January 27th, at the Murfreesboro Armory, a war on Alzheimers will continue as fights erupt in Fight For The Mind 2.
Sponsored by Kia of Murfreesboro, Buffalo Wild Wings, Canna Energy, Advanced Financial and others: Fight For The Mind 2 is a benefit to raise money and awareness for fight against Alzheimers.
Many names participating you will recognize, like James Cornette, Dr. Tom Pritchard, Jerry Lynn, “The Natural” Chase Stevens, and the Extreme Innovator Tommy Dreamer. Some you may not like The “King and Queen of the Southeast” Francisco Ciatso and Stormie Lee, NWA Champ Damien Wayne, and Wild Eyed Southern Boy” Tracy Smothers.
Promoter Takes Benefit Personally
Shaun Balaban worked as a professional wrestler under the ring name of Shooter Storm for 15 years all throughout the Northeast, Southeast and Canada. March of this year he was forced to hang up the boots for good after suffering many major injuries. He is now concentrating on promoting events under the banner of Best of the Best Wrestling. He ran a successful Fight for the Mind event in Massena NY on April 23 of this 2016 in memory of his mom who he lost after a long battle with Alzheimer’s . He continues what he plans to be an annual event this coming January, 27th in Murfreesboro TN at the National Guard Armory and will have it air live on IPPV via the Fite TV app
We sat down with Shaun to talk wrestling and Alzheimers:
RS: Tell me about how you got from wrestler to promoter
SB: I broke into the business in 2001, and was trained by Myzery The Barbarian. Worked local shows for 2 1/2 years, and then went to the Downpour Wrestling Academy under Hybrid Rain, a Kowalski graduate. Worked throughout the Northeast and Canada until 2007. I worked the Florida independent scene in 2008, before moving back to the Northeast from 2008-2009. I moved back to Florida from 2009 until 2013, and worked throughout the entire Southeastern region. In 2013, I moved back to the Northeast, wrestling from 2013 – 2016 after suffering a major injury. In 2011, I started Best of the Best Wrestling and ran in Orlando, FL – had very successful events. In 2016, I had the first Fight for the Mind in Massena, NY in memory of my mother who passed away from Alzheimer’s. I moved to Tennessee in mid 2016, to work for a wrestling company in the Nashville area. The company closed shop in September 2016, and with that, I decided to bring back Best of the Best Wrestling…and here we are now.
RS: What’s the transition been like from wrestler to promoter?
SB: It’s a hell of a transition, the entire time I was wrestling, I had a lot of experience in the “behind the scenes” portion. Regardless of the fact I could not wrestle anymore, I knew I still had a lot more to give to this great industry, as wrestling is in my blood. With that being said, I believe that this transition was only the beginning of what I have to give in professional wrestling.
RS: Tell us some of your opponents who really stand out to you.
SB: I’ve had many great opponents, so it is hard to pick just one. I’ve had the honor to work former WWE stars and also stars who will be big in the future. If I had to pick, however, I’d choose Francisco Ciatso, Myzery the Barbarian, and Mike Cruz. They all tested me on a different level, and by working and adapting to different styles, I feel that it helped show I could go toe to toe with anyone.
RS: Explain how Best of The Best came to be and why Fight For The Mind 2 is such an important event .
SB: Best of the Best Wrestling was reformed in 2016 to give back to the boys’ and girls’ that were screwed over by a company in Nashville that closed shop overnight. I wanted to live out the vision that Chase Stevens wasn’t allowed to live out because of the financial investor, who was looking to fulfill her own needs. I’m presenting Fight for the Mind as a way to bring awareness to a nasty disease that not only affected me, but many people and their families across the world. After my mom had passed away because of Alzheimer’s, I knew there was one more battle I still had to fight.
RS: So as a promoter, we know it’s hard to pick just one match you are looking forward to. But could you? We had to ask.
SB: At Fight for the Mind 2, the entire card will be phenomenal, so there is not just one match I’m looking forward to. I am looking forward to every single match, because not only does it consist of phenomenal talent, it truly will embody the mission behind Best of the Best Wrestling, which is to present the best professional wrestling has to offer. After Fight for the Mind 2, we will be continuing to present quarterly events in Murfreesboro which will be on iPPV on FITE TV, and we have just come to terms on opening a professional wrestling academy in Murfreesboro, where we will have the chance to train stars of the future and have television tapings that will help hype up the quarterly events.
RS: Ok , we heard a certain very popular local football coach, with ties to Chase Stevens and a mean clothesline , might be participating at Fight For The Mind 2 on January 27th. Can you confirm those rumors?
SB: Yes, there is truth to that rumor. We have been in contact with MTSU’s football head coach, Rick Stockstill, to make a return to the squared circle to be the special guest referee in a match between former NWA Tag Team Champion “The Natural” Chase Stevens and a man who he definitely has history with, “The Headliner” Chris Michaels. This is just one of the can’t-miss matchups at this can’t-miss event.
Tickets start at $10 and are going fast for this event! Order yours now and help us Fight For The Mind!
