What an experience!  Several UPW stars and staff recently traveled to South Africa for a World Wrestling Superstars Rumble in Africa Tour.  The UPW crew was there for 8 days, including 2 days devoted entirely for travel, which as you can imagine was a delight.  The UPW crew that were selected to travel were Rick Bassman who handled color commentary duties and logistical support, wrestlers Sean O’Haire, UPW Champion Tom Howard, Nathan Jones, Todd Keneley who handled ring announcing, play by play as well as logistical support, and wrestler Antonio Mestre and Anthony Rosas, who both refereed the tour.

The tour featured some of the biggest names in Sports Entertainment, and speaking for the UPW crew, it was an honor to be able to work with them.  Among the stars wrestling on the tour were:  “Big Sexy” Kevin Nash, “Big Poppa Pump” Scott Steiner, Rikishi, Test, Mordecai, Rick Steiner, Warlord & Barbarian, Disco Inferno, Black Pearl, Sean O’Haire, Nathan Jones, Tom Howard, Gama Singh, Akam Singh, Munraj Singh, Titus, Giant Warrior, Shantelle, and ODB. 

The tour began as we flew out of LAX on Saturday, November 26.  We arrived in London 11 hours later, and then flew to Capetown for another 11 hour flight.  Needless to say, we were a little tired when we arrived on Monday, November 28.  We had our first show that night at the Good Hope Center in Capetown.  It was a great show with over 3,000 very enthusiastic fans.  Nathan Jones faced off against Mordecai, Tom Howard wrestled the up and coming Munraj Singh, and in the Main Event, Sean O’Haire teamed with Black Pearl to take on Rikishi and Test.  Todd Keneley handled announcing duties as well as play by play with UPW owner Rick Bassman.  Antonio Mestre and Anthony Rosas handled refereeing duties for the night.  For Mestre, it was different as he is usually the one wrestling, and for myself, it was nerve-racking to say the least.  I had only begun to referee (one match to be exact) and to be thrown into a South African tour with the likes of Nash, Steiners, Test, Rikishi, etc. was somewhat intimidating. 

Tuesday, we had an off day to soak in Capetown.  Most of the UPW crew traveled to the waterfront for great views and greater drinks.  We encountered a fan who had attended the prior night’s show and opened up his bar for us, and after much convincing, we obliged (for several hours!)  We even tried the local favorite: Spring Bokkie, which has to be seen and tasted to be fully understood.  We topped the night off with a Capetown club, and got ready to travel to Durban for the second show.

We arrived at Capetown airport in the morning, only to encounter minor problems with the flights.  Then we had a bomb scare and were forced to evacuate the airport!  You see hundreds if not thousands of people outside of the airport, and this large group of professional wrestlers standing together.  Needless to say, there was some attention coming our way.  Once the scare was determined to be nothing more than an abandoned bag, we flew to Durban via Port Elizabeth.

We arrived at our latest hotel, which was unusual to say the least (and for those that were there, you know what I mean).  We visited the local Mall and Casino just down the street to wager some Rand and drink some cocktails.  On Thursday we visited the largest Mall in the Southern Hemisphere, which was a sight to see to say the least.  Some of us visited to local aquarium which featured several amazing fish including some huge sharks and questionable fish, which you can tell from the photos.  From there we went to another casino for the most extravagant casino buffet I have ever seen. 

We were then whisked off to the local club for VIP treatment and (get this) more drinks!  At this point the night had only begun for our Todd Keneley, Sean O’Haire, ODB and myself.  We went to the local casino bar for, um…, we’ll say water.  Anyway, we ended up playing tops (you know the game, spin the top, whoever’s goes the longest wins) for Rand, the local currency.  After a strong run by myself over Keneley, Sean O’Haire, who we are convinced hustled us, killed us and took all of our Rand, leaving him to pay the majority of the bill.  Ha!  Seriously, if you are ever playing tops, and Sean O’Haire comes up, leave, and do so quickly.  On the way back to the hotel, after sunrise, O’Haire and Keneley began a chop battle which ensued in chaos.  Keneley had his shirt ripped, buttons and all, and his last valiant effort came up short.  As the elevator door opened, Keneley went for one last chop on O’Haire and made a run for the elevator.  However, the door didn’t close, and what happened next is for only us to behold.  It was all in good fun though!

