Logan's
Run / The Indy Scene.The Unexpected Return Of The
Insiders Group(And an invitation)
7/06/2003
Something
troubling out of this weeks NEI Invitational and I am
sorely tempted to bring the Insiders forum out of
mothballs to tackle this subject.It's something I don't
have an answer to and something that I am ill equipped
to comment on objectivly.I'll hit the point in a moment.
First an overview of Logans Run.
You may remember the TV series or the movie.Basic
premise:You don't live past 30 in the world of the
future.You are either euthanised or killed by a group
called the Sandmen.Or you are on the (Hence the title)
run.In the book it was actually 20 years.And this is
important to wrestling how?
I've spoken with several top indy guys in the last 4
days.The consensus is frightening. Indy promoters want
young wrestlers.Little if any attention is put on
bringing in veteran indy stars unless they have had a
cup of coffee in the Bigs.If this is true then the
ramifications frighten me.Pro wrestling,you see,much
like sumo wrestling is codependant on the system of
climbing the ladder.In sumo one is basically a serf to
the main stars until such time that it is believed that
their talents are worthy of display.In wrestling one is
nurtured and groomed to a lustered polish from raw
potential.This final polishing is given by a veteran who
truly takes the student through their paces before a
live crowd.I have seen this first hand watching a young
HHH take on our own Tre on video from several years
back.Tre's job was to make the musclebound yet rather
stiff neophite look like the second coming of Jack
Brisco.He did it well.6 times.When we next saw HHH it
was in WCW.He was much better.Look at him now.It had to
start somewhere.
The
impetus now is on high flyers.A noble crusade but in the
long term a foolish one.Flyers,with rare exception,have
short careers.Short and painful.Long term sensibility involves
a required knowledge of pacing.You learn that with a
vet(example:Matt Hardy has reinvented himself many
times)you don't learn this in matches with high spot
hunters.Ring psychology can not really be taught.It too
must be felt.A symbiotic bond with veteran and newcomer
is often seen in the ring.This melding is essential in
the extended success of the youngster.If what I have
heard is true then I fear for these kids.But is it true?
The
call has gone out.I have contacted the group formerly
known as The Insiders.Let's see what they have to say.
Bret Schwann is the publisher of The Wrestling
Clothesline.He is also my friend and mentor.Most
importantly here,he is a seasoned supporter of the indy
scene with a great deal of knowledge on the inner
workings:
It's
8 am and I'm not fully awake yet (on my week off) so
forgive anything that may not make any sense. Are
reasonably young vets being shunted aside to showcase
very young high flyers? It depends on where you look.
If you look at the WWE, the answer would be no. The WWE
is too busy focusing Raw on HHH while Smackdown was
focused on Mr. America and Piper. The amount of talent
under contract with the WWE that never even sees camera
time is immense. The WWE is starting to push some
younger talent but they are not necessarily high fliers
(Orton, O'Haire, etc.) Unfortunately, at this point, the
majority of fans are so sick of the HHH show, they
rarely watch anymore (me included)
NWA TNA kept Jeff Jarrett as their champion for 7
months. He defended the title some 3 times during that 7
month period. AJ Styles has been in the business for 4
years so I feel he is deserving of the title. In
addition, he is not just a high flier, he can actually
wrestle. The majority of NWA TNA are indy vets. From
Frankie Kazarian to Chris Sabin to Paul London, all have
made a name for themselves on the indy scene and are now
getting the chance to show it to a larger audience. The
fact that every TNA show still has a match with someone
like Raven, Sandman, Douglas, Lynn, Credible, etc. shows
that they are trying to give everyone a shot.
The rest of the indy scene is a different story. For
some reason, many (not all) promoters think that
everyone want their champion to be a young kid that can
do 450 asai moonsaults into a huracanranna, landing on
their heads, and not selling it. The number of young
guys that fit this description is growing and, for
whatever reason (probably they are inexpensice to book),
promoters bring them in, get a quick crowd pop, and
throw a belt on them. In reality, within a few years,
many of these guys are going to be injured to the point
that they can't wrestle anymore. It's a shame but a sad
fact.
