My 1-2-3 Cents : James Ellsworth

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I know the title is a bit of a stretch, but I'm glad you're checking out today's blog. I'll be focusing on indy wrestlers making appearances on WWE television.

Aaron Relic & Jay Hatton
Courtesy: WWE

In 2012, I saw this happen for the first time when both Heath Hatton and Ace Hawkins (now both members of the Stride Pro Wrestling roster) had gone from All American Pro Wrestling to WWE Extreme Rules. The duo famously faced Ryback in a match where "2 is greater than one!" was coined.

Later that same year both Adrian Neville and Sami Zayn signed with NXT after wrestling each other at AAPW's Main Event show. I still pinch myself knowing that I called that epic match that night.

Myles Murphy on 205 Live
Courtesy: WWE

In recent months, some of the talent on Stride's roster has had a look from WWE. In March, former Stride Pro Wrestling tag team champion Joey O'Riley battled Jack Gallagher in a highly competitive match on 205 Live. O'Riley went into battle that night as Murphy Myers and as far as I'm concerned showed his value as a professional wrestler that night on the worldwide stage.

Daniel Eads at NXT Takeover

Over this past weekend, a less regular member of the Stride roster popped up on WWE TV. Daniel Eads, who has wrestled a few times for Stride (most recently at Stride Goes Steel) appeared on camera during the main event of NXT Takeover: Chicago II. He was in a suit and came out after Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. Eads has a ton of talent and I have no doubt he'll be signed by WWE at some point. I don't know any particulars about his visit over the weekend, but I'm sure he also had a chance to wrestle in front of the decision makers. He's a great guy and I'd love for him to get an opportunity on that worldwide stage too.

What a difference two months can make...

The last mention for this post is James Ellsworth. Granted, he's not a "Stride Guy", he did a guest spot with us in April. He's also been on a Cape Championship Wrestling show too. Yes, it was because he'd already worked with WWE, but I still find it cool that someone that was on a fundraiser show with Stride two months ago was back in a WWE ring and playing a huge role in a championship storyline. A few of us went out to dinner with Ellsworth after the Stride show and we all had a chance to just sit and talk (even longer than expected because the service was so slow).

I love that indy guys are getting a chance to shine in front of more people. Not everyone has an end game of being a part of WWE. But to those who do, keep fighting to make it there. Who will be next to appear? You never know. I don't want to turn this on me, but most of you know I'm hopeful to one day be a part of a kickoff show panel discussion on WWE Network. My hope is renewed.

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Sunday, April 15, 2018

James Ellsworth debuts in Stride Pro Wrestling

Make a wish

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Saturday night was another big one for Stride Pro Wrestling. We took the show on the road to Roadhouse Harley Davidson in Mt. Vernon for a fundraiser for YouthBuild. The event saw more than 425 people in the crowd and raised more than $2,500. Not a bad night for sure.

The winners

Fans got to see the usual great stars of Stride Pro Wrestling. But also the debut of James Ellsworth. He battled Wraith for the Legacy Title, a match he won by disqualification after being jumped by Disciples Ryzer and Chase. That attack took us to an impromptu six man tag with Ellsworth leading his team of Farmer Billy Hills and 'T-Dog' Jerry Travelstead to victory over Wraith, Ryzer and Chase. Earlier in the night Ryzer and Chase battled Farmer and Jose Magnifico. The bad guys got frustrated and attacked Magnifico at the end of the match, damaging his ankle. He hobbled out later on crutches, so it looks like he could be sidelined for some time.

Me and Ellsworth

Side note before I get to the rest of the show results, I was able to spend some time with Ellsworth after the show at dinner. A few of us went out to eat and listened as Ellsworth shared stories about his time in WWE and what he hopes to do in the future. The service at the restaurant was slow which turned out to be a good thing as we had more time to spend with the former WWE Superstar. For obvious reasons, I'm not going to go into what we talked about, but I enjoyed hearing his perspective of his tenure in WWE. Don't be surprised if he's back one day either. Thanks again for coming to Stride and spending time with our fans and the wrestlers on our roster.