Friday came and went as Mestre, Keneley and myself went on our own.  We visited the local marketplace and got some great bargains.  They would start at 250 Rand, and as soon as you begin walking away, they yell out 50 Rand.  Wow, what a deal.  We then visited Mini-Town which has to be seen to be believed. 

We then visited the snake and reptile adventure.  While in there, we see the adventure walk with the sign saying “Enter at your own risk, we are not responsible for anything that happens to you.  Our hearts race and adrenaline pumps.  Are there snakes crawling around, what could this be?  We are then told, “Oh, that sign is there on account of the uneven walkway.”  I guess you had to be there.  Anyways, we survived the adventure walk. 

Rick Bassman, Tom Howard and some of the UPW wrestlers soaked in the beach with the hot sun and warm waters, highly unusual for them!  From there, it was onto show number two in Durban at Sahara Cricket Stadium.  This was another exciting show which saw Tom Howard team with the Titans to take on Kevin Nash and The Singhs.  Nathan Jones wrestled Mordecai and Sean O’Haire took on Giant Warrior. 

Click here for a video clip of TK in action

Again, Todd Keneley did a great job handling both announcing and play by play duties, with Rick Bassman handling logistics and color commentary.  The night was very interesting and probably the most memorable for Antonio Mestre and myself.  Mestre refereed several matches, and then competed in the Main Event Battle Royal.  He went right after local hero Gama Singh and his son Munraj Singh.  Mestre impressed many with his appearance in the match featuring such stars as O’Haire, Black Pearl, Tom Howard, Powers of Pain and the Steiner Bros.  After a strong showing, he was eliminated by Gama Singh. 

Click here for a video clip of the battle Royal

Myself, well, the night was memorable for a different reason.  While I refereed the Rikishi vs. Test match, I found myself in an unusual position.  As Test was whipped into the corner, Rikishi began to charge towards him for his trademark 350 pound squish.  Test grabbed me and Rikishi slammed into me with some great force.  As I fell on Test, who was in the corner for the ever popular stinkface position, Rikishi noticed.  I was out on the mat.  As Rikishi inched over and pulled the tights up, the crowd is going crazy, and before I know it, Test lifts me up and I am on the receiving end of a stinkface!  Let’s just say it was quite an experience.  After the match, I was honored to have the opportunity to dance with Rikishi for his trademark post match ritual, with a stinky face nonetheless.

Click here for a Stinkface!

After the show, Tom Howard, Nathan Jones, Sean O’Haire, Todd Keneley, Antonio Mestre and myself signed hundreds of autographs and were treated like royalty by the fans.  In South Africa, it was unusual for the referees and announcer to be recognized as talent, but they take their wrestling very seriously.  I cannot tell you how many people asked how Rikishi’s butt tasted. 

From there, on Saturday, we traveled to Johannesburg for the final show.  We arrived at the building and got ready, somewhat sad as it was coming to an end.  Tom Howard, Sean O’Haire and Nathan Jones all put on memorable performances, leaving their impression on the South African fans.  Antonio Mestre had an interesting match in the main event.  He found himself being pushed by Mordecai and Test, who faced Rikishi and Black Pearl.  Mestre then ripped his shirt off, buttons and all (ala Spills McGee), bodyslammed Mordecai, dropped an elbow, and went for the cover.  Black Pearl counted, but Mordecai kicked out at 2!  The match then resumed to semi-normality.

We then had two days before we left for the states, and we certainly made the most of it.  Bassman, Howard, Keneley, Mestre and myself toured the city with our favorite South African Tour Guide Isaac.  He was not a dentist.  We visited a marketplace to pick up some more goods to give to our family and friends, which they will most likely never use and put away somewhere forever, never to be seen again, but this is a requirement of travel.  It was at this point I began to die.

For the remainder of the day, I was suffering from several ailments diagnosed by Rick Bassman, Tom Howard, Todd Keneley and Antonio Mestre themselves.  Among the diseases I had were malaria, HIV, warts, the flu, and several more I wish not to mention here.  We then visited Nelson Mandela’s house which was very inspirational.  Following this, we drove to a local bar where some of the crew to be unnamed partook in alcoholic beverages including the famed Zonke-Zonke. 

