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Happy New Year!

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UPPER MIDWEST WRESTLING NEWSLETTER
No. 174 (1/1/01)
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2000 Awards
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The second annual Upper Midwest Wrestling Newsletter awards are compiled. 
Points were awarded on a 5-3-2 basis for first through third. The winners 
were determined by total points. There were 90 ballots cast. First-place 
votes are in brackets with total votes following.

1. Wrestler of the year — This is a combination of being both an important 
influential wrestler in a positive manner over the past year, combined with 
being a great performer in the ring.
1) Dino Bambino (17) ... 126
2) Adam Pearce (14) ... 113
3) Adrian Lynch (15) ... 109
4) Lenny Lane (15) ... 106
5) Mitch Paradise (7) ... 68
Honorable mention: Danny Dominion 49, Hellraiser Gutts 48.
Comments: 16 wrestlers received votes in this category with the top four in a 
close race. The styles of the top five vary greatly from a high risk flyer 
like Bambino to a traditional big man like Paradise. The top seven were 
undoubtly considered main eventers in the last year.
Last year's winner: Adam Pearce.

2. Most outstanding wrestler — Based on ring work as the only criterion. 
Simply, the best three workers today. Drawing power, charisma and push 
shouldn’t be considered.
1) Adam Pearce (31) ... 226
2) Dino Bambino (23) ... 171
3) Ace Steel (10) ... 108
4) Hellraiser Gutts (10) ... 82
5) CM Punk (4) ... 65
Honorable mention: Danny Dominion 46, Colt Cabana 28.
Comments: Pearce and Bambino flipped around in the results in the wrestler of 
the year and most outstanding from last year. Pearce had outstanding matches 
in St. Paul Championship Wrestling, Mid American Wrestling and All-Star 
Championship Wrestling. Consider this, Bambino and Pearce totaled 31 
first-place votes as wrestler of the year, but Pearce totaled 31 first-place 
votes in this category by himself. To go one better Pearce had 31 first-place 
votes out of 90 ballots. There were 17 wrestlers who received votes in this 
category.
Last year's winner: Dino Bambino.

3. Feud of the year — Combination of storylines and great matches.
1) Dino Bambino vs. Adam Pearce (27) ... 167
2) Mitch Paradise vs. The High Rollers (10) ... 92
3) Adam Pearce vs. CM Punk (10) ... 79
4) Sheriff Johnny Emerald vs. Shifty (8) ... 73
5) Scott Free/Scotty Zappa vs. K-Train (8) ... 71
Honorable mention: Rikki Noga vs. Danny Dominion/Ace Steel 54, Adam Pearce 
vs. Chuckie Smooth 53.
Comments: It didn't hurt Pearce and Bambino that this feud was prominent in 
both All-Star Championship Wrestling and Mid American Wrestling. Mitch 
Paradise versus the High Rollers and their associates was the top vote getter 
in Minnesota. Shifty versus the Sheriff remained in the hunt after more than 
two years of matches. There were 19 different feuds receiving votes.
Last year's winner: Sheriff Johnny Emerald vs. Shifty.

4. Tag team of the year — For the best working regular team.
1) Ace Steel & Danny Dominion (26) ... 171
2) GQ Centerfolds (Travis Lee & Matt Longtime) (26) ... 162
3) Cruel & Unusual (Big Daddy Hoofer & Ian Xavier) (11) ... 81
4) Hammers Brothers (3) ... 73
5) Sex & Pepsi (Jason Kronan & CM Punk) (5) ... 72
Honorable mention: Hellraiser Blood and Primetime 63, Reverend Axl Future & 
Arc Angel Vincent 57.
Comments: Last year, Dominion and Steel placed second. This year, they didn't 
wrestle regularly as a tag team in many midwest promotions as their value in 
singles is often valued more on a card, but they worked in the WXO and also 
faced teams like Public Enemy, the Road Warriors and others in matches around 
the country. The GQ Centerfolds are the hot, new tag team on the scene as 
Matt Longtime and Travis Lee are hitting their stride in that union. Cruel 
and Unusual was one of the only regular tag teams in several of the Minnesota 
promotions. There were 13 teams that received votes.
Last year's winner: Hellraisers.

5. Most improved — Based on making the biggest strides in ring work over the 
last year.
1) CM Punk (23) ... 160
2) Travis Lee (16) ... 130
3) Mason Diggs (9) ... 77
4) Kujo (8) ... 62
5) Chuckie Smooth (8) ... 54
Honorable mention: Kamikaze Ken 49, Matt Longtime 36.
Comments: After winning the rookie of the year in 1999, CM Punk comes back to 
win the most improved wrestler. He had a strong run in St. Paul Championship 
Wrestling and Mid American Wrestling with feuds against Adam Pearce. Travis 
Lee garnered attention with his GQ Centerfolds gimmick and also moving into 
the tag team ranks in SPCW with Tony DeNucci. Mason Diggs started the year in 
All American Wrestling and finished the year strong in All-Star Championship 
Wrestling, while debuting in Mid American Wrestling and also in the Minnesota 
scene. There were 20 wrestlers receiving votes.
Last year's winner: Red Lightning.

