REVIEW: Tri States Wrestling - Sliced Bread Slam: IV (2025)

A live professional wrestling show

Sometimes I wonder which shows I’ve seen since starting this project will truly stick with me forever. I mean the kinds of shows that a Kansas City professional wrestling fan can look back on and recognize as defining moments of a decade. There has been at least one such moment for nearly every promotion I’ve attended so far, and this Tri States Wrestling show may be one of them, albeit for a sad reason. What happened that night was not a surprise – in fact, I saw it coming as early as the summer, before Mayhem in Mooresville IV – but that didn’t make it any easier. Since becoming a chronicler of the Kansas City professional wrestling scene, this was the first time I had been present for a live retirement announcement, and the emotions that came with it were deeply bittersweet.

Beyond that, the show also promised the first title defenses for several new champions crowned in Mooresville. Wild N Untamed (Angel Shay and Charlie Graham) were set to defend their newly won tag team championships, Chris Ward (Cornelius Poppington) would put the Missouri Championship on the line, and Wrex Amadeus was scheduled to defend the TSW Heavyweight Championship. With three title defenses and the emotional weight of a major announcement, this night stands as one of the most important shows in the history of TSW.

For More about Tri States Wrestling, check out their Facebook Page HERE, their Twitter (or I guess X) page HERE, or YouTube HERE. TSW is also on Cagematch, HERE. If you are a fan, make sure to drop likes, and reviews, or join their social media pages! For more pro wrestling content, Click HERE.

The Card:

9-27-25 @ the Chillicothe Middle School Gym, Chillicothe, MO

1) Singles Match – “The Hypothetical Specialist” Dr. Isin defeated “Chief” Nokona Kinu by pinfall.
2) Segment – The Iceman announces his retirement from professional wrestling due to health reasons, he is confronted by the TSW Champion Wrex Amadeus, but Jayden Dominic Rose came out for the save. Wrex and Rose will wrestle in the main event.
3) Tag team match for the TSW Tag Team Championships – Wild N’ Untamed (“All Slay” Angel Shay and “Killjoy” Charlie Graham) (C) defeated Lucky Pride (Hard Luck Hal Rogers and Lady Pride) by pinfall.
4) Singles Match – “The Raging Bull” El Toro defeated Jon Blaze by pinfall
5) Segment – The Outlaw King Bennett James came out to talk crap on Chris Ward after his shock win of the Missouri Championship, but reveals he is not medically cleared, instead, SyKawtic will wrestle Ward.
6) Singles match for the TSW Missouri Championship – Chris Ward (C) Defeated “The New Age Enigma” SyKawtic by pinfall.
7) MAIN EVENT – Singles Match for the TSW Heavyweight Championship – “The King of Kansas City” Wrex Amadeus (C) defeated Jayden Dominic Rose by pinfall.
8 ) Tearful send off of The Iceman closes the show.

DISCLAIMER:

I make it a point to cover most, if not all, of the matches and provide reports on what happened, along with any significance they may have to ongoing feuds. You might think some of my opinions are dumb, or the way I review things is dumb, and that’s OK! Diversity in preferences is what makes wrestling so great. I strive to maintain a positive outlook because there’s already enough negativity in the wrestling community (in my view), and we can all contribute to making it better. However, it doesn’t mean I won’t offer opinions or criticisms when warranted. Let’s cut the B.S. and, as the old saying goes, “Just enjoy Wrestling!”

My Thoughts:

The show opened with the TSW debut of “Chief” Nokona Kinu, a recent graduate of the Xtreme Wrestling Center training program in Raytown, Missouri. Hailing from the badlands of the American Southwest and proudly sporting gear that reflected that heritage, Kinu looked poised to make a statement at Sliced Bread Slam IV. That task, however, was a tall order, as he was matched up against a former TSW Heavyweight Champion who is never shy about bending the rules when it suits him. A warrior of the Walatowa tribe of the Pueblo of Jemez, Kinu is far from an orthodox competitor, employing unconventional tactics that can pose problems for anyone, even a veteran like Dr. Isin.

One detail that immediately stood out was that Kinu competes barefoot, a rarity in professional wrestling. While this leaves the foot more vulnerable to stomps, it can also be an advantage. Wrestling barefoot allows for quicker escapes from leg holds, more natural and consistent traction on the canvas, and lighter footwork overall, which can translate into faster movement, sharper in-and-out agility, and potentially more impactful strikes.

