Professional wrestling has a rich tradition and history in the St. Louis area, dating back to the days of promoter Sam Muchnick, his St. Louis Wrestling Club and his still-beloved and remembered television show “Wrestling at the Chase”. Muchnick's style and reputation for honesty attracted most every major figure in the pro wrestling world to St. Louis; wrestlers like Gene Kiniski, Dick The Bruiser, Lou Thesz, “Nature Boy” Ric Flair and Dory Funk Jr. - just to name a few – are still fondly remembered by St. Louis-area fans.

While many changes have occurred in the wrestling world over the years, are wrestling fans still have a chance to see top-notch wrestling cards, thanks to the efforts of several promotions.

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One of those promotions, Dynamo Pro Wrestling, is holding a fund-raising card at 8 tonight at The Sports Academy, located at 101 The Game Drive in Glen Carbon, to benefit St. Charles, Mo.-based Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support, an organization that helps those who have lost children during pregnancy or in their early stages of life.

“We are a 501(c)(3) national organization that cares for families that have lost children during early pregnancy or because of stillbirth,” said Debbie Cochran, the executive director of the organization. “We give an outlet to those who have lost children to talk about their experiences and give them support when they're at their lowest point.

“It's something that people aren't generally comfortable talking about, but there are many out there who are going through the circumstances of the loss of a child. It's very difficult; we're here to help them get through these difficult times.”

Share, which has a chapter based at Anderson Hospital in Maryville, got together with Dynamo Pro Wrestling through the promotion's media director, Rob Mangrum; he and his wife lost twin girls recently, and when he learned about Share's mission, he wanted to do something to help the organization.

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“It's not easy talking about what happened, but it's something that people need to be able to talk about” Mangrum said. “What Share does is very important; we're looking to help the organization and get their message out.”

While this particular card is a benefit for Share, it's not the first benefit card Dynamo, which began in 2007, has held; in the past, the promotion has held cards for the Collinsville Raiders youth football program, the Greater St. Louis Multiple Sclerosis Society, the American Stroke Association and the Pittsfield High School athletic program in west-central Illinois. “After this one, we're having another event in August to benefit youth football in Eureka (Mo.),” Mangrum said. “It's something we like to do, give back to the community.”

The card itself will have five matches, with DPW Heavyweight Champion “DirDY” Jake Dirden, accompanied by manager Travis Cook, who's well-known among wrestling fans in the area, defending his title belt against Billy McNeil in the Main Event. Other matches on the card include the IWRG King of the Ring title being on the line when champion Ricky Cruz, known as “The King of Chaos”, takes on Evan Morris; Mike Outlaw will meet Jayden Fenix in a singles bout; Lucy Mendez, known as “The Queen of Chaos”, answers the challenge of Rachael Freeman in a women's match; and the DPW spot for the No. 1 tag-team contender will be determined in a four-way match featuring The Bum Rush Brothers, Shorty Biggs and OuTtKaSt, the High Level Enterprise team of Jack Gamble and Jon Webb, the team of Brandon Espinosa and Elvis Aliaga and Keon Option, known as The Valedictorian of Straps Down University, and his partner Justin D'Air.

All of the promotion's title belts are controlled by Cook's wrestlers, known collectively as The Travis Cook Organization; Cook's tag-team champions, The Black Hand Warriors, will be at ringside to watch the four-way tag-team contest unfold.

Tickets for the card are $12 at the doors; children aged 5-12 will be admitted for $5. In addition, there will be a 50/50 drawing held and raffle and auction items available for those in attendance.

“We're really looking forward to this card,” Mangrum said. “We think people who come out are really going to enjoy the action and the evening.”

The card is being sponsored by John Standefer Allstate Insurance Agency, TheBank of Edwardsville, Stand Your Ground Martial Arts, Alinglife Chiropractor of Wood River, Hair Saloon for Men and Slackers CDs and Games. For more information on Share, visit www.nationalshare.org, and for information on Dynamo Pro Wrestling, visit www.dynamoprowrestling.com.

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