6. Best on interviews — Who has given the best interviews and promos. This is 
a category for interviews, not witty comments made during matches or 
reputations.
1) Mortimer Plumtree (17) ... 108
2) Adrian Lynch (9) ... 96
3) Adam Pearce (11) ... 92
4) Angel Armoni (15) ... 90
5) Lenny Lane (7) ... 68
Honorable mention: Dave Prazak 35.
Comments: Mortimer Plumtree wasn't even on the first ballot that was sent 
out, but he was quickly added as the votes came in. Plumtree reappeared on 
the scene after sitting out a while. While not receiving as many first-place 
votes as two wrestlers behind him, Adrian Lynch still was able to capture 
second place. Adam Pearce's aggressive, in-your-face mike work landed him in 
third, followed by Angel Armoni and Lenny Lane. There were 22 people 
receiving votes.
Last year's winner: Hellraiser Blood.

7. Most charismatic — What wrestler has to do the least to get the most out 
of it.
1) Adam Pearce (20) ... 135
2) Lenny Lane (12) ... 98
3) Mitch Paradise (10) ... 81
4) Shifty (9) ... 67
5) Chuckie Smooth (7) ... 59
Honorable mention: Adrian Lynch 53, CM Punk 49, Angel Armoni 45.
Comments: Needless to say, this is a big year for Adam Pearce with another 
first-place finish. This was the year that saw Pearce change his ring gear to 
black jeans and shave his head. Lenny Lane, who went through a on-again, 
off-again relationship with WCW while working some local shows, took second, 
followed by Mitch Paradise, who worked in the main event of most of his 
shows. There were 23 wrestlers receiving votes.
Last year's winner: Adam Pearce.

8. Best technical wrestler — This is for having the ability to use high level 
technical wrestling moves within the context of building a great worked 
wrestling match. There were 23 wrestlers receiving votes.
1) Daryck St. Holmes (31) ... 230
2) Ace Steel (28) ... 210
3) Eric Hammers (10) ... 108
4) Hellraiser Gutts (9) ... 82
5) Danny Dominion (0) ...16
Honorable mention: None.
Comments: The real question in this division was who would finish fifth. St. 
Holmes and Steel dominated as almost two-thirds of the voters had one of them 
in first place.  
Last year's winner: (tie) Ace Steel and Hellraiser Gutts.

9. Best brawler award — Best brawling tactics to put together the best 
matches during the last year.
1) Horace the Psychopath (41) ... 243
2) Corp. Robinson (12) ... 116
3) Ian Rotten (10) ... 93
4) Chi-Town Thug (7) ... 77
5) Hardcore Craig (3) ... 47
Honorable mention: Hannibal 32, Kujo 22.
Comments: Horace the Psychopath hit the road this year, working for All 
American Wrestling and All-Star Championship Wrestling in Wisconsin along 
with working occassionally in Minnesota. He tallied 41 first-place votes, 
which tied for the most in any category. Chi-Town Thug was the only other 
wrestler in the top five that wasn't a Mid American Wrestling regular. There 
were 21 wrestlers receiving votes.
Last year's winner: Horace the Psychopath.

10. Best flying wrestler — Most innovative and solidly executed moves within 
the context of a match.
1) Dino Bambino (41) ... 220
2) Shifty (13) ... 105
3) CM Punk (10) ... 90
4) Ace Steel (6) ... 63
5) Adam Pearce (5) ... 62
Honorable mention: Jason Kronan 40, Nick Mondo 35.
Comments: Dino Bambino was just as dominant in this category as Horace the 
Psychopath was as a brawler. Shifty took second with memorable matches 
against the likes of CM Punk and Lenny Lane. There were 20 wrestlers 
receiving votes. 
Last year's winner: Dino Bambino

11. Best promotion. Enough said.
1) St. Paul Championship Wrestling (23) ... 178
2) All-Star Championship Wrestling (27) ... 156
3) Mid American Wrestling (12) ... 106
4) Midwest Pro Wrestling (9) ... 72
5) Minnesota Independent Wrestling (6) ... 43
Honorable mention: Wrestle America 2000 42.
Comments: A year ago, St. Paul Championship Wrestling dominated this 
category. They managed to win for a second straight year despite having less 
first-place votes than All-Star Championship Wrestling. ACW had a big year 
with some highly regarded events and making a broadcast TV debut. Mid 
American Wrestling took third with solid shows in a year that saw the 
promotion change the mix of its cards a bit. There were 13 promotions 
receiving votes.
Last year's winner: St. Paul Championship Wrestling

