornered Hunter Hendricks, before Jeff O’Dell laid out his group’s plans for dominance for the evening, even saying they would show up in the main event.
The first match of the night featured a very well-traveled and well-respected veteran, “Tornado” Tony Kozina taking on young challenger CJ Shine. CJ Shine tried to use his overly confident (ie, cocky) demeanor to bully Kozina throughout the match. However, once Tony laid in some MASSIVE knife edge chops, the momentum slowly began to turn toward Kozina. Tony hit a vaulting senton bomb, then later hit a springboard bulldog to secure the win!
Up next, BT Daramola took on God’s Gift to Wrestling “Drop Dead” Dale Wylde. Daramola got the crowd behind him early on. Wylde, after he continued to admire himself in his mirror, slowed the pace of the match by grinding the momentum down and controlling the energy of Daramola. Wylde slipped in a few, well, less than honest attacks and ultimately took the win by a quick schoolboy roll up.
Sexy Sarge was up next and in the weeks prior to Homecoming, he had issued an open challenge, stating that if nobody answered it, he would still come down and give the fans a show. His idea of a show would be a tutorial on what he calls “porn star dancing.” Thank the Good Lord above that his challenge was answered while he was in the ring by none other than young star Hollis Giroux!
From Kansas City, MO, it’s Hollis Giroux!!!
Jeff O’Dell, assuming Hollis was out to join The Pinnacle, soon learned that Hollis was out there to stop Sarge’s display. This was a great match with a lot of back and forth action, even some outside interference from Jeff O’Dell. The match ended when O’Dell mistakenly tripped up Sarge while hitting the rops, which led to a Superkick and a victory for Hollis Giroux. After the match, Sarge and O’Dell had words which almost led to Sarge punching O’Dell when suddenly, Drop Dead Dale Wylde ran into the ring to save Jeff O’Dell! After that, O’Dell claimed that Sarge had been replaced by a younger, better looking version, to which Sarge replied that he didn’t need The Pinnacle, that he regretted the decision to join and was now out to reclaim the love from the fans.
Coming back from intermission, GM Hunter Hendricks came out to announce there was a change in the women’s match. Paloma Starr had been booked to take on Lil Bit, however, Paloma was unable to attend due to other obligations. Lil Bit’s new opponent turned out to be none other than her nemesis, Diamond Doll! Lil Bit and Diamond Doll had a match on the inaugural show, which resulted in Diamond Doll attacking Lil Bit after the bell. These two had another intense match with each other, featuring a lot of back and forth offense and flat out brawling. The ending saw Diamond Doll roll up Lil Bit and use the ropes for leverage for the win due to the fact that the ref didn’t see the feet on the ropes! I smell a rubber match coming!
The following match featured a title defense of the prestigious Missouri Heavyweight Championship, featuring champion Brandon Espinosa making his CCW debut against Farmer Billy Hills with Sarah Summers. Farmer got this match after he, seemingly, took out his prior opponent “The Fury” Jason Vaughn in what we will just call an automobile accident.
Farmer Billy Hills with an advantage in this Missouri Heavyweight Championship title match against (c) Brandon “Espy” Espinosa.
Early on, Farmer used his size and strength to push Espy around the ring. Espy was able to turn the tides with his quickness and his own deceptive strength. Billy began favoring his shoulder midway through, but was still able to weather the storm of power moves, showing his grit and determination. Suddenly, Jason Vaughn’s music started playing and a bewildered Hills looked at the entrance. This gave Espy enough time to launch an attack that, in the end, resulted in a win from an armbar submission. (Editor’s note – somebody here say “armbar?”) What a performance from both guys and a great title defense from Espinosa!
The co-main event was up next, featuring The Monster, Jake Dirden against CCW Champion, Brandon Barbwire with Jeff O’Dell. Ever since winning the CCW Championship in July, Brandon has developed his boisterous personality, and came into the night with a large chip on his shoulder due to the fact he wasn’t in the main event. Jake Dirden came into the night with one thing in mind, to claim a title and destroy Barbwire. This match was a slugfest, with the champ, Barbwire, taking large amounts of punishment early on. However, Barwire absorbed the damage and turned the tides after throwing Dirden into the ring post outside. Toward the end of the match, Barbwire ran to grab the CCW Title belt and then brought it into the ring as a weapon! Dirden, seeing what was transpiring, knocked the belt from Barbwire’s hand, then hit The Cure on the belt! It looked like a sure-fire win, however, Jeff O’Dell distracted the referee long enough for Barbwire to be able to kick out of the eventual pin.
Brandon Barbwire needed the aid of the Championship Belt to defend against Jake Dirden. (Courtesy YouTube)
This ignited the Monster, as he lunged for O’Dell, who was now on the ring apron. Barbwire attacked, but again was hit with The Cure, which again, O’Dell distracted the ref. Dirden went after O’Dell one more time, however, this time the champion was able to hit Dirden with the belt to take the win and hold onto his title.