Jay Spade

Other matches of the night saw Tony Flood drop the Stride Pro Wrestling Heavyweight title back to Jay Spade after one week. This time it was Flood tapping out to Spade's sharpshooter. Spade becomes the first two-time heavyweight champion in Stride Pro Wrestling.

The Midwest Monster Hunters
Jason Tiller & Bo Sawyer

There is also new Stride Pro Wrestling tag team champions. The Midwest Monster Hunters, Bo Sawyer & Jason Tiller, survived a fatal-four way match. They last eliminated the champs, Ax Allwardt and Heath Hatton, thanks to J. Wellington Beauregard and a chain. Other notes from that match saw Joey O'Riley turn on Arron Brooks after they were eliminated. The DR Party was also a part of this match but was the first team eliminated.

I'm a ref...
Courtesy: Jonathan Barnhart

I made my refereeing debut in Stride Saturday night in a match between Roger Matheus and Cash Borden. These two beat the hell out of each other and I called the match right down the middle, despite all the bullying and torment Matheus has put me through. When I only delivered a two count on his pin attempt he got angry and again put his hands on me. I defended myself by kicking him in the grapefruits and making the three count after a well-placed kick by Cash.

California Kid & RedneckMania
Courtesy: Jamie Woodworth Myers

The California Kid returned to wrestling action after a long absence, beating RedneckMania. Chris Hargas returned to Stride after being off with a back injury. He looked great in his victory over Brian Richards. We're still working on a spot for our May 5 show, so stay tuned to social media for those updates. Thanks again to all who have supported Stride Pro Wrestling in recent weeks.

Saturday, April 14, 2018

Tonight is the night

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Chances are you probably already know, tonight is the night for Stride Pro Wrestling's latest fundraising event. We're taking the show on the road to Roadhouse Harley Davidson in Mt. Vernon. All week I've written about the card, but today is the final push if you will (inset Dusty Rhodes' impression here.)

James Ellsworth and Stride Superfan Hunter

This show will be a fundraiser for the YouthBuild program of Marion and Jefferson Counties. Former WWE Superstar James Ellsworth will be on hand tonight as well and there have already been sightings of Ellsworth in Mt. Vernon. I look forward to meeting him tonight. I also look forward to being the referee for the match between Roger Matheus and Cash Borden. My differences with Roger will be put to the side and after it's all said and done tonight the issue between us will be over.

My attempt at Photoshop

Ellsworth faces off against Wraith for the Legacy Title. You'll also see Wraith's disciples, Ryzer and Chase King in action against Jose Magnifico and Farmer Billy Hills. 'T-Dog' Jerry Travelstead will be the special guest referee that night. Brian Richards is scheduled to take on Chris Hargas. RedneckMania will try to run wild over the California Kid.

Hatton soars

Ax Allwardt & Heath Hatton defend the tag team gold against three other teams. The DR Party (Dexter Roswell & Scott Phoenix with manager J. Wellington Beauregard), The Midwest Monster Hunters (Bo Sawyer & Jason Tiller), and Arron Brooks & Joey O'Riley will all vie for the gold. Also, a rematch from last week pits Tony Flood defending the heavyweight title against Jay Spade.

A meet and greet with James Ellsworth will begin at 4:30 p.m. at Roadhouse Harley Davidson in Mt. Vernon. Belltime is 6:30 p.m. and a reminder this is a fundraiser for a great cause so please come out and support it.

Monday, April 9, 2018

Wraith to haunt a former WWE Superstar this weekend

Wraith vs. Ellsworth

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Stride Pro Wrestling returns to Mt. Vernon this Saturday (April 14) for a fundraiser show. We're helping the YouthBuild program of Marion and Jefferson Counties. The show is at Roadhouse Harley Davidson and will be Stride's first outdoor event (weather permitting, otherwise will go inside).

