VIOLENT PANDA Wrestling Digest SPECIAL EDITION 1.1.05
As I'll explain in my column on 411mania.com, my interest in the mainstream wrestling scene is dying. TNA, WWE... Their shows are FREE and I'm not even up for watching them anymore. WWE's punch-punch-stomp style of wrestling is such a bore, and the whole HHH/Jarrett glass ceiling has gone from "annoying" to "a sad fact of life" back to "annoying" and finally to: "WHY BOTHER?". Thinking back, I honestly can't remember anything of signifigance to occur on a 2004 pay per view worth $34.95. Aside from Wrestlemania, that is. PPV has become an incredible rip-off, and frankly I feel like a total sucker for paying for TNA head-slapping shitfests and WWE mind-numbing, nothing-matters UNINSPIRED DREK.
But... My love for the indies has grown. I am a very lucky man to live in New York, one of the hottest spots for US indy wrestling on this side of the hemisphere. I am able to see future stars and present innovators 5 feet away.. Jack Evans, Teddy Hart, Homicide, B Boy... You name it!
In this spirit then, I will run down the best of what I saw LIVE in 2004. Next Week I'll throw down on what was the best of what I saw in 2004. I think that'll cover every fed from everywhere, but I'll tell you right now I think Pro Wrestling NOAH is EASILY the best fed in the world. KENTA/Marufuji/Ricky Marvin, Liger and FUCKING ROOWWW KI all on the same shows, it's not even fair.
So on with it then! Let's kick it off with some WARRIOR WISDOM:
"Destrucity: The living of one's life in the Way of The Warrior according to a Warrior's 8 disciplines. Those are as follows: 1)Physical 2)Beliefs 3)Moment of Mastery 4)Attitude 5)Commitment 6)Association 7)Integrity 8)Wisdom."
I had a Moment of Mastery on my pillow last night after reading about Noel and Ricky O here on the DOI. Noel is SUPPLE and don't you deny it.
Now let me put on my loser fanboy hat and offer some of that dreadful fantasy booking. Feel free to skip it if this kind of thing causes bile to rise up in your throat. Please remember these are the opinions of a guy who is a fan, not a guy who knows what he's talking about. OK? If I could make a Jersey indy fed with not much money, here's the people I would want on my roster. I have broken this fed into three divisions, each with it's own title: Women's, Tag and Singles.
Women's Division: I'd feature one women's singles match every show, and one tag or intergender tag.
1. Mercedes Martines - Probably the best female worker in the indies (that I've seen, anyway). She'd be great as a top face or heel and she can carry less talented women to passable matches, a pretty rare thing right now on the burgeoning US women's scene.
2. Alicia - I've heard she's a good heel and a solid worker. A good female heel seems hard to come by in the northeast.
3. Talia - Massively popular and insanely hot. Seems like she could make a good face or heel.
4. Alere Little Feather - A star on the rise, one of the few characters that are instantly recognisable due to her well thought-out gimmick.
5. Ariel - Fun to watch, seems like she has serious potential... but from what I've heard and read, her commitment is questionable. She got booked on the first IWA MS all women's show and then didn't go? She missed out on a huge opportunity. That was a great show, she blew it big time.
6. Cindy Rogers? I've only read about her, she's got experience and at the very least could help the younger workers develop.
Tag:
1. Christopher Street Connection - They get a huge reaction wherever they go and have a great take on the gay gimmick. I mean.. they don't dance on the line like Goldust or Adrian Adonis, they just lay it all out there and the reaction is a spectacle. My question is whether they can work a really good match.
2. All Money is Legal - These guys are right up there, I think all they need is a spotlight. In the ring, they deliver, and what more can you ask for?
3. H20 - Corvis and Rush are a fun team. They seem like they're still finding their way, but they definitely have potential. Rush will kill himself for you, and you gotta love that. Corvis is capable, and I get the sense he has a great character inside him that hasn't been brought out yet.
