Ever hear the phrase "Wrestling goes in cycles"?
When it's applied to independent wrestling it's true... especially in Ontario Indy Wrestling.
The immediate and near future will look familiar to anyone who's followed Ontario Indy for longer than 2 months at any time in the last 10 years.
Here are some can't miss predictions
A promotion will run regular cities or towns and someone else will decide to run the same townsometimes on the same date (or within a week either side of the "regular" wrestling provider's show)
sometimes even the same venue.
Legends and out of province and out of country talent will be advertised and no-show.
Shows will cancel because of "venue issues"
Some wrestlers will complain about getting stiffed on their pay.
Some of them complain of getting stiffed again and again and again by the same promoter.
and whose fault is that?
Some referees will actively campaign to work for free.
Female wrestlers with boyfriends also involved with wrestling will wrestle more than those who don't.
Andrew Goodwin will not go away no matter how many people tell him to
(on a message board! how old-school is that?)
Facebook and Twitter will continue to provide people within the Ontario Indy Wrestling community a place to cheapen and damage the sport, business, legacy, and future of pro wrestling
There will be fans of a promotion that drive other fans from that promotion because their behavior and attitude causes 1st time attendees to never return for a 2nd serving.
Hard working, skilled talent will be bypassed, blackballed and bad-mouthed if they don't play "book me, book you".
Cliques will continue to ensure many other skilled, hardworking talents are not used so their less talented lazy-ass friends can wrestle instead.
Someone will land on their brains.
In front of probably less than 100 people
For what?
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Is there a show this weekend?
It's Thursday morning and I log onto Facebook...
My news feed is loaded with links to the CWI Invasion Tour event page. Every few minutes another person posts a link to that event page... or one of the various YouTube videos hyping the tour... or just a link to the CWI website.
TONS of status update postings delivering one or all of the mentioned links... they're coming from CWI people, CWI workers, fans, other Ontario workers, all kinds of people.
One after the other after the other after the other
ENOUGH ALREADY!
I get it.
There's a CWI tour this weekend.
Is it REALLY necessary to post a link to the CWI Invasion Tour Event Page every 15 fucking minutes?
It would be an News Feed redundant post onslaught of epic proportions if everyone posted just ONCE but many people are posting it over and over! STOP IT!
Nothing against CWI - I'm actually a big fan of their product.
But this non-stop Facebook assault is getting ridiculous!
OKAY ALREADY!
THERE'S A CWI TOUR THIS WEEKEND!
EVERYBODY KNOWS ABOUT IT!
Can we all just shut the fuck up about it now?
Or at least say something original?
Do you multiple-posters of the CWI event page link really think you're helping promote the shows?... That your incessant news feed hype is going to make even one person buy a ticket to a show that's been promoted heavily for MONTHS?...
Fuck off.
All your doing is cluttering up Facebook and being a pain in the ass.
If you really want to make an effort to help CWI then DO something! ANYTHING other than mindlessly psuedo-shilling a show by "sharing" a link we've all seen a gazillion times already. Don't just keep posting that damned event page link with some lame "Hey, Check this out" or "Don't ya dare miss it" type of comment. That's lazy, ineffective and annoying.
Just fucking stop it already.
My news feed is loaded with links to the CWI Invasion Tour event page. Every few minutes another person posts a link to that event page... or one of the various YouTube videos hyping the tour... or just a link to the CWI website.
TONS of status update postings delivering one or all of the mentioned links... they're coming from CWI people, CWI workers, fans, other Ontario workers, all kinds of people.
One after the other after the other after the other
ENOUGH ALREADY!
I get it.
There's a CWI tour this weekend.
Is it REALLY necessary to post a link to the CWI Invasion Tour Event Page every 15 fucking minutes?
It would be an News Feed redundant post onslaught of epic proportions if everyone posted just ONCE but many people are posting it over and over! STOP IT!
Nothing against CWI - I'm actually a big fan of their product.
But this non-stop Facebook assault is getting ridiculous!
OKAY ALREADY!
THERE'S A CWI TOUR THIS WEEKEND!
EVERYBODY KNOWS ABOUT IT!
Can we all just shut the fuck up about it now?
Or at least say something original?
Do you multiple-posters of the CWI event page link really think you're helping promote the shows?... That your incessant news feed hype is going to make even one person buy a ticket to a show that's been promoted heavily for MONTHS?...
Fuck off.
All your doing is cluttering up Facebook and being a pain in the ass.