12. Match of the year — Pick three in order.
1) Dino Bambino vs. Adam Pearce (ACW 6/24/00) ... (15) ... 119
2) Lenny Lane vs. Jerry Lynn (St. Cloud indy 10/8/00) ... (16) ... 105
3) Ace Steel vs. CM Punk (SPCW, 10/21/00) ... (13) ... 87
4) Shifty vs. Lenny Lane (MPW 10/7/00) ... (10) ... 72
5) Pearce & Smooth vs. Kronan & Punk (MAW 10/20/00) ... (5) ... 46
Honorable mention: Adam Pearce vs. Chuckie Smooth (MAW 8/18/00) 39, Jerry 
Lynn vs. Adam Booker 38, Noga, Gutts & Dominion vs. Steel, Pearce & Cabana 
(SPCW 3/25/00) 34.
Comments: It would be fitting for the wrestlers who were named most 
outstanding and wrestler of the year to be in the match of the year. The cage 
match with Bambino vs. Pearce match from ACW's Beat the Heat took first. The 
big finish with Bambino dropping a leg on Stefano from the top of the cage 
left a memorable impression. A matchup of two of the biggest names in 
Minnesota, Lenny Lane and Jerry Lynn, placed second. An undercard match 
featuring Ace Steel and CM Punk slipped into third place. Six different 
promotions had matches in the top seven. There were 27 matches receiving 
votes.
Last year's winner: Stealth Suicide vs. Climatic Cage (Rob Norwood) on 
7-24-99 and Adam Pearce vs. Danny Dominion 3-25-99.

13. Rookie of the year — Based on ring performance and not how they are 
pushed. Debut after June 1, 1999 and before July 1, 2000. This way, a 
wrestler can debut in the last half of a year and not be counted as a rookie 
until the following year as to get a few matches under his belt before being 
considered. I will attempt to update the nominees on the list as the 
balloting process goes on as this is the hardest category to figure out who 
qualifies.
1) Colt Cabana (37) ... 235
2) Helmut Von Strauss (12) ... 118
3) Ruff Rider Rassahn (11) ... 90
4) Kamikaze Ken Anderson (11) ... 81
5) Shawn Daivari (4) ... 45
Honorable mention: Len Walker 20, Eric Priest 20.
Comments: Colt Cabana burst on the scene with matches against Danny Dominion, 
but it didn't end there as Cabana quickly made his mark by traveling to 
several promotions around the region. There is little doubt Cabana works like 
a wrestler beyond his experience. Helmut Von Strauss debuted in Minnesota 
Independent Wrestling in the spring and has established himself as a bright 
star for the future. Ruff Rider Rashaan and Ken Anderson also don't received 
the label of green guys by observers. There were 21 wrestlers receiving votes.
Last year's winner: CM Punk

14. Best non-wrestler performer — Valet, manager of the year.
1) Mortimer Plumtree (26) ... 162
2) Alexis (9) ... 97
3) Angelo Stefano (15) ... 96
4) Dave Prazak (12) ... 82
4) High Rollers (7) ... 82
Honorable mention: Jimmy Kennedy 39, Master Quinn 38.
Comments: Mortimer Plumtree came back after taking some time off and made 
favorable impressions around the horn from SPCW to Midwest Pro Wrestling to 
All American Wrestling. Despite not receiving the first-place votes of the 
other top four in the category, Alexis took second as she moved from being a 
pretty face to a capable valet in ACW, AAW, SPCW and AWA Superstars. There 
were 18 people receiving votes.
Last year's winner: Mortimer Plumtree and Master Quinn.

15. Best announcer — On TV or video tape or ring announcing.
1) Mick Karch (38) ... 221
2) Matt Byron (10) ... 77
3) Capital City Kyle (5) ... 56
4) Jimmy Kennedy (3) ... 48
5) Christian Daddy (1) ... 47
Honorable mention: Don Roux 33.
Comments: A year ago, nobody except Mick Karch had enough votes to even 
mention. Once again, Karch won, but ACW announcer Matt Byron moved up the 
ladder to take second. Capital City Kyle used his internet radio show to take 
third. There were 17 people receiving votes.
Last year's winner: Mick Karch.

16. Best show of the year — Pick the three best cards you have 
attended/worked.
1) ACW Beat the Heat (6/24/00) ... (18) ...110
2) Mid American Wrestling (8/18/00) ... (7) ... 77
3) Indy at Stardome in St. Cloud (10/7/00) ... (13) ... 72
4) SPCW (4/29/00) ... (9) ... 71
5) Midwest Pro Wrestling (11/25/00) ... (5) ... 60
Honorable mention: MAW (4/15/00) 59.
Comments: The show with the match of the year ended up being the show of the 
year. The dramatic finish of the June 24 ACW show obviously left its mark 
along with a solid undercard that saw Mike Mercury turn on Kamikaze Ken. 
There were 26 shows receiving votes.
Last year's winner: Badger State Wrestling on 7-24-99 and St. Paul 
Championship Wrestling on 3-25-99.

