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What
is indy wrestling? by Greg Tingle
You have heard of professional wrestling aka "sports
entertainment", so what is indy wrestling?
It's
the small time version of pro wrestling.
"Indy"
is another term for "independent".
It's
the smaller wrestling promotions who will often give
that "break" in the industry for "the
next big thing", and the indy circuit also acts
as a "feeder system" for the bigger promotions
such as the mega popular World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE).
Indy
wrestling goes back to the early day's of pro wrestling,
even when wrestlers would travel from town to town
- some would even travel with the circus's - the "carnies"
(carnivals).
Wrestling
is show business, but indy wrestling is the small
show, not the "big show". This is not to
discredit indy wrestling. It's "grass roots"
pro wrestling, and the indies give the talent a place
to gain experience, where they can take their lumps
and bumps, and "stuff up" the odd move,
without embarrassing themselves on national television.
Even
the greats of "sports entertainment" like
"The Rock" and Hulk Hogan had to start near
the bottom. Both "The Rock" and Hulk Hogan
went through "the system", before they hit
the big time.
Some
of the towns today's "superstars" had to
ensure included Memphis, TN (USWA & CWA), where
the pinnacle was wrestling at the Mid South Coliseum,
and a host of towns in the Atlanta and Texas areas.
The
wrestlers on the indy circuit have it tough, often
busting their ass for little or no reward, other than
for the pleasure of performing before a live crowd,
to gain that all-important performance.
Folks,
next time you hear of indy wrestling coming to your
town, why not turn up and marveling at these new crop
(and sometimes washed up), modern day gladiators.
Take in some history in the makings - you could just
be watching "the next big thing", up close
and personnel.
Links:
Websites
The
Independent Wrestling Scene
Articles
The
Great Aussie Promoters, by Greg Tingle
The
Great Yankee Promoters, by Greg Tingle
Wrestling
Promoters down under, by Greg Tingle
Interviews
Les
Thatcher
Killer
Kowalski
Jake
"The Snake" Roberts
"Rowdy"
Roddy Piper
Slyk
Wagner Brown
Ric
Drasin
Shark
Boy
Billy
The P
TNT
Bill
Behrens
Sue
Sexton
Malia
Hosaka
more
interviews
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