There it lies, wide open, the latest edition of Fighter's Digest magazine. It's odd to see a magazine in these paperless times, especially a combat sports magazine. But nonetheless pages start flapping forward in the cool breeze. Suddenly the light wind dies down into complete and utter silence... the pages stop.

On one side a picture of RussianRose, his trademark red wrestling singlet covering his God like physique, getting ready to battle in the ring. On the other page the words MEDVED CRIME SCANDAL are smeared in blood red lettering. The wind picks up, yet again the next page folds over, the story begins.

I've followed Pro Wrestling my whole life and mostly the XWF. I've also written many articles surrounding Pro Wrestling but this is one of the more bizarre ones, that I must admit.

Earlier this month we heard reports all over the internet that free agent wrestler RussianRose was set to come to XWF. That became official when XWF posted the card for April 18th's Saturday Night Savage on their website.

Live from Pittsburgh, RussianRose Evgeni Medved will be making his debut for the promotion. He will be part of the opening match against Bilbo Blimpkinz.

But that's not all, RussianRose is also set to make his Wednesday Night Warfare debut a few days later. To top it all off the next night after that he will be in South Carolina, competing in the Anarchy battle royal.

The man is busy to say the least and despite not having competed in the ring yet, he holds XWF Championship Gold. That's right, over the weekend, RussianRose captured the 24/7 Heavymetal weight title.

His XWF debut is becoming a media circus across Europe and Japan where he previously worked before coming to the USA. Even many excited Americans are an anticipation to watch his first match with the XWF.

But reports coming out of some Russian media outlets are bound to take away from the wrestling aspect of Medved's debut. They are former friends, colleagues and neighbors who have come out and spoken about how despicable RussianRose is and always will be. He is a woman beater... animal killer...homophobic...drug dealing...human trafficker...linked with organized crime. The list goes on.

All of these accusations are of course alleged and he has never been charged with anything. But from the eyewitness reports, police statements and news articles circulating... the man and anyone affiliated to him are pure and utter EVIL.

Earlier this week a former wrestler, who grew up with the Medved family came out to Russian media. He was trained by Igor Medved, father of Evgeni and Alexei, the newly XWF signed Russian brothers. He wrestled for Igor's wrestling promotion and even competed against RussianRose.

"Igor would call me a lazy queer and tell me I wasn't worth shit...I didn't deserve a drink of water...I didnt even deserve to live. He would encourage me to go home and end my own life when I failed in the gym."

The now 67 year old Igor was a legendary masked wrestler known for his brutal wrestling style. Before diving into Pro wrestling, the Father of RussianRose was an Olympic Gold medalist for the former Soviet Union. He competed in the 125kg wrestling weight class and his Olympic career was always under scrutiny. He was known for being a dirty wrestler, often nonchalantly using eye pokes and groin shots without the judges and refs noticing.

After Igor retired from Olympic and Pro wrestling he opened his own wrestling academy based out of St. Petersburg, Russia. Training his sons, nephews, local misfits and anyone else who would walk in with some motivation and a little money in their pocket. He was known for his hard nosed teaching style and was praised for turning anyone deemed uncoachable into a hot prospect.

But along with the success of the Academy , controversy also proceeded. Some students who couldn't make it through the Medved system later accused the wrestling family of ridicule, shaming, physical and mental abuse.

"They are monsters. They will break you down, make you feel at you're lowest and if the mental abuse wasn't enough they would beat us to a bloody pulp regularly."

A former student told me this info via video call I could see the water fill his eyes. He wanted to cry but did his best to hold it in. I asked him about Igor's two sons, Evgeni and Alexei.

"Alexei was always too small to have any real potential in the ring and you could see the desire just wasn't there. The opposite could be said about Evgeni. But their father pushed them both the same always favoring the bigger and better Evgeni. Alexei shined in other aspects like helping train and later helping run his father's wrestling promotion."

]He was visibly upset about speaking of the past. He wiped his eyes and carried on.

"They bullied every kid in there. Alexei would break you down with his words and pranks. If you tried to step up, along came Evgeni who would put you in a headlock until you would lose consciousness. The Medved boys would just laugh."

I asked him about the wrestling promotion the Medveds later opened and he shook his head.