17. Promoter of the year — This is for the guy who sold the tickets and put 
his butt on the line.
1) Ed Hellier (19) ... 124
2) Michael Krause (23) ... 120
3) Carmine DeSpirito (9) ... 81
4) Ed Sharkey (6) ... 78
5) Terry Fox (6) ... 47
Honorable mention: Terry Klinger/Dan Schaffner 46, Jim Gagnon 44.
Comments: Ed Hellier was the winner in this category for the second year in a 
row. Michael Krause finished second and received the most first-place votes 
for his work in ACW. Carmine DeSpirito's work with his promotion, MAW, placed 
him third. There were 21 people receiving votes.
Last year's winner: Ed Hellier.

18.  Next wrestler to move to stardom on the national scene — Pick three if 
possible.
1) Adam Pearce (21) ... 160
2) Dino Bambino (13) ... 122
3) Mitch Paradise (17) ... 121
4) Hellraiser Gutts (14) ... 116
5) Scotty Zappa (11) ... 71
Honorable mention: Shifty 46, Danny Dominion 36.
Comments: Adam Pearce had a year of opportunity and his work would be 
considered among the top in the country on the independent scene so it comes 
as little surprise he'd finish high in this category. Pearce has moved to 
California and hasn't worked in that area at this point. It will be 
interesting to see what 2001 brings for Pearce. Paradise, Gutts and Zappa all 
worked WWF dark matches recently. There were 20 wrestlers receiving votes.
Last year's winner: Scotty Zappa.

19. Most underrated wrestler
1) Adrian Lynch (28) ... 168
2) Daryck St. Holmes (14) ... 103
3) Eric Hammers (7) ... 65
4) Chi-Town Thug (8) ... 63
5) Matt Longtime (3) ... 47
Honorable mention: Kamikaze 34.
Comments: Adrian Lynch got himself in better shape and grabbed the most 
underrated wrestler award. Daryck St. Holmes doesn't always thrill a crowd 
used to blood or high spots, but his technical expertise gathers him respect 
in this category. This is the first year for this category. There were 35 
wrestlers receiving votes, making this the most popular category for 
write-ins.

20. Best referee
1) Jay Soltis (20) ... 154
2) Gino Lanza (17) ... 116
3) Jimmy Kennedy (10) ... 88
4) Scott DeMarc (16) ... 85
5) Terry Fox (5) ... 52
Honorable mention: Dynamite Joe Erickson 37, Craig Smith 32.
Comments: Jay Soltis, who worked for several promotions during the year 
including MIW, SPCW, AAW and AWA Superstars, won the category, while the 
popular Gino Lanza placed second. Jimmy Kennedy was third, while MAW's Scott 
DeMarc took fourth. This is the first year of this category. There were 17 
referees receiving votes.

21. Best gimmick
1) Dr. Darin Davis (23) ... 140
2) Horace the Psychopath (16) ... 136
3) GQ Centerfolds (12) ... 101
4) Chuckie Smooth (13) ... 77
5) High Rollers (5) ... 54
Honorable mention: Sam Hayne 49, Reverend Axl Future 30.
Comments: The wrestling proctologist, Dr. Darin Davis and his rubber glove, 
edged Horace the Psychopath for this category by having seven more 
first-place votes. The GQ Centerfolds were obviously catching on with a 
third-place finish. Britney pear's boyfriend, Chuckie Smooth, was fourth, 
while those Las Vegas thrillseekers, the High Rollers, took fourth. This was 
the first year for this category. There were 21 people receiving votes.

22. Veteran of the year
Debut before 1990
1) Hellraiser Blood (15) ... 109
2) Rockin Randy (12) ... 81
3) Kenny Jay (7) ... 70
4) King Kong Bundy (6) ... 68
5) Meng (7) ... 64
Honorable mention: Jim Brunzell 61, Frankie DeFalco 56
Comments: While he fell in other categories, Hellraiser Blood was able to 
finish first in this new veteran division. He was followed by Rockin' Randy, 
the Sodbuster Kenny Jay, and a pair of big-name fly-ins in King Kong Bundy 
and Meng.