The Main Event of the evening featured one of the biggest names on the independent wrestling scene across the world, Ricochet! There’s a chance you’ve seen him on Lucha Underground as Prince Puma, or possibly from the match against Will Ospreay, among many others, but he brought his insane talents to Cape Girardeau for a huge match up with the Best of the Best, Austin Lane. Prior to the match, Hunter Hendricks brought out a second referee to stand guard to prevent The Pinnacle from coming to ringside. The match started with some humor as Austin Lane refused to shake Ricochet’s hand, but then business picked up in a hurry as both guys were able to reverse out of a series of chain wrestling holds, in which neither guy was able to gain an advantage, each competitor holding a counter for the other’s move. Ricochet finally gained an advantage outside with a series of chops which led to him being able to hit The People’s Moonsault in the middle of the ring once they returned.
However, Austin Lane was able to regain his composure and launch a counter attack and at one point, scoring a 2.9999 count. The athletic abilities of these two wowed the crowd. At one point, Jeff O’Dell tried to interfere, but was caught at the entrance area and sent back. The match ultimately went in the favor of Ricochet, with a wonderful sequence of his Benadryller kick, followed by a high knee to the face, and capped off with a well-executed Shooting Star Press. During the celebration, The Pinnacle ran down to ringside and attacked Austin Lane, which prompted Ricochet to run back out and help his opponent. Hunter Hendricks came out and stated that since Brandon Barbwire was so desperate to get into the main event, that he will be on the next show against 2 TUFF TONY! After that announcement, The Pinnacle was sent back, while Austin Lane thanked Ricochet and the crowd.
Cape Championship Wrestling will be back at the AC Brase Arena Building for their next card on September 24th, featuring 2 Tuff Tony and Brandon Barbwire for the CCW Title, plus many matches still to come! Don’t miss out on another great show in September!
The Ric Flair Show has weekly guests ranging from Cody Rhodes to Kurt Angle to Ken Patera and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine. Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard is a weekly stroll down memory lane as Prichard recalls certain storylines during his time in WWE. I love the format of this show in particular.
On My 1-2-3 Cents the Podcast we discuss both shows and how Conrad went from wrestling fan to hanging out with the greatest of all time. We also talk about current events in wrestling and our thoughts on the state of WWE.
I’m also starting a new contest. Go to iTunes, subscribe and leave a rating and a review. Screenshot it and tag me on social media with it. The My 1-2-3 Cents prize vault is full and we need to get things out you!
Tune in every Thursday for a Facebook Live event to supplement the podcast. Subscribe to the YouTube channel too and don’t forget about the Craftbeericans.
Somewhere in this mess is the equipment I paid money to own to record into my laptop.
You’ve seen the posts. You’ve read the blog. NOW listen to the show where I talk about moving. Because that’s important and nerd-related. But seriously, I hate moving. So this podcast is a little bit of me bitching and moaning and a little bit recapping some of the goodies we took away from the San Diego Comic Con.
Also, piece of advice – do with it what you want:
When it comes to moving…pay someone else to do it and sleep easy!
Saturday night, July 16th, will forever go down in history as the debut show for Cape Championship Wrestling. With a crowd nearing capacity at the Osage Center in Cape Girardeau, promoter Ken Murphy greeted everyone with excitement and enthusiasm as he announced CCW to everyone in attendance, as well as an announcement of a huge surprise and that a champion would be crowned before the night was through. Local morning show DJ, Hunter Hendricks, was also announced as the acting General Manager for the night and former WWE Tag Team Champion Trevor Murdoch was doing a meet and greet with the fans, although he was still out of action with an injury.
The first match of the night featured Sexxy Sarge, accompanied by his manager Jeff O’Dell, taking on Brandon Barbwire in a CCW Championship Title Tournament match. Jeff O’Dell ranted about how it was a travesty that he was not invited to be a part of CCW and went out on his own to be there. Although Sarge tried to shimmy and shake his way to victory, Brandon was able to secure a win, advancing to the finals of the tournament. However, Sarge got the last words in, as he attacked Brandon Barbwire after the bell while Jeff O’Dell cheered on his client.
Match two featured Farmer Billy Hills, accompanied by Sarah Summers, taking on hometown favorite Jason “The Fury” Vaughn in the next semi-final round of the CCW Title Tournament. After a fair deal of mouthing by Billy Hills to the fans and to Jason Vaughn, the match got underway. In a very stiff match, it went back and forth until Billy Hills secured the victory by leveraging the pin with his feet on the ropes, sending him to the Championship Tournament final against Brandon Barbwire in the main event.
