SSW all about family-friendly entertainment
‘HORSEPOWER II’ TO RAISE FUNDS FOR KENOSHA SCHOOL
By Mike Pankow
March 7, 2024
Veteran wrestler Ryan Kross has been working and promoting shows for decades, but last year he promoted a wrestling event that was close to his heart.
Kross, who also goes by “Mr. Joe,” used to be the School Resource Officer at Mahone Middle School in Kenosha, Wis., conjured up the idea to run a wrestling event at the school to raise money for Mahone’s year-end carnival.
Jordan Kross delivers an uppercut to EC3 during the main event of SSW Entertainment’s “HORSEPOWER” in March 2023 at Mahone Middle School in Kenosha, Wis. Kross and the SSW troupe return to Mahone on Friday night to do it all again. (Photo: Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
SSW Entertainment, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in November, produced a family-friendly show last March, which featured the main event of former WWE Superstar and ex-TNA World Champion EC3 (currently the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion) against local favorite Jordan Kross, a five-year veteran in the business and the son of Ryan Kross.
The event drew 783 fans and was deemed a huge success, so Ryan Kross decided to do it all over again and make it even bigger with the goal of drawing 1,000. Kross had developed a bond during his days working at Mahone.
“Those kids. Those are his kids,” Jordan Kross said. “Him returning there is going to be very special, more so to be Mr. Joe for what could possibly be one night only. I excited to see how he reacts going back.”
Ryan Kross booked rising AEW superstar and Chicago-area native Skye Blue and former WWE Superstars Kevin Thorn and “Real 1” nZo (fka Enzo Amore) to be the main performers on this year’s edition, which is back at Mahone this Friday night (March 8). Other notable names on the show include Chicago legend and SSW Unified Champion “The Ice Pick” Vic Capri, NWA star and Chicago staple “All Day” Marshe Rockett, Jordan Kross, and Sports N’ Signings Women’s Champion “The Mile Smile” Brooke Tanner.
Jordan Kross will square off against nZo in a featured match less than six years after Kross met the former WWE Cruiserweight Champion at Wizard World Chicago 2018. Kross and nZo engaged in an extensive conversation at the pop culture convention and made a connection, which created the impetus for this bout.
“When I met Enzo, it was a couple of weeks before I started wrestling training,” Kross said. “I had mentioned that to him and he took a good hour to talk to me about things to do, things not to do, what to avoid, who to avoid, just in terms of generalized people in pro wrestling. He gave me the recommendation of reading the book, ‘Think and Grow Rich,’ just about manifest destiny and speaking things into existence. Most of the stuff he said I still hold true today. Since then, I’ve been a huge fan of his. Getting to share the ring with him is going to be really special.”
Kross has been building a great resume for a potential opportunity with one of the big promotions such as WWE/NXT and AEW. He’s undefeated in main card matches in Warrior Wrestling with victories over EC3, Carlos Romo, Beast Man and “The Veteran” Jack Vaughn. He’s also been growing in promotions such as Great Lakes Championship Wrestling, DREAMWAVE, AAW Pro, The Superwrestlers and 2econd Wrestling along with appearances in CSW and Fusion Wrestling Chicago.
Ryan Kross, right, looks to ram Vic Capri’s head into the corner turnbuckle during last year’s “HORSEPOWER” event. Both wrestlers will be on this Friday’s show. (Photo: Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
Capri will defend his SSW Unified Championship against “The 80’s Bay-bee” TW3, who grew up in Kenosha and had a personal connection to the Mahone family. Capri, a 30-year veteran in this wrestling business, has held many titles over the years and currently carries the Rockford Damage Inc. Championship and the We Love Wrestling Pure Hearts Championship. He also held the Chicago Style Wrestling Heavyweight Championship for an extended period.
TW3, a 17-year veteran who has worked in nearly every promotion in Wisconsin, shockingly has never faced Capri in a 1-on-1 match. TW3 takes influence from many wrestlers including Koko B. Ware, Owen Hart, Rey Mysterio and Kofi Kingston. This should be a showcase of two fantastic performers in what should be a great championship match.
