Scariest of All-Time Part 25: The Midwest Monster Hunters

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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I first came to know the Midwest Monster Hunters when Bo Sawyer and Jason Tiller showed up in Stride Pro Wrestling in early 2018. The two worked as a tag team along with Blaine Black in southern Indiana and parts of southern Illinois. Tiller and Sawyer quickly rose in the tag team ranks and had two runs as the tag team champions in Stride.

The trio has been known to hunt werewolves, vampires, and other things that go bump in the night. Sawyer and Tiller even went head-to-head in Stride against Abyss and the Viking King Roger Matheus. What a battle that was in October 2018. 

Bo has also evolved his own character work and wrestles now as Graven. Head back to the My 1-2-3 Cents Podcast archives on Jittery Monkey and hear more about that. It's Episode 308. I'm looking forward to COVID being over and seeing more of these guys in action in person. I have a lot of respect for what they're doing inside the ring and out with the brand they're building. 

Monster Hunters on separate hunts

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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The Stride Cup Tournament finals will be a part of this Saturday's Strideiversary show. 'Warbound' Bo Sawyer returned for the tournament after being sidelined for months with an injury. He'll take on the nearly crowned King of Stride Pro Wrestling, Chris Hargas. Both men have been able to use their size and strength to make a huge impact in Stride.

Hargas is not only King, but he's also the former Legacy Champion and has had several heavyweight title matches against the likes of Heath Hatton, Roger Matheus and Ax Allwardt. Sawyer has been a tag team wrestler for most of his yearlong stint in Stride. He and Jason Tiller are two-time Stride Pro Wrestling tag team champions. But the Midwest Monster Hunters seemingly have different goals now.

Joey O'Riley

In fact, Tiller will face Joey O'Riley for the number one contendership for the Legacy Title. The winner of the Stride Cup will have a free ticket to challenge for the heavyweight title. So we could see the Monster Hunters are singles champions in the coming months. 

However, Hargas and his manager J. Wellington Beauregard will stop at nothing to add more bling. But Sawyer has a lot to prove as a singles star. And never count out O'Riley as he has yet to win singles gold in Stride. He's clearly the smaller man in this battle with Tiller but will no doubt fight for everything he has. 

Find out if the Midwest Monster Hunters can make it as a solo act this Saturday night. Strideiversary is at 600 N. Carbon Street in Marion, Illinois. Bell time is 6:30 p.m.

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AUDIO: Midwest Monster Hunter Bo Sawyer

Bo Sawyer and friends

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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It's Halloween week and we're celebrating on the My 1-2-3 Cents podcast with Midwest Monster Hunter Bo Sawyer. The former Stride Pro Wrestling tag team champion shares his story. Plus I answer another #AskMy123Cents. 

Listen to the show on the Jittery Monkey Podcasting Network here.

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The Hunters become the hunted

Roger Matheus vs. Abyss

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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On Saturday night, Impact Wrestling's Abyss made an appearance at Stride Pro Wrestling's Lockerroom Melee show. It was a successful fundraiser for Community Consolidated School District 204 in Pinckneyville, Illinois. The 6'7'' monster met with fans prior to the show for a meet and greet. Then it was time to face his challenger, former Stride Pro Wrestling champion, Roger Matheus.

Known as the Mad Viking, Matheus has been on the path of destruction in recent months, taking out any and all who get in his way. He was briefly stopped in his tracks Saturday night as Abyss took Matheus to task. The two brawled for a few minutes (something they've done before) until the Midwest Monster Hunters hit the ring and attacked both men. It makes perfect sense, Abyss and Matheus were the two biggest monsters on the card.

Bo Sawyer and Jason Tiller were confident this was a one and done attack as they fled back to the locker room. That's when Abyss invited the former Stride Pro Wrestling tag team champions back into the ring for a fight. The Monster Hunters balked and declined the challenge. General Manager Sam Hunter had other ideas and offered Sawyer and Tiller two solutions; 1) get in the ring and fight or 2) be fired. The MWMH love money almost as much as hunting, so they reluctantly got back into the ring.

Abyss and Matheus, despite beating the hell out of each other minutes earlier, came together and fought the former champs. The brawling came to an end when Matheus scored the pin and he and Abyss celebrated to the cheers of hundreds of fans in attendance. To my recollection, it's the first time Matheus has had the entire audience on his side. Would the Mad Viking be changing his ways?