If you really want to make an effort to help CWI then DO something! ANYTHING other than mindlessly psuedo-shilling a show by "sharing" a link we've all seen a gazillion times already. Don't just keep posting that damned event page link with some lame "Hey, Check this out" or "Don't ya dare miss it" type of comment. That's lazy, ineffective and annoying.
Just fucking stop it already.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Why Not Benoit?
Here's a thought for ya...
Pick a young wrestler you know right now on the local scene. One that's talented and determined to improve their craft... always working toward the day they work around the world as a WWE superstar. A youngster whose respect is evident... for the business, the fans, his fellow workers, the old timers.
Pick a guy like that, one you KNOW is all the things I just described.
Maybe you even know this young wrestler outside the ring, the man behind the character and you find he's just as deserving of respect for all those same things and more in his real life.
You like this wrestler's work and you genuinely LIKE the real man who is the wrestler.
You got a guy that fits all the above? A talented young wrestler who has all the tools to make it in the business? A likable, decent human being you have real affection for?
If you've been around at all as either a supporter or worker on the indy scene you must have met at least one individual who fits the above criteria.
For the sake of avoiding having to use the generic "young wrestler" for the duration of this exercise I'm going to pick a name from the local Ontario indy wrestling scene since that's where I hang out. (But you can pick whoever YOU know that fits the bill.)
So, for this little project in thought I'm going to select Sebastian Suave as the young wrestler. (There are other young wrestlers in Ontario that fit the above criteria but Suave's the one I picked.)
Sebastian Suave is talented and respectful. "Sebastian" is his legit name and Seb, as many call him, is a decent, honest and likable young man.
So... Imagine for a moment....
Sebastian gets an opportunity to tour Japan and enjoys great success in the rings there.
When he returns to North America he's snapped up by ROH and his success there is as great as that of his Japanese run (and all the sweeter because it's happening here!)
Next thing you know Sebastian is on TV for TNA winning titles and working PPVs
Then the Holy Grail... the WWE.
Sebastian debuts for THE Fed. He's on Monday Night RAW every week... Main Eventing WRESTLEMANIA!!!
Imagine how great that would make YOU feel. The young guy you knew and liked going on to become one of the most famous and respected wrestling superstars in the world!
I'll tell ya how it feels... it feels GREAT!
Sebastian in the WWE! Winning the world championship at Wrestle-fucking-mania! Owning RAW! Wrestling in front of millions of people!
Every single time you saw him on TV, on video, in magazines, live from the 87th row... You would remember the talented, decent and likable young man he was when you knew him 'back then'... and you would think...
It couldn't happen to a nicer kid.
And while fans around the world embraced Sebastian as their own YOU would always hold close to your heart, your feelings of fondness for the remarkable young man you knew before his ascent to superstar status began.
It is VERY cool when someone you know, or have watched develop and shared their early struggles (if only by watching them on numerous shows in small indy venues) makes it to the big time. Imagine if Sebastian did.
It's a pretty awesome fantasy isn't it?
Now imagine one day, with no prior warning at all... you wake up to discover Sebastian and his family are dead.
As more details emerge it becomes clear that Sebastian murdered his wife and son before ending his own life.
Imagine how that would make you feel.
THINK about it. Pretty fucked up, eh?
A murderer? Suicide? Sebastian Suave?
When the wrestling world erases Sebastian from history how are YOU gonna feel? YOU knew him as a talented, decent and likable young man. Are YOU going to erase THAT memory because of his ultimate end?
Now OF COURSE I'm not saying Sebastian Suave will go on to murder his family and then kill himself. I simply don't believe he would do such a thing.
Of course, I didn't believe Chris Benoit would do such a thing either. I can honestly say, the thought NEVER crossed my mind.
But he did, didn't he?
How the FUCK am I supposed to reconcile that fact with the talented, decent and likable young wrestler I used to know?
I don't think I ever will.
I often ask Why Benoit? and the answer, if you think about it, is Why not Benoit?
It was him but... it could have been anyone.
Same holds true for next time.
Pick a young wrestler you know right now on the local scene. One that's talented and determined to improve their craft... always working toward the day they work around the world as a WWE superstar. A youngster whose respect is evident... for the business, the fans, his fellow workers, the old timers.
Pick a guy like that, one you KNOW is all the things I just described.
Maybe you even know this young wrestler outside the ring, the man behind the character and you find he's just as deserving of respect for all those same things and more in his real life.
You like this wrestler's work and you genuinely LIKE the real man who is the wrestler.