Davey Vega winds up for a heavy right hand on Hollis Giroux. (Credit – Billy Russ)
Match three featured a young wrestler, Hollis Giroux, coming down from Kansas City to take on national sensation Davey Vega, who in recent time has been featured very prominently in the St. Louis area, often with his tag team partner Mat Fitchett. In a very exciting match featuring a blend of power and quickness, the match was even until the final minutes, when Davey took the momentum and the win in the match in what many voted the match of the night.
At intermission, promoter Ken Murphy came out to let everyone know that the next show for CCW will be on August 27th and will feature one of the top names in the world…RICOCHET!!! The Paducah, Kentucky native will be in the house working for Cape Championship wrestling. What an announcement! Two shows in and CCW has pulled in one of the hottest names in the world!
The fourth match started with Genesis coming to the ring, where he began running down the city of Cape Girardeau. That didn’t last long, as GM Hunter Hendricks came to the ring to show how much the crowd did not appreciate him, and to show him how little we liked his rant, he had a surprise for him who just so happened to be The Missouri Mad Man, Jake Dirden! Jake Dirden is known by many in St. Louis, across the country from many promotions, as well as internationally through work in Japan.
A righteous right boot from Jake Dirden delivered to Genesis. (Billy Russ)
Needless to say, Jake Dirden is a big, mean man and he came out to shut up Genesis. Genesis was able to hobble Jake, by attacking his knee throughout the match. That only served to anger the big guy, as he was finally able to take down Genesis with his Asiatic Spike.
Up next, the women took the stage in the fifth match of the night. It featured the masked Diamond Doll, taking on hometown favorite Lil Bit. In a match where Diamond Doll had the size advantage, Lil Bit was able to use her speed to elude her masked opponent. Diamond Doll was able to slow down Lil Bit and bully her, however, in a great finish, Lil Bit was able to overcome the size deficit and take the win. After the match, Diamond Doll was so enraged that she attacked Lil Bit during the celebration, locking her in a very tight camel clutch, prompting the referees to come out and force Diamond Doll to finally break the hold.
Lil Bit puts Diamond Doll in a hold that I can only describe as “OW!” (Billy Russ)
And now, the final match of the night for the Cape Championship Wrestling title!! Billy Hills and Brandon Barbwire squared off in a great main event! Brandon, visually sore from his post match attack, stood strong against the Farmer, as both competitors traded blows. Sarah Summers made her presence felt throughout the match, taking the opportunity to choke Brandon on multiple occasions. As the match drew to a close, Jeff O’Dell and Sarge came to ringside to assist Billy Hills in a new alliance. However, The Fury Jason Vaughn ran to ringside to even the odds. As the action escalated both in and out of the ring, with the aid of multiple distractions, Brandon Barbwire hit Billy Hills with his finish to take the win and the title!
All hell breaks lose after the main event! (Billy Russ)
However, the action was not finished as everyone ended up in the ring. Vaughn and Barbwire attacked Sarge and Hills when suddenly, Brandon Barbwire turned on Jeff Vaughn and it became a 3-on-1 attack in the ring, while Jeff O’Dell cheered on from the outside. Jeff O’Dell announced that this was the formation of The Pinnacle of professional wrestling. However, the tide turned when none other than Jake Dirden ran to the ring to save Jason Vaughn!! Once the ring had cleared out, GM Hunter Hendricks came back to the ring in what would be another big announcement. He set up a grudge match between Jason Vaughn and Billy Hills for August 27th BUT THEN, he also set up a CCW title match between Brandon Barbwire and The Missouri Mad Man Jake Dirden! What a way to end the night!
Also, I can’t go without mentioning a big moment that happened. Among all the happiness, excitement and enthusiasm was a much more somber and bittersweet moment. Osby Tomlin, a 9 year ring veteran, laid his boots and his Kult of Kayfabe Championship title in the middle of the ring on Saturday night as he was forced to retire from his passion of wrestling. Osby was injured last month in a match, resulting in a compression fracture in his neck. This forced him to make the unfortunate decision of leaving his love of wrestling to allow himself to heal up and plan for the future with his family. Thank you, Osby, we’ll sure miss you.
Don’t miss out on the next Cape Championship Wrestling show, August 27th, featuring Billy Hills vs Jason Vaughn, Jake Dirden vs Brandon Barbwire for the Cape Championship Wrestling title and international superstar Ricochet, plus much more!! See you then!
Regular listeners know we are very supportive of indy wrestling here. So when a new company makes plans to start doing shows, we want to share that news with you. Saturday, July 16 is the first ever Cape Championship Wrestling show. Bell time is 7 p.m. at the Osage Center.
Ken Murphy is the man behind the endeavor. He also created the Cape Comic Con, which has featured wrestling legends like Jim Cornette, “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton, Bob Orton and Terry Funk.
Ken includes a big announcement during our conversation, one that fans around the region and beyond will be interested in hearing. Former WWE tag tag team Trevor Murdoch will be on hand for the first show.