I'll have more thoughts on the show on this week's My 1-2-3 Cents podcast. Be sure to listen. 

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Tag team turmoil in Stride

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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The Stride Pro Wrestling tag team titles have changed hands quite a bit so far in 2018. The DR Party dropped the belts to Heath Hatton and Ax Allwardt in March. That duo was beaten by the Midwest Monster Hunters who then lost them back to Hatton and Allwardt only to regain them. Now the Redneck World Order holds the titles.

Cole James & Hollywood Redneck

Hollywood Redneck and Cole James actually won the titles, but there's a third member of the rWo who will likely be used to defend the belts much like the Freebirds and the New Day have done. The champs will see action this Friday night (Sept. 21) as they defend their titles at Gallatin County School. It's the rWo going up against the Midwest Monster Hunters (Jason Tiller and Bo Sawyer), the DR Party (Dexter Roswell and Scott Phoenix) and the newly formed tandem of Farmer Billy Hills and String Bean.

Now for some analysis on each team:

rWo rules

The rWo is a fresh change to the tag team division. Their championship victory on September 8 was the first time we'd seen Redneck and James wrestle together. This new duo took advantage of a situation in the ring and scored the most shocking victory in the history of Stride Pro Wrestling. It was a chaotic triple threat match. But with a fatal four way, things are going to be even crazier. The champs are obviously at a disadvantage in this situation. 

The Midwest Monster Hunters

Sawyer and Tiller are the biggest team in this contest. They're over 600 pounds and will have the size advantage locked in. They're also the most seasoned of the four teams competing. They've already won the tag team titles twice here, but for some reason, they can't seem to hold on to the belts. Their experience in other companies coupled with their size and strength make them a favorite to win.

Phoenix & Roswell
Courtesy: Steve Belcher

But don't count out the DR Party. Scott Phoenix shocked fans when he turned on his partner Ax Allwardt late last year and helped Dexter Roswell win the tag titles. Their run came to an end in March and they've struggled to regain their footing since. There have even been a few instances where Roswell and Phoenix have argued in public. For now, I'll chalk it up to all friends have disagreements from time to time.

Farmer Billy Hills & String Bean

String Bean and Farmer Billy Hills are the greenest (pardon the pun) team in this match. They've never teamed in Stride before but seem like a perfect fit. String Bean recently returned to Stride and Farmer has been hunting for a championship win since day one here. He and Sarah Summers and Cowboy Bob Orton have competed for the tag titles before here in Stride. Will the third time be the charm for the popular star from Mudlick, Kentucky?

Don't miss the action. It's happening Friday night at 7 p.m. at Gallatin County School. 

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Rednecks rule!

The rWo wins 

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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I've been a pro wrestling fan for more than 35 years. In that time I've seen some shocking title changes. The Honky Tonk Man pinning Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat for the Intercontinental Title left me speechless. Then in 1991 Sgt. Slaughter stunned me when he beat the Ultimate Warrior for the WWF Title and there's Ronnie Garvin's 1987 NWA Championship victory over Ric Flair.

New champs

But Saturday night may have been the biggest shocker of them all. The newly formed Redneck World Order, in their first tag team match, won the Stride Pro Wrestling tag team championships. Hollywood Redneck and "The Bad Guy" Cole James beat The Midwest Monster Hunters and the DR Party in a triple threat match.

I should make it clear there was plenty of cheating going on from all three teams. The Monster Hunters, DR Party and rWo are all heel factions in Stride Pro Wrestling. The action spilled out of the ring at one point and there were members of the DR Party and rWo fighting outside the ring that didn't even belong in the match. 

Late in the match, rWo's outside man grabbed one of the tag belts and used it to knock Bo Sawyer out of the ring. There were other shenanigans going on and Redneck scored the pin. Just like that new champs were crowned.

But it's not going to be an easy ride for the rWo, even if they institute the 'Freebird rule' when it comes to defending their gold. There are several talented and hungry tag teams on the roster. It's not just the Monster Hunters and DR Party wanting a shot. Look out for other teams on the horizon. Even tandems the Stride Pro Wrestling fans haven't seen yet... 

