It seems hard to fathom that (if Cagematch is preaching gospel) Huracanrana and I witnessed Aria Blake’s very first professional match. This surprisingly entertaining dark match at Shine 30 in Ybor City featured Blake squaring off a very game Aspyn Rose. Over the next couple years, and seemingly everywhere we went in the Tampa/Orlando wrestling […]
SPOTLIGHTS: Grabbing the Brass Ring Under a Glass Ceiling
Before there was a Neville, there was Cody Rhodes, Sami Callihan and CJ Parker (now Juice Robinson). Along a different vein, there was Ryback. There are also the confusing tales of Colt Cabana, Ivelisse Velez, and Chris Hero (since remedied as Kassius Ohno). These are all names of now independent wrestlers who either walked away […]
WRESTLING 101: Whose Line is it Anyway?
If imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, than the pro wrestling community has a serious identity crisis. For the life of me, I simply cannot fathom the logic in WWE pointing a strong finger at the Young Bucks for a hand gesture, likewise (formerly) Impact Wrestling with respect to a Hardy character more […]
SPOTLIGHTS: Where’s the Humor Gone?
I confess: the main reason Huracanrana and I watch WWE programming each week is to literally laugh out loud at the ‘Fashion Files.’ It’s the same reason we are fixated on Dalton Castle’s antics, love Famous B’s failed attempts at stable building, and consider Gary Jay a personal favorite when he comes through our humble […]
SPOTLIGHTS: Race and Pro Wrestling – Bigger Questions
The very nature of professional sports – athletic achievements designed to encapsulate an array of un/known emotions and allegiances – only naturally produces self-reflection. Ergo, the professional athlete – to fans – stands as a mirror of what we’d like to be and/or idealize. Or, conversely, what we perhaps subconsciously loathe. The Colin Kaepernick situation, […]
LIVE EVENTS: Dear Mae Young Classic – Please Learn from Cruiserweight Classic Missteps
As the curtain about to lift on the inaugural Mae Young Classic, it’s important to realize how important this event truly is. And not for reasons you might think. This isn’t about participant list. The WWE assembled a virtual ‘who’s who’ in the indy wrestling women’s circuit (sans those with firm commitments to other promotions). […]
FROM THE LOCKER ROOM: Are You Living a Caffeine Reliant Lifestyle?
It’s time for an intervention moment, brought to you by angry looking gym equipment. If you’re finding yourself incredibly aggravated at the gym by stupidity of others, craving consumption of large quantities of animal meat post-workout, bridging fitness sessions with sugar free energy drinks, and sleeping horribly at night…you’re living a caffeinated life. Don’t get […]
SPOTLIGHTS: Ten Reasons to Love Bobby Fish
For two anonymous people writing an indy wrestling blog uniquely geared toward its athletes and talent, it’s not uncommon for Huracanrana and I to get asked “who’s your favorite wrestler?” Of course, that’s an incredibly difficult if not impossible question to answer. Do you mean growing up (ergo had the greatest influence on subsequent, reinvigorated interest in the […]
ATHLETE APPRECIATION/WHAT PRO WRESTLING MEANS TO ME: LuFisto
Editor’s Note: While we’ve rightly celebrated a fair number of outstanding athletes and talent on this site, I confess to holding off writing this most overdue spotlight. Specifically, I didn’t even know where to begin in telling the story of arguably the most important woman in the modern wrestling era. Yes, I understand this a […]
WRESTLING 101: Ten Steel Cage Match Improvements Sorely Needed
Look, I get it: steel cage matches are staple of all things extreme wrestling. The dramatic leaps, unrelenting grasp of chain link, a sense of hopelessness that comes with seemingly no escape. Some of the greatest moments in wrestling history took place inside the steel cage, to include title changes, stunning heel turns, and – […]