You got a guy that fits all the above? A talented young wrestler who has all the tools to make it in the business? A likable, decent human being you have real affection for?
If you've been around at all as either a supporter or worker on the indy scene you must have met at least one individual who fits the above criteria.
For the sake of avoiding having to use the generic "young wrestler" for the duration of this exercise I'm going to pick a name from the local Ontario indy wrestling scene since that's where I hang out. (But you can pick whoever YOU know that fits the bill.)
So, for this little project in thought I'm going to select Sebastian Suave as the young wrestler. (There are other young wrestlers in Ontario that fit the above criteria but Suave's the one I picked.)
Sebastian Suave is talented and respectful. "Sebastian" is his legit name and Seb, as many call him, is a decent, honest and likable young man.
So... Imagine for a moment....
Sebastian gets an opportunity to tour Japan and enjoys great success in the rings there.
When he returns to North America he's snapped up by ROH and his success there is as great as that of his Japanese run (and all the sweeter because it's happening here!)
Next thing you know Sebastian is on TV for TNA winning titles and working PPVs
Then the Holy Grail... the WWE.
Sebastian debuts for THE Fed. He's on Monday Night RAW every week... Main Eventing WRESTLEMANIA!!!
Imagine how great that would make YOU feel. The young guy you knew and liked going on to become one of the most famous and respected wrestling superstars in the world!
I'll tell ya how it feels... it feels GREAT!
Sebastian in the WWE! Winning the world championship at Wrestle-fucking-mania! Owning RAW! Wrestling in front of millions of people!
Every single time you saw him on TV, on video, in magazines, live from the 87th row... You would remember the talented, decent and likable young man he was when you knew him 'back then'... and you would think...
It couldn't happen to a nicer kid.
And while fans around the world embraced Sebastian as their own YOU would always hold close to your heart, your feelings of fondness for the remarkable young man you knew before his ascent to superstar status began.
It is VERY cool when someone you know, or have watched develop and shared their early struggles (if only by watching them on numerous shows in small indy venues) makes it to the big time. Imagine if Sebastian did.
It's a pretty awesome fantasy isn't it?
Now imagine one day, with no prior warning at all... you wake up to discover Sebastian and his family are dead.
As more details emerge it becomes clear that Sebastian murdered his wife and son before ending his own life.
Imagine how that would make you feel.
THINK about it. Pretty fucked up, eh?
A murderer? Suicide? Sebastian Suave?
When the wrestling world erases Sebastian from history how are YOU gonna feel? YOU knew him as a talented, decent and likable young man. Are YOU going to erase THAT memory because of his ultimate end?
Now OF COURSE I'm not saying Sebastian Suave will go on to murder his family and then kill himself. I simply don't believe he would do such a thing.
Of course, I didn't believe Chris Benoit would do such a thing either. I can honestly say, the thought NEVER crossed my mind.
But he did, didn't he?
How the FUCK am I supposed to reconcile that fact with the talented, decent and likable young wrestler I used to know?
I don't think I ever will.
I often ask Why Benoit? and the answer, if you think about it, is Why not Benoit?
It was him but... it could have been anyone.
Same holds true for next time.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
RAW is Pro Wrestling BS
So with nothing to do tonight I was flipping channels and came across the replay of RAW. I haven't watched any WWE stuff in awhile so...
John Morrison vs Sheamus was in progress when I started watching. Sheamus is the whitest guy on the planet who isn't an albino. This guy makes Xandra Pale look African American.
Hmm, Cole-ostomy & King said something about Sheamus being the King of the Ring. Do they still do that? He pounded on Morrison long enough to think Mr Shitty Tights will pull off some super recovery and win.
Yep. Morrison with a knee to the head.
Some crap about the New Nexus that happened earlier. I didn't know the old Nexus. Black t-shirts. I know that much. Looks like internet smark darling CM Punk is the boss & he's getting the other guys to endure physical punishment to prove their loyalty to the group, or to him, or something. Meh.
I seem to recall a thing with Miz & some guy. I guess the main event is a tag between them and Randy Orton & Jerry Lawler. Don't remember when that played.
Lawler did a thing in the ring droning on about Hall of Fame inductees then a video played showing the first 2011 HOF inductee Shawn Michaels. Decent little vid. Then Shawn showed up and took forever getting in the ring where he held a mic but didn't say anything. Too busy dancing, posing etc.