"It was bound to fail from the beginning but it did see a few years of success around Russia. Evgeni became the RussianRose and led us straight to the top. Eventually the promotion wanted to keep shoving RussianRose down the fans throats but they weren't having it. They were getting tired of his ego and his short boring matches because there wasn't enough talent around. The truth is no one wanted to wrestle for Igor anymore. His son was becoming a liability and would randomly come up to wrestlers backstage, ask them how their day was going and then clock them in the mouth for no reason. He would refuse to sign autographs and shove his hand into kids' faces if they tried to touch him or get in his way."

Another former student of Igor, whom I spoke to on the phone today told me he approached his teacher for some guidance about his pregnant girlfriend.

" He told me I could be a potential World Champ one day. But not with a baby in my life. He encouraged me to go home immediately and push my pregnant girlfriend down the stairs. If I didnt he would send Evgeni there with a rusty coat hangar as his weapon of choice."

When I asked him if he took his teachers advice he responded by saying[color=white]

."No I didnt... But sometimes I wish I did. A week later I came home and my girlfriend lay there bloodied and beaten. I knew right away what had happened."

[color=white]I was curious to get some closure out of his story.

" Theres nothing I could do. They could have me and my family seriously harmed if they wanted. One phone call, that's all it would take. Everybody knows they are connected...affiliated...whatever you want to call it. They do what they want, they don't give a shit. No consequences for them."

His comments sparked me to do some research. It didnt take long for me to find old newspaper articles about a young Igor being found guilty of racketeering and bootlegging 45 years ago. The corruption in the USSR at the time was definitely alive as he ended up not serving anytime in jail. Apparently the Judge decided that he had too much potential as an Olympian at the time.
The more I dived into the life of the Medveds the more I realized how many stories and reports there were of downright evil and illegal activities the whole family were involved with. I'm not just talking about Evgeni and Alexei but there cousins, uncles, great uncles, 2nd and 3rd cousins. There network seemed to a few generations.Eyewitnesses had said you could buy anything you wanted off the Medveds. So I reached out to Alexei Medved for commenting.

Eventually he agreed to speak to me. But he had little to say about the past. Instead he diverted every question about the speculations and turned his attention towards his brothers' Saturday Night Savage match and opponent Bilbo Blimpkinz.





The text on the magazine page becomes a blur. The magazine shuts as a fierce and howling wind begins to pass through. A voice can be heard in the distance as the scene goes black.

"Our focus is on upcoming wrrrestling match. Whatever people saying is not my conc-errrn. "

Alexei Medved's Russian accent was hard to understand but he spoke slow and pronounced every syllable making sure he was clear.

"When people see you rise to top they will say anything to hold you back. Evgeni's opponent is crippled and has mental disability prrroblem. But brrrother Evgeni does not care. He does not have comp-assion forrr opponents."

With the scene still blacked out, Alexei diverted every question thrown at him about the Medved family, towards his brothers Savage opponent.

"Bilbo was dis-rrrespect-ful. He made personal. It's more then wrrrestling match now. RussianRose will not rrrest until Bilbo is laying on mat... bloody and beaten. It will extend way passed the finish bell.""

The black screen suddenly comes to life. A cellphone sits ontop an oak wooden desk. Alexei's muffled voice continues through the speakerphone. The clip from the Fighter's Digest author and Alexei Medved's phone conversation carries on.

" " Saturrr-day in Pittsburgh will be rrrise of beast from east""

Alexei laughs. The author tries bringing up the stories he has heard of Alexei's Dad's old cheating ways and his brothers brutal, woman beating past. Again RussianRose's manager turned it into a conversation about Saturday Night.

""Where my brother and I werrre raised, a man does not disrespect another man without retaliation. This will be complete destruction of Bilbo. Timed and tactical, brrrother Evgeni will rrrip poor excuse forrr man to shreds. The night Bilbo was conceived, his papa should have pulled out.y Talking about having sex with yourrr opponent after match. Bilbo you're lucky you don't leave match in strrretcher or even worse, body bag. There will be no rrre-morse from the RussianRose. As all you Americans like to say, you made bed now sleep in it!""

It was clear he wasn't going to open his mouth about anything that happened back in Russia. His conversation was was solely focused on business.

"" Whatever you hearrr about my family is just storrr-y from jealous people. In land wherrrre we come from many enemy want Medved family downfall. They will say anything. They will do anything. That's why my concerrrn is guide RussianRose to win in debut match.""

The line gets cut off. The author tries to call the number he was given...Straight to voicemail. EVERYTIME! It's obvious the conversation is done.