The Voices of the Indies

Truly great pro wrestling is never just about two dudes doing moves. I think we can all agree on that, or at least I hope so. The art form’s most iconic moments, that are etched into our memories and talked about for decades, are the ones that tick all the boxes and impress you on all fronts at once. Usually, when a fan recounts a certain return from the attitude era, it doesn’t begin and end with “that time Stone Cold came out and hit Triple H with a chair at Backlash 2000.” They’ll probably tell you about the roar of the crowd after the iconic glass break, the shocked look on Vince McMahon’s face, and of course; Jim Ross’s timeless cries of “STONE COLD! STONE COLD!” Just like so many classic moments in wrestling history wouldn’t be quite as special without the right man making the right call, the independent scene is currently benefiting from a stellar range of announcers who are once again out-performing their “major league” counter-parts.

While I was very late to the party, last month I did finally get around to seeing Michael Elgin vs. Davey Richards from Wrestlemania weekend. The two put on a hell of a match, undoubtedly a star making performance for Elgin, and this was the match that really started the gears turning in my head about how the independent scene’s roster of commentators are setting new standards for the role. Former WWE announcer Kevin Kelly, and ROH legend Nigel McGuinness did a fantastic job of both narrating the action, and properly communicating the level of excitement in the building, as Richards and Elgin’s back and forth match escalated to a thrilling climax. Both men called the action and assisted with the story telling in an efficient and functional way, but when the Florida crowd started coming unglued in the second half of the match, they also illustrated unmatched passion and enthusiasm for the product they were calling. It was the perfect balance of informing the fans, but also giving off a very real sense of “this is the best wrestling in the world, and I’m not just saying that.” It felt like a refreshing change from the at times bizarre ramblings of TNA’s announce team, and undeniably disingenuous shills of Michael Cole and the rest of the WWE commentary ensemble. In the case of the latter, it feels like WWE commentators only have enthusiasm for the show when they get to bury bad segments, but when a top quality match up is taking place it’s all phony buzz words and parroting of scripted lines.

This took me back to a few years ago when I first decided to watch Chikara. I had been watching ROH for a few months, and after them Chikara was the promotion I had heard the most about, so they were next on my list of companies to check out. Well luckily for Chkara, and me, the first edition of their “Podcast-A-Go-Go” that I watched featured a snippet from a much talked about four-way from 2009; Kota Ibushi vs. El Generico vs. Nick Jackson vs. Jigsaw. As I sat there, hands on head, eyes unblinking, struggling to contain my excitement at the high flying action I was witnessing, the smile on my face grew even bigger when I heard what appeared to be the incomparable Bryce Rhemsberg getting so excited that he seemingly came out of his seat, and headset, with glee. It was an awesome experience to not only watch great wrestling, but to see it in a setting where fans and commentators alike genuinely love the product, and are happy to be a part of it. Right then, I ordered my first Chikara DVD to see the full match and it was a wise choice. Since that time, Chikara’s wacky cast of characters has continued to offer commentary which, like ROH, assists the wrestlers in telling their story, but also offers some amusing one-liners here or there along the way. And I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see Mr. Rhemsburg offering his services to other promotions, including the recent EVOLVE 17 iPPV event where he made up one half of a very impressive team, alongside the talented Lenny Leonard.

Commentary is quickly becoming another area in which the independent scene can offer something to the frustrated fan, which is lacking in larger federations. I didn’t even get to PWG, with Excalibur’s old school play-by-play mixed with hilarious banter, nor did I get to talk about the other “voices” of the scene; the ringside announcers. That too is another area where the indies are shinning, with talents like Larry Legend giving a major league feel to even the smallest of venues. But if I was to keep listing all the talented non-wrestlers who make the wrestling game even better, I could be here for a while. On this delightfully positive and optimistic note, I shall sign off for another week and once again welcome any comments about your favourite commentary teams, or whatever else, to my twitter. Thanks for reading!