Review By Jabari McInytre
Show date: February 19, 2022
So here we were, Black History Month, and BRUH!!!! What a time to be a wrestling fan. Screw it, I will go ahead and say that it’s a great time to be a Black Wrestling fan. In the months, there have been about four or five all Black Wrestling events in a couple of different states. Each show had its own flava (flavor so those who didn’t catch it), and all equally as awesome.
Whether you are down for the Culture or not, there is no way to deny that there are big things coming in the Black Wrestling Community and hopefully, people will understand that playtime is OVA!
Black Wrestlers Matter: Saint Louis is one of the latest of these shows (F1ght Club Pro had a show the very next day after however work with me) and it lived up to being the BLACK show that you think it would be. About 240 or so fans gathered at the North County Recreation Center in St. Louis on a cold and sunny February afternoon.
A good number of fans braved the cold to get there early. As soon as they walked in, they knew they were in for a pretty dope experience. This was the second Black Wrestlers Matter show, but by the end of the night, everyone agreed we NEED more and more of this and other Blackity Black Black shows.
Fred Yehi defeated JDX
Fred Yehi and JDX were a great way to officially start the show. Well, it would have started a little earlier had the ref made it to the ring before JDX and Yehi did, however, we are not going to hold that against her. Once the match got started, the match moved at a great pace. The hard-hitting style of Yehi kept the hybrid technical flyer JDX on the ground and rebounding a lot of the match. JDX tried and tried but between the flurry of knees in the corner and being stretched out by Yehi, I knew it wouldn’t be too long.
Yehi did catch a nice Slingblade and then Atomic Drop, Knee, and Spinebuster by JDX, however, Yehi was resilient and stuck to his game plan. Yehi submits JDX with a stretch and drives in vicious elbows. After the match a handshake and respect by both men and pretty good cheers from the crowd.
Stephen Wolf defeated Carlie Bravo
In what was the Pretty Boy Match (most of the women were drooling and fawning over these two as soon as they walked out) of the night, Bravo and Wolf made this as entertaining as possible. Bravo was full of himself the whole match and his showboating antics got a few women swooning, however, once Wolf stepped up, they switched sides.
Bravo got a bit more serious tho and made an entertaining match out of things. Still more showboating but of course that is what costs Bravo the match. Wolf got the win. He smiled, the ladies were done.
AC Mack defeated Darian Bengston, Doc Simmons, and Zay Washington
(Sponsored by the Nation of African American Wrestling)
Shameless self-promotion for the win
Darian Bengston, Doc Simmons, and Zay Washington came to the ring first followed by the IWTV Champ AC MACK. Mack was doing Mack things during the introduction as of course, he introduced himself as he was STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS RING. BORN AND RAISED IN THE S.W.A.T.S. OF ATLANTA GA. (Zone 4, Shawty) WEIGHING IN AT A WHOPPING 219 POUNDS. HE IS THE MACK OF ALL TRADES, AC MACK. With all of THAT out of the way, we begin with a chop-off between Bengston and Simmons.
Pretty much all that was all that you could keep up with for a while because these four went straight to work with high flying and very fast-paced action. Bodies were flying everywhere and while there was much action going on in the ring, the outside was where it was at. Mack was doing much ish talkin’ but Doc, Darian, and Zay were pretty impressive with keeping the spotlight on them. AC MACK wins with his MACK 10 Cross Arms Pedigree.
Suge D defeated ATM
ATM came out to a pretty big reception, however once Suge came out in a Green Robe with the incense burning and Sticky by Ravyn Lenae blasting, the WHOLE vibe in the building changed. We couldn’t help but get down and groove with each other because love was in the air. All that love ended for ATM because man did Suge tie him up six ways till Sunday but ATM got out and even bragged a little.
Suge even let ATM put him in a headlock, however, it was a ploy. Suge obviously played around with ATM, but ATM had a few tricks up his sleeve. ATM kept Suge on his toes and even got a SICK over the Top Rope Cutter for a two count. ATM keeps control of most of the rest of the match, however, Suge got the last laugh and stretched out ATM for the win. Love is back in the air as we danced more after the match.
Isaiah Broner defeated Joseline Navarro
Let me get this out the way first. I could NOT concentrate on the entrance because, well it’s Joseline and you know the THICCCNESS was real. For fear of getting killed by Isaiah Broner, I quickly refocused lol. Before the match even starts, they were going at it in what could only be described as a lover’s spat. Broner caught Navarro and slammed her into the barricades a couple of times.
Bell finally rings and Navarro catches Broner off guard a bit. Broner recovers and takes over a bit, however, Navarro would not stop coming and coming. After a while (and a seductive pin attempt by Broner), Broner gets full control and stops playing around with Navarro. Broner hits a chokeslam but Navarro AGAIN wouldn’t stay down. Navarro hits a nice crossbody in the corner but it wasn’t enough. Broner finally flattens Navarro for the win. After the match, the lovers share a kiss and Broner even gives a piggyback ride to Navarro to the back. Love wins again!