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TatTuesday: Jason Tiller

Jason Tiller's tattoo 

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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The Midwest Monster Hunters burst onto the scene in Stride Pro Wrestling earlier this year. In that time, Jason Tiller and Bo Sawyer have won the tag team titles twice. Each man has some body ink. I've blogged about Bo's tattoo before, today the focus is on Jason.

He has a 'Jesus fish' on his arm. Jason admits he's not overly religious but enjoys the history of the Ichthus in the Christian community. He first learned about it when the chaplain on his college campus explained how in ancient Rome, Christians were persecuted, similar to the way they are in the east today. The Romans would punish people for worshiping Christ by impaling them on these huge poles, covering them in tar and using them as torches for the Coliseum. It was a brutal death sentence to be caught being a Christian.

So Christians were well underground at this point in history, understandably. They would generally hold worship services in the catacombs in Rome. The fish was an arrow. The point of the fish pointed Christians secretly to their secret worship service. It also served as an ID card of sorts. If you were a Christian and thought you may be talking to another Christian in public, you would draw half of the fish in the dirt. If the other person drew the other half, you knew you were talking to someone you could trust with your faith. The Roman government never caught on. Jason says his tattoo serves as a reminder to keep pushing. He tells himself in hard times "just draw the fish" as a joke.

The Monster Hunters get gold again

New tag team champs
Courtesy: Tom Harness

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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After a two-month summer break, Stride Pro Wrestling has returned in full force. On this week's My 1-2-3 Cents Podcast, which drops Monday, August 6, there's a full recap of what happened on the show and a look ahead to this Saturday's fundraiser show at Eldorado High School.

Bo and his Zubaz
Courtesy: Tom Harness

New tag team champions were crowned over the weekend. Bo Sawyer coyly led the champions, Ax Allwardt and Heath Hatton to the ring. Bo told the audience his partner for the night, Blaine Black was not going to be there and he had an idea. He was sporting a pair of Zubaz (anyone who grew up in the 80s and early 90s knows that those are all about.) Bo tried to convince Hatton and Allwardt to let him joins forces with the champs and create a trio of sorts. 

The champs listened intently only to be distracted long enough for Jason Tiller, another member of the Midwest Monster Hunters, to hit the ring and jump Hatton and Allwardt. This created an early advantage, but as we've seen before Hatton and Allwardt are far from being pushovers. The champs fought back hard and had a highly competitive match. 

J. Wellington Beauregard gets involved
Courtesy: Tom Harness

Just when it looked like the titles would stay with the good guys, J. Wellington Beauregard, who helped the Monster Hunters win the tag team titles for the first time in April, caused more distractions along with his new assistant, Mr. Anthony. As Hatton chased the two outsiders away, Tiller and Sawyer double teamed Ax and choke slammed him to the mat. It was enough for the titles to change hands.

Now for the second time in Stride history, there are two-time tag team champions in the Midwest Monster Hunters. Their next challenge happens Saturday, August 11 at the fundraiser for Sarah Miles-Keltner. The duo defends against Daniel Eads and Arron Brooks. This new team will be a formidable challenge for sure. We'll see you at  7 p.m. at the gym at Eldorado High School.

The Hunters become the hunted

Wraith & Ryzer vs. Midwest Monster Hunters

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Two of Stride Pro Wrestling's best duos have someone managed to avoid each other in the ring here. However, the Midwest Monster Hunters will battle Wraith and Ryzer for the first time this Tuesday night (July 24) at IWA Unlimited-Wrestling. The show is held in Noble, Illinois at 137 West Avenue.

The ghoulish duo has released a new video ahead of the confrontation. Ryzer, as usual, does the talking and promises to do some serious damage to the Monster Hunters. Bo Sawyer and Blaine Black will represent the Monster Hunters. I've yet to see Black wrestle in person, but we know Sawyer is no doubt a monster himself. He's near 300 pounds and strong as an ox. He's one of the few guys who can go toe to toe with Wraith from a size standpoint. You can keep up with the Monster Hunters' adventures on YouTube.

Ryzer 

Ryzer continues to impress me as he grows as a performer. His athleticism will come in handy against the Monster Hunters. He's still just a handful of months into his career and there's no doubt the future is bright for this dark and demented young disciple. Wraith has clearly shared a lot of his knowledge and together this duo could quickly become the most dangerous in Stride Pro Wrestling.  