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Tim's Time
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The 2000 awards are compiled and I thought it was an outstanding 
representation of the Upper Midwest wrestling scene and couldn't complain 
with any of the results. I have went to 52 wrestling shows live in 2000 if 
you count one UFC show I attended and another show at First Avenue when the 
ring didn't show up. In addition, I've seen many other local matches and 
shows from 2000 on video tape. Here are my comments on some of the categories.
*Mason Diggs was my top pick for most improved. I saw him live in January and 
he's miles better than that today.
*My choice for interviews and promos was Angel Armoni. Every time I saw the 
guy on the mike, he delivered and didn't fall in love with hearing himself on 
the mike. Too many guys get on the mike and get a quick pop so they keep 
talking until the kill the value of mike work.
*While he may not have been my top choice, I think Rikki Noga deserves some 
recognition in the most charismatic category. For most of this year, he was 
the most over face in SPCW and when he won the title, the place went nuts for 
him. It hurts Noga that he only works for SPCW.
*My vote for the promotion of the year is All-Star Championship Wrestling. 
They are the promotion that made the most strides in 2000. Most promotions 
saw a drop in crowds and in the number of shows booked. ACW was a strong draw 
and was able to organize a broadcast television deal. 
*My match of the year was Ace Steel vs. CM Punk from the 10/21/00 St. Paul 
Championship Wrestling show. Quite frankly, this was the best WRESTLING match 
I've ever seen live on an indy show. They didn't stop with good, 
hard-hitting, fast-paced wrestling. They worked the crowd and had great 
facial expressions. The Dino Bambino vs. Adam Pearce (ACW 6/24/00) was not my 
favorite match between those two, but the finish with Bambino landing a leg 
drop on Stefano from the top of the cage was surly something tons of fans 
loved live. On tape, it was cool, but you don't get caught up in the 
excitement like you do live. I liked the Lenny Lane vs. Jerry Lynn (St. Cloud 
indy 10/8/00) match on tape better than I did live, but thought the Lynn vs. 
Adam Booker match was more to my liking. I also liked the Shifty vs. Lenny 
Lane (MPW 10/7/00) match better than the St. Cloud match. I didn't see Pearce 
& Smooth vs. Kronan & Punk (MAW 10/20/00) or Adam Pearce vs. Chuckie Smooth 
(MAW 8/18/00). The Noga, Gutts & Dominion vs. Steel, Pearce & Cabana (SPCW 
3/25/00) was good but not in my top three. The match I am excited to watch 
progress in 2001 is Austin Aries vs. Black Stallion. I loved their first 
meeting and think it has real potential.
*Matt Byron does a nice job of commentary on the new ACW TV show. I just got 
to see the first six shows and was impressed.
*The best indy show live that attended was the SPCW show from April 29 
because the crowd was so into the main event and the rest of the card was 
good.
*I am glad to see that people "love that glove" of Dr. Darin Davis. The GQ 
Centerfolds also have a great new gimmick. Both have potential to become cult 
favorites.
*My top selection for referee is Gino Lanza. I only don't like the fact that 
he can get a bigger pop than most of the wrestlers, but he does a great job.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Interviews
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Editor's note: The following interview with Adrian Lynch was conducted via 
e-mail on December 27, 2000.

Adrian Lynch
December 27, 2000
20 Questions

1. What do you think you accomplished in 2000 as a wrestler? 
I would say that this year was the year that I probably progressed as much as 
I ever have. Light years away from what I was 3 years, 2 years, or even one 
year ago. Between the strides I made in my conditioning, and the wide variety 
of guys I worked with, it was without a doubt an extremely productive year. 
If there was one drawback, it was that there were a ton of guys that I only 
got to work with once or twice, due to the fact that there are only so many 
days in a week. I thought last year was busy, but this year topped that.

2. What was the highlight of the year for you?
Getting a lot of positive feedback on the advances I've made over the past 
year was nice. And, of course, showing the people who thought I was just a 
big guy that could take a few bumps that I'm much more than that was fun too. 
I would have to say that this year was probably the most fun I've had since 
I've been in the business. Between the local guys, the Wisconsin crew, the 
guys up in the Cities, it's been a good year. I started making monthly trips 
up to Minnesota again for the Sheriff and that has worked out really well. 
I'm happy to be going up there again. I also enjoyed seeing the NAWF progress 
over the year. A lot of the students have come along very, very well, and the 
shows are going great. We're trying to come up with a new NAWF T-shirt 
though. Maybe the readers could give an opinion on some of the catch phrases 
we're considering ...
1) The NAWF: We never hired a Vegas hooker and called her a Nitro Girl.
2) The NAWF: We never found a checkout girl at Wal Mart and passed her off as 
a "WWF Diva".
3) The NAWF: We can advertise our events to the public -- the lawyers ain't 
going to come after us!!
4) North American Wrestling Federation: 4 out of 5 Turner lawyers recommend 
it!
Please send feedback to ALynch69@aol.com

3. What would you consider your best match of the year? 
There were so many of them, it'd be hard to nail one down. My matches with 
Meng or Duggan would be near the top of the list for sure. Mitch Paradise 
back in September was very good as well. I had some good ones with Horace for 
AAW. I would imagine that if I had to pick just one, it would be Meng in Iron 
Mountain back in July, for the reason that I was able to hang with a guy of 
his caliber for 15 minutes. Meng is one of the most respected men in the 
industry. You don't get to work with a guy like that very often on indys, so 
I was fortunate to have the chance to do so. That's one of the matches I like 
to watch and pick apart to see what I would do differently. 

4. What do you want to accomplish in 2001?
I'd like to continue with the conditioning, obviously. I would also like to 
become more aggressive in pursuing a slot with with WCW, WWF, or an overseas 
promotion. Now that I've done what I needed to do for the most part, I think 
I have as good of a chance as any to get a look. In the meantime, keep 
plugging along and keeping a full schedule with the indy promotions I work 
for.

5. In 2000, you worked for NAWF, MPW, AWA Superstars, AAW, Steel Domain, 
SPCW, GLCW, AWW, NFW and a few other promotions outside the upper midwest. 
Why do promoters apparently like to book Adrian Lynch?
It's pretty simple, I guess. I do what's asked of me. I am more than capable 
of doing so, and I don't cause problems. Either that or they like my jokes, I 
don't know.