Camaro Jackson defeated ACH
ACH was on his down and dirty ish from the beginning, however as much as he gave it, Camaro Jackson brought it right back to him each and every time. These two were evenly matched as could be and they hit…HARD. At one point, ACH slapped Camaro’s chest so hard you thought a shotgun went off in the building. They grounded each other most of the match but a few Tope’s to the outside got the crowd on their feet.
A THIS IS AWESOME chant broke out while Buckle Bombs, Brainbusters, and two Deadlift German Suplex’s (By ACH) KEPT the crowd on their feet. ACH was as Awesome as ever, but Camaro dug deep and pulled out a very impressive win. No one in the crowd was disappointed in the slightest. Except when after the match, ACH gave Camaro the Middle Finger Salute. Welp ACH BYKE! Don’t forget the SUPER….B****!
Barackus defeated Eli Rossi
Hoss Fight… Big Meaty Men, slapping meat all over this match. Was it pretty, hell no. Was it technical, Nah. Did we wonder how the ring was left standing afterward…hell yeah. That ring was shaking all over the place and the savage in all of us was on full display. All we wanted in a Big Man match we got and Barackus won in another tough match. Jeez, these are some big guys. Rossi got a bit disrespectful after but hey, who cared. Meat was slapped on this night!
Myron Reed defeated Kenny Alfonso
Another dope match that was a contender for MOTN saw Reed and Alfonso put on a pretty good showcase. I really hope people go back and catch these two other matches because man was this everything it could have been and more. Show of respect at the beginning and it was off to the races. Alfonso grounds Reed, however, Reed slips through and starts working the arm of Alfonso. Next, they got into a who can get the most two counts as they both tried pin combination after pin combination. Both of these guys just showing off and putting it all on the mat. We get Tope’s by both and a ONE MORE TIME chant breaks out as Alfonso gets control.
Reed eventually gets Alfonso outside and he starts going to work. We come back in and we get a chop off but first, Alfonso gets Reed to take off his vest (Smart Move). A SpringBoard Stunner after for a two count and Alfonso tries to get Reed to submit. A CorkScrew Dive by Alphonso, A CorkScrew Stunner by Reed, and these two keep on trying to 1UP each other. Reed finally pulls out the win and both get tons of cheers by the end. Incredible Match!
Technical Difficulties (Glory Pro Tag Team Champions) defeated Fly Def
Fly Def played heel super well in this match and really made Technical Difficulties earn every bit of their win. Technical Difficulties were crisp and clean but the energy of the crowd was a bit down because we were approaching the third hour of the show. Fly Def KEPT heeling but Technical Difficulties eventually pulled out the win to retain their titles. A pretty Dope match, but again, hour three was approaching and we had two more matches to go.
Frontman Jah-C defeated Mike Outlaw
God King Jah-C was well on top of his game as he runs down the crowd from the beginning. Mike Outlaw grabs the mic and tells him what we all wanted to tell him…. Shut The F*** Up! Jah-C tried to run down Outlaw a bit but Outlaw was not having it. Eventually, Outlaw lets Jah-C’s words get to him and he is in trouble a bit early in the match. Outlaw eventually pulls through and starts working the leg and Jah-C does everything in his power to get out of the hold. Jah-C pulls off a Superman Punch from nowhere and Outlaw counters with a flying kick of his own.
Eventually, the action spills outside and barricades once again become a big part of the show. Outlaw gets big chants, however, Jah-C silences the crowd. Eventually, the action comes back in the ring and we get a ref bump. Outlaw gets Jah-C in a submission, however, the ref is loopy and doesn’t get up until AFTER Jah-C gets the belt and clocks Outlaw for the 1-2-3. Jah-C scurries to the back to a chorus of boos. Outlaw gets the ovation of cheers for a hard-fought match.
Little Blue Dragon Tootie Lynn defeated Big Swole
The main event featured two very talented and tough women. Tootie and SWOLE we toe for toe, submission for submission, and strike for strike. Everyone was very much split as the women kept each other grounded and WRESTLED. Even though we were three and a half hours in, we never got bored of the women just giving it all they got.
In the end, though, SWOLE got dropped on her head and neck really hard and Tootie Lynn picked up the win. Excellent showing by both and the wrestlers in the back surrounded the ring and gave the women their due. Tootie got the hometown love and was carried to the back by the wrestlers and the hometown crowd having the time of their life.
An all-around good show. You can tell everyone really put in the work to make this as enjoyable as possible. My only gripe is that the show ran a bit long and could have had cut a match or two. No biggies though. I can’t wait for Black Wrestlers Matter 3…and 4…and 5…and Black Wrestlers Matter ATL, Black Wrestlers Matter DC, Black Wrestlers Matter Greensboro, Black Wrestlers Matter LA, and so forth!
