SLAMZONE - The Wrestling Fan's Store.

SLAMZONE - The Wrestling Fan's Store
By Brian "Flair" Kelley

So you’re a wrestling fan like me and you spend hours upon hours going from store to store in search of wrestling DVDs, t-shirts, action figures, autographs, and other wrestling memorabilia for your collection? What if I told you I could save you the time from going one store to another to find all of your wrestling desires, while also getting an opportunity to meet pro wrestling stars, superstars and stars of the future, as well?

There is a place for you and me, and that place is SLAMZONE at St. Peters in the St. Peters Mid Rivers Mall. The store is locally owned by Chuck Maddox and his uncle Terry Madden. Both men have a vision for the store to become the first store that centers on the combined selling power of pro wrestling and mixed martial arts. The store opened up on September 1, 2007 and started off slow in a typically small cell phone cubical, but with the buzz from the fans, it was obvious that they needed more space and have since moved into a moderately larger store.

The family owned store has always stressed “one big family - one small business” and it shows from the customer service they provide. They brought in a definite St. Louis wrestling flavor from the start, as they employed local pro wrestlers “Rough Cut” Rick Ruby and former S.B.A.C. Women’s Champion Jennifer Star. Since moving into the new store, they've hired Shana E and Chris W to join Rick Ruby on the staff. Sometimes, at other retail stores, the associate is speaking down to you because you want to know if they have your favorite wrestlers t-shirt but not at SLAMZONE. They know and love the business just as much as you do.

{Memphis, Tennessee native, Chris Brown and his two sons Hunter and Austin were in town for fun at Six Flags. Here they are taking time to enjoy shopping at SLAMZONE during Father's Day weekend.}

As a fan of the sport, Chuck knows that we need to support our local wrestling and stated, “with the pro wrestling side of the store, Terry and I wanted not only to push the two big dogs (World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action), but to try and open the minds of customers to local independent wrestling, also. Triple H, Sting, Samoa Joe, and yes - even John Cena all started out on the Indy Circuit somewhere."

"It's hard to earn the trust of some independents. As most local wrestling promotions try to keep a tight circle on all of their dealings, we have worked to have a relationship built on trust and respect. No one has tried to do what we are doing, and that's to work a relationship with, sell merchandise for, and advertise all of the local independents that we can. When customers come into our store and say 'have you heard of the LWA?' we want to be able to not only start naming the wrestler's names but also direct them to the DVDs available at our store from that promotion! Your wrestling fan today is slowly becoming hungry for more than the WWE product."

{When asked who their favorite wrestler was, Zach Page and Tyler Kapusniak quickly stated it was WWE Superstar John Cena.}

"We currently are working with three different local independents. The LWA (Lethal Wrestling Alliance), the South Broadway Athletic Club (S.B.A.C. under the MMWA name), and FTW (Full Throttle Wrestling). We like to keep our customers and MySpace friends up to date on when they have shows and where to get tickets. The WWE & TNA groups come through once or twice a year, but these local groups are slugging it out once or twice a month in a town near everyone!"

"SLAMZONE is proud to offer the customer an alternative to the big two. We look to have future autograph signings in our store with the local talent as well.”

{SLAMZONE offers the exclusive "Pro Wrestling - My Anti-Drug" and "You Wouldn’t Understand T-shirt".}

The integrity and hard work has been rewarded, as they worked with other outlets such as Side Pockets in St. Charles, MO for Pay Per View shows and also sponsor Cage of Fury mixed martial arts fights. If you’re one of the millions that enjoy MMA, they also have the hottest Tap Out and Treacherous attire along with MMA DVDs.

{SLAMZONE has a great assortment of MMA merchandise for fans of both sports.}

Always fan friendly, SLAMZONE has some great promotions that you can participate in. Who would want to miss The WWE Night of Champions PPV party at Side Pockets on June 29, 2008? A night that will be blessed with a meet and greet with none other than TNA World Heavyweight Champion Samoa Joe for the dirt cheap price of only $10 and viewed on 4 big screens in full stereo sound. My advice to you is to call Side Pockets at 1-636-724-9300.

Other hot items at the store are raffle tickets for only a $1.00 that gives you a chance to win an autographed chair from the 2004 Summerslam. This chair is autographed by Sergeant Slaughter, Randy Orton, Funaki, the Hebners, and Devon among others, and has a "backstage pass" attached to the top pad. The raffle will end at the Summerslam PPV Party and given away that night!

I won’t let you down on my statement about meeting wrestling stars, either. For those that do not know, I live three hours away from Slamzone, which makes my time important when I come to the city to watch a wrestling show. I always try to make the time to stop at the Mid Rivers Mall right off I-70 exit number 222 before I hit a show, because I never know who I may just run into at SLAMZONE. In the past year alone, I have met local stars such as the former LWA Champion Pierre Abernathy, superstars like Samoa Joe, Alex Shelly, and future star Matt “Evan Bourne” Sydal, who you can now catch on the wwECW program. You just never know who you will run into as you enter the store

{The SLAMZONE staff looks forward to helping customers find gifts, whether it be for the customer or their loved ones. In this picture, co-owner Chuck Maddox assists James Whitman, while letting him know of the upcoming events in St Louis.}

SLAMZONE hours of operation coincide with the Mid Rivers Mall shop times. Typically, hours are:

Monday - Saturday 10am to 9:30pm, and Sundays 11am to 6pm.

Chuck said it best when he said, “Keep checking with us, as it gets better and better every day!"

SLAMZONE
Mid Rivers Mall
St. Peters Mo
http://www.myspace.com/slamzonestore
1-636-397-SLAM