Dr. Isin opened the match by seizing on Kinu being announced as “Chief,” using it as an excuse to mock Kansas City Chiefs fans. I am not sure which side of the bed Isin woke up on that day, but it was definitely the wrong one. While Kinu appeared to hold the edge in speed and raw athleticism, Isin wrestled the match like a game of five-dimensional chess. He baited Kinu into posing on the turnbuckle before attacking him, later attempted a quick roll-up with his feet on the ropes, and consistently looked for shortcuts. The two traded control for a stretch, and Kinu went for what appeared to be a potential signature maneuver, only for Isin to counter it into a powerslam. Before long, Isin was perched on the top rope, and once he connected with his massive elbow drop, that was all she wrote. Despite the loss, Kinu should not be disappointed with his debut. He went toe-to-toe with a former champion, and the fact that Isin had to resort to cheating speaks volumes about the impression Nokona Kinu made in his first outing.

People come and go in wrestling, and I’ve seen my fair share of retirements on television, all of them sad to varying degrees. Before this, though, it had never involved anyone I actually knew personally. This show contained the retirement that hurt me the most this year – that of The Iceman, a wrestler I had seen many times in the past, but who had really become a focal point of my coverage over the last few years. Being in Chillicothe, Missouri for the first Tri States Wrestling Sliced Bread Slam and witnessing his impressive hometown win over “Black Diamond” Luke Langley, with his family in attendance, was a special moment, and one that carried him through the rest of 2023. After losing his championship to Franco Varga in 2024, The Iceman went on a bit of a losing streak, but he was able to regain his composure and reclaim his gold in an incredible street fight against “The Hypothetical Specialist” Dr. Isin, who had been holding the belt after cashing in a guaranteed contract spot in Bethany, Missouri in late 2023.

When The Iceman showed up in Mooresville, Missouri not wearing his gear, many feared the worst. He announced that he had suffered an undisclosed medical event and would have to sit out for a while as doctors assessed when – or if – he could return. Sadly, that return was not meant to be. In Chillicothe, Missouri, The Iceman did what was likely one of the hardest things in his life, leaving his boots in the ring in front of his family and friends in his hometown, just two years after becoming the top of the heap in Northern Missouri wrestling in the same building. Fans lined up to shake The Iceman’s hand and wish him well, which was difficult for everyone involved. My son (and, if I’m being honest, me as well) had to choke back tears as we said goodbye to one of our favorite wrestlers.

Looking back on The Iceman’s 20-plus-year career, it’s impossible not to be impressed. Whether wrestling under the names Howard Moritz or Belvedere (in addition to The Iceman), or working across countless promotions – including his early years in WAM! and MRW, his runs in the Lawrence, Kansas and St. Joseph versions of Central States Wrestling, Metro Pro or NWL, 3XW, PXW, SICW, and more – his impact is undeniable. I will always look back on how fortunate I was to get back into independent wrestling and start this project at exactly the right time to witness the final years of his career. It’s a shame we never got to see the culmination of his feud with “The Outlaw King” Bennett James in TSW, or one last true retirement match, but I’m glad The Iceman is in better health and able to enjoy his newly found free time with his family. With a grandson already making waves in the local scholastic wrestling scene, he clearly has his hands full passing along those proverbial ropes.

There was one sour moment in all of this. After The Iceman made his announcement, Wrex Amadeus stormed the ring, mockingly making the universal pantomime of crying before confronting him. He accused Iceman of lying and claimed he was angry that he had “chickened out” before Wrex could beat him. This crossed a clear line, and the fans were not having it. Jayden Dominic Rose came out to confront Wrex and force him to back down, leading to a match later in the evening.

Right off the bat, Wild N’ Untamed were clearly soaking in the fact that, just a few weeks earlier, they had won the TSW Tag Team Championships from The Iron Psychos. They were visibly hyped about their new reign, even stopping to sign autographs on their way to the ring – a move that did not sit well with their challengers, Hard Luck Hal Rogers and Lady Pride, collectively known as Lucky Pride. Lucky Pride wasted no time expressing that frustration, jumping their opponents with a cheap shot before the opening bell had even rung.

Wild N’ Untamed started the match with a strong burst of momentum, but it was quickly whittled away. Once Lady Pride found herself matched up against Angel Shay, she immediately shifted into joint submissions, something Angel did not seem fully prepared for. In terms of tag team chemistry and ring awareness, Wild N’ Untamed still appeared to be the more cohesive unit, frequently chaining off one another’s offense to keep control of the match. That said, Lucky Pride is nothing if not a team willing to bend the rules just enough to force the champions to earn every inch of their victory.

Hard Luck Hal Rogers made a habit of distracting the referee at every possible opportunity, often just long enough for Lady Pride to land a low blow on Charlie Graham. When they were not outright cheating, Lucky Pride consistently took advantage of any opening they were given. It became so blatant that at one point nearly the entire crowd was chanting “cheaters” at the top of their lungs. There were multiple moments where it looked like Lucky Pride might steal the win and reduce Wild N’ Untamed to a footnote as one of the shortest-reigning tag teams in Kansas City wrestling history. In the end, however, everything clicked at the right moment, and Wild N’ Untamed connected with a double-team finisher to secure the pinfall and retain their titles.