Michaels was interrupted by a guy I'm guessing was his limo driver. He said something about needing more money for the parking meter and Shawn kicked his face off with some Sweet Chin Music. Then he left. Slowly.
Cole-ostomy got in the ring and said something about Cena but he was interrupted by CM Punk who was standing on top of the Titantron. There was a lot of bullshit about his initiation and we're all supposed to think he's gonna jump off the thing. Then he laughs and says he's wearing a harness and everyone who thought he was gonna jump is an idiot. Wow. Ya had us there Punk.
The 3 Nexus guys came to the ring and they showed the video clips of their initiations AGAIN and then Punk came to the ring and told us about the harness and not jumping AGAIN and then...
And I NEVER thought I'd ever say this....
Thank God John Cena showed up.
Well, on the Titantron at least. Cena called Punk "CM Sucks" and that was my first laugh of the show. (The groan count was off the chart already)Then Cena starts goin on about "As sure as I wear purple and the Sun rises in the morning" while telling Punk he's gonna kick his ass. (As I write this some wad on Right After Wrestling is going on about how stupid this Cena promo was. I personally thought it was the most enjoyable and entertaining part of the show.)
Oh, I almost forgot... there were 2 Nexus guys who didn't do their initiation test. Punk wanted them to beat each other with Kendo sticks. When they didn't do it he told them to hit him then. They dropped the sticks on the floor and walked out. Yawn. That probably didn't happen after the Cena/Punk thing. I don't know when it did. I know that it DID happen because it's way to stupid for me to have made it up.
None of that Nexus shit makes any sense anyway. What difference does it make what order I put it in?
The Main Event was indeed the tag match. I didn't watch it. Fucking Randy Orton and all his snake-like mat crawls, hiked shoulder threatening poses and glaring through his brows. Jesus. Just MOVE for fucks sake!
AND... That's why I don't watch much WWE these days.
John Morrison vs Sheamus was in progress when I started watching. Sheamus is the whitest guy on the planet who isn't an albino. This guy makes Xandra Pale look African American.
Hmm, Cole-ostomy & King said something about Sheamus being the King of the Ring. Do they still do that? He pounded on Morrison long enough to think Mr Shitty Tights will pull off some super recovery and win.
Yep. Morrison with a knee to the head.
Some crap about the New Nexus that happened earlier. I didn't know the old Nexus. Black t-shirts. I know that much. Looks like internet smark darling CM Punk is the boss & he's getting the other guys to endure physical punishment to prove their loyalty to the group, or to him, or something. Meh.
I seem to recall a thing with Miz & some guy. I guess the main event is a tag between them and Randy Orton & Jerry Lawler. Don't remember when that played.
Lawler did a thing in the ring droning on about Hall of Fame inductees then a video played showing the first 2011 HOF inductee Shawn Michaels. Decent little vid. Then Shawn showed up and took forever getting in the ring where he held a mic but didn't say anything. Too busy dancing, posing etc.
Michaels was interrupted by a guy I'm guessing was his limo driver. He said something about needing more money for the parking meter and Shawn kicked his face off with some Sweet Chin Music. Then he left. Slowly.
Cole-ostomy got in the ring and said something about Cena but he was interrupted by CM Punk who was standing on top of the Titantron. There was a lot of bullshit about his initiation and we're all supposed to think he's gonna jump off the thing. Then he laughs and says he's wearing a harness and everyone who thought he was gonna jump is an idiot. Wow. Ya had us there Punk.
The 3 Nexus guys came to the ring and they showed the video clips of their initiations AGAIN and then Punk came to the ring and told us about the harness and not jumping AGAIN and then...
And I NEVER thought I'd ever say this....
Thank God John Cena showed up.
Well, on the Titantron at least. Cena called Punk "CM Sucks" and that was my first laugh of the show. (The groan count was off the chart already)Then Cena starts goin on about "As sure as I wear purple and the Sun rises in the morning" while telling Punk he's gonna kick his ass. (As I write this some wad on Right After Wrestling is going on about how stupid this Cena promo was. I personally thought it was the most enjoyable and entertaining part of the show.)
Oh, I almost forgot... there were 2 Nexus guys who didn't do their initiation test. Punk wanted them to beat each other with Kendo sticks. When they didn't do it he told them to hit him then. They dropped the sticks on the floor and walked out. Yawn. That probably didn't happen after the Cena/Punk thing. I don't know when it did. I know that it DID happen because it's way to stupid for me to have made it up.
None of that Nexus shit makes any sense anyway. What difference does it make what order I put it in?
