Seth Rollins vs Daniel Bryan at Ring Of HonourIt saddens me at times to see the current world of pro-wrestling that is consonant to that of existent monopolies that dominate the market in spite of an array of great alternatives.WWE is the top dog when it comes to the wrestling monopolythough credit has to be given where it is due and Vince McMahon is a genius who deserves most of it. WWE has a mammoth reach and over the years has steamrolled through every competitionthat stood up to take their empire down, be it ECW, WCW or TNA, to name a few.All of that cannot undermine the current landscape of pro-wrestling that has some noteworthy promotions that, on a weekly basis, dish out some great TV that must be watched instead of the ever so predictable WWE product. One more thing that separates these promotions from the WWE is the variety of wrestling maneuvers you would get to see, which the WWE would never allow their talents to use, due to safety reasons being obvious.In this slideshow, we take a look at those promotions, that are currently obscure to the mainstream pro-wrestling fans but must be taken a look at to admire the quality they produce.
#5 Honorable mentions
There is no dearth of options when you look out for entertaining pro-wrestling as every now and then you would see a new promotion spring up.
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is one heck of an indie wrestling promotion which would make you fall in love with the indies. A small yet amazing crowd coupled with extravagant wrestling and you would have PWG. CM Punk, Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels and the legendary Super Dragon (one of the founding fathers) all have been stalwarts of PWG.
Global force Wrestling (GFW) is a relatively new promotion started by former WWE and TNA star Jeff Jarret, which is home to stars such as Bobby Roode, Chris Masters, Justin Gabriel and Magnus. Jeff Hardy is also rumored to be signed up, but that is just speculation. GFW holds live events, which are really fun to watch, during which the genius of Jarret is at full display.
Every pro-wrestling fan is familiar with TNA and although it is a sinking ship and on its last legs it still produces noteworthy moments and is worth a watch.
I know NXT comes under WWE’s wing of operations, but over the years has built a name for itself and if you haven’t started watching already, don’t waste any more time.
Other notable promotions that are really entertaining include Pro Wrestling Syndicate, Dragon Gate USA, Family Wrestling Entertainment, Chikara Pro and House Of Hardcore to name a few. These independent promotions must be watched to document and apreciate the rise and talent of current WWE talents such as Cesaro, Luke Harper, and Adrian Neville who are just a few among countless.
#4 NJPW - New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling better known as NJPW has been around since 1972 after it was founded by Antonio Inoki and is the biggest promotion in the wrestling crazy country of Japan.
At the moment, if there is any other promotion that follows the top dog that is the WWE, in terms of reach, magnitude and revenue it would be NJPW, partly due to the fact that it has a huge fan base. It is an apathy to see the WWE destroy their talents from the east on a regular basis as if you watch NJPW, you would see their true potential.
The founder Antonio Inoki, Shinsuke Nakamura, Kuniaki Kobayashi, Seiji Sakaguchi, Kenta now known as Hideo Itami in the WWE and Prince Devitt(Finn Balor) are just a few of the legendary stars who were part of NJPW. NJPW incorporates great storytelling, classic matches and a vibrant fanbase to put on a great product to watch.
Brock Lesnar, after his untimely exit from the WWE, was picked up by NJPW and from day one was the top star, who even held the prestigious championship during his stint with them. It saved Lesnar from going into depression and revitalized his career before he left for the UFC. NJPW is a very smart promotion that has a working relationship with most of the top wrestling promotions of the world including the WWE and TNA.
#3 CZW - Combat Zone Wrestling
CZW is an ECW and Hardcore wrestling fanboy’s dream promotion and it literally redefines what violent wrestling is all about.
If insane spots, bloodshed and bad looking bumps tingle your interests, ROH is tailor-made for you. It surprises me at times as to the reasons behind the acceptance of the talents involved to take some nasty looking bumps. CZW would make ECW look like a chump at times as it is extremely “Ultraviolent” and that is how they promote themselves. The deathmatches are brutal, which can kill a person for real if you watch the madness.
Dean Ambrose is a product of CZW as he wrestled some insanely violent matches as Jon Moxley during his time at the promotion. Blood is a norm in most of the matches, but that is not all as they also put out some decent wrestling. It can be better termed as a classic wrestling match, with more weapons involved.
CZW legends include Wifebeater, Nick Gage, John Zandig (the creator of CZW) and Jon Moxley to name a few, who put on matches that would make you cringe and rethink the sanity of these guys. From tables, thumbtacks and weed whackers to tube lights, fire and chairs, every weapon is used in the most devastating way possible. CZW is extreme at its very best and it is a pure treat to watch the hardcore side of wrestling served with no limits whatsoever.
#2 Ring Of Honor
Ring Of Honor can be described as the original developmental zone for the WWE, as over the years it has proved to be a scouting ground for WWE. Top stars such as Seth Rollins, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan(one of the founders), Kevin Owens and many others have come through Ring Of Honor.
What makes Ring Of honor is the fact that it represents what the indies is all about: a hardcore and ardent fanbase, quality wrestling, and some no-nonsense booking. What started off as a small indie promotion, rose to be the third biggest company after WWE and TNA. Watching Ring Of Honor guarantees one thing and that is seeing future WWE stars in the making.
It is the proving ground in pro-wrestling and if an indie star has made it to ROH, it means being one step away from being part of the largest promotion in the world. Although the production value is minimal, the wrestling is the real winner here as you would be treated to some 5-star matches. The Kevin Owens-Sami Zayn feud originated in ROH and is part of its folklore. They have had some classics at ROH among which a ladder match ranks as their best.
Watching a live ROH event is leaps and bounds better than watching any other taped wrestling show as the energy is insane.
The current roster includes AJ styles, Jay Lethal, the current champion and who is on WWE’s radar and one of the best tag teams in the business right now, The Young Bucks. The reason Ring Of Honor would never be able to overtake WWE is the very fact that they let their best stars jump ship to the WWE. In any case, ROH is something that you should watch for sure.
#1 Lucha Underground
At first, the overall impact of Lucha Underground didn’t overwhelm me, which was partly due to the setup. In time, though, Lucha Underground won me over and boy it exceeded my love for the WWE.
It is amazing and jaw dropping to watch some insanely talented wrestlers, put on a spectacle that is the best I've seen in a while. Many would call it a spot fest, but it is wrestling at its finest. The moves, innovation and the precision, is on a whole different level. You would rarely see a botch and the moves are some that you would not know what it’s called.
Apart from the wrestling, the production too is top notch as it follows a TV series like style with some great camera work and an emphasis on storylines too. It has a stacked roster with former WWE stars such as Alberto Del Rio, John Morrison, Chavo Guererro and some hot indie talent that spawn some breathtaking moments each and every week.
The crowd is boisterous as ‘Lucha’ and ‘This is awesome’ chants are a norm in every other match, which makes the impact even better. Season 1 was groundbreaking in every aspect and season 2 is all set to exceed those expectations. LU airs on the El Rey Network, which isn’t that prominent, but when there is Youtube it doesn’t matter.
Rey Mysterio too is all set to be a major part of the proceedings of season 2, which makes Lucha Underground a must watch entity.