“People have tried to make this happen, [so] kudos to Ryan Kross for making it happen,” TW3 said. “This is a match everyone wants to see because our styles are kind of similar. I love Vic – he’s a great guy. I look up to a guy like Vic, because he’s been around for a very long time and he’s still killing it.”
In a four-way women’s match, Tanner defends the SSW/SnS Women’s Championship against Kenosha native Sophia Rose (fka Harley Jane), “Big Al” Alice Crowley and Shelly “The Bombshell” Benson.
Tanner, who has been wrestling for just two years, has been impressive in her short career. She won the SnS Women’s Championship in a match against Stacy Shadows in Oct. 2022 and defended it against Lili La Pescadita last November. Tanner has also held the Brew City Women’s Championship.
Outside the ring, Tanner is a first-grade teacher in the Fox Valley area near Green Bay and she has proven to be a role model not only inside the ring, but also in the classroom. Wrestling for a cause that helps kids hit close to home for her.
SSW/Sports N’ Signings Women’s Champion Brooke Tanner, right, battles Lili La Pescadita at SSW’s 20th Anniversary Event on Nov. 18, 2023 at The Brat Stop in Kenosha. (Photo: Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
“I care a lot and I love my job and I love kids,” Tanner said. “If I could do every wrestling show at a school, I would. As a wrestler, my motivation for wrestling really has to do with shaping young minds and especially being a positive influence for little girls. I’m over the moon with the idea of doing this show.”
To say Rose’s story is one of perseverance might be a huge understatement. Rose was a wrestling fan as a child, but she rediscovered it a little over five years ago when she was hospitalized following a stroke when she was 19 years old. With doctors giving her just a 15-percent chance of surviving the effects of the stroke, she vowed to become a pro wrestler once she got better. After training with Dustin Rhodes at the Rhodes Wrestling Academy in Texas, she broke in late 2022 and has worked mostly with GLCW and Ohio Valley Wrestling.
Crowley has the most in-ring experience among the four wrestlers in the match as the young veteran has worked for a little over five years. The Indianapolis native has been seen frequently for Freelance Wrestling, Freelance Underground and Black Label Pro in the Chicago area as well as OVW.
Just two years into her wrestling career, Benson currently holds four championships, including the CSW Women’s Championship, Rockford Damage Inc. Women’s Championship, Fusion Wrestling Women’s Championship and the ZOWA Empress Championship. Benson has shown a remarkable leap from her first few months under the tutelage of Capri.
Thorn, who worked under the WWE umbrella for many years including under the names of Mordecai and Seven in OVW (which was then a WWE development territory), will face Wisconsin veteran Jay Dinero (fka J-Ca$h) in a battle of big men. Thorn, who is semi-retired, is a successful real estate agent in the Northern suburbs of Indianapolis. In addition to working in several Wisconsin promotions, Dinero has also recently wrestled in OVW.
CBS58 Milwaukee’s “Iron” Mike Curkov celebrates his victory at SSW Entertainment’s “HORSEPOWER” in March 2023. Curkov will team with Dr. Jeff Luxon at this year’s event. (Photo: Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
In tag team action, Dr. Jeff Luxon, the former SSW Tag Team Champion, will be teaming up with former foe “Iron” Mike Curkov, news anchor on the CBS58 Milwaukee morning show, and they will face “The Notorious” Dave Rydell and young upstart Goninzon (aka Gonzo and Mike “Vice Grip” Gonzalez).
Luxon was a one-time WWE developmental prospect for Florida Championship Wrestling while Curkov started dabbling in wrestling a few years ago and has worked for SSW, GLCW and One Fall Entertainment.
Rydell is a veteran of the business as has close ties to the SSW family, including the Krosses and Luxon, and also wrestled for POWW Entertainment in the past. Goninzon has worked for several Chicago-area promotions, including CSW, Northland Pro and Janesville Wrestling Alliance.
Rockett takes on “The Freakshow Killer” Salem Crane in a 1-on-1 match that promises to be hard hitting.
Rockett, the longtime veteran from Chicago, received his first break in Wisconsin for SSW many years ago. He has worked for TNA and the NWA and is currently one-half of the Rocket Pro Wrestling Tag Team Champions with another SSW stalwart Shogun Chris L.O.G.A.N. as the Final Level.