The Main Event was indeed the tag match. I didn't watch it. Fucking Randy Orton and all his snake-like mat crawls, hiked shoulder threatening poses and glaring through his brows. Jesus. Just MOVE for fucks sake!
AND... That's why I don't watch much WWE these days.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Banks vs Suave: A Feud Too Great Not To Get Noticed
Pro Wrestling has seen some great feuds, extended rivalries between combatants who for whatever reason target each other with a focus and intensity far beyond what they show to other competitors. A great feud often sticks in the minds of fans long after the participants have moved on to other things.
Ontario indy wrestling has seen its share of great feuds from back in the day when Soulman Ricky Johnson fought The Sheik to a few years back when Bloody Bill Skullion and Notorious TID tore each other apart to more recent feuds of note like Jake O'Reilly vs Cody Deaner and Tyson Dux vs Dangerboy Derek Wylde.
2010 saw a couple feuds gain major notice and attention in Ontario... Scotty O'Shea vs Josh Alexander in Alpha-1 Wrestling and Eddie Osbourne vs Super Kamikaze in the Pure Wrestling Association. Both of those feuds are in the running for Feud of the Year in the fledgling OWIE awards and will probably do the same in the most prestigious prize in the province, the Ontario Indy Awards.
What those feuds share with the others I've mentioned (and a whole bunch of others I didn't) is that they generally take place in one promotion in front of fans who get to witness the action and drama as it builds from one successive card to the next until the final blow-off match. Rarely lasting longer than a year at best, these feuds capture the interest and emotion of fans enough to be lauded and long remembered.
But there is another type of feud, a rarer but no less intense rivalry that may start unnoticed in one promotion but plays out across numerous feds over long periods of time. Years of battles that thrill fans who often think only that they saw a great match because the history between those in the ring hasn't been noticed, precisely because it happens in so many different promotions. Fans witness a single slice of a picture with a scope far greater than they know.
Such a feud has been happening between two Ontario indy wrestling stars for over FOUR years. A feud that has seen the combatants clash in over 20 singles matches and even more tag and multi-man contests in numerous promotions....
Brent Banks vs Sebastian Suave is the best feud in Ontario that hardly anybody is aware of and I'm of the opinion it's about time it got noticed.
Banks and Suave went through training together at the Squared Circle Training facility in Toronto. They wrestled their first BSE Pro Wrestling dark matches against each other. Right from the start there was something that drove them to perform just a little harder when they stepped into the ring with each other... a spark of competitiveness that compelled them to seek victory with a little more intensity than normal... savor each victory as a little sweeter for having been over that foe... every loss a reason to challenge once again and perhaps turn the balance of their competition in their favor.
Banks vs Suave isn't a blood feud. It hasn't featured specialty matches like No DQ, Steel Cage or other stipulations designed to allow for the legalized spilling of bad blood because there IS no bad blood.
This feud isn't about two guys not like each other. In fact it's hard to get these guys to say anything bad about each other...
"Brent Banks is the ying to my yang, no questions asked." - Sebastian Suave
"Sebastian Suave is a great wrestler" - Brent Banks
Brent Banks vs Sebastian Suave is one of the greatest feuds in Ontario indy wrestling because it isn't about some storyline. It's not an angle. It's never been booked. In other words...
This feud is all about competitive nature and for over four years Suave and Banks have jumped at every opportunity to best the other. They don't care what promotion it's for... or where on the card the match is... or if it's them one on one or there are others in the match. All they care about is getting one more opportunity to test their skills against the other.
It is REAL competition in the so-called fake realm of simulated combat as entertainment. All one has to do to validate their love for pro wrestling is see one Suave vs Banks match. It is unmistakable, palpable, as solid as the ring posts.. what these guys are doing is special.
Suave's in-ring personality is anything but respectful to his opponents but the snobby aristocrat admits his respect for his longtime foe Brent Banks...
"I personally believe, Brent Banks is one of the best in Ontario and finally getting his recognition. However, as good as he is and as good as he will ever become...I will always be better. And it drives me crazy anytime he has a spotlight that I desire.
We can read each other likes books. I can't tell you how many times I came at him outta nowhere with something and he knew exactly what I was doing. You can tell in the way he braces himself for it or when he counters my moves.
Every time I wrestle Brent Banks, I become a better wrestler. I think we do that for each other." - Sebastian Suave
Easy going fan favorite Brent Banks is equally generous when discussing his long time foe...
