Boo: Out of the Darkness

Darkness Crabtree
Courtesy: ChikaraPro on Photobucket

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents

When my co-blogger Chad introduced me to Chikara Pro several years ago, I wasn't overly interested in the product.  Fast forward to 2012 and picking up some hands on experience in the world of indie wrestling, I've come to appreciate Chikara and can say that I am a big fan of what they do.  Back when I first watched, "Sweet 'n Sour" Larry Sweeney was the biggest standout for obvious reasons.  But close behind him was Darkness Crabtree.

I can't exactly explain what it is about Darkness that I enjoy, but I find the character to be very entertaining.  He's the perfect representation of not taking wrestling too serious.  For those who aren't aware of Darkness Crabtree he's an elderly wrestler who has taken on all comers.  His slow saunter to the ring makes it seem like the Undertaker is speed walking.  His moves are slow and comical, but not in a Kevin Nash sort of way.  In short, Crabtree is awesome.

Matt Classic & Darkness Crabtree
Photo from TheBurningHammer.com

I do know who the man under the mask is, but for the sake of not ruining it for those who don't want to know,  I won't say.  However, you can pretty much find it anywhere online these days.  And that's the beauty of Chikara fans.  They (we) know who some of the characters are, but unlike fans of other companies they don't try to ruin the storyline with chanting names.  It's what we're currently seeing with the Mysterious and Handsome Stranger storyline right now.  It's great getting into a storyline or character without over analyzing things.

Anyway, back to Darkness, obviously he'll never be the Young Lions Cup champion as he's too old.  At this point, I don't see his Stone-Age Stunner putting Grand Champion Eddie Kingston down for the three count.  Perhaps he and Matt Classic compete for the Campeones de Parejas, but dare I say it Darkness Crabtree doesn't need a title to get over with me.  I hope to see him wrestle in person some day.  He wasn't on the shows I attend back in April, maybe he'll be wrestling Wrestlemania weekend.  I'm seriously crossing my fingers (and now having trouble typing) that he will be.

In Memory...

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

As 2011 comes to a close, it's time to look back at those we lost this year.  May they all rest in peace.

photo courtesy: WWE

photo courtesy: Chikara Pro

photo courtesy: Percival A. Friend

photo courtesy: iOffer

photo courtesy: Lourdes of Evolution

photo courtesy: the Turnbuckle Post

photo courtesy: Ultimate Sports Talk

photo courtesy: Wikipedia

photo courtesy: the Wrestle Zone

photo courtesy: IMDB

photo courtesy: Pro Fight Data Base

photo courtesy: Facebook

photo courtesy: The Guardian

Chikara: High Noon Thoughts

From Chikara Pro's Facebook page

By Chad Smart
@chadsmart on Twitter

After all the hype, and all the promotion, Chikara’s first iPPV High Noon is in the history books. If this was any indication of what Chikara is capable of producing when it comes to big shows, I say bring on the next Pay Per View. The only negative element I can I attribute to Chikara is there were several guys not on the show that I would have liked to have seen, but then the show would have been about five hours long.  Everyone involved with Chikara should be proud of the show they put together.

PRESHOW

Dr. Keith Lipinski and Steve “The Turtle” Weiner hosted the preshow and did a good job of promoting the card and stressing the importance of the Quackenbush/Kingston match.  I also liked that Chikara had a superstar phone line fans could call into during the PPV and talk to members of the Chikara roster. It was a throwback to the WWF and WCW pay per views from the mid-90s.

Jigsaw and El Generico did exactly what they should have done as the pre-show match.  They went out there, had a high-energy match and got the crowd worked into a frenzy for the main show. As we predicted in the roundtable discussion, Jigsaw winning was the right call as it puts him in line for potentially challenging for the Grand Champion title.

Young Bucks vs. The Colony

It was surprising to see Marty Jannetty accompany the Bucks to the ring. I just wonder what happened to him after the match started. If Jig and Gen got the crowd hyped for the show, the Bucks and Ants made sure they weren’t going to get bored at the start of the show. This match delivered everything that was expected. Lots of creative tag team moves and pretty much total non-stop action. While I’m not disappointed the Colony won, I would have like to have seen the Bucks win, as a tag title match between them and F.I.S.T. would be something new. But I don’t know what the Buck schedule is like or how much it costs Chikara to fly them in for shows, so the Colony winning is probably the better business decision. Plus, the Colony and F.I.S.T. have yet to have a bad match so when they do meet in the ring the match should be outstanding.

Sara Del Rey vs. Jakob Hammermeier

This wasn’t the beat down I was hoping for but it was another decent match. The winner was never in doubt and I’m curious to see where both Del Rey and Jakob go during Season 11.

Future of Osirian Portal

This went down pretty much how I expected. Amasis announced he has to retire due to injury and Ophidian turns on his partner laying him out then taking Amasis’ mask. Maybe it’s the cynic in me but I don’t know if I buy the severity of Amasis’ injuries. Amasis’s speech was too similar to Edge’s retirement speech.  That leads me to think he made make a miraculous recovery and reemerge at some point in Season 11. If the injuries are legit, I’d like to see Amasis come back as a manager for a new Portal.  Guessing Ophidian will also seek out a new tag team partner for next season.