Crane has been a regular in Wisconsin at many promotions, including ACW where he is a former champion. Crane is also a cousin to the Krosses.
AEW star Skye Blue will be appearing at SSW’s “HORSEPOWER II” this Friday night in Kenosha. (Photo: Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
Skye Blue, who was not scheduled for a match at press time, will be in attendance at the event for meet and greets. She joined AEW a couple of years ago after building a strong resume at Chicago Style Wrestling and Warrior Wrestling as she has held Women’s Championships at both companies.
Mad Mark of Lunatic Wresting Wrestling fame has promised to show up and the manager says he will bring along a “monster.” Who Mad Mark and his monster are targeting is unclear, but it should be chaotic for sure.
Tickets for the event start at $10 for general admission and should be available at the door. The card begins at 7:30 p.m. while doors are set to open at 6:30 with wrestlers being available for meet-and-greet opportunities. The organization You Are More will be there selling T-shirts to raise money for mental-health awareness.
“This show is definitely a homecoming,” Jordan Kross said. “It’s very cool that’s a homecoming for more than just me and Dad. We’re adding to the pack of Kenosha-born-and-raised wrestlers and getting the share the show with them is going to be awesome.”
SSW 20th Anniversary Event: Windy City Slam covered SSW’s previous event – their 20th anniversary show at The Brat Stop in Kenosha on Nov. 18, 2023. The event featured mostly homegrown SSW talent and drew a packed house for a show that included a tournament to crown the SSW Unified Champion.
Vic Capri defeated Jordan Kross in the finals of an eight-man bracket to be crowned the new champion. Here is a rundown of that show:
Tournament for SSW Unified Championship quarterfinals: Vic Capri pinned Backwoods Brown to win the Midwest Heritage Championship. … “Shogun” Chris L.O.G.A.N. vs. Trifecta Champion Xavier Mustafa went to a double countout, with this result, Capri received an automatic bye to the finals. … Jordan Kross pinned Salem Crane with a rollup … Dave Rydell (w/manager Devin Diamond) pinned “The Inevitable” John Fate to win the SSW Championship after hitting Fate with the belt behind Ref Mark Bitters’ back, ending Fate’s reign of over 1,000 days.
SNS Women’s Championship: Brooke Tanner (c) pinned Lili La Pescadita after a roundhouse kick to the head to retain.
SSW Unified Championship Tournament semifinal: Jordan Kross pinned Dave Rydell (w/manager Devin Diamond) to win the SSW Championship after a Kross Cutter to advance to the finals. Rydell again tried to use the belt to win, but Fate came out and got revenge for getting screwed over earlier and took the belt away from Rydell.
In what was called the Final Battle between these teams, The Express (Ryan Kross & Dr. Jeff Luxon) vs. Hardcore Impact (Pauly Thomaselli & Hardcore Craig) went to a double pin when Ref Mark Bitters counted Thomaselli pinning Kross and Luxon pinning Craig. The teams hugged it out with each other and Jordan Kross and Ryan Kross, Thomaselli and Luxon took the mic expressed their appreciation for each other.
SSW Unified Championship Tournament final: Vic Capri pinned Jordan Kross after a Sliced Bread to become the SSW Unified Champion.
Check out a gallery of over 270 photos from “SSW’s 20th anniversary event”: https://www.windycityslam.com/ssw-the-20th-anniversary
Check out Windy City Slam Podcast with recent guests Brooke Tanner, TW3 and Jordan Kross, previewing SSW’s “HORSEPOWER II”:
Tanner episode: https://apple.co/42KmSIY.
TW3 episode: https://apple.co/3OOxVuR.
Jordan Kross episode: https://apple.co/48Fg4xq.
Catch Windy City Slam editor Mike Pankow talking local and national pro wrestling every week with Chicago-area wrestling guests on Windy City Slam Podcast, part of the Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network. Episodes drop early Tuesday morning wherever you download podcasts or at https://windycityslam.podbean.com/.
We are looking for guests to appear on future episodes of the Windy City Slam Podcast! Please contact Mike at mikepankow@windycityslam.com, message him on Facebook or DM him on X.