Wraith stalks Farmer
Courtesy: Tom Harness

Former WWE Superstar James Ellsworth is coming in for this fundraiser and has been granted a championship match against Wraith. He picked up the Legacy Championship on our March 3 show. You may remember Wraith also won the Stride Cup that evening. He recently defended the title against 'Farmer' Billy Hills but used his sidekick Ryzer in assaulting the big man from Mudlick, Kentucky. Those tactics earned Wraith a disqualification and angered General Manager Sam Hunter to the point that he made the match between Ellsworth and Wraith.

Carmella & Ellsworth
Courtesy: WWE

We know Ellsworth gained fame in WWE after losing a match to Braun Strowman during Strowman's push after being separated from the Wyatt Family. Something about Ellsworth resonated with fans and he became more popular (initially) than Strowman (I truly believe that statement). I loved the work Ellsworth went on to do on SmackDown Live, playing the lovesick "boyfriend" of Carmella. The act lasted as long as it could and WWE released Ellsworth.

I wouldn't feel bad for him though because that opportunity has given new life to Ellsworth on the indy scene. He's making his own decisions and working for companies when he wants. That's how he's arrived at Stride Pro Wrestling. It'll be interesting to see how Ellsworth holds up against Wraith, who is not only a ghost but a big one at that. We've seen Ellsworth defy the odds and take it to men much bigger, stronger and better than him. He does have two hands, but does he have a chance against Wraith? And what role will Ryzer player that night? And don't forget Chase King who was apparently recruited to join the ghoulish gang.

The meet & greet with Ellsworth begins at 4:30. Contact Jamie Woodworth Myers for more info on this show and how you can get your tickets.

Sunday, April 8, 2018

Stride Pro Wrestling gets chaotic

Lane Austin and me

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Wow, what a night. I still have that 'wrestling buzz' this morning as I write this blog post. Saturday night was an absolute thrill and for a number of reasons. The biggest being that so many people came together for a common cause, to help our friend Lane Austin. The benefit show in his honor was a huge success with fans, wrestlers and just folks from the community coming out to support Lane and indy wrestling.

We're on the road to Stride Goes Steel in the Ville on May 26. It's an all steel cage show in Pinckneyville on May 26. It's a fundraiser for Pinckneyville High School. So mark your calendars now.

The new DR Party?

The DR Party got mocked early in the night by Stride Pro Wrestling tag team champions Ax Allwardt, Heath Hatton, Barry Karafa from CCW, Redneck Mania and the great Lane Austin himself. That all lead to a tag team title rematch later in the night between Ax and Heath and Dexter Roswell and Scott Phoenix. The champs won by disqualification in a match that was high paced and very intense. I honestly thought Hatton broke Dexter in half with a spear. It was a great match, to say the least. After the DQ nearly every wrestler on the roster showed up in pairs, taking out the two in the ring before them. That all ended with Ace Hawkins flying high and performing a waterfall splash on most of the guys outside the ring.

New champ

Tony Flood finally fulfilled his destiny but cheated to win the Stride Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Title. After the ref got knocked down, Flood clocked Spade with a metal pipe and slapped another Sharpshooter on the champ. Despite protests from some of the other good guys in the locker room who came out to help Spade, it looks like the decision will stand.

Wraith
Photo courtesy: Tom Harness

Farmer Billy Hills was assaulted by Wraith and Ryzer as the Farmer challenged for the Legacy Championship. In the end, Wraith was disqualified. Arron Brooks had a good outing with Ryzer earlier in the show, with the rookie Ryzer getting an impressive win. Jason Tiller made his debut against Jose Magnifico. And Bo Sawyer was on the losing effort against Hawkins. Brooks ended up distracting the Midwest Monster Hunter in that match.

Chairshot!
Photo courtesy: Tom Harness

Things got personal between me and Roger Matheus again. He shoved me out of my chair during his match against the returning Cash Borden. This is the third or fourth time Roger has put his hands on me and I had enough. So before he could assault Cash, I took the chair and nailed him in the head with it. It honestly felt good to give this bully a taste of his own medicine, but I fear I've awoken an even more dangerous monster. This Saturday night, I've now been assigned to be the special guest referee between Matheus and Cash at our show in Mt. Vernon.