"Sebastian Suave is one tough cat. He's one of the fastest rising wrestlers in Ontario and any time I face him in the ring I know I'm in the fight of my life.
We get it done, we always have ever since our first sparring session at Squared Circle.
I don't care much for his attitude sometimes but I'll take any chance I can get to match skills with Suave because beating him is a major accomplishment wherever it happens." - Brent Banks
It's interesting to note that neither Banks or Suave are particularly willing to call their career long history with each other a feud. They don't see their competition in simple pro wrestling terms. It transcends the parameters of words like "work" or "angle". It is personal competition as real as the air they breathe and THAT makes the Sebastian Suave vs Brent Banks feud pure pro wrestling magic.
Brent Banks and Sebastian Suave... the men behind this incredible rivalry... the men who created what MUST be regarded as one of the greatest feuds Ontario indy wrestling has ever seen... did this on their own... with no thought whatsoever about anything but testing, using and expanding their skills by pushing each other to the limits every single time they step into the ring...
These men have given Ontario indy wrestling something golden, something valuable, something with the power to uplift, strengthen and exult one's love of pro wrestling.
Brent Banks vs Sebastian Suave has been a hidden gift to Ontario indy wrestling that should be unwrapped so it can be seen for what it is... history in the making... proof positive that real pro wrestling will endure and survive no matter how many "sports entertainment' trappings the world drapes on it.
This feud started before their official pro debuts. It has raged unheralded across Ontario for over 4 years. It has no end in sight. As long as Sebastian Suave and Brent Banks cross paths they will inevitably add more chapters to this incredible story.
And it IS incredible...
A fantastic, exhilarating, emotional pro wrestling reality created in the purest form possible... the competitive desire of two men to test each other on common ground. It took root, grew and has flourished without angles, storylines or even kayfabe because it is REAL.
The fact the competition between Brent Banks and Sebastian Suave takes place within the predetermined constraints of a pro wrestling match can't take away the reality of that competition.
And you don't need to have seen their whole feud or even been aware of it to know how real it is to them. All you need to see is one match and you'll know...
Banks vs Suave is a feud too great not to get noticed
~~*~~
Ontario indy wrestling has seen its share of great feuds from back in the day when Soulman Ricky Johnson fought The Sheik to a few years back when Bloody Bill Skullion and Notorious TID tore each other apart to more recent feuds of note like Jake O'Reilly vs Cody Deaner and Tyson Dux vs Dangerboy Derek Wylde.
2010 saw a couple feuds gain major notice and attention in Ontario... Scotty O'Shea vs Josh Alexander in Alpha-1 Wrestling and Eddie Osbourne vs Super Kamikaze in the Pure Wrestling Association. Both of those feuds are in the running for Feud of the Year in the fledgling OWIE awards and will probably do the same in the most prestigious prize in the province, the Ontario Indy Awards.
What those feuds share with the others I've mentioned (and a whole bunch of others I didn't) is that they generally take place in one promotion in front of fans who get to witness the action and drama as it builds from one successive card to the next until the final blow-off match. Rarely lasting longer than a year at best, these feuds capture the interest and emotion of fans enough to be lauded and long remembered.
But there is another type of feud, a rarer but no less intense rivalry that may start unnoticed in one promotion but plays out across numerous feds over long periods of time. Years of battles that thrill fans who often think only that they saw a great match because the history between those in the ring hasn't been noticed, precisely because it happens in so many different promotions. Fans witness a single slice of a picture with a scope far greater than they know.
Such a feud has been happening between two Ontario indy wrestling stars for over FOUR years. A feud that has seen the combatants clash in over 20 singles matches and even more tag and multi-man contests in numerous promotions....
Brent Banks vs Sebastian Suave is the best feud in Ontario that hardly anybody is aware of and I'm of the opinion it's about time it got noticed.
Banks and Suave went through training together at the Squared Circle Training facility in Toronto. They wrestled their first BSE Pro Wrestling dark matches against each other. Right from the start there was something that drove them to perform just a little harder when they stepped into the ring with each other... a spark of competitiveness that compelled them to seek victory with a little more intensity than normal... savor each victory as a little sweeter for having been over that foe... every loss a reason to challenge once again and perhaps turn the balance of their competition in their favor.
Banks vs Suave isn't a blood feud. It hasn't featured specialty matches like No DQ, Steel Cage or other stipulations designed to allow for the legalized spilling of bad blood because there IS no bad blood.
This feud isn't about two guys not like each other. In fact it's hard to get these guys to say anything bad about each other...