6. Quick comments ...
a) Jim Duggan
Real good guy, easy to get along with. A perfect swan song for "The British 
Import", as that was the last time I wore the Union Jack.

b) Meng
Great experience. Meng is also one of the guys, much like George Steele, 
Terry Taylor, Jimmy Hart, Duggan, or any of the other name wrestlers I've 
worked with this past year that will take the time to offer sincere advice or 
help if you approach them. Stuff like that is invaluable.

c) Tank
One of the few guys that was able to get me over as a babyface this year. 
Works hard to do what he does. I'd work him anytime.

d) Horace the Psychopath
Working with Horace was a highlight for sure. He's one of those guys that 
understands so many subtle things about wrestling, things that you only learn 
through experience. For sure, one of the most underrated guys in the Midwest 
as far as ability and psychology.

e) Jim Gagnon
Started working for him back in August as a last minute thing and it's worked 
out well.  Got the chance to work with Horace quite a few times for him, as 
well as tag with Buck. Who would've thunk it? Has a crew that is easy to get 
along with and there's never a hassle, always a good time. 

f) Matt Burns
BURNSY!!! From what I understand, he takes a lot of lip from the guys. But, 
he's got a good look to him and is extremely smooth in the ring. He's another 
guy I would like the opportunity to work with on a regular basis.

g) Dale Gagner
Is it Gagne or Gagner? Dale treated me well while I was working for him, so I 
have no complaints about that. However, while I was working for him there 
were quite a few irregularities, to put it in a diplomatic way. The last show 
I worked for him was in Laughlin, Nevada, back in February. I got to the 
building, and the posters hanging up had 3 big pictures of Cactus Jack and 
the AWA logo. We did an afternoon press conference at the Riverside Casino 
where a bunch of fans wearing Cactus Jack shirts showed up expecting to see 
him. I wonder where they got that notion? Then, of course, there was the show 
itself. An arena full of fans calling for refunds since, lo and behold, there 
was no Cactus Jack. That was even worse than the Michigan shot where for some 
silly reason the 4,000+ in attendance were expecting Kane to be there. I 
wonder why they would have thought Kane was going to appear? Please, somone 
call Robert Stack and get "Unsolved Mysteries" on the case. I would say that 
Justin Roberts was the true MVP of that promotion, as he was the guy that was 
told to go out there and announce to the crowds at various shows that there 
were "travel difficulties" or "circumstances beyond the AWA's control." Many 
times, fans were ready to riot and the guy kept his cool and didn't freak. 
Working for Dale was kind of like being at a party and knowing it's time to 
leave, you just get that feeling that if you stay any longer it may get 
weird. So, I was out of there like a speeding rental car leaving the back 
door of the arena. While I tried to inform them of my decision in a 
professional manner and let them know it wasn't anything personal against 
Dale or Jon, they took it as such. That's life, I guess. It would appear that 
I made the right decision as in the months following, there were several 
publicized incidents regarding the AWA and some "promotional no-no's." I'd 
rather not be around that. For the guys that are working there, I'm sure they 
are making good money as did I, but I am also sure that at some point they 
will get that "I gotta go" feeling as well, and Dale will find a new crew. Of 
course, I don't know if they will have a photo of them on the website with a 
big red "X" through it, but that is neither here nor there, right? Later in 
the year, it was suggested by some that I was going to be taking AWA bookings 
again, to the extent where my name was listed on the website on lineups. Of 
course, I wasn't at the shows, since I wasn't booked, but that's a big club 
to belong to, right? HOO-HAA!!! Speaking of websites, how come Dale's site 
hasn't been updated in ages? Paging Robert Stack, Robert Stack to Rochester, 
Minnesota, please.

h) King Kong Bundy
Big John Holmes' favorite tag team partner. Another former Dale Gagner 
employee, a topic we discuss every time I see him. Funny guy with a good 
sense of humor.

i) Chris Brown
Had him in his first match, as well as his second. By the second match, he 
was so confident in himself he volunteered some brilliant ideas. Loves 
putting me over, just ask him. Noted ring technician.

j) Stormwolf
Good guy with a hell of a dropkick. He has a bright future ahead of him if he 
keeps plugging away.

k) Eric Hammers
There's never a dull moment on roadtrips with him. The most ironic thing is 
that two guys like us who don't really blend in like to poke fun at the rural 
folks we meet on roadtrips. Go figure. Points must be subtracted for the 
nasty ass microwave sandwiches he brought into my car, however.

l) Brad Hammers
Huge guy with a quiet nature and very, very strong. Did I mention, he was big?

m) Rob Norwood
Another resident of "The Compound" up in Green Bay. Don't see a whole lot of 
him while I'm there, as he's an early riser and I'm a late sleeper.  Has an 
awesome video collection. People videotape the darndest things.