That event will also feature Wraith vs. James Ellsworth (yes, that James Ellsworth). More matches will be announced this week. The show is a fundraiser for YouthBuild and is being held at Roadhouse Harley Davidson in Mt. Vernon. Check out Stride's social media for tickets.

Thursday, April 5, 2018

The benefits of indy wrestling

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I've talked before about the fact that pro wrestling loves to give back. We've seen it on the national stage with WWE and their partnerships with the Susan G. Komen For the Cure, Make a Wish and Special Olympics. But that's a multimillion dollar company. Smaller indy companies are also quite generous.

Horn tooting time as I am working with Stride Pro Wrestling on several upcoming benefit shows. In fact, we're partnering with IWA-Productions for an event Friday night (April 6) in Ina. That show is a fundraiser for Spring Garden Middle School. The next night, we're gearing up to raise money for our favorite referee Lane Austin. That show is at 7 p.m. at Carterville Community Center. Lane is dealing with complications from Type 1 Diabetes and the money raised will go toward his medical bills.

A week later, on Saturday, April 14 Stride Pro Wrestling heads to Mt. Vernon. Roadhouse Harley Davidson hosts this fundraiser which is for YouthBuild, a program that helps students in Jefferson and Marion Counties of southern Illinois. James Ellsworth will be the special guest that night and will be wrestling. So far though, an opponent has not been named.

May 5 is Cinco de Mayo and we're having festivities of our own. Stride's best and brightest will be in the ring to support a Marion youth softball team. The location for that show is to be determined. Later in the month, Saturday, May 26, it's Stride Goes Steel in the 'Ville as each match will be held inside a steel cage. That show is at Pinckneyville High School and is a fundraiser for the football team and the education foundation. Matches have not been announced yet, but that evening will be a HUGE one for Stride. It's Memorial Day weekend, so mark your calendar now.

Plenty more events are planned for the summer months. No official details are being released at this time, but stick around here and on the Stride Pro Wrestling social media pages.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

3 of wrestling's oddest couples

Mae Young and "Sexual Chocolate" Mark Henry
Courtesy: WWE

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

"Macho Man" Randy Savage & Elizabeth, Goldust & Marlena, Eddie Gilbert & Missy Hyatt. They're among my favorite couples in pro wrestling. They all seemed to match together perfectly. But this is pro wrestling of course and not all matches are ones made in heaven. Since it's Valentine's Day, I thought I'd look at three of my favorite odd couples in the biz.

The delivery
Courtesy: WWE

1. Mark Henry & Mae Young. This pairing was created during the Attitude Era. Mark Henry was an admitted sexaholic. And Mae Young was a sassy old timer who needed some lovin' too. The romance budded and Mae ended up pregnant and giving birth to a hand. Yes, a hand. I don't know why, but that hand showed up at Raw 1,000 years later all grown up.

Ellsworth and Carmella
Courtesy: WWE

2. James Ellsworth & Carmella. There was something about this duo I really enjoyed. Ellsworth was an unexpected signee with the company after being destroyed by Braun Strowman. After spending some time with Dean Ambrose I knew Ellsworth was on borrowed time. He added to his 15 minutes of fame by joining forces with Carmella. I loved the way she treated their relationship. But let's not get too caught up in the Money in the Bank incident. Some still argue Ellsworth is the true winner of that match, I, however, am not in that camp. The relationship was fun while it lasted.

3. The Missing Link and Sunshine. Get in your way back machine for this one. The Missing Link had worked as a heel in World Class Championship Wrestling and WWF before coming back to Texas. Sunshine found herself in a tough spot and Link made the save. I don't recall him ever talking and I don't believe they were ever an actual couple, but I did enjoy the pairing of a 'Beauty and the Beast' scenario. The idea carried over into MidSouth or UWF when Link joined up with Dark Journey. If only George "The Animal" Steele could have wooed Miss Elizabeth.

These are just a few of my favorite odd couples in wrestling. Who are your favorites?

Monday, January 1, 2018

2017 Centy Awards

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter