The city of St. Louis has always been regarding as one of the very best for the sport of professional wrestling, home of some of the most knowledgeable and dedicated fans as well as the site of some of the sport’s most historic and greatest matches.
In March of 1962, a former newspaper reporter named Sam Owens decided, at age 38, to attempt to fulfill a boyhood dream by launching the St. Louis Wrestling Association. Owens started small – competing with the local mainstay promoter Kevin Robinson – by running a monthly show at the Kiel Auditorium. Robinson was a cutthroat promoter and used his connections to prevent any major talent from appearing on Owens’ shows. But Owens was persistent and won over many St. Louis fans with his brand of wrestling – a little more hard-hitting and fast-paced than Robinson’s. For much of ’62, Owens rarely had any consistent talent appearing on his shows as Robinson would simply steal anyone with any potential. Things looked bleak early for Owens but he received a big break on Thanksgiving 1962 when Robinson suffered a major heart attack.
No longer able to handle the stress of a day to day operation, Robinson sold his territory to Owens who became the king of the St. Louis wrestling scene. And that wasn’t all as with Robinson’s territory, St. Louis Slammers, came a weekly television spot on the local network, KPLR Channel 11. Owens increased his shows to occur every two weeks to help fill the TV time and he was off and running as 1963 came about.
1963-65
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As the year began, Owens decided to honor the heritage of the Slammers’ titles as “St. Louis Strangler” Karl O’Connor held the Missouri State Championship. O’Connor had sold out several shows in the late 50’s but was starting to show his age. Owens was positioning a younger competitor, Jack Stein, to be his biggest star and on Memorial Day of ’63, Stein defeated O’Connor in a grueling 45 minute encounter to win the championship.
Stein would prove to be one of the most successful champions in St. Louis history as his feuds with Donnie Blackstone, Clark Myers, and Boris The Punisher all drew big houses to the Kiel Auditorium throughout ’63 and ’64.
But a freak in-ring accident in the fall of ’65 took Stein out of action and forced Owens to look elsewhere to replace his top star. The title was vacated and remained that way for several months while Stein tried to recover.
THE PEARL OF THE ORIENT
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On Christmas Day 1965, a Japanese competitor by the name of Tojo Sato debuted with a quick and easy victory over local favorite, Bobby Watts. Sato’s dangerous offense of martial arts kicks and strikes to the throat had the fans up in arms. Sato rode this disdain all the way to the Missouri State Championship with a victory on the 4th of July over a returning Jack Stein to become the first champion in 1966. The end came when Sato flung ceremonial salt into Stein’s eyes and floored him with a kick to the head for the pinfall.
The blinding also put Stein back on the shelf (he’d suffered another injury during the match) and Sato waltzed through all of 1966 with few challenges of note. Owens was having trouble putting on compelling challengers for the title and as a result, business suffered for several months.
On the one year anniversary of Sato’s debut, Owens went to the well and lured a retired Karl O’Connor back onto the scene. O’Connor’s submission style seemed to confuse Sato who tried his usual bag of dirty tricks to fight back but got shut down time and again. Sato got himself disqualified – a rarity in those times – and the St. Louis crowd seemed on the verge of a riot before Owens took the mic and immediately announced a two out of three falls rematch for the following month.
The rematch did big business, selling out the house for what was sure to be a title change in most fans’ eyes. O’Connor quickly won the first fall with his dreaded sleeperhold and the fans smelled a title change in the air. However, O’Connor was disqualified in the second fall for an over-the-top-rope throw to even the score. The third fall saw Sato attempt to use his ceremonial salt, hurling it at O’Connor… but blinding the official instead. Sato was immediately disqualified and O’Connor celebrated with the title belt…
…until it was announced that the title could not change hands on a disqualification. Sato retained the title as O’Connor fumed inside the ring.
A final match was announced for February of 1967… a steel cage showdown. The cage match was a bloody war – many said the bloodiest match ever to occur in St. Louis – and one that resulted in a new Missouri State Champion when Karl O’Connor caught Tojo Sato in the sleeperhold in the center of the ring, rendering him unconscious to regain the title.
While O’Connor would lose the title a few months later (he held up Owens for money and was fired), his victory inside that cage is still talked about by old time fans as one of the greatest moments in St. Louis wrestling history.
GLOBAL ASPIRATIONS
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With business booming in St. Louis, Sam Owens began thinking big – more specifically, about expanding his territory. After a series of spot shows in neighboring states got him in hot water with local promoters, Owens decided to re-think his strategy and called for a summit of promoters. At this summit, held in the fall of ’67, Owens proposed an alliance of promoters – a group of promotions who would share talent, work together, and recognize one true World Champion.
The promoters balked at the idea, content to run their own territories, but the seeds for the International Wrestling Alliance had been planted. Owens pursued the idea on and off for two years before the idea finally became a reality in September of 1969.
With the formation of the IWA, Owens’ St. Louis office became one of the top territories in the country which give him the ability to frequently book the IWA World Champion on his shows, increasing the house even more. The Missouri State Championship would become almost an afterthought as everyone shot for the big gold.
The first IWA World Champion would come from the St. Louis territory, a grizzled veteran named Bruno Moretti. Moretti’s crushing power game was the talk of the sport as he had gone around the country bodyslamming some of the biggest men in the business including the legendary Giant Colton. Moretti had won the Missouri State Title in 1968, holding it until he won a giant 32-man tournament to crown the first IWA World Champion. At that point, he vacated the Missouri State Title to focus on his World Title defense schedule.
MORETTI MEETS THE MAULER
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With the IWA World Title in his grasp, Bruno Moretti began 1970 on top of the world. On New Year’s Day, he defeated young scientific grappler Scotty Saunders in a match that the fans hailed as an instant classic… but after the match, he was attacked by a masked man who came to be known simply as The Mauler. The Mauler informed the world that he would win the IWA World Title and retire Moretti. After a brutal assault in March that ended with Mauler using his dangerous clawhold to split Moretti’s head open, few were doubting the Mauler’s threats to be very real.
On Memorial Day, Moretti and the Mauler met in a one-on-one showdown. The big Italian beat the Mauler from pillar to post, attempting to unmask him on several occasions. But in the end, Moretti got caught with a clawhold. Moretti got to the ropes, forcing a break… a break that never came. The referee was forced to disqualify the Mauler – an action that got the referee locked in the clawhold as well. As a result, the Mauler was slapped with a 90 day suspension! A furious Moretti tore through his next defense in six minutes, a shocking result for long-time St. Louis fans used to seeing matches well over 30 minutes.
Moretti was counting down the days until the Mauler’s return, constantly reminding St. Louis fans on television of when the masked man would come back. On the 90th night, Moretti pledged to stand in the middle of the Kiel Auditorium all night until The Mauler showed up. The night progressed with Moretti sitting at ringside to watch all the action. During the Main Event, Moretti stood several times and shouted in the direction of the locker room but no one arrived. A frustrated Moretti got in the ring after the match and spoke to the fans about the Mauler’s cowardice.
The next night, Moretti was defending the title in the Kentucky Wrestling Federation when the Mauler emerged from the crowd and cracked a steel chair over his head! The fans heard the story firsthand on St. Louis television that weekend and were stunned. No one had ever crossed territorial boundaries to assault a rival before. The rematch was booked for the following month at the Kiel.
Another sell-out crowd was in the house to see Moretti defend the gold against the Mauler. After a bloody war, the Mauler was able to secure the clawhold and get a pinfall victory to the shock of the St. Louis fans. After the match, the Mauler removed his mask and revealed to the world that his name was Blackjack Patterson. Patterson had made a name for himself in the South as a big brawling babyface but had just sent a major statement to the wrestling world by winning the IWA World Title.
Patterson’s victory would be the last time the IWA World Title would be seen in the Kiel for several months as Patterson returned to his roots, touring the South and defending the gold throughout his home region.
A NEW FOCUS
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Furious at the IWA’s refusal to let him book the World Champion, Sam Owens re-established a focus on the Missouri State Title with the help of his old friend Jack Stein. Stein made a return on Thanksgiving Night, defeating old rival Karl O’Connor (yes, back again) in a match billed as a “Legends Showdown.” Stein announced on that night that he intended to work his way up the contenders list and challenge the Missouri State Champion to win back his title that was now in the hands of young technical wizard Terry Shane Jr.
Stein and Shane engaged in a series of top flight matchups throughout the winter of ’71, battling to several 30 minute draws before getting an increase to a 60 minute time limit which ended in 60 minute draws. Many St. Louis fans would call this the greatest rivalry of all time that came to a shocking end when Stein turned his back on the fans, using a low blow to capture the title in April of 1971. Stein took on a new attitude, sinking to whatever depths needed to keep the title around his waist. Despite several rematch attempts, Terry Shane was not able to regain the title and suffered a broken arm on the 4th of July at the hands of Stein’s new bodyguard, Eli The Enforcer.
With Eli by his side, Stein was unbeatable throughout the rest of 1971, fighting off challenges from the very best that the St. Louis office’s fan favorites had to offer. Owens took things to another level though when he brought in a new challenge for Stein on New Year’s Day… Blackjack Patterson who had lost the IWA World Title just a few months prior. Many St. Louis fans were outraged to see the man who had won the World Title in front of them and then run for the road. The move backfired on Owens as St. Louis fans had no interest in seeing Patterson challenge for the title. Stein defeated Patterson on New Year’s Day in front of a half house as Patterson never worked in St. Louis again.
Stein’s title reign continued as Terry Shane Jr. returned from the broken arm in February to battle Stein to another thrilling sixty minute draw. This time, Shane Jr. appeared to have the title won as he locked in a spinning toe hold as time expired. A frustrated Shane petitioned Owens to book a match with no time limit which Owens, desperate to regain his fanbase, quickly did.
The no time limit match was set for St. Patrick’s Day and as expected, a full house jammed the Kiel for the showdown. And in the end, Shane hooked in the spinning toehold again… and this time, there was no bell to save Jack Stein who was forced to submit in the middle of the ring. Terry Shane Jr. had regained the title and it was immediately announced that Shane would receive a shot at the IWA World Title as the new champion, “Gorgeous” Johnny Most, would be defending the title in St. Louis for the first time.
THE WORLD TITLE RETURNS TO ST. LOUIS
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Terry Shane Jr., the young second generation star, captured the title from Most with relative ease in April of ’72. On the mic after the match, Shane vowed to return to St. Louis every month to defend the title. And he did… for a few months. But soon, the schedule of the World Champion got the edge on him and Shane Jr. went six months without defending the title in St. Louis.
So, when Shane returned to St. Louis in February of 1973 with the World Title, he did not receive the warmest of welcomes from the fans who felt lied to. In one of the oddest nights in St. Louis wrestling history, the majority of fans in St. Louis actually booed Terry Shane Jr. against one of the most bloodthirsty competitors in the entire IWA, Dagger Oates. The local newspaper’s sports page featured a half page shot of Oates digging a fork into a bloody wound on Shane’s forehead with the headlines “LOCAL BOY GETS COLD SHOULDER AT KIEL.” Needless to say, Oates was disqualified for his actions and a no DQ match was scheduled for April.
But when Terry Shane Jr. returned in April, it was without the World Title as he had lost it to fellow second-generation star Cameron O’Connor in Kansas City. O’Connor came to St. Louis in April as well for his St. Louis debut – following in his father, Karl O’Connor’s footsteps. The fans immediately took to the cleancut O’Connor and cheered him on to victory over Oates as Terry Shane Jr. defeated Danny Dawson on the undercard.
The two fan favorites continued to appear on the same show after show, racking up win after win, leading up to Shane challenging O’Connor for the title on Labor Day weekend of ’73. The match, perhaps predictably, went to a 60 minute time limit draw. The two men just seemed too evenly matched for a winner to be named. Shane Jr. went to the well, calling for a no time limit match but that one ended in a double countout.
On Christmas night, a two out of three falls match occurred with Shane Jr. winning the first fall with the spinning toehold. The second fall saw O’Connor capture the fall with his father’s sleeperhold. And in the final fall, O’Connor once again hooked on the sleeper, earning a victory in the middle of the ring. With the fans roaring their approval for him, O’Connor celebrated… until a steel chair was smashed off the side of his head by a jealous Terry Shane Jr.
As 1974 began, Sam Owens had the headlining feud that made dollar signs dance in his eyes as the newly-turned Terry Shane Jr. would be chasing Cameron O’Connor. The feud took a personal turn in February when O’Connor missed a Kiel show due to weather and Shane Jr. took the opportunity to demand that O’Connor’s father live up to his contractual obligations. Ever the warrior, Karl O’Connor obliged and was forced to submit to the spinning toehold that Shane would not release for several moments, ending with the elderly O’Connor being taken out on a stretcher.
But as April of 1974 arrived, Owens’ dream became a nightmare as the IWA announced their intention to put the Shane/O’Connor feud on the road, sending it into every IWA territory since it was the hottest thing the promotion had. Owens was informed that he would not get either man back in the Kiel until the fall. A furious Owens threatened to pull out of the IWA at this point. The IWA promoters banded together, fearing the loss of one of their hottest territories, and offered Owens a package of new talent to help cushion the blow. As part of the package, Owens received The Giant Khan, “Pretty Boy” Petey Choice, Ronin Hashimoto, and a young rookie named Hamilton Graham who was showing plenty of promise.
