Why I Love Wrestling 7.08.07: The Indies

Posted by Jordan Linkous on 07.08.2007

This week I stray away from the Big Two promotions to take a look at some of the little promotions with BIG talents.

I am sorry that I was gone last week, but the whole Chris Benoit thing hit me pretty hard. However, that is the last I will speak of the horrific event. You are here to read something positive, right? Well, look on further than today's column dedicated to all the little, well kinda, promotions that may not have the high budget but there sure have a great talent pool. You know what I'm talking about, right? THE INDIES~! Can I get a hoo-rah? Oh yeah.

The Indies

When the usual wrestling that WWE or TNA produces gets old, I always know where I can turn. And I'm not saying that WWE or TNA lacks good wrestling, but sometimes they tend to get predictable. Sure you could argue that they are fresh and original, but how many times can you watch Kane without saying, "Wait, he only has about five moves!" But that is a different story for a different day. The indies are a fresh batch of wrestlers that go out and perform their butts of to entertain you, the fans. My first indy experience was when I bought some of the way old ROH DVD's that were centered around Low Ki, Christopher Daniels, and Bryan Danielson. You remember those, don't you? Well, my favorite of those way Low Ki. He did stuff I had never seen before that amazed me. He kicked the hardest I had ever seen, and he delivered in the ring. I then jumped forward and got the DVD's around the Manhattan Mayhem time period. Speaking of MM, there really isn't a match on there that isn't good. My favorite is the Jacobs/Whitmer vs. Gen Next tag match. From start to finish, it is one of my favorite ROH matches ever. And another thing about the indies is that the wrestlers aren't weighed down by things like move restrictions or pressures to become bigger. Since there are no problems with these things, wrestlers can really shine based on their ability. Back to the tag match. There were moves in there that flowed so well I became mesmerized. And I'll be one to say that you won't see half those moves in WWE. They had Jack Evans blow everything that I had seen before out of the water. From his Phoenix 720 to about anything else he does, he is one of my favorites. Speaking of tag matches, I recently popped in my Vendetta DVD and watched the Eight Man tag match. Has there ever been someone so hated in ROH that Prince Nana or Jimmy Rave? If so, let me know, because these guys have tons of heat. The fans popped tremendously when the good guys played the heel roles and Rave was the face in peril so to speak. He had no offense and Gen Next and Styles continued to dismantle him. The match is really a joy to watch. It is full of action and Shelley and Evans have some great chemistry. Shelley was able to bend Evans so that his head touched his feet. I am beginning to believe that Evans is, in fact, made of rubber. Speaking of being made of rubber, how awesome is Bryan Danielson. (I know that segue made no sense, but I needed something there, so what can I do?) When people say Ring of Honor, the first person that comes to mind is The American Dragon. He is one of the only people who has stayed true to his indy roots and continues to be a big part of the indy scene. He has phenomenal wrestling skills. He has tons of endurance, charisma, mat technique, aerial ability, and wrestling knowledge in general. While Danielson's name may be synonymous with ROH, there is one true King of the Indies, Christopher Daniels. Speaking of Christopher Daniels, check out his Youtube video. Type in Christy Hemme and Christopher Daniels on Youtube, and you won't be disappointed. But back to wrestling, Daniels is amazing. His matches are fantastic, with innovative moves and an intensity few know. Christopher Daniels is a joy to watch and it is a shame he is regulated to only TNA. But wait, there is some good news! Austin Aries, after his not so hot TNA run as Austin Starr, has returned to ROH. That is fantastic news to any ROH fan because Aries is an outstanding wrestler and athlete. If you want to talk intensity, look no further than one of ROH's only World Champions. He is great in the ring and on the mic, which, like I said before, is great for ROH and its fans. ROH is a great wrestling promotion without a doubt. It has top notch wrestlers, storylines, and, above all, wrestling. Thank you Ring of Honor.

While ROH may be the most well known Indy wrestling organization, it for sure isn't the only one. IWA-MS, PWG, Chikara, and, dare I say, CZW, have all shown their fair share of indy awesomeness. If you are looking for ultra violent, and I mean that very literally, look no further than CZW. It has a good portion of its matches based around several sickening weapon shots. On more than one occasion a match up including Necro Butcher (who, I might add, is a sick favorite of mine) consists of nothing more than him and his opponent hitting each other with fluorescent lights or a weed whacker. The matches literally have no flow, but are a twisted delight for many. While CZW is known for its gruesome style, that isn't to say that they have no truly good wrestlers. Don't believe me? Three words for you: Kings of Wrestling. Yes, this tag team is synonymous with CZW and helped out with the war with ROH. Speaking of the war on ROH, check out the cage of death match if possible. It is an awesome display of wresters from both brands and you get to see Homicide get an amazing pop. The match showed just how brutal CZW could be, both in their moves and in their bumps. All in all, CZW has a fun show that is a guilty pleasure for many. With talent like Necro Butcher, Toby Klein, and Drake Younger on the ultra violent end of the spectrum, and wrestlers like the KoW and others demonstrating their wrestling skills. Another promotion that is well known for its violent ways is IWA-MS. Home of the legendary Ted Petty Invitational, I would be lying to say that IWA-MS has hardly any fantastic wrestlers. I don't even know where to start. Roderick Strong, Low Ki, Chris Hero, Claudio Castagnoli, AJ Styles, Jimmy Rave, Jimmy Jacobs, Samoa Joe, Bryan Danielson, and a whole list of others have all been apart of IWA-MS in some way. As I said before, the TPI is a large draw for crowds as it showcases talent from all over the US and beyond. They started out as a more hardcore based promotion. One factor that probably had an influence on this was the owner, Ian Rotten. The King of the Deathmatch Tournament, which is an extremely violent tourney, is also a big part of IWA-MS. They are still known for the hardcore violent style of wrestling, but they also have some phenomenal technical wrestling as showcased in the TPI. The next major promotion, and training school for CZW, is Chikara Pro. While I may not know much about the promotion itself, I do know that they have a fantastic roster. Chris Hero (who is a trainer at the Chikara Factory), Claudio Castagnoli, Lightning Mike Quackenbrush, Eddie Kingston, and Sweer and Sour Larry Sweeney are all names that have become known with Chikara. Some of the major events are the Tag World Grand Prix and The Young Lions Cup. Chikara is a fun organization located in Pennsylvania and has a fine crop of talent. The last, but certainly not least, promotion is Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. I continually kick myself for not getting into this sooner, mainly because I lived only a couple hours away. It has a tremendous group of talent. Its founders are also some of their top wrestlers. Known as the PWG Six, they are Disco Machine, Excalibur, Joey Ryan, Scott Lost, Super Dragon, and Top Gun Talwar. They are well renowned for the Battle of Los Angeles and their often hilarious show names, such as Kee_ The _ee Out Of Our _ool! They have a tremendous full time roster, along with those who show up for the BoLA. PWG is an awesome, interesting, and all-around fun promotion, and it is a great thing to see. Hopefully I am able to make it to the BoLA event this year, but the odds are looking slim to none. Thanks CZW, IWA-MS, Chikara Pro, and PWG, along with all other iny feds out there.

Well, that is the end of my column today. Make sure you support your local wrestling feds. Be sure to check out all the other brands out there, and be sure to check out all the other columns out there! Send me any comments, questions, or concerns. You stay classy, 411Mania readers.