Favorite indies '80s/present day

[Guest Maurizio C... Version 2]

I'm not talking about the best of the bunch, just the one you liked the most.

[Guest Dark Lotus]

How can you leave out World Class?  THAT was some greatness right there.

[Guest]

I remember spotting the Global Wrestling Federation on a local channel a few years back...not much to speak of, though it was my first time seeing two future WWFers, Ahmed Johnson("Moadib" at the time) and Bradshaw(Big John Hawk at the time).  I swear I caught a glimpse of the Lightning Kid in his pre-WWF days too.

 

But as far as current indy feds go, Gateway Championship Wrestling always puts on entertaining shows...I recommend them to anyone who lives in the St. Louis area.

[Guest Don Becker]

My vote would go to World Class as well.  I mean, look at the talent that passed through there - Cactus Jack, Steve Austin, Rick Rude, the Freebirds, Bruiser Brody...

[Guest RetroRob215]

As a member of the Kayfabe Wrestling forum, I must state that World Class was a regional fed, not an indy.

[Guest Tony149]

I'm going to say ECW. Since that's the only fed on the list I've ever seen. Although I saw some USWA and a lot of World Class (Great stuff) when I was younger.

[Guest verte-breaker77]

From the list you had, obviously ECW is the stand-out (in my opinion). I think Smoky Mountain Wrestling & USWA would be close seconds. Then OVW, ECWA, CZW, AWF, MCW all following closely behind them. GLOW next and of course...

[Guest MoneyIvezaj]

is that AWF warriors of wrestling

[Guest Maurizio C... Version 2]

the awf was the american wrestling federation with talents such as the road warriors, tito santana and sgt.slaughter. I think they're around in '96, but I could be wrong. Of course, having talents like the Warriors during THAT time was cool...

 

the reason I lft out world class, the uwf (watts and abrahms) is because they were more like regional territories and/or upcoming number 3s.

[Guest J*ingus]

Depending on what month (or night) you catch him, Bert Prentice's USA wrestling here in Nashville can sometimes put on a damn good show, especially since Scott Hudson and Jim Cornette are now providing the commentary for the shows.  Last week they had Jerry Lawler vs. David Flair in the main.  No jokes please, it actually went really well, and Lawler and Ric Flair did a taped vignette ahead of time which really promoted it well.  Also, Terry Taylor and Larry Zybyzsko have been on the shows for the past few shows, this saturday they're facing Tommy Rich & Doug Gilbert.  Your average Canadian smark might snicker at that kind of lineup, but it's been bringing in crowds of over 400-600+ for the past two months.

[Guest Maurizio C... Version 2]

400-600 isn't that much, and considering the great line-up of matches, it's more of a dissapointment.

[Guest Dark Lotus]

Global is AMAZING when you think of the talent that passed through there, considering how briefly it really ran.

 

Ahmed Johnson (Moadib)

Harlem Heat (The Ebony Experience)

Buff Bagwell (Handsome Stranger)

Raven (Scotty the Body)

XPac (Lightning Kid)

Bradshaw (Big John Hawk)

Jerry Lynn

Barry Horowitz (hey, he won a title there!)

Patriot

Eddie Gilbert

 

And that's just off the top of my head.  I'm sure there were more.

[Guest J*ingus]

"400-600 isn't that much, and considering the great line-up of matches, it's more of a dissapointment."

 

Well, a year ago they were drawing down around 100 every week, so it's a pretty big improvement.  There aren't many indies in North America which ever draw a crowd that large, much less on a weekly basis.

[Guest Brian]

double post

[Guest Brian]

Not seeing Global and OMEGA (even though their run was short, they had some of the best matches) is somewhat disappointing.

[Guest Galactic Gigolo]

Back in it's hey-day of 1998, the NJ/Deleware Indies (ECWA, NWA NJ, and ISPW) were great for seeing loads of talent on one show.

 

Guys like Ace Darling, Devon Storm, JR Ryder, Twiggy Ramirez, Stevie Richards, Bobcat's boobs, Inferno Kid, Rik Ratchet, Lupas, Harley Lewis, Billy Reil, and Judas Young were sometimes all on one show together, and that made for a KICK ASS show.

 

The most memorable match I've ever seen in the Indies came from Richards and Ramirez.  Richards not only put over Ramirez cleanly, losing his NWA 2000 Title, but the two worked a great ten, fifteen minute match in front of the forty fans who showed up for the show.

[Guest Slingshot Suplex]

World Class used to annoy me that it was so hard for the heels to get by with anything.That damn David Manning would overturn everything!

[Guest yoshihiromwt]

Where's NWA Wildside on this list?

[Guest Genecide1]

yeah that is what I want to know. WILDSIDE!