The Beauty of Independent Wrestling

Professional wrestlers who work for the WWE are able to enjoy fame and fortune. Those who work for TNA receive less than the WWE but more than plenty of others. Those others are the independent wrestlers.

Most independent wrestlers begin their careers by receiving training from others who have a knowledge in the business. Training usually costs the aspiring wrestlers hundreds or thousands of dollars. This puts the wrestlers in some debt. Debt that many may not ever pay back. That's because small-time independent wrestlers usually do not get paid, but if they do it is not much.

So why would they keep wrestling? The do it because they either love to do it or want to improve their skills in order to earn a big payday someday. Either way, they provide fans with entertaining shows. Well, they try to at least.

I didn't watch much independent wrestling early in my life, but lately I have spent just as much time watching it as I do WWE. That's in large thanks to independent wrestler Mark Vandy.

My brother not only wrestled Kevin Nash, he pinned him. What made it better was that it was the day before my birthday. (Photo/ Michael Vanderkolk)

Why lie to you? He is my older brother. However, he is young and talented in the ring. He's only been doing it for a little over a year now, but has made a name for himself all over the state of Indiana as well as parts of Ohio and Massachusetts. He was even mentioned by Kevin Nash in his infamous article with Grantland when he called Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero "vanilla midgets." However, Mark is not the only reason that I enjoy watching his shows.



His trainer Steve Wilson goes by the ring names Kongo Kong and Osyris. He's a large, athletic man who can go in the ring. He is used heavily in Juggalo Championship Wrestling, but deserves more.

Troy Miller has been working the independents for about 15 years now, and he still loves doing it. He is able to live his dream ever day of his life because of Heroes and Legends Wrestling.

Roderick Street has been rather successful working the Great Lakes independent scene, and he even earned himself a spot on an episode of SmackDown. One of the best parts about his work is that he allows his friend Todd a chance to be a part of the business. Todd has some form of mental handicap, but he has always loved wrestling. Seeing him in the ring is one of the best sights in the world.

Then there's guys like Colt Cabana who make a living off of the independent scene. Sure, he had a brief stint in the WWE, but his main glory has been traveling the world wrestling for various promotions.

There's even the rare occurrence that independent stars like CM Punk and Daniel Bryan make it big in the WWE. Thankfully, this trend seems to be rising with the additions of Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Antonio Cesaro. Hopefully it keeps going.

The wrestlers aren't even the only ones who get enjoyment from the independents. Some fans prefer the independents to the WWE. Others, they might not be able to afford WWE tickets and taking their children to local shows is the best that they can do for their kids.

Whatever the reason people back independent wrestling, they need to keep doing it. It is an integral facet in the pro wrestling industry that should never die.