Preview: WrestleMax at Turner Hall in Columbia, Illinois December 15

WrestleMax STL will be having its final event of the year on December 15 at Turner Hall in Columbia, Illinois.

Kevin Kwiatkowski, otherwise known by his ring name as Kevin Lee Davidson (KLD) on the independent wrestling scene, also serves as the promoter for the company.

KLD has been a mainstay on the indie wrestling scene for 10 years. Having performed with companies such as SICW, Dynamo Pro, Epic Pro Wrestling, GCW, St. Louis Anarchy and many others, KLD decided to get into the promoting game in 2017 and WrestlMax STL was born.

The company made the move from South County to Columbia last year, making Turner Hall its home.

“It was a fresh start for us,” KLD said. “We had a great year and we’re looking to close out strong”

The December 15 show, titled, Now That’s What I Call Wrestling, will feature Mance Warner, one of the hotter stars on the national indie wrestling scene. He will face off with River City Champion Davey Vega. KLD, himself will battle Calvin Tankman in a fall count anywhere match.

The main event of the evening will feature Shazza McKenzie again Sü Yüng for the WrestleMax Women’s Title.

The rest of the matches include; a three-Way Dance to crown the first ever WrestleMax Tag Team Champions: GMB vs The New Guys vs GPA & Laynie Luck, Solomon Tupu against Jabari King, and Kenway & The Premier against Dan the Dad Moses and A

“We got a little something for everyone,” KLD said. “I’m really excited about this event.”

Another special attaction for the show will be Sami Callihan battling Rahim De La Suede.

Callihan is well known all over the nation, having been in the business for 17 years. He’s worked with Impact Wrestling, New Japan Wrestling, KAOS Wrestling, MLW, and several other companies.

“Sami is one of the best in the world,” KLD said. “His resume speaks for itself. You can really see his fingerprints all over wrestling right now.”     

Callihan is also the main booker for The Wrestling Revolver and was responsible for recently bringing Ronda Rousey into the company to perform. Rouse was not only a WWE Women’s champion, but also one of the greatest UFC Women’s Champions of all time.

Callihan will also run a Pro Wrestling Seminar and Wrestling Revolver Tryout and Scouting Session from 3-5 p.m. Entry fee is $50. During the seminar, Callihan will work with wrestlers on how to brand and market themselves, while also telling them what television companies are looking for. To register for the seminar, email, [email protected].

“You’re not going to get a bigger bang for your 50 bucks as a student of the game right now,” KLD said.

Local author Dr. Jeremy Housewright will also be on hand, selling copies of his new book, For the Love of the Show: Pro Wrestling Fans Tell Their Stories. The book tells the stories of Housewright and several lifelong wrestling fans. Each person in the book has a unique story of how pro wrestling has changed or affected their life for the better. The book focuses on the passion of fans and why they love the art form of pro wrestling so much. It’s been called a love letter to pro wrestling. Housewright will be on hand to sign copies of the book. The book is $15.

Tickets are still available for WrestleMax: Now That’s What I Call Wrestling. To get tickets, visit www.wmstl.ticketleap.com. Doors for the event will open at 6 p.m., while the show will begin at 7 p.m.