Let me introduce myself: I am a wrestling fan for many years and VPW ringside camera man. A few years ago Johnny 5 of the DOI introduced me to “Indy” wrestling and I loved it. I started off with ROH, JAPW, USAPRO, and at first I enjoyed them all. However in the last couple of years all of my interest started to go downhill. I am not going to single out any promotions, but basically hours and hours of most of these shows left me with an unsatisfied taste in my mouth by the end. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few federations that still got it, but others just lost it. The shows started becoming saturated with the same wrestlers who just weren’t interesting and as talented as they were portrayed to be. Let’s face it, what makes Indy wrestling special is just that, the wrestling. However, charisma, character development and consistency are what makes things fun. Combined, all those factors provide a potentially great wrestling show.

As I said, I am also the ringside camera man for VPW, which lets me view the show a bit differently than a fan in the audience. I filmed the first VPW show and though it was entertaining, it was fresh and new but slightly unorganized. It was good for what it was but things needed to “settle in” which is completely expected for a new wrestling promotion. I missed the second show, however from the DVD and comments from other fans, I got the impression the second show didn’t live up to the first. Last minute changes and no-shows caused some uncontrollable changes that ruined some consistency.

So last night was show three. As soon as I walked in there, it felt different. The locker room was filled with dedicated Indy wrestlers who liked to actually wrestle. Their attitudes were great. No politics, just people who care about their craft. This was a roster of wrestlers who believed in developing their characters and trying to give their best to display their potential. When this third show was over, things had definitely “settled in”.

The crowd was hot and as I filmed and watched this event through my LCD screen, I found myself getting lost in some excitement. I haven’t been to an Indy show in a while and I was excited for this one. I had to hold myself back from jeering and cheering with the crowd while I filmed the show. The roster was so diverse, but it was very consistent. There was comedy, character development and an overall support from the fans. I surveyed the crowd through my camera and I was definitely anticipating viewing the footage when the show was complete.

This VPW show featured an entertaining mixed gender match between J.D. Michaels and April Hunter vs. Danny Demanto and Alicia. The crowd was hot and these wrestlers told a story in the ring better than I’ve seen on many Monday nights. Wrestling, comical antics, it was all very good.

The show started with Papadon vs Richie Tyler. These two are really just great, interesting wrestlers. They both have “the look” and the desire. I am very high on these two guys and they provided a great show opener. There was also a high flying match that had me scrambling with my camera to catch all the action. This was a triple-threat match with Javi-Air, Deranged, and Sabotage (who is, in my opinion, a young, talented, exciting wrestler). The crowd was very hot for this one. Props to all the guys in that one. Impressive.

Even the “new” stars from the VPW wrestling school impressed me. Yes they were very fresh and “green” and have plenty to work on, but they too showed a lot of talent. They all have their characters very well planned out and want to create something the fans will enjoy.

Bison Bravado, Monster Mac and The Dead Presidents were also very impressive. They added experience to the roster which kept the crowd hot throughout the night. I also love the managers in VPW. Everyone appreciates a manager who gets involved and provides ringside excitement throughout the match and VPW showcased this very well. I have to give my regards to Jack O’ Hearts. This guy is the perfect wrestling manager. There is something classic about his style. He has the characteristics that all those memorable 80’s managers had.

I am not a promoter for VPW. I am not trying to sell their DVDs, sell VPW tickets or hype this promotion. The VPW staff put together a great third show and I am part of the VPW team. I don’t get paid and I do it because I love it. I truly enjoyed everything last night. I thought about it for a while and I figured out why. VPW has young interesting humble talent. They also take the basic wrestling formula that worked through the 80s in which wrestling and working the crowd and creating memorable characters for the future were all very important. There isn’t a saturation of over-used Indy wrestlers here. It’s unique. I will probably watch wrestling forever but in the last two years I have probably went to only 3 or 4 shows total. I am just not interested anymore. However, I felt VPW was different last night. They have settled in and I see their potential. 8 Matches, less than 3 hours, dedicated talented wrestlers, positive attitudes by wrestlers who care about their performance, no over saturation, no politics….….just family fun. VPW is on to something. I look forward to filming the next show.

Mike “The Extreme” Nite