The next match was another showcase of up-and-coming talent straight out of the Xtreme Wrestling Center in Raytown, Missouri, as El Toro went one-on-one with Jon Blaze. From the opening moments, Blaze was visibly irritated by the crowd’s reception of El Toro, repeatedly telling fans to quiet down and yelling “no it’s not” when chants of “Toro Time” began echoing through the building. He must be forgetting why that was happening, but El Toro had quite the showing in Mooresville, early pulling off a huge win at the tail end of the big Missouri Championship gauntlet match.

With El Toro thriving as a high flyer, particularly when working the ropes, Blaze faced an uphill battle trying to slow him down. Blaze focused much of his offense on submission holds, coming particularly close to victory with a well-timed surfboard that nearly sealed the deal. Despite being relatively new himself, El Toro showed just enough of a professional edge to turn the tide, blasting Blaze with a gore followed immediately by his finisher for a decisive win. Better luck next time, Jon Blaze – you’ll get there.

This match began with an unwanted interruption, as “The Outlaw King” Bennett James came out to belittle Chris Ward and undermine his victory at Mayhem in Mooresville IV. It was revealed that James was not medically cleared to compete, though he clearly hoped he could still get his hands on Ward. The moment he suggested that all he needed was medical clearance, Dr. Isin wasted no time storming the ring and offering his services, claiming he could fast-track that process – something James immediately backed away from. James exited the segment by accusing Chris Ward of being afraid to put the belt on the line, a challenge that was later answered when SyKawtic announced he would take James’ place.

Chris Ward is an old-school wrestler trained by people with old-school mentalities, and that approach was on full display here. Ward immediately targeted SyKawtic’s arms, which turned out to be a startling decision when one of them suddenly popped off. The moment caused visible shock for Ward and likely terrified the first few rows of fans. For those unfamiliar, SyKawtic sometimes competes with a prosthetic arm, and seeing it detached mid-match is certainly not something you forget quickly.

Ward held a clear size advantage over Sykawtic in this match, keeping his much more agile challenger grounded for much of it with strong lariats and slams. Sykawtic, however, focused heavily on mind games and employed the strange offense he is known for to get into his opponent’s head, including biting Chris’s arm and bridging up from the mat in a spider-like manner. Chris was worn down for a stretch by some high-flying offense, but he found a second wind with the crowd’s support. Chris then landed a big belly-to-back suplex and scored a near fall with a Russian leg sweep, but he showboated just a little too much afterward. After a brief stumble, he regrouped and finally sealed the deal with a Black Hole Slam, earning the victory and retaining his Missouri Championship.

You better believe the crowd wanted Wrex Amadeus’ head on a pike after he slithered into the gymnasium and did what he did, and Jayden Dominic Rose was more than happy to step in, avenge the honor of the legendary Iceman, and try to wipe the smug mustache off Wrex’s face. I have had my own run-ins with Wrex, and I am usually pretty soft in how I report on some of his antics, but this time I could not help but sit there and stew over what he said and did. Jayden leapt at Wrex like a madman, forcing him to retreat to the ropes and eventually spill to the outside. The two men brawled on the floor, with Wrex’s face repeatedly meeting the VIP tables. As he counted out loud and yelled “6-7”, he instantly became the hero of every elementary school aged kid in Chillicothe.

Jayden followed this momentum by heading to the top rope, only to take a nasty spill after Wrex countered him. Wrex then dropped JDR with a huge DDT and lariat, the usual precursors to his signature offense, and nearly scored a three count. He attempted to go back to the top rope, struggled briefly, and instead settled for a massive belly-to-back suplex.At this point, Wrex was showboating heavily, and JDR nearly stole the match before getting caught and pinned with a roll-up. The crowd erupted in anger, while Wrex appeared to get the last laugh. After the match, Jayden Dominic Rose called Wrex Amadeus out, declaring that the next time they met, the belt would be his, and The Iceman received one final goodbye.

A solid ending to a solid show.

Conclusion:

Like I mentioned, it was rough to witness something so emotional, but I have a feeling the hometown crowd appreciated being part of a moment like that, watching one of their own receive such respect and admiration from the wrestling community. Shortly after, it was announced that The Iceman planned to head to New Breed Wrestling to drop the TV Championship and say goodbye to the fans in Sedalia, and then eventually make a similar trip to Mid-States Wrestling.

Sliced Bread Slam IV was a solid show despite a few major cancellations. What was lost there was made up for by the introduction of new blood that was given the opportunity to really shine, which is something I have always appreciated about Tri-States Wrestling.