"Brent Banks is the ying to my yang, no questions asked." - Sebastian Suave
"Sebastian Suave is a great wrestler" - Brent Banks
Brent Banks vs Sebastian Suave is one of the greatest feuds in Ontario indy wrestling because it isn't about some storyline. It's not an angle. It's never been booked. In other words...
IT AIN'T FAKE!
This feud is all about competitive nature and for over four years Suave and Banks have jumped at every opportunity to best the other. They don't care what promotion it's for... or where on the card the match is... or if it's them one on one or there are others in the match. All they care about is getting one more opportunity to test their skills against the other.
It is REAL competition in the so-called fake realm of simulated combat as entertainment. All one has to do to validate their love for pro wrestling is see one Suave vs Banks match. It is unmistakable, palpable, as solid as the ring posts.. what these guys are doing is special.
Suave's in-ring personality is anything but respectful to his opponents but the snobby aristocrat admits his respect for his longtime foe Brent Banks...
"I personally believe, Brent Banks is one of the best in Ontario and finally getting his recognition. However, as good as he is and as good as he will ever become...I will always be better. And it drives me crazy anytime he has a spotlight that I desire.
We can read each other likes books. I can't tell you how many times I came at him outta nowhere with something and he knew exactly what I was doing. You can tell in the way he braces himself for it or when he counters my moves.
Every time I wrestle Brent Banks, I become a better wrestler. I think we do that for each other." - Sebastian Suave
Easy going fan favorite Brent Banks is equally generous when discussing his long time foe...
"Sebastian Suave is one tough cat. He's one of the fastest rising wrestlers in Ontario and any time I face him in the ring I know I'm in the fight of my life.
We get it done, we always have ever since our first sparring session at Squared Circle.
I don't care much for his attitude sometimes but I'll take any chance I can get to match skills with Suave because beating him is a major accomplishment wherever it happens." - Brent Banks
It's interesting to note that neither Banks or Suave are particularly willing to call their career long history with each other a feud. They don't see their competition in simple pro wrestling terms. It transcends the parameters of words like "work" or "angle". It is personal competition as real as the air they breathe and THAT makes the Sebastian Suave vs Brent Banks feud pure pro wrestling magic.
Brent Banks and Sebastian Suave... the men behind this incredible rivalry... the men who created what MUST be regarded as one of the greatest feuds Ontario indy wrestling has ever seen... did this on their own... with no thought whatsoever about anything but testing, using and expanding their skills by pushing each other to the limits every single time they step into the ring...
These men have given Ontario indy wrestling something golden, something valuable, something with the power to uplift, strengthen and exult one's love of pro wrestling.
Brent Banks vs Sebastian Suave has been a hidden gift to Ontario indy wrestling that should be unwrapped so it can be seen for what it is... history in the making... proof positive that real pro wrestling will endure and survive no matter how many "sports entertainment' trappings the world drapes on it.
This feud started before their official pro debuts. It has raged unheralded across Ontario for over 4 years. It has no end in sight. As long as Sebastian Suave and Brent Banks cross paths they will inevitably add more chapters to this incredible story.
And it IS incredible...
A fantastic, exhilarating, emotional pro wrestling reality created in the purest form possible... the competitive desire of two men to test each other on common ground. It took root, grew and has flourished without angles, storylines or even kayfabe because it is REAL.
The fact the competition between Brent Banks and Sebastian Suave takes place within the predetermined constraints of a pro wrestling match can't take away the reality of that competition.
And you don't need to have seen their whole feud or even been aware of it to know how real it is to them. All you need to see is one match and you'll know...
Banks vs Suave is a feud too great not to get noticed
~~*~~
Monday, December 27, 2010
Indy Pro Wrestlers as Crash Test Dummies
That's right. A LOT of indy wrestlers are basically crash test dummies. You know, the mannequins that substitute for real people when engineers deliberately smash cars into walls, light poles and other cars? Yea those.
I think a lot of indy wrestlers are just like those crash test dummies except...
One more important difference between crash test dummies and indy wrestlers is that people generally learn something when test dummies crash. Some indy wrestlers don't seem to learn a thing no matter how many times they crash... if they even realize they are in effect crashing their career before it even gets to the approach ramp of the World Wrestling Entertainment Expressway.
If "the dream" is to make it to the WWE (or TNA or ROH) doesn't that 'dream' actually entail WRESTLING there as a superstar? I mean, it must, right? Five years... ten... more? Performing on the big stage all the incredible things you're showing indy fans right now. Probably a LOT more, right? In your dream I mean.
