Chikara comes to Minneapolis

In just two weeks Chikara will make it's Minnesota debut. Thursday October 22, 2015 in Minneapolis, MN at Mill City Nights. All ready announced to appear at this event are The Colony, Chuck Taylor, Dasher Hatfield, Icarus, Eddie Kingston and Arik Cannon.This may be the first time that Chikara will promote an event here in MN but it's not the first time that a group of Chikara wrestlers have made the trip to MN for another wrestling promotion.

MPW Invitational

Back in September 2003 Midwest Pro Wrestling had a weekend training camp with Skayde ( who later on became the head trainer at the Chikara Wrestle Factory). Attending this training camp were 6 Chikara wrestlers. MPW had two events that weekend on Saturday and Sunday night and called them the MPW Invitational.

On Saturday night September 20th Chris Hero defeated Casanova.

 The Midwest Shockers (Cody O'Neill & Joey Envy) defeated Eddie Kingston & Sitoci and Icarus & Gran Akuma in 3 way tag team elimination match.

 Sumie Sakai  defeated Ran Maru and had her hand raised by Chikara referee Bryce Remsberg.

 On night two, Sunday September 21, Arik Cannon defeated Chis Hero.

The Midwest Shockers (Joey Envy & Cody O'Neill) defeated Gran Akuma & Shawn Daivari.

 The main event was American Gigolo & Ran Maru VS Skayde & Sumie Sakai with referee Bryce Remsburg. Skayde & Sakai won the match when Sakai pinned Gigolo. I love in ring posed photos.

My first published photo in Pro Wrestling Illustrated was from this match. It appeared on the last page of the February2004 issue of PWI.

World Series of Wrestling

In 2005 MPW was visited by 7 wrestlers and 1 referee from Chikara. This time the two promotions battled against each other in the World Series of Wrestling, a best of seven match series. The guys from Chikara were at MPW for two nights April 30 and May 1, 2005.

In the first match MPW cruiser weight champion The Prophet defeated Icarus. MPW 1 Chikara 0

 Emil Sitoci VS Joessiah ended in a draw when both men could not get to their feet before a 10 count.

 "Sweet and Sour" Larry Sweeney pinned The Punisher (Rob James). MPW 1 Chikara 1

 Claudio Castagnoli (WWE's Cesaro) defeated Casanova. MPW 1 Chikara 2

 Kid Krazy defeated Hallowicked. MPW 2 Chikara 2

MPW Universal champion Joey Envy defeated Chris Hero. MPW 3 Chikara 2

 "Lightning" Mike Quackenbush pinned Arik Cannon. MPW 3 Chikara 3.

 On Sunday May 1, 2005 the main event was a 6 man tag to determine  the winner of the World Series of Wrestling. Quackenbush, Hero & Castagnoli defeated Cannon, Krazy & Version 2 (Ryan Cruz) to win the MPW/Chikara World Series of Wrestling. That's right, the visiting promotion won.

Be sure to check out Chikara on Thursday October 22 at Mill City Nights. Then mark your calendar for the next F1rst Wrestling event at First Ave, Friday January 8, 2016. 

CM Punk VS Daniel Bryan

This Sunday at the WWE Over The Limit PPV the WWE champion CM Punk will take on the challenge of Daniel Bryan. To promote that match this week WWE.com posted a story about the history between Punk and Bryan. That story included photos I took for Pro Wrestling Illustrated back in 2004. The match took place at the St. Paul Armory for Ring of Honor when Bryan was then know as Bryan Danielson. No titles were on the line in that match on April 23 but Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat was the special guest referee. Bryan won that match when he made Punk tap out. Will he be able to make Punk tap out again this Sunday?
CM Punk spent his first few years in pro wrestling in Steel Domain Wrestling which held most of its card in West Saint Paul, just down the road from where this ROH card took place.You can watch this match at ROH’s web site which I’ve linked here. Look for me at ring side, I'm the one in the red shirt.

Buck "Rock N Roll" Zumhofe talks about PWI photo

"Rock N Roll" Buck Zumhofe posted a video on his YouTube channel to comment on my photo of him that was published in the March 2011 issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated. For the record, I did not write the caption for the photos of Zumhofe and Greg Gagne. I only took the photos.
The caption to my photos was "Two reasons why no one is clamoring for an AWA reunion". Well if you are clamoring for an AWA reunion then you are in luck. Kenny "The Sodbuster" Jay his having a benefit for the histiocytosis association on Saturday April 2, 2011. Advertised to appear at this event are Larry Hennig, Baron Von Raschke, Greg Gagne, Jim Brunzell, Red Bastien, Dr X, Nick Bockwinkle and Buck Zumhofe. This event will take place at the American Legion in Savage, MN from 6pm till midnight and the cost is $15. Click here for more info on the event.

Next Friday - F1rst Wrestling/Wrestlicious @ First Ave

This coming Friday night, May 28th, F1rst Wrestling returns to First Ave for the first time since December 2009. The main event for this card is a no DQ match between Arik Cannon and Horace the Psychopath. There is also a four way match between "The Professional" Benjamin Sailer, "Big" Brody Hoofer, "Playboy" Pete Huge and "6% Body Fat" Rob James. Also scheduled is a tag team match, The Northstar Express VS The 5-0. In addition to the F1rst Wrestling matches there will be a TV taping for Wrestlicious! If you liked GLOW then you will love Wrestlicious. Announced so far appearing for Wrestlicious are Cousin Cassie, Juvi Hall, Coco Montego (Josie/Sojo Bolt), Glory the All American Girl (Christie Ricci), Faith "The Naughty Girl" (Portia Perez), White Magic (Lacey) and Marley "the Hippie Chick" (Daizee Haze)
The June 2010 issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated featured a photo of Sheamus that I took on the cover. More of my photos from that same WWE house show can been seen in the July and August issues of PWI on news stands now.

SDW DVD

Steel Domain Wrestling has released a DVD called "Pro Wrestling Stars: Before the Big Time". This DVD features some of the top stars today in matches that took place in SDW from 1998 to 2005. Wrestlers on the DVD include WWE's CM Punk, current ROH champion Austin Aries, TNA Knockout ODB, WWE's Bam Neeley/Magnus Maximus and TNA/WWE's Ken "Kennedy" Anderson. Other notables on the DVD are former WCW cruiser weight champion Lenny Lane, WWE's Scotty Goldman/Colt Cabana, former TNA star Shawn "Sheik Abdul Bashir" Daivari and ROH's Ace Steel. The photos on the DVD cover were taken by me. Just click on the DVD title link for ordering info.
SDW DVD preview video on youtube
And speaking of photos on the cover...I got the photo cover of Pro Wrestling Illustrated Wrestling Annual. I took the photo of Shawn Michaels & Triple H at the Rochester, MN RAW house show last month.