n) Mike Mercury
I've known Mike for a long time. He puts a lot of effort into ACW. I respect 
him for that. Sometimes he spreads himself too thin, but manages to keep a 
calm head despite having to worry about a ton of things. Has a crueler sense 
of humor to him than most would think, which I can also appreciate. Once you 
get him away from a stressful environment, he can cut up with the best of 
them. Props to him for admitting I may very well know Wisconsin geography 
better than the locals.

o) Navajo Warrior
One of the few reasons I would have had for staying with Dale would have been 
to work with Nav again. One of those guys where you can just say, "See ya out 
there" & it goes great. I may get the chance to work with him again in 
Arizona this year, which would be nice.

p) Dr. Darin Davis
His gimmick sometimes takes attention away from the fact that the guy can 
really work, but he plays the role well. Good worker with some real good 
ideas and very fun to watch.

q) Charlie Norris
Charlie was one of the guys up in the Twin Cities that I always wanted to 
work with, and I finally got the chance to do so this year, and we were both 
pretty pleased with the results. He and I think a lot alike about the way we 
like a match to go.We clicked on a lot of ideas.

r) Mitch Paradise
Another match that I like to watch in order to see what I could have done 
differently. Mitch is great to work with, and from the way it looks I will 
get more chances to do so in the future.

s) CM Punk
I was his "mystery opponent" at the Steel Domain show back in May, something 
that shocked the world, a twist and turn that put the rasslin biz on its ear. 
Meltzer did a whole column about it. Well, not really. But, I'm sure a few 
people were kinda surprised. Had a good match with the lad ... and I'm still 
waiting for the tape!

t) Derek St. Holmes
Ok, so THAT'S how you spell it. If I had a nickel for every spelling of his 
name I've seen....well, that'd make up for the money Keith Douglas owes me 
anyway! Damn, I'm funny, ain't I?  Derek's a good hand and a snappy dresser, 
and has a lot of wrestling ability.

u) Tony Leone
"Shooter" Leone. Tony is never afraid to say what he thinks and the result is 
brutal honesty, along with a lot of dry humor. A fun guy to have in the 
locker room for that and a multitude of other reasons.

v) Jonnie Stewart 
According to him, I'm an "enigma". If Jon geeked the hair out again, we could 
tag as the "Enigma Brothers". Perhaps Dale could book us against Ultimate 
Warrior in a handicap match. Or maybe not.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Interviews
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Editor's note: The following interview with Derek St. Holmes was conducted 
via e-mail on December 26, 2000.

Derek St. Holmes
December 26, 2000
20 Questions

1. Okay, brainiac, is it Derek, Derrick or Daryck? The fans demand to know 
now! Let's settle the issue once and for all!
My real name is spelled Daryck. As you can guess, I get a lot of different 
spellings when I tell people my name, I'm pretty much immune to it now. When 
I first started I flirted with the idea of spelling my working name Derek and 
that's how I sign stuff now as it has less letters! I don't really care how a 
promoter spells it on a poster as long as i'm booked on the show.

2. An upstart named Colt Cabana said he loves your gimmick right down to the 
"old haircut." Tell us how the gimmick has grown in 2000 and how a Peter 
Brady lookalike has worked to produce a serious style that has earned him a 
reputation as one of the top technical guys in the midwest.
I think I've gone through this before. After about a year and a half or so of 
being the generic r-n-r babyface jobber Daryck St. Holmes (yes, the name came 
from Ted Nugent's singer), Carmine Despirito sat me down with a concept. He 
pictured more of a Hugh Hefner-type deal in silk pajamas and such but we 
compromised on what you see now. As for the working style, I was a 
biiiiiiiiig fan of Steven Regal when I was in college and tortured anyone 
within earshot to "come and watch this guy!" I felt he was doing things that 
you just didn't see anymore and he looked so credible. Of course, growing up 
in the midwest, I knew about Robinson and Bockwinkle, but I was too young to 
really watch them critically at the time. I knew that an intelligent 
character could get over, but he had to work to support the gimmick. That, 
combined with my average physical skills, made me decide to research the 
technical side of wrestling. I knew I wasn't going to press slam anyone and 
the first time I climbed the ropes I knew I wasn't going to be a high flyer, 
so I applied myself on the mat and voraciously watched tapes until I could 
put stuff together. My first matches as the Esquire I could only fistdrop and 
that was about it! After about 6 to 8 months, I was able to start with the 
technical moves and really find my stride. I'm still learning all of the time.

3. What did you accomplish as a wrestler in 2000?
Looking back, I was most happy at how much I was able to work. I currently 
appear regularly for four different promotions and that really eats up my 
time, but I feel if I want to pursue wrestling at this level than so be it.

4. What would you like to accomplish as a wrestler in 2001?
Just to keep working regularly! If time allows, I would like to work for any 
other promotions that will book me in the area. There's no money, it's just 
the chance to better myself and get the exposure.

5. How do you evaluate if you had a good or a bad match?
Usually this is dependant on the crowd reaction. If they pop for the finish, 
then it doesn't matter how many spots were missed. It doesn't matter if I got 
to do a new move. It doesn't matter how smooth or choppy it was. If we were 
able to get this group of people to care about what we were doing so much 
that they follow it along and buy the finish, then it's a good match.