From there we drove through the city of Johannesburg, which was dismal to say the least.  It is easy to be ungrateful for the things you have, but seeing something like this really makes you grateful for the things you have in life and enlightens one’s perspective on priorities. 

The following day, Bassman, Howard and crew relaxed a little, and went to the outdoor marketplace with hundreds of African novelties.  Mestre, Keneley and myself visited the Rhino and Lion Park.  It was a great experience.  We had a lion walk up to our van, and get upset.  We also pet a rhino (until someone tickled it’s ear and said coochie-coo) angering Tony the Rhino.  We saw several wild animals including a cheetah, a tiger, more rhinos, common water bucks, wild dogs, and much more.  We then got to pet teenage and baby lion cubs which was the experience of a lifetime.  They are so small and adorable as one of us put it, yet you know they can rip your face off at the same time.  Although we were promised a hug from a cub, we didn’t get that (although Todd came very close), but it was still indescribable to play with these lion cubs.  That night we traveled to the airport to head back to the states and our regular lives. 

We flew to London again, and to be different, we drank a few or many cocktails to salute the trip.  We then boarded the plane to Los Angeles with Rick, Tom, Antonio, Todd and myself in tow.  The phrase, “eh Johnny, get me some Jack Daniels” was overheard to the point they ran out of Jack Daniels on the plane and we got yelled at by a steward for this.  The trip could not have concluded without some controversy though.  Over Greenland as we were watching "The 40 Year Old Virgin", the worst turbulence we had ever felt ensued.  Tom Howard who has traveled all over the world, many times said this was the worst he had ever experienced.  For about 5 minutes, we didn’t know what would happen.  We eased our nerves with some cocktails.  Then, about 2 minutes after we landed at LAX, all of the auxiliary power in the plane went out.  All I can say is it was a good thing this didn’t happen in the air!  Well, this was the trip in a nutshell, and for some more insight we have featured some personal memories from those involved. 

 Anthony Rosas
December 18, 2005
anthony@upw.com

Anthony Rosas:   

            This was the single greatest experience of my life, bar none!  I came into this trip with extreme trepidation, not knowing what to expect from several angles.  First off, I was nervous about the talent on the tour.  Would they like me, or ignore me?  Second, I was here as a referee, and I had only refereed one match prior at the OC Dojo.  So I had very limited experience to say the least.  Of course I had watched my entire life, but there is so much more to it to be a good referee, and that is what these starts expect.  I spent a lot of time training with UPW Head Referee Marty Rubalcaba and Aaron “HardKore Kidd” Aguilera at Ultimate University.  I owe everything to them for teaching me the nuances of being a referee.  This was also my first pro wrestling tour as well, and on top of all of this, it was in South Africa. 

             I would have never imagined I would receive a stinkface, a Rikishi splash, dance with Rikishi, be featured in a Kevin Nash-Disco Inferno match, and so much more.  I learned tons just working 2 Steiner Bros.-Powers of Pain matches, which were old school to the core.  They were so easy to work with, talking me through a lot, as was everybody on the tour.  None of the wrestlers treated us any different, and included us in several activities, which I will always remember.  Kevin Nash, Test, Rikishi, Black Pearl, Steiners, Powers of Pain and more all pulled me aside and gave me great advice, and gave me very positive feedback to help me in my journey which has only just begun.  For them to even acknowledge me was an honor.  This was also the most fun I have ever had.  So many hilarious incidents occurred, especially traveling with Todd and Antonio most of the time.  I received some positive feedback from several of the wrestlers which I never expected, and was blown away to have gotten.  To hear that we did a good job is reward enough.  Todd in particular was put over huge by several of the Superstars and deserved so.  I still can’t believe that the fans recognized me as a referee.  I never imagined I’d sign one autograph, much less hundreds by people who knew my name and were very vocal.  Having fans want to take a picture with you is an honor, as I still see myself as some dorky guy who is doing what he loves the most.  This was the most happy I have ever been, and I know now for certain, this is what I want to do for my career, and with the advice and help I received, I will take it all in and build from here, as I still have tons to learn.  With the bomb scare, to the turbulence, to the power failure in the plane, I do not miss the flights though!  I’m still in shock I pet a freaking lion cub, and screamed like a girl when a huge lion went after us in a van.  I appreciate Spills McGee, Jack Daniels, and the whole gang for being a blast to party with, and boy did we party.  I don’t think we ever got more than 5 hours of sleep!  And I will take all of the great stories with me and keep them to myself (and lord knows there were MANY stories).    