4. The Outcast Killaz - I mentioned on the DOI board that I think Oman Tortuga is a future star. Just give him a mic and hit the deck. He can also hang in the ring. Diablo, I have a hard time getting a sense of him. I am wondering if he'll end up becoming the glue of the team, the guy who does all the bumping until it's time for the hot tag to Oman.
5. Corino trainees Ricky Landell and Alex Law - Both guys have a very solid foundation and have benefitted by being trained by some great wrestlers. Law has already got the stiff kicking going on, and I think someone ought to give them a chance to develop further.
Singles:
1. Homicide - Every show I go to, Homicide has the best match. He's got a great character, charisma and most importantly he is an incredible worker. The fact that he doesn't hold many world titles makes me wonder if there is some kind of character issue that promoters see in him. That'd be my only question about him - is he trouble backstage?
2. B Boy - The B Boy freaking rules. To me, right now, B Boy is THE hot talent in the indies.
3. Simon Diamond - This may be unrealistic, I don't know, but I am guessing that if Simon can book a NE indy show then he has time to wrestle here once a month. I have always thought Simon could be a top heel in ANY promotion. He has tons of experience, he is VERY under rated on the mic, and he can flat out wrestle. I'd love to see him work as the base for a high-flying guy like Red or Azriael.
4. Mike Quackenbush - His performance at the J Cup this year - he flat-out stole the show - proved to me that this guy is supremely under-utilized. I have heard he can be difficult, of course that's Net rumorzzzz, but maybe that's why he isn't booked around here that often. Also I understand he works alot overseas, but again, like Simon, I am assuming he'd be able to work once a month, as he holds CHIKARA shows more or less every month as well.
-- That'd be my top tier, with Mike running a faction of his trainees as a stable. I'd probably give the belt to Homicide and give each of the top guys a long feud with him. There's no question that B Boy/Cide and Quack/Cide would produce incredible matches, and Simon/Cide would at least be solid. ---
The comedy: Comedy wrestling is an underappreciated art in pro wrestling. Osaka Pro's Ebessan and Kuishinbo Kamen have proven that comedy wrestlers can flat-out draw so much to the point that All Japan has based entire show concepts around their work. There's two US guys that I'd love to see get in a similar long-standing feud:
Darkness Crabtree - Chikara's frozen old man is just perfect. I think kids would love him.. Heck, everyone would love him.
The Smoke - I'm assuming he still works, I saw him on a WEW DVD that was taped a year or two ago. He does a Rock rip-off gimmick, but he does it extremely well. He is hilarious, and I think he'd be a perfect foil for Crabtree. The feud's absurd contrast could make for a lot of funny moments.
The undercard: The rest of the roster should be full of guys with a ton of potential, as in the indies you never know when your top guys are going to get snatched up by Zero One or TNA or even the WWE (they'll want him to languish on Velocity, of course, until the guy is burnt out and seen as "that guy who never made it" so he's no longer a viable draw for any other promotion. Boy that Vinnie Mac, what a nice guy he is! He doesn't even pay them well!)
Sabian - So far he is flying under the radar somehow, but I think it's just a matter of time before this guy is recognized as a top tier high flier. I think he just needs to work on a persona.
Dan Berry - His moveset is fantastic and he executes well. I'd guess he could become beloved by the fans in short order. He might want to go for a name change, though... And I don't mean to "Frankenberry". It's hard to strike fear in the hearts of opponents when your name is Danbury.
Shawn Sheridan with One-up - Sheridan has got personality oozing out of every orifice, and he can entertain in the ring. If he had a place to work on his craft regularly, I think he could be a big hit. Ricky O has mentioned online that he isn't very dedicated to staying in shape, but to me that's not much of an issue. Vince McMahon wants bodybuilders and HOSSES, we fans just want good matches and to be entertained. Vince doesn't seem to understand that everybody knows it's fake - there's no reason to try to keep up the illusion that these guys are legit badasses (especially when the roids have them tearing muscles every third week).
