One side of the professional wrestling business, much like any other form of live entertainment, is a shark tank. It’s a cut-throat industry where politics, nepotism, and ego often impact not only the dealings behind the scenes, but also what plays out in the ring as well. Who you can trust and when you can trust them are legitimate questions, as the genre that originated from the carnival circuit can be as carny as the classic ring toss games. That’s not to mention the shady nickel-and-dime promoters that run their shows in high crime areas that promise big time exposure instead of payment for aspiring wrestlers that try to break into the sport. There has to be millions of people watching on that random indy Roku channel, right?
There’s a reason that there have been dozens of episodes of Dark Side of The Ring.
Thankfully, there’s also another side of the pro wrestling coin. There are decent promoters and they book quality talent that look to contribute to sports entertainment through a collaborative effort on any given night. As much back-stabbing and politicking as there might be, there’s an equal amount of friendship and comradery shared by those from virtually every background.
Again, true to it’s carnival lineage, the pro wrestling show is like the circus. There are fire breathers, clowns, aerial artists, the classic carnival barker, burlesque dancers, cavemen, and other performers a part of the menagerie that draws in a paying audience.
After an event in West Newton, Pennsylvania last month, I found myself as the announcer sitting at a table at a local restaurant with the villain, an island warrior, a neanderthal, and a Super Oprah. We are all from different backgrounds, but share the bond of the squared circle and forged friendships based upon it.
Sometimes, those friendships can sprout into careers and then those careers can duck tail into unique ventures within the previously mentioned over-the-top world of sports entertainment.
One such example is the tag team of Saturday Night Special, the duo comprised of the eccentric Marcus Twist and his bruising buddy, DD Vice. They are a pair of five-year pros that have zigzagged around the tri-state around to become one of the standout tag teams in the region with a combination of gritty character traits and wild in-ring work.
Their bond was formed almost as soon as they stepped into a wrestling ring for the first time to learn the maneuvers of the sport.
“We had met at training in March or April of 2020. What made us both want to tag is so many people saying that we should. A lot of people made comments about how we could be brothers. Basically, everyone around us had pushed the idea before we even tried to tag so once we made up our minds to tag, it was a no-brainer,” said Marcus Twist.
“From day one of training, Twist and I hit it off. People thought we were brothers for probably the first two years. I think we work together so well because we think a lot alike and there’s no ego,” added DD Vice.
The combination of Saturday Night Special, a moniker based on their enthusiasm for the famous two for $25 at Applebees, worked steadily throughout the past few years to hone their craft and refine their overall presentation. As sleazy villains, their in-ring personas rile up the audience, and the contrast of their styles provide a mixture of big man offense from Vice that is complimented by a rugged move set from Twist. They have become arguably the top tag team in West Virginia, as they are a tent pole of the Real Shoot Wrestling group, as well as staples of the tag division of Victory Championship Wrestling, where they are the current tag team champions.
“DD and myself have an extremely similar background. We’re both close in age, We were both gas and oil field guys, and we both played music when we were young. We had common interests and we both have similar personalities. We both like the same era of wrestling, and it all kind if just clicked when we put it together. It helps because we’re like brothers in real life outside of the ring, if anything, wrestling just brought two guys that would have been best friends regardless together. If you took the wrestling out of it, we’d still be just as close,” explained Twist.
A look back on where they started truly puts into perspective how much progress the tag team has made as stalwarts of the independent circuit in the Mountain State.
In November of 2020, when the world was still mostly shuttered from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Real Shoot Wrestling league rented a dusty warehouse to hold closed set tapings in Fairmont, WV where matches could be filmed for a later release while observing capacity restrictions at the time, with just the competing roster in attendance. There quite literally weren’t the bright lights or roaring crowd that someone might expect for their professional wrestling debut, but the building served as the first match for Saturday Night Special against Johnny Blast and Kevin Tyler.
“I remember Andrew Palace, Beastman, and Jason Kincaid were among the boys that were in the locker room. If anyone ever thinks wrestling in front of fans is bad for a first time, wrestle two West Virginia legends in a room full of them, have them as your mock crowd, and try not to be nervous in front of a camera for the first time,” Twist recalled.
Thankfully, the world eventually emerged from the pandemic, and Saturday Night Special emerged from the empty warehouse to achieve things as a team that they didn’t think was possible when they met each other the first day that they began to learn the sport together. During the course of the past five years, the duo have won championships, competed against legends, and racked up a myriad of career highlights.
“Being crowned tag team champion for multiple promotions, tagging with Ricky Morton, tagging against the likes of Shane Douglas and Chase Stevens, and be able to live out a lifelong dream. Plus, being able to share a locker room with countless people I’ve watched and looked up to,” Vice commented.
True to their shared dedication to wild action, both members of Saturday Night Special have taken the leap into the death match scene in recent years. Similar to when they had their debut in the sport together as a tag team, they also had their first death match against each other for the Evil Ways underground group, primarily based in the Pittsburgh area, before Twist branched out with a series of events of his own.
“I was always interested in the art of death match, some of my favorites are death match wrestlers. When Twist and I were invited to help kick off Evil Ways in Pittsburgh, it was off to the races and I’ve been addicted to the thrill of seeing the shock on everyone’s faces ever since,” DD Vice said.
“I remember seeing the crazy stuff in the pro wrestling magazines when I was a kid, the barbed wire, the weapons, the bloody wars you’d see pictures of from Japan. I’d watch the attitude era of WWF with my grand pap in the other room watching WCW and we’d tell each other what was going on, I’d always pop huge for the hardcore matches and have to relay what happened to him. The point is, I guess it was always there,” added Marcus Twist.
Twist has hosted a series of no ring events and bar fights previously, including for his birthday this year, but plans for his upcoming “Halloween Homecoming” presentation on October 24th to be the biggest showcase at The Morgantown Art Party venue of its kind so far. Along with three no ring death matches, Twist plans for there to be live music, dance performances, and a costume contest with a $200 prize.
“October 24th is going to be a whirlwind of shock and awe the likes of which have never been seen before,” Vice remarked.
“I really tried to outdo myself with the line up and added variety to it to the best of my abilities. It’s my band, American Crust’s first show. It’s the first time we’ll add burlesque in to the equation. It’s a big return to wrestling for my good friend, Kamikaze after coming back from a potentially career-ending injury in the main event for the evening. We’ll see new faces, some mainstays in the Morgantown scene, and some surprises. I can honestly say the Morgantown Art Party shows have been a favorite of mine, it’s only twice a year that we all get together under one big umbrella and put on the best possible show for everyone to see. It’s really fun, and I can’t wait to see everyone October 24th,” Twist concluded.
For more information about the upcoming event, you can go to https://www.facebook.com/marcustwistRSW
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Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
Email [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @jimlamotta89