Now for some thanks that are well deserved.  I want to thank the boys on the trip.  I got some invaluable advice from you, and working with you was a pleasure.  I grew up watching most of you, and now they were talking with me, and helping me out tremendously with advice and some very funny stories along the way!  I want to thank Rick Bassman, because without him having confidence in me to do well, and his help the entire way in my short career, I would not be where I am and I owe everything to him for the opportunity.  I want to thank Marty Rubalcaba for all of his help and words of advice, for helping someone he didn’t have to.  I want to thank Aaron Aguilera for all of his advice and words of wisdom.  He gave me valuable practice time, and despite the 250 squat thrusts, it was great!  Thanks to Antonio Mestre for saying things like “Hey, this is a mall” and “Eh Johnny, Get me some Jack Daniels.”  Seriously, thanks for the help along the way.  Tom Howard, you gave me some great advice, and I took it to heart and appreciate you taking the time to do so.  Finally, thanks to Todd Keneley for his words of encouragement before the trip began, and while in South Africa.  You really helped me get through his without having a panic attack.  I just can’t wait to see where things go from here.  It has been my dream since I was 8 years old to be in this business, and this solidified the fact that that I am a part of the business, at least in a small part.  For that I want to thank my close friends, you know who you are, for supporting me through all the years in my quest.  You knew how much this meant, and I wouldn’t be here without you.  I don’t know about you but I still cant believe that I have done as much as I have, it sure seemed like a longshot, but I am living my dream.  I really appreciate it.  Peace Out.    

            Antonio Mestre:

I, unlike most people, have had the opportunity to travel to many a city, state, and country in my life. South Africa was one place that didn't come to mind when I was planning out vacation time. However thanks to wrestling, I got to experience the South African lifestyle. It is a lifestyle filled with free will and free spirits. The people, the culture, and the experience were refreshing. Petting lions and lion cubs, walking on their beaches, mingling with their people, and even just enjoying their sun is something for all to experience. Thank you South Africa!

The Following is from Antonio Mestre's blog:

Again pardon me if I don't remember everything..

Wrestling - The matches, the experience, the superstars on this trip was AMAZING!! Being in the ring with Kevin Nash, Test, Mordecai, Rikishi, Disco Inferno, Powers of Pain, The Steiners, amongst others was mind blowing! The fact I signed more autographs and took more pictures over in South Africa then I have here in the US for the whole year was also pretty mind blowing. Thank you South Africa for the love!

Safari - Now how could I head to South Africa without doing a Safari right? Imagine a full grown lion coming up to your car! What about a lion cub licking your arm? Petting a rhino? Well I got to do all that, plus much more while on this safari type tour. The San Diego zoo ain't got anything on that, and that right there is a shiiiiiiiizzzzzzzoot!!!

Culture - When in Rome you do as the Romans do right? So while in South Africa...well you get the point! I tried to soak up the culture and what better way then to drink!! lol I tried their country's drink called a Spring Bokkie, it's very similar to mouthwash but actually won't get you sick! I also tried a Zonke Zonke... now that drink will mess you up!! I didn't get to try too much of their actual custom food, but I did try Biltong which is their version of beef jerky. FYI KFC and Coca Cola are EVERYWHERE in South Africa!

Chaos - I've been to more airports this year then I care to recall, never have I experienced a serious matter. Well now I can say I have! It was in the middle of the tour when at the airport a bomb scare occurred leaving people outside for a good hour, only for the Explosives Unit to discover a bag unattended. Pretty scary stuff I gotta admit, but you'd never guess that from my current photo. lol

Night life - From what I saw of the night life during the week at the bars and clubs we went to, it was pretty dead. I kid you not, on Friday night there was no one on the dance floor at midnight!! However come Saturday night there was all kinds of people on the floor. Pretty interesting

Gambling - Now how long has it been since I did a bit of gambling? And how many times can I say I gambled in South Africa? Well once now! I played some South African black jack and did very well at it I might say! It's different from the Las Vegas BJ I'm use to only because the cards are all dealt and the dealer is left with one card face up until everyone is done with playing their hand. Does it change the odds? No clue, I just know I won me some money!