Josh Daniels - In the chain of Dynamite Kid - Chris Benoit - ..? There are a number of wrestlers looking to be the third generation. Liger has said he wants to make American Dragon into "the next Benoit" so it would appear the choice has been made. But Dragon isn't exactly a Dynamite-type. He does so much exotic submission stuff, the flying headbutt feels more of a tribute than an essential part of his moveset. Josh Daniels, however, busts out the germans, the headbutt, and most importantly that trademark intensity that is directly in the mold of the Dynamites. Daniels seems like he might need a little time to add more to his work rather than being a carbon copy, but hey, the indies is where this work should take place. My guess is that he'd fly under the fans' radar for awhile, but could eventually break out in a big way.
Justice- Yeah, that's right, the facepainted stunt guy from CZW. I'd take him for the main reason that he gets a reaction - people either love him or hate him. But the clincher for me is that he takes wrestling in a whole new direction. He comes up with incredible spots that often look contrived, but the sheer creativity he displays tells me that over time this guy could work out the kinks and do some truly incredible things. I love innovation, and this guy is definitely an innovator.
Gran Akuma - A CHIKARA trainee, Akuma is kind of like a masked Low Ki, but toned down a bit. I think over time Akuma could develop a more intricate moveset and become a serious fan favorite.
Larry Sweeney - Hands-down one of the best heels I have seen in the indies this year. His ironic take on the '70's heel is so inspired, he could quickly become a top heel.
Other guys to consider:
Crowbar - I'm assuming he'd command a lot of money, and that's the only reason he doesn't make the list, but I have always loved his work and from what I have heard he'd make a good agent as well. Having a guy who can work a great match and provide insight to the younger guys would make him a very strong consideration.
Low Life Louie - TRIPLE L is just plain fun to watch, especially when he's getting slammed onto a rolled up pile of light tubes painted up like a giant celery stalk. But the reason he's not on the list is that promoting hardcore wrestling makes things much more difficult for a fledgling company. And also, if you're trying to put together a show that anyone could watch, you really can't have guys getting carved up. Moms just won't want their 5 year olds seeing that kind of thing. Plus then you get into all the booking problems and the fact that it'd be even harder to get on TV. But Louie is great, and I think there is always a place in wrestling for the hardcore style.
---All done! Now onto some other shit:
2004 Hall of Shame:
Yes, the Hall of Shame has returned from my TNA recap days. Inside it holds such horrors as Disgraceland vs. Jorge Estrada. Now, tragically, the indies have provided some more fodder for this nightmarish realm, to serve as a reminder of what happens when wrestling goes horribly wrong.
WORLD-1 4.04 - Matt Striker & Josh Daniels vs. Christopher Street Connection: A match so bad, acting "commisioner" Jack Victory just decides to end it rather than letting the draw be decided with a time limit extension. It's weird that this happened when all the participants are pretty entertaining, but for whatever reason they did not click at all and ended up in what was probably the worst match I saw live this year.
CZW 6.04: Blackout gets a four-wheeler, NOOSES Nate Hatred to it, and tries to drive him out of the arena (evoking the classically bad moment when Undertaker did the same to Hogan on his "hog"). Of course, they couldn't get the ATV to start, making this a multi-faceted jewel of lameness as it failed in concept as well as execution.
PIW 6.04: Skinhead Ivan. I hate racist gimmicks and angles, because then a whole bunch of white fans cheer - but not in a "wink wink" way, but in a "yeah I hate ni**ers too" way - and I hate myself for sitting among these fucking relics. Go back to the '50's you sad, stupid people. And come on, Ivan, be more creative. There is no cheaper heat than pretending to be a neo-nazi.
CHIKARA 10.30.04: The worst crowd I've ever sat in. Dead silence, no reactions to what was a VERY good show. I would recommend to anyone to check out the Wildcards vs. Joker/Sabian, Skayde vs. Oriental 2/3 falls, and the very, very good Torneo Cybernetica (if you can stand an hour and a half wrestling match). But you should probably turn the sound off, as this crowd actually detracted from the show.
ROH 9.11.04: Mick Foley comes to ROH and clears the ring with... a fire extinguisher. So stupid. A do-nothing appearance, a major disappointment to me and proved that ROH is certainly not the fed for me. Plus the Rex Plex seating FUCKING SUCKS.