IWA Unlimted 

IWA Unlimited has wrestling shows every Tuesday evening in Noble. You'll see plenty of familiar faces from the Stride Pro Wrestling on the roster, including Joey O'Riley and Jay Spade. That former tag team faces off for O'Riley's championship as well Tuesday night. And don't forget Stride Pro Wrestling returns on August 4 to John A. Logan College in Carterville. Bell time is 6:30 p.m.

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Stride stars show off ink

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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July 17 is National Tattoo Day. Tattoos and wrestling go hand in hand. The Undertaker, The Rock and Randy Orton immediately come to mind when thinking about inked Superstars. Several on the Stride Pro Wrestling roster have spent time with the tattoo artist through the years. I reached out to them to get the story behind the body art.

Arron Brooks has five tattoos. Starting from the top left; the sparrow on his neck is flying over the ocean. It's Jack Sparrow's tattoo from Pirates of the Caribbean. That film is one of Brooks' all-time favorite film franchises. He says it's a symbol of freedom and taking your own path, which he tries to do all the time. 

The dove on his left hand is a memorial to his brother, Ricky, who died of cancer right before his birthday. The green arrow on the forearm symbolizes Green Arrow, who is one of Brooks' favorite comic book characters. The Cantonese symbol on his chest stands for 'survive'. Brooks says he had difficulties growing up as his parents divorced. It's also the same tattoo Green Arrow has on the TV series Arrow.

The phrase 'It can't rain all the time' is from one of Brooks' other favorite films, The Crow. It means no matter how bad times are, it'll be okay. 

Cash Borden has a few tats, he told me about 'Made in China' on his neck. The story is pretty simple. His mother's name is China and he always told her before she passed away that that would be his first tattoo.

There are a couple of stories behind Midwest Monster Hunter member Bo Sawyer's tattoo. He's a huge Incredible Hulk fan. Secondly, the brick going around the Hulk will eventually go down the rest of his arm. It will be a tribute to Jesse Meredith who wrestled as Drake Graven. Jesse had a full brick sleeve down his left arm. He died in 2014 and was one of Sawyer's best friends. He says when he sees his tattoo it reminds him no matter what comes his way, nothing will get through the brick.

Bo's current tag team partner and fellow Monster Hunter 

Jason Tiller got his ink shortly after his wife left. He says he wouldn't have gotten it otherwise. He has the 10 Count Blog and it (along with wrestling) has served as a coping mechanism. The tattoo celebrates that. 

Farmer Billy Hills has several tattoos as well. I've often wondered about his, so I'm glad he answered the question. The 'Jesus' tattoo has an interesting story. One summer Farmer's car broke down and as he walked for miles in the triple-digit heat he stumbled upon one of those Jesus fish you see on cars. It was just lying on the road. He picked it up, put it in his pocket and was able to continue the eight-mile walk. He later took it to a tattoo artist who added the design.

"Only God can judge me" is a quote Farmer says he's lived by for years. He admits he was a big, weir kid and stood out amongst others. It took time, but he realized that other people's opinions didn't matter. He's also a big Tupac fan. The praying hands are an homage to the man who raised Farmer, his great-grandfather. He says he was the greatest man who ever lived.

The skull you see was Farmer's first tattoo. He says he was young and stupid when he got it and after he had his daughter he wanted to find a way to commemorate her and always have her with him while on the road. That's where the bow and the name Kaylin came in.

The wrestling turnbuckle logo with PMA means a lot to Farmer too. He explains why a positive mental attitude is important. "I am very hot-headed. I can anger quickly. This tattoo helps to try and bring me center in the world when I am angered."

The turnbuckle helps to hold the wrestling ring together. So putting the letters PMA together helps keep anything together that comes up in Farmer's life.

Roger Matheus has Jormungandr tattoo. He is one of Loki's children and was thrown into the great ocean in Midgard. He grew up so large he could wrap around Earth and grip his tail. He is also known as the Midgard Serpent or World Serpent. When he releases the tail, Ragnarok will begin. Roger's wife, Jenn is the artist.

Do you have any ink? What about something that pays tribute to pro wrestling? I eventually want to get a tattoo. If I went to get one today, it would be the My 1-2-3 Cents monkey (who still needs a name).