THE SUMMER OF ’75
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The summer of 1975 saw the St. Louis office re-establish a focus on the Missouri State Title once more with a tournament that stretched over several weeks of television and several Kiel shows. In the end, Ronin Hashimoto defeated a returning Jack Stein (yep, again) to win the gold. In a move many thought foolish, Sam Owens immediately announced that Hashimoto would be returning to Japan to defend the Missouri State Title in the land of the Rising Sun – a decision Owens felt would legitimize the Missouri State Title as a “World Title” in the event he had to split from the IWA – a decision that seemed more possible every day.
The fall of 1975 was a rebuilding period for the company with several of the new stars needing to be established once more. While the Great Khan was a big hit as a special attaction (mostly battle royals where they could showcase his size), the fans seemed to be rallying the most behind Hamilton Graham. The young rookie had quickly gained the support of much of the fanbase in St. Louis and was beginning to make a name for himself. Graham won a battle royal on Thanksgiving night to establish himself as the #1 contender for the Missouri State Title and immediately challenged Hashimoto for when he returned from Japan.
That return came on Christmas night for a big show at the Kiel that drew a sell-out crowd hoping to see the rookie knock off the big man from Japan. Graham put on one heck of a fight, battling out from under the hard-hitting Hashimoto for nearly thirty minutes before catching him with a cross body off the middle rope for a shocking three count. Hamilton Graham was the Missouri State Champion – a rare honor for a rookie in the St. Louis territory.
1975 saw another interesting development for St. Louis – the arrival of Southern Championship Wrestling into the IWA. SCW had quickly won over a lot of fans throughout the South and were making waves as the new “hot ticket” in the IWA. This caused headaches for Somers as being the #1 territory meant you had the most political power in the IWA – earning you bigger named talent and higher profile matches. Somers was desperate to prevent SCW from overtaking St. Louis as the lead territory and made a big dollar offer to Brett Bryant – widely considered the best wrestler in the world – to jump ship from his own Los Angeles-based territory to become a headliner in St. Louis. It was considered a bold move and earned Somers’ some ire from some members of the IWA Board of Directors for going outside the normal territorial rules.
Bryant accepted the money and weeks of video promos hyped his upcoming debut in 1976.
“IRON” BRETT ARRIVES!
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“Iron” Brett Bryant arrived in St. Louis on January 17th, 1976 for a special Kiel show. Hamilton Graham defeated The Masked Assassin in the co-Main Event but the spotlight rested solely on Bryant as he thrilled fans with his technical skills en route to a victory over Ace Allen – another California import. Bryant and Allen had worked together for years in Los Angeles, easily wowing the crowd with a match they’d had many times. The show ended with Bryant soaking up the cheers of the crowd.
This pattern continued for several months – Hamilton Graham successfully defending the Missouri State Title on the undercard while Brett Bryant Main Evented in show-stealing matches. In April of 1976, Cameron O’Connor and Terry Shane Jr. returned to St. Louis for another stop in their nationwide tour… but Sam Owens responded by booking Bryant on top of them! The IWA promoters were incensed that Owens would dare to put the IWA World Title on the undercard. Both O’Connor and Shane threatened to walk out on the show until Owens kicked in a bonus to keep them on the show.
Sam Owens though was again starting to consider leaving the IWA. His box office was booming, his numbers were up, his bold move of accquiring Brett Bryant was paying huge dividends. And he’d shown he could draw without the IWA World Title. But veteran advisors convinced him to hold off for a little while longer.
On several shows in the summer of ’76, Graham and Bryant were booked as a tag team against several of the IWA’s finest rulebreaking duos, leading up to a large IWA tag team tournament being held in Philadelphia as part of the bicentennial celebration. Owens, never a fan of tag team wrestling, offered to send Graham and Bryant as an olive branch to the IWA promoters – and it worked! Graham and Bryant competed in the tournament, making it all the way to the semifinals before losing to the brawling Moonshiners from one of the Southern territories.
And on their first show back? Hamilton Graham blindsided Brett Bryant after another loss to the Moonshiners, dropping him on his head with a piledriver that shocked the crowd. Graham cut a scathing promo on the following week’s television, pointing out Bryant “burying” him while he still wears the Missouri State Title. Bryant came out to try and plead his case, looking for peace with the young competitor…
…and took the title belt across the face for his efforts, receiving another piledriver before Graham exited. Sam Owens, again seeing dollar signs, called for Hamilton Graham to meet Brett Bryant on Thanksgiving night for the biggest show of the year.
The match was as amazing as most expected it would be and in true St. Louis fashion, it went to a 60 minute time limit draw that ended with Bryant applying his Boston Crab but Graham holding on to keep the title. Graham retreated up the aisle, clutching the belt to his chest as the crowd booed him wildly. Inside the ring, Bryant challenged Graham to a rematch over the house mic to cheers.
A CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR BRETT BRYANT
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With his narrow Thanksgiving escape, Hamilton Graham had no interest in meeting Brett Bryant again. On the weekly television, he flat out refused a rematch, saying he had proved all he needed to prove. Brett Bryant felt differently and demanded a chance to earn another shot at the title. Sam Owens announced a 22 Man Battle Royal for Christmas Night where the winner would receive a title shot on New Year’s Day.
Bryant battled hard in the battle royal, eliminating both members of The Sunshine Connection with a double clothesline to leave him as one of the Final Five alongside The Great Khan, Ronin Hashimoto, Shane Parker, and Oklahoma Pete. Bryant’s managed to muscle Hashimoto over the top as Oklahoma Pete was tossed by Parker to leave three men. Parker and Bryant worked together, trying to toss the giant to no avail as he smashed their skulls together. The big man easily tossed Shane Parker to leave the two men everyone expected to see at the end.
The King of the Battle Royals tossed Bryant around the ring for a few minutes, seemingly toying with the fan favorite to set up his elimination. But as Khan missed a splash in the corner, Bryant somehow got him over the top rope to win the Battle Royal and earn the New Year’s Day title shot.
With the big rematch in place for New Year’s Day, Sam Owens brought in the big guns to show that St. Louis was still the centerpiece of pro wrestling in 1977. Owens reached out to SCW, bringing in their top talent. He reached out to promoters in Texas, Los Angeles, and even Mexico to bring in talent for a major supercard. The show was an overwhelming success for Owens, drawing a turnaway crowd for an event headlined by a two out of three falls showdown with Bryant and Graham.
Bryant took the first fall with the Boston Crab. Graham attempted to walk out on the second fall, opting for the countout to save the title but Bryant wouldn’t have it, bringing Graham back in. The second fall turned into a bloodbath when Graham split Bryant’s eyebrow with a headbutt. After thirty minutes of punishment, Graham won the second fall with a falling headbutt off the middle rope. The final fall went for twenty minutes with Graham pummeling the cut eyebrow and after seventy-three minutes of action, Graham was declared the winner by referee stoppage due to blood loss.
Following the event, Brett Bryant informed Sam Owens of his intention to return to Los Angeles, shocking the promoter. Bryant gave no notice, immediately leaving town and leaving Owens without a marketable star in his eyes as he had developed no challengers for Hamilton Graham. So…
GRAHAM CHANGES HIS SPOTS
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With his rival chased out of town, Hamilton Graham made amends with the St. Louis fans by announcing that as the Missouri State Champion for over a year, he was the best wrestler in the world – and was challenging the IWA World Champion, Cameron O’Connor, to come back to St. Louis and defend the title against him. But old wounds still hurt and O’Connor refused to return to St. Louis.
So, Graham went on the chase. Much to Owens’ dismay, Hamilton Graham began working in other territories as he pursued O’Connor and the IWA World Title. Desperate to bring some star power to the fold, Sam Owens reached an agreement to bring Terry Shane Jr. back to the St. Louis area.
Terry Shane Jr. was an immediate hit upon his return to his roots, running off a six month win streak. Within weeks of returning, Shane began making noise about challenging Graham for the Missouri State Title. In March of 1977, Graham returned to St. Louis to defend the title against Charles Cross. After defeating Cross, Graham was confronted by Shane who restated his challenge… and Graham happily accepted.
On Memorial Day, the match went down… but not as Sam Owens had planned. Ten minutes in, Hamilton Graham tore a ligament in his knee and was forced to submit to the spinning toehold. Terry Shane Jr. was the new Missouri State Champion but the lackluster way in which he won the title failed to rally the fans behind him.
THE RISING SUN
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With a hollow champion and unworthy challengers, Owens again dipped into his wallet to bring in Gran Kedamono, a masked man from Japan who was one of that country’s top stars. Kedamono, known for a dangerous nerve hold, quickly became of the most hated men in the territory. A well-received edition of St. Louis TV saw Kedamono assault Terry Shane, using the nerve hold to lay him out for a stretcher. The fans rallied behind Shane, looking for him to gain vengeance as soon as he was healthy.
In a shocker, Kedamono was also allowed to gain a countout victory over the man who had never been pinned, The Great Khan, to continue to establish him as a top threat.
Meanwhile, an off-camera incident with Hamilton Graham in a drunken bar brawl landed him in legal trouble, forcing Owens to part ways with the talented youngster.
Shane returned to action on Thanksgiving night to battle the dominating Kedamono. But the comeback was short-lived as Kedamono again applied the nervehold, rendering Shane unconscious for a shocking victory to win the Missouri State Title. The post-match happenings were the cherry on top as Terry Shane Sr. attempted to intervene to help his son and took a chop to the throat that left him laying.
Shane demanded a rematch for Christmas night, promising to unveil a new move that would defeat Kedamono. Kedamono accepted, swearing to finish Shane once and for all before moving on to challenge for the World Title. The match was a brutal brawl that raged all over ringside, one of the most violent encounters for the time. The end saw Shane unveil a new hold of his own, a figure four leglock, to earn a pinfall victory over an unconscious Kedamono to regain the title.
SHANE WANTS WORLD TITLE
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Unsatisfied with the Missouri State Title, Shane immediately demanded that now multi-time World Champion Cameron O’Connor return to St. Louis to defend the title against him. Faced with the money that a rematch two years in the making would draw, O’Connor agreed to return in the spring to defend the title against his old rival.
But Sam Owens had other ideas. He negotiated the returns of both Hamilton Graham and Brett Bryant, both who immediately staked their claims on the shot against O’Connor. Plus, the undefeated Great Khan was a popular choice amongst the fans to get the title shot.
Ever the big-thinker, Owens proposed a “March Madness” event where the four top contenders would square off in a Round Robin fashion with the winner meeting O’Connor. The four men agreed to the event which was, of course, a big hit with the fans eager to see four of the top St. Louis stars collide in the ring.
The Round Robin event was a bust as the Great Khan won all four of his matches in unspectacular fashion. For a territory well-known for its top flight matches, the Great Khan’s success was a big blow. With three of the region’s top performers sidelined for the big title match in April, Owens prepared for the Great Khan vs Cameron O’Connor by offering O’Connor $100,000 if he could beat the giant.
And beat the giant he did… by countout. It was a result that the fans despised and they were quick to let the promoter know it.
The rest of 1978 was difficult for Owens as Bryant and Graham both jumped ship to other IWA territories, leaving Terry Shane Jr. putting on high level matches with inconsequential talent for much of the year. Even the usually successful Thanksgiving and Christmas night shows were a bust as Shane’s victories were almost guaranteed. With 1979 upon them, Shane demanded that Owens go out and find better competition less he follow Bryant and Graham out of the territory.
OWENS TAKES BIG BLOW
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New Year’s Day 1979 was a crushing moment for Sam Owens. Hamilton Graham, a wrestler who had developed into a champion under his watch, had won the IWA World Title from Cameron O’Connor… but he had done it in the state of Texas for another promoter. Owens was crushed. He had dreamed of the day that Graham would win the title… but he never believed it would be somewhere else. The victory inspired Terry Shane Jr. to demand that Owens deliver a top challenger by the end of the month or else.
Owens, as he often did, went for his checkbook once more and wrote a king-sized check for Clubber O’Riley, an Irish brawler who had a run of success in the Northeast. O’Riley debuted to much fanfare, beating up enhancement talent for weeks as he began to work himself into contention for the title. With no time to waste, Owens put O’Riley and Shane together for a special St. Patrick’s Day show.
It was a serious styles clash with Shane’s sweet science and O’Riley’s brutal brawling not meshing for an enjoyable match. After thirty minutes of hodpodge, Shane won with a rollup. The crowd cheered but it was obviously looking for more. A rematch the following month was better but was still lacking the firepower that Owens needed to draw the full houses for the Kiel. Surprisingly, it was the same match that drew the first sell-out in several months… but with a different style.
Frustrated by the brawling style of O’Riley, Shane grew more aggressive in his televised matches. Gone were the wristlocks and abdominal stretches, replaced by haymakers and headbutts. After O’Riley attacked him during an interview, Shane responded with one of the more violent brawls in St. Louis history. As a desperate Owens called for a no-DQ match, the fans at the Kiel were treated to an out-and-out bloodbath that went all over the ringside area. It was unique for the St. Louis area and Owens seemed to have a hit on his hands.
The following month saw another bloodbath.. then another… and another… and soon, the crowd began to thin out once more. Owens had gone to the well over and over in 1979 and by the time that Shane chased O’Riley out of town, the house was a little over half-full. With 1979 coming to an end, Shane made one final plea to Sam Owens to make the match he wanted – a World Title shot at Hamilton Graham.