6. Okay, smart guy, what's your mental approach before you step into the 
ring? How do you mentally prepare for a match?
My thought process is surprisingly clear before a match. I don't get the 
heebie-jeebies until I'm standing behind the curtain/door/whatever and I'm 
waiting for the announcer to finish and my music to hit. In preparing for a 
match, I'm one of the guys who (to the constertation of a lot of people) 
don't like to go through everything step by step. The boys will ask me what 
I'm going to do that night and a lot of the time I honestly don't know. I 
enjoy the challenge of being forced to put together something beautiful and 
it's all improv. A few basic thigs are discussed, but beyond that, hey, take 
your best hold and go with it!

7. What was the highlight of the year for you?
Consistent bookings! Other than that, I felt I had a good match with Adrian 
Serrano for Carmine, a good match with Dino for Merc, and a good match with 
Tom for Randy. Again, all of these matches weren't necessarily technical 
masterpieces, but we were able to get the crowd and make them go, "Yeah!".

8. What would you consider your best match of the year?
See above. Ace Steele and I were able to indulge ourselves in SPCW earlier 
this year with a good match, but I felt we went above the heads of the casual 
fans so that will hurt the chances for a rematch.

9. Well bookworm, with the market flooded with wrestling books, what were the 
best three of the bunch?
I personally like Hooker by Thesz, Pure Dynamite by Billington, and Have a 
Nice Day by Foley as probably the best (yup, same as Meltzer, so sue me!) 
Runner up prizes go to Cappetta's book (good road stories) and Nelson's book 
(regional in its appeal but good if that's what you're looking for). Have not 
read Goldberg's or DDP's and don't plan to, hated the Rock's book (I like 
listening to that garbage but having to read it insults my intelligence.)

10. At the start of the year, did you ever think Lord Steven, oops, William 
Regal would be in a featured event on WWF TV like the one earlier this month 
teaming with Kurt Angle against Steve Austin and The Rock?
I was thrilled to see Steven (I don't care if they're calling him William) 
Regal back on TV again simply because I had someone to swipe stuff from 
again! Unfortunately, his presence quashes my chances for a break because 
they've already got Regal. Why would they want the indy knockoff?

11. Quick comments ...

a) Adrian Serrano
Great attitude and wants to learn pro style. Once we learn to slow him down 
and get his mind in the "working" mode as opposed to "shooting" mode, he will 
be an excellent performer.

b) Adrian Lynch
Stairmaster fanatic! Really trained himself hard this year and I hope it pays 
off for him. Needs to pick up an accent.

c) Ruff Rider Rashaan
Good up and coming talent, listens well. When I first saw him moonsault, I 
said "that's the finish to our match, but I'm not taking that!"

d) Mike Mercury
Mercury has lightened up a bit since we last talked, actually appears to be 
having a good time now! I think our tag team has split for the time being so 
I can out him on this fact. He always stinks up my gear with hot stuff!

e) Primetime
Don't really know him too well. I had a good first match with him, even 
better when he came up to me after and said "In two years of working, you're 
the first person that's tried to put a submission hold on me!" It made me 
feel I had a niche in Minnesota.

f) Rikki Noga
Noga can be a funny guy. He has the best "Aw shucks" smile I've seen but can 
let the ladies cloud his mind a bit. If he can keep focused and loosen up a 
bit in the ring, (he's not stiff, but he can't improv too smoothly yet) he 
should do alright.

g) Dino Bambino
Dino is always an excellent match for me. We get along well and wear the same 
size shoes so everything's cool. He's taking some time off to pursue his real 
life career so he's got his priorities straight. Oh, and likes to go through 
burning tables.

h) Kamikaze Ken
Again, good talent. Needs to branch out more and get more exposure to grow as 
a performer.

i) Rockin' Randy
Randy is an unusual character at times, but very knowledgable. I learn little 
subtle things when we wrestle and talk during the week so I never close my 
ears to what he has to say. I have a lot of fun at his shows.

j) Eric Freedom
The Ron Jeremy of professional wrestling. Before he tells you this, let me 
out myself. When I was still a fan, I would daydream of breaking in and 
managing Eric and Chad, the Love Brothers as their hippie guide. There, Eric, 
everyone knows now!

k) Ace Steel
Also wears the same size shoes. Ace and I are able to connect when we spar 
and wrestle on such a level we don't have to call anything or plan stuff out. 
Our SPCW match was totally off the cuff and designed to be that way. When 
we're in the ring, it's often more a contest of who's done more cardio rather 
than what our next move is.

l) Eric Hammers
To quote Warren Zevon "... well, he's just an excitable boy!" I like Hammers 
and I feel one of his best/worst qualities is he's very intense about what he 
believes in, whether it be gimmick, psychology, promoting, etc. Some of what 
he says I agree with wholeheartedly, some stuff ... I feel he's very intense 
about what he believes in and it works for him. It may not work for everyone!