Well... WAKE UP!
You ain't gonna gonna get anywhere near that dream, or be in a position to take advantage of an opportunity to do so down the road if you plow yourself into the ditch in front of 30 fans at an indy show in Upper Buttsniff.
And again at the next show
And the next
And the next
And... well, you get the picture.
Or do you?
Look at it this way... You only have one body with a given set of growth parameters determined by your genes. No matter how you develop that body (or tweak it with additives) it still has a finite number of bumps you can inflict upon it before it shuts down and leaves you not just in a world of hurt but practically (or permanently) IMMOBILE in a world of hurt.
And by the way, if you've been in the business for five years or less and you think you know what a world of hurt is, you don't. Not a clue.
But, if you're one of the indy pro wrestlers I'm referring to as a crash test dummy then you WILL find out soon enough (Assuming you don't kill yourself first.)
Think about what you're doing!
I mean, REALLY think about it.
In front of 30 - 130 people are ALL those bumps necessary, ALL those high risk moves essential? Seriously. ARE they?
(Hint: The answer is NO!)
~~~**~~~
Final thought for today:-
Thinking MOVES make a match is pure Pro Wrestling BS... and I don't mean Brain Salad
I'm Gordon Gustav
And you're not.
I think a lot of indy wrestlers are just like those crash test dummies except...
- indy wrestlers are real people
- Indy wrestlers don't need engineers. They crash themselves
One more important difference between crash test dummies and indy wrestlers is that people generally learn something when test dummies crash. Some indy wrestlers don't seem to learn a thing no matter how many times they crash... if they even realize they are in effect crashing their career before it even gets to the approach ramp of the World Wrestling Entertainment Expressway.
If "the dream" is to make it to the WWE (or TNA or ROH) doesn't that 'dream' actually entail WRESTLING there as a superstar? I mean, it must, right? Five years... ten... more? Performing on the big stage all the incredible things you're showing indy fans right now. Probably a LOT more, right? In your dream I mean.
Well... WAKE UP!
You ain't gonna gonna get anywhere near that dream, or be in a position to take advantage of an opportunity to do so down the road if you plow yourself into the ditch in front of 30 fans at an indy show in Upper Buttsniff.
And again at the next show
And the next
And the next
And... well, you get the picture.
Or do you?
Look at it this way... You only have one body with a given set of growth parameters determined by your genes. No matter how you develop that body (or tweak it with additives) it still has a finite number of bumps you can inflict upon it before it shuts down and leaves you not just in a world of hurt but practically (or permanently) IMMOBILE in a world of hurt.
And by the way, if you've been in the business for five years or less and you think you know what a world of hurt is, you don't. Not a clue.
But, if you're one of the indy pro wrestlers I'm referring to as a crash test dummy then you WILL find out soon enough (Assuming you don't kill yourself first.)
Think about what you're doing!
I mean, REALLY think about it.
In front of 30 - 130 people are ALL those bumps necessary, ALL those high risk moves essential? Seriously. ARE they?
(Hint: The answer is NO!)
~~~**~~~
Final thought for today:-
Thinking MOVES make a match is pure Pro Wrestling BS... and I don't mean Brain Salad
I'm Gordon Gustav
And you're not.
MARK and Proud Of It
... I'm still waiting for that t-shirt.
2010 is drawing to a close and looking ahead into the new year I see many things about pro wrestling I plan to discuss in this blog. From Ontario indy wrestling to the WWE to TNA to women's wrestling to... a whole bunch of stuff that you may or may not agree with.
If respectful Ontario indy pro wrestling is what you're after I suggest Ontario Wrestling's Indy Elite because it's likely that Pro Wrestling Brain Salad will be a lot more opinionated (and probably sarcastic.)
By the way, nobody died in the ring during 2010 in Ontario, but not for lack of trying. For Christ's sake, be careful out there!
2010 is drawing to a close and looking ahead into the new year I see many things about pro wrestling I plan to discuss in this blog. From Ontario indy wrestling to the WWE to TNA to women's wrestling to... a whole bunch of stuff that you may or may not agree with.
If respectful Ontario indy pro wrestling is what you're after I suggest Ontario Wrestling's Indy Elite because it's likely that Pro Wrestling Brain Salad will be a lot more opinionated (and probably sarcastic.)
By the way, nobody died in the ring during 2010 in Ontario, but not for lack of trying. For Christ's sake, be careful out there!
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