With flat houses for Thanksgiving and Christmas once more, Sam Owens knew his promotion was on thin ice. He went to the IWA Board meeting at the start of 1980 with his hat in hand, knowing he’d need generosity from the other promoters to save his territory. The first day of the meetings was a big blow to his cause as the SCW promoter, Jim Somers, was made the President of the IWA. His promotion was thriving and was the obvious new “golden child” of the IWA. Owens begged the promoters for assistance, pointing out his falling houses and fleeing talent. The meeting was hostile – accusations and threats thrown all around. Many had not forgiven Owens for some of his actions years earlier but surprisingly, it was Somers who saved Owens’ day. He offered to send Hamilton Graham to St. Louis for an exclusive six month period of time for Owens to turn the ship around.
Owens immediately announced the agreement to the world, booking Hamilton Graham for the first show of 1980 taking on Terry Shane Jr. in a non-title match. This was a more seasoned Graham returning to St. Louis, his physical appearance being marked by a curly head of hair and thick sideburns. He had gotten into more legal trouble during his time away from St. Louis and was turning into quite the dislikable guy which made him the perfect foil for Terry Shane Jr.
For six solid months, Owens booked the two men against one another. And for six solid months, he sold the house out with some of the most epic matches the sport has ever seen. In a six month period of shows, there was seven 60 minute draws and three 90 minute draws plus one double DQ when the two men shoved down the ref to get at each other.
On the final night of Graham’s exclusive St. Louis stay, there was one final showdown… and in the end, Terry Shane Jr. had won the World Title. It was a huge moment for the city of St. Louis and for Terry Shane Jr. who had toiled so long to get another shot at the gold. The IWA brass was overjoyed with the way Owens had turned business around and offered him the opportunity to host a major IWA-wide tournament that was planned for late 1980. Owens accepted and had brought St. Louis back from the brink of closing into prosperity.
SHANE OUT, GRAHAM IN
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With Terry Shane Jr. holding the World Title, he embarked on the champion’s schedule which left Hamilton Graham returning back to St. Louis. Graham quickly captured the vacated Missouri State Title with a win over Kevin Fuller.
The summer of 1980 saw Graham defend the title over and over, drawing packed houses even against non-top level challengers. Together, Owens and Graham had saved the St. Louis territory and were thriving once more. Terry Shane Jr. would come to town once every couple months, yielding two more 60 minute draws with Graham before the year was out, concluding their series of matches that led to them winning Feud Of The Year as well as Match Of The Year.
However, the lack of strong challengers for Graham eventually resulting in some erosion of the house. The fans were strongly invested in Graham’s title reign but they were also looking for the thrilling feuds and engaging matches that their city was known for. Even the big IWA tournament in late 1980 didn’t help long term. Seeing the writing on the walls, Owens went digging for the next big challenger for his champion and found a former collegiate All-American football player in Darryl Watters. Watters was a hulking beast of a man, a true powerhouse in every respect. Owens believed that Watters would be considered a major threat by the fans who had just spent several months hearing about Watters considering his NFL options. But the fans were not aware that Watters had suffered a severe knee injury in the Rose Bowl, ending his NFL options.
Hamilton Graham was less than pleased at the idea of a rookie coming into St. Louis and challenging him for the title. He believed that the story of an inexperienced football player being able to compete on an even level was him was demeaning and turned him into a joke. Graham and Owens had many a loud argument over the situation but Owens could not be swayed.
It was on Super Bowl weekend in 1981 that Owens decided to go with the hot hand. Watters had gotten a tremendous response from the fans since debuting in late 1980. The fans were in awe of his power and really rallied behind him in every matchup. Watters won a shot at Hamilton Graham by winning a Battle Royal on Christmas night. Graham was livid and made one final appeal to Owens to drop the idea. Owens, however, stood his ground and on Super Bowl weekend, the match was made.
The more Graham thought about it, the angrier he got and the less he decided he could live with the idea of even competing with Watters let alone potentially losing to him. Early in the match, Graham smashed open Watters’ forehead by splitting his eyebrow, leaving the ring a bloody mess for nearly a half hour. By the end of the match, Watters was absolutely exhausted and Graham seemed to be toying with him. There could be no doubt as to what man was the winner in the eyes of the fans and when Graham got himself disqualified by throwing Watters over the top rope at the thirty minute mark, the fans still saw him as the victor.
Owens was furious at his champion and the two men had a serious falling out over the match. Graham immediately gave his notice and lost the championship to fan favorite Buddy Hayes the next week before leaving St. Louis.
A NEW ERA
—
Hayes was widely considered a transitional champion as he dropped the title just two weeks later to a rulebreaker named “Gorgeous” Johnny Oates. But if Hayes was a transitional champion, then Oates REALLY was as he lost the titles just three days later to Watters, the belt finally landing where Owens wanted it all along.