Doug
Frongillo is the owner of Wrestlingmark.com.His take on
all matters pertaining to wrestling is from the heart.I
have always appreciated that.
To
first answer the question you have to look at the old
guard. Here in New England we have some real great
veterans in the likes of Robbie Ellis, Gary Apollo,
Billy Black, Larry Huntly, Bob Evans, Steve Bradley, and
Maverick Wild. All active in the Indy scene. All over
thirty and still very active. The question is are they
the exception? And is there a move to push the old guard
to the side to showcase the young up and comers? I
don’t think so.
The
truth of the matter is that Wrestling is a business that
takes it’s toll on those involved in a couple of ways.
The most obvious is physical. We all see that. Constant
injuries, take their toll, but what about the mental
toll? It is easy for a guy who is twenty to make
sacrifices for his passion for wrestling. Travel is
still fun, injuries are quick to bounce back from; you
can still go to mom’s house for a good meal when
payouts are small. Relationships are fleeting at best,
no commitment, no responsibility. Everyone around you is
telling you what a great job you did.
Take
that same worker eight years later. He’s married has a
baby. The injury that he recovered from at twenty now
takes a few weeks instead of a couple of days, he’s in
constant pain, and he misses work now as a result.
Travel now takes him away from his family; as a result
his wife is constantly pissed cause it seems he cares
more about wrestling than his kids. Mom’s not gonna
cook a meal for him, he needs to buckle down and take
care of his family.
As a result the decision must be made and more often
than not the family wins.
It
is not a question of level of commitment, or a level of
dedication, it becomes a question of a level of
sacrifice. When you’re twenty and hungry, Little
Debbie does the trick. When you’re thirty-three and
your five year old is hungry, the answer is vastly
different.
Never
an easy business, never an easy answer, but if it were
easy everyone would do it. So is the old guard being
pushed to the side for the young loins? No they are
stepping to the side.
The
man behind the charactor of Scott W.Alrus is a long time
veteran of the indy scene as well as the former
commisioner of NWA New England.And while normally I have
to consider possible lawsuits when posting his
thoughts,he graciously joins the forum this week
practically(though not totally) out of his ring persona.
Your
question requires a deeper look into what lies behind
what appears to some to be a bias against the younger,
less experienced workers in indy wrestling. Promoters
know that if there is not a heavy lean toward the side
of "veterans" than the gate will be
light. This puts promoters in a situation of having to
have the more established names, the workers with the
biggest fan base or are the bigger draw as the majority
of the workers and certainly the names on the posters.
The younger, less experienced workers therefore appear
to be getting ignored to some degree by the various
promotions. These young pups need to realize that the
ladder up in wrestling starts when you first get good
enough or known enough to get your name on the
poster. This can only be done by 100% dedication,
constant training, and perpetual improvement. The other
thing to keep in mind is that when a worker starts
getting what they feel is "good" and there is
a bit of a crowd pop for them, ego's begin to inflate
rapidly and suddenly when a pup expects to see his name
on the show poster only to find out the promoter still
considers him a "jobber" than this would
naturally convert in the workers mind to a bias against
them and younger guys in general. Sometimes it's simply
a matter of perception. Is there a bias against younger
less experienced workers in indy wrestling? If there is
it is a necessary evil in this business.
Well
now!This is interesting.Obviously a hot button topic and
one with many facets and views.This is,to me,what the
forum was meant to do.I therefore propose a thought to
all the readers.YOU want to be on the forum?Why not?You
are fans,just like all of us.You have opinions.This is
not a case of right answer/wrong answer.It's your
thoughts and they are as valid as any others.Send me
your thoughts on the following topic to me at www.grangeshifter@hotmail
.com.Let me know a little about yourself for an intro
and what the hell!You're in the Forum!If no one responds
then I'll go back to the Rant.But this could be an
unprecedented column.With your help.
FORUM
QUESTION:What style of wrestling most impresses you and
why.Is it power moves,high flying,submission
style,lucha,old school,or any other.And who would you
plunk down your cash to see perform anytime.You got the
address.Write me!
-FLIPPER
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