Top Nine Live Moments of 2004:
9. JAPW 6.04: Low Ki/Sonjay Dutt vs. Teddy Hart/Trent Acid - This match wasn't that great, but for me was a markout moment as two of my favorite guys - Ki and Teddy - were in the same ring at the same time. Plus you get Sonjay Dutt, who is one of the best luchresu style guys out there. And Trent Acid... getting Hardy-esque cheers for showing up and, uh.. well, he showed up.
8. JCW 6.27.04: One-Up, probably the only manager in wrestling I find entertaining, hands out a verbal beatdown- The tremendous GLF is heckling One-Up, so he turns and says in an offhand manner: "I heard the Green Lantern has AIDS", and then walks away. CHECK AND MATE. Another reason why the GLF is great to have at a wrestling show.
7. PIW 6.04: Homicide/B Boy vs All Money is Legal - This is where I learned that AMIL is one of the best tag teams in the indies. Their combination of speed and aerial grace and propensity for sick bumping blew my mind, and when Homicide is ON like he was this night you get a glimpse of greatness.
6. ROH 9.11.04: Nigel McGuinness vs. John Walters - A stand-out match on a very forgettable show. Nigel wowed me with his innovative counters, including an escape from an arm ringer which involved stepping off Walters' thigh - to me this is everything ROH was intended to be about. I don't mean stealing all of IWA MS' talent, I'm talking about just plain good wrestling.
5. CHIKARA 10.30.04: The Torneo Cibernetica - A massive elimination tag style match-up pitting Sweet and Sour International against the technicos, just a great match-up. The revelation at the end blew everyone's mind, and the match itself was literally non-stop action. No restholds, no punch-stomp-look-at-the-crowds, and no fucking run-ins. This is everything I want out of wrestling: Weird-ass gimmicks, innovative match concepts, blended styles of wrestling, a fast pace and a story to boot!
4. JAPW 4.20.04 Teddy Hart cuts a tremendous introductory promo that pretty much sets the standard for the modern-day heel. He is HEEL JESUS and it totally works. The promo was perfectly executed, and it reached legendary proportions when Teddy reached out to a disabled fan and said he was doing it for him.
3. JAPW 6.04: Azriael vs. Jay Lethal - The first couple minutes were shaky, but then they got in synch and delivered an exceptional match featuring deep counters, innovative holds and a beautiful, perfectly-executed finish, probably the best finish I saw all year.
2. WORLD-1 4.04: Homicide/Masato Tanaka vs. CM Punk/CW Anderson - Sweet Jesus, this was pure intensity. CW and Homicide starting smacking the shit out of each other and for me the line between what was real and fake was completely blurred. For a minute there I was wondering if they had legit heat or something, as they were talking some serious shit. Tanaka's hot tag was easily the greatest I've ever seen live, as he just tore open his opponents and the crowd was eating it up. I rarely get emotionally invested in a match, but it was at this point that I was totally drawn in. It also doesn't hurt that Tanaka and CW have incredible chemistry together. I would pay vast sums to see those two go twenty minutes. Both guys are incredibly underappreciated IMO. Oh yeah - In the words of quebrada.net's Mike Lorefice: "CM Punk was by far the worst guy in that match". This was the birth of my realization that Punk just does not live up to his own hype.
1. JCW 6.27.04: Super Dragon vs. B Boy - This was the final match of a tourney that was a little long and had some not-so-great matches, but there was plenty of gold as well, and this was a great match with GREAT heat. Two of the current cutting-edge junior/strong style guys getting to cut loose, it was just live wrestling at it's best.
And there you have it! Have a good new year and avoid venereal diseases if at all possible. If you want to email me for shopping tips or to tell me about your pimped out car, feel free to send it here: sean2101@aol.com
Peter Kent
The information on this website is exclusive property of the Declaration of Independents and cannot be used elsewhere without proper link credit. All DOI purchases are non-refundable.
Copyright 2004, declarationofindependents.net & doiwrestling.com. All Rights Reserved.
|
|