It was an unprecedented three title changes in under a month. Many traditionalists in the territory believed this did irreparable damage to the prestige of the title not to mention their outrage at seeing an inexperienced rookie holding the gold that Karl O’Connor, Terry Shane Jr., and Hamilton Graham had held. But the exciting feel of three title changes had the younger fans reinvested in the territory, wondering what could possibly happen next.
Owens knew that getting Watters some experience was the key to him being a champion who could sustain over a long period of time. And in Owens’ eyes, the best way to get him that experience was to put him in the ring with someone who would test him in every way possible. Former World Champion Cameron O’Connor was brought in to challenge for the Missouri State Title. O’Connor had suffered several injuries in the late 70s and was struggling to make a comeback after a long period of inactivity.
O’Connor made an immediate impact, winning a one night tournament in April 1981 for the St. Louis Cup. The victory made him the number one contender to Watters who missed the tournament due to bookings in Chicago – an intentional move by Owens to keep him from competing in the grueling event. O’Connor instantly challenged Watters for the title that his father held so proudly.
The first time the two men met in May of ’81, O’Connor found himself the winner when an exhausted and frustrated Watters threw him over the top rope for the disqualification. An angry O’Connor immediately demanded a rematch – this time with no disqualification. Watters accepted and on Memorial Day, the two men engaged in a bloody war that ended with Watters bashing O’Connor headfirst into the ring post and earning a count out win.
But the war wasn’t over yet. O’Connor made another challenge – no count out, no disqualification, no holds barred… and in a move designed to give him the biggest advantage possible, two out of three falls. Watters accepted the challenge but suffered an injury during training, postponing the title match until the 4th of July.
Watters was determined to keep the fans solidly behind him on that night, coming to the ring in red, white, and blue, waving an American flag. The blatant show of patriotism worked and he was the fan favorite on this night as he used his power to throw O’Connor around with ease in the early moments of the match. A leaping shoulder tackle earned Watters a quick (under five minute) first fall victory. The second fall saw O’Connor take Watters to the mat and grind him out in some of the most grueling holds ever seen in St. Louis. Using his father’s old finish, O’Connor hooked in a sleeperhold to take the second fall.
As the third fall began, Watters was absolutely exhausted, barely able to move from the corner. His powerful muscles became his undoing as he sucked wind openly while being taunted and mocked by O’Connor who had really come to dislike Watters. Watters’ big power moves were easily countered time and time again by O’Connor who eventually avoided a running tackle in the corner, leading directly into a high pressure armbar targeting the shoulder that earned a submission victory and the Missouri State Title for O’Connor. The move badly tore apart Watters shoulder in the process, forcing him to have surgery.
Owens was stunned – his plan to go with the younger, flashy Watters completely destroyed by Cameron O’Connor’s dominant victory. A desperate Owens went back to the well to try and get back on track, bringing in IWA World Champion and long-time O’Connor rival, Terry Shane Jr. for a series of Champion vs Champion matches for the back half of 1981. The matches once again thrilled the pure wrestling fans in the area but younger fans were turned off by a six year old feud rearing its head once more.
With dwindling houses the norm in late ’81, Owens was desperate for something big to happen on Christmas night – something that would send his territory’s fans a message that 1982 would be an entirely different situation for St. Louis.
ST. LOUIS OFFICE TITLE HISTORY
Missouri State Championship
Karl O’Connor
Jack Stein defeated O’Connor – Memorial Day – 1963
Title was vacated in November of 1965 due to Stein injury
Tojo Sato defeated Stein for vacated title – 4th of July – 1966
Karl O’Connor defeated Sato – February 1967
[GAP IN HISTORY]
Bruno Moretti (won in 1968)
[GAP IN HISTORY]
Terry Shane Jr.
Jack Stein bested Shane Jr. – April 1971
Terry Shane Jr. defeated Stein by submission – St. Patrick’s Day – 1972
[GAP IN HISTORY]
Ronin Hashimoto won the title in a tournament final over Jack Stein – July 1975
Hamilton Graham defeated Hashimoto – Christmas Night – 1975
Terry Shane Jr defeated Graham by submission – Memorial Day – 1977
Gran Kedamono defeated Shane Jr – Thanksgiving Night – 1977
Terry Shane Jr defeated Kedamono – Christmas Night – 1977
[GAP IN HISTORY]
Hamilton Graham won the vacant title over Kevin Fuller – Summer 1980
Buddy Hayes defeated Graham – February 1981
Johnny Oates bested Hayes – February 1981
Darryl Watters beat Oates – February 1981
Cameron O’Connor submitted Watters – July 1981