3 most shocking moments in Stride so far this year

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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It's only May but already Stride Pro Wrestling has provided plenty of thrills and shocking moments. I can't imagine how this list will look by December. But here are three things that have happened in 2018 that I never thought I'd see.

Roger Matheus slams a 12-year-old girl. Yes, this one is close to home for me. At last week's Cinco de Strideo, Matheus plucked my kid from the crowd and power slammed her all in an effort to get me to sign a contract to wrestle him in a steel cage. He got his wish. Now we face off on Saturday, May 26 at Pinckneyville High School. And please, if you're not a wrestling fan and happen to be reading this, there's no need to call DCFS. Yes, that has been suggested on social media. Matheus' out of control behavior escalated after losing the heavyweight title to Jay Spade. He took out that frustration on referee Lane Austin in January as well.

Heath Hatton and Ax Allwardt team up. Arguably one of indy wrestling's greatest rivalries in this region; Ax Allwardt and Heath Hatton have put their differences aside to focus on a common enemy: J. Wellington Beauregard and the DR Party. Not only did these former enemies unite, they also won the Stride Pro Wrestling tag team championships twice. The dynamic duo now has the Midwest Monster Hunters to deal with. Those two teams clash in the cage on the 26th too.

Wraith dominates the Stride Cup Tournament. In January a dark figure appeared in the 2018 Stride Cup Tournament. He displayed dominance in the tournament eventually winning the cup and the Legacy Championship. In the process, he added a couple of disciples too. Ryzer and Chase King have been great additions to Wraith as the trio continues to wreak havoc in Stride Pro Wrestling. 

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Wraith's birth certificate found

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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In my day job, I am a journalist. Digging deeper and looking for facts is a part of my daily routine. I'm executing some of those skills for today's blog post. Since his arrival in Stride Pro Wrestling in January, I've been intrigued by the origins of Wraith. I've tried talking to him when he first arrived and got nowhere fast. Even after he won the Stride Cup Tournament and the Legacy Championship, Wraith remained quiet.

Heck, it's only been a couple of months since J. Wellington Bereaguard revealed Wraith's name to the world. So with that little nugget of information, I was able to submit a Freedom Of Information Act request (FOIA) and get more details on Stride's most mystic member. 

Wraith
Courtesy: Steve Belcher

Let's start at the beginning. By itself, the word 'wraith' is a ghost or ghostlike image of someone, especially one seen shortly before or after their death. After reviewing the birth certificate I received earlier today, I noticed some interesting facts. 

Wraith's birthday is December 9. The year is not included though. For those who remember there was a pretty significant Stride Pro Wrestling event on December 9, 2017. The time of birth was shortly after the main event that night. I've gotta believe that is significant to this story. But the location of The Macroverse and 'beyond the grave' are chilling to me. 

Wraith and his Disciples
Courtesy: Steve Belcher

I've even struck out with Wraith's Disciples Ryzer and Chase King. Neither man does much talking either. It's as if they've all vowed to stay silent and inflict as much pain on their opponents as possible.

I'm sure their actions will continue to speak louder than any words they would say anyway. The trio attacked and injued Jose Maginficio, keeping the popular star off the Cinco de Strideo show this Saturday night (May 5). Instead, the group will take on Farmer Billy Hills and 'T-Dog' Jerry Travelstead in a handicap match. Bell time is 6:30 p.m. at Carterville Junior High. 

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Meet Wraith

Wraith

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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In January a new wrestler appeared at the Stride Pro Wrestling and was entered into the Stride Cup Tournament. He dressed in black with a skull mask covering his face. His first match was over before it started, beating his opponent in about six seconds. 

A month later this mystery man, who the Stride office simply referred to as Anonymous, battled Ace Hawkins and beat the indy veteran to advance in the tournament. Then on March 3 Anonymous won the Stride Cup and the vacated Legacy Championship. All the while never saying a word or revealing his name.

Wraith and his disciples

Over the weekend at Stride Pro Wrestling: Anniversary 2, J. Wellington Beauregard let the cat out of the bag, revealing the champ's name as Wraith and his new sidekick is Disciple Ryzer. Neither man said a word but confirmed the reveal with their body language. Later in the night, the duo added Stride newcomer Chase King to their stable. Together this threesome laid out Farmer Billy Hills. Farmer is the number one contender to Wraith's Legacy Championship and gets a shot at it on Saturday, April 7. 

Wraith battles Farmer Billy Hills

So what's the story behind Wraith? The definition is a ghost or ghostlike image of someone, especially one seen shortly before or after their death. Wraith hails from 'beyond the grave in Necroville. That's a city overrun by zombies, vampires, werewolves and other monsters. Wraith is big and impressive and so far undefeated in Stride Pro Wrestling. But how will he handle Farmer on April 7? Join us to find out more.