Green Ant vs. Tursas

This match showed the one negative I had with the show. With how big this feud was I expected more of a reaction from the crowd. For the most part the crowd would be hot at the start of a match and then cheer at the end of the match. During the matches it sometimes felt like the show was taking place in an empty arena.  Maybe it was just my computer or maybe the crowd wasn’t mic’ed well. Whatever the cause, the lack of noise was disappointing. This was a perfect ending to the feud. Tursas treated Green Ant like a rag doll at times. Green Ant would make his comeback, hit some big moves and eventually win with a new version of the Chikara Special submission hold.

Peck vs. Cabana (from Chikara Pro)

Colt Cabana vs. Archibald Peck

Talk about a miscarriage of justice. I don’t know how Colt Cabana can sleep at night. Colt needed an assist from Colt Cabunny, who hit Archie with Veronica’s baton, to score the upset victory. There as more comedy than I expected in the match because I thought with this being a rematch they would go for a more serious encounter. But given the two guys involved this was a well-worked comedy match as you could imagine.

Gregory Iron vs. Icarus

I said in the roundtable Gregory Iron didn’t impress me much in the few times I’ve seen him. I believe it has more to do with his size than with his cerebral palsy. While he’s probably an inch or two taller than Rey Mysterio, Gregory doesn’t have the larger than life persona. While I’m not as impressed with Gregory as other fans are, I can’t deny this was a good match. Lots of drama and well booked. Sure Gregory winning would have been a feel good moment, but Icarus cheating to win then having Akuma make his return seeking revenge on Icarus laid the foundation for an interesting story going into Season 11. (Seeing a trend here? It’s called long-term booking.)

Spectral Envoy vs. BDK

Without a doubt the most chaotic and violent Chikara match I’ve seen. Given Chikara’s family friendly attitude and presentation, this could have come across as a watered down grudge match. Instead it came off as four guys trying their hardest to maim and annihilate their opponent. And they did without any of the men bleeding like a stuck pig. Ultramantis Black picked up the victory, and gained possession of the Eye of Tyr, after Tim Donst walked out on Ares.  Yet again, an exceptional match with a satisfying ending setting the stage for new storylines going forward.

New champ! (courtesy: Rob Naylor)

Mike Quackenbush vs. Eddie Kingston

While speculation is this match was originally supposed to be Eddie Kingston vs. Claudio Castagnoli that was thrown out the window when Claudio signed with WWE. I wonder who Quack would have fought if the original plan were in place. This was the perfect match to headline the first Chikara Pay Per View.

In the roundtable discussion, Adam had suggested Quack turn Rudo in his attempt to win the title. During the match that scenario looked plausible with Quack not breaking holds until the count of 4 and using eye pokes to get the advantage.

I liked the way the locker room emptied as guys came out and surrounded the ring to cheer on the two wrestlers. It was a nice touch to include guys who were no longer on the Chikara roster like Reckless Youth, Hydra and Mr. Zero. Seeing the show of unity gave the match an aura of specialness.

Eddie Kingston winning the title and having the title presented to him by Larry Sweeney’s brother and friend was the perfect ending to the show. The emotion surrounding the ending of the show coupled with Kingston’s speech challenging WWE and TNA to put on a show as good as Chikara set the bar for season 11.

Title presentation (from Chikara Pro Facebook page)

Overall there really is nothing I can complain about on this show. If you didn’t see the show I highly recommend you order the replay on GoFightLive or buy the DVD from Smart Mark Video when it’s available. I don’t know what the plans are for future iPPVs.  Hopefully High Noon did well enough financially and Chikara and GoFightLive worked well enough together that we get future shows.

Again, hats off to the entire Chikara roster, referees, and behind the scenes crew. You put on an excellent show that hopefully made some new fans. Chikara’s next round of shows is Joshi Mania in the first week of December. I believe Season 11 will kick off around the end of January. It’s going to be a long two months waiting to see what fallout occurs from High Noon.

High Noon may be over but don’t think My123Cents will be taking it easy. We’ve got plenty in store for the rest of the year. Stay up to date on Facebook and Twitter. 

Chikara: Larry Sweeney

By Chad Smart
@chadsmart on Twitter

Since the Chikara tournament to crown the first Grand Champion was named the 12 Large Summit as a tribute to Chikara alumni “Sweet and Sour” Larry Sweeney, I felt it was only fitting to show some of my favorite moments in the far too short career of the Golden Palomino.  In the memorial blog I posted for Larry, I included some other videos. While this is pretty similar, there isn’t a thing as too much “Sweet and Sour.” Enjoy the videos and pay tribute to a talent that came along at a time when mainstream wrestling was too fixated on a certain look and overlooked pure talent.

This is from the first Chikara show I attended in Reading, Pennsylvania back in April of 2005. As you can tell by comparing this video to any recent Chikara show, more people have become aware of Chikara’s presence and want to see Chikara in person.

Later in the 2005, Sweeney became the ICW-ICWA Texarkana Television Champion. Here he is debuting the belt.

When I first started showing friends videos of Larry, this one became a favorite of my friend Jeremy. Only Sweeney could cut a promo while eating a Frosty in a bathroom and make it reek of awesomeness.  

Larry got to appear on an episode of Raw during the buildup to a SummerSlam match between Randy Orton and Hulk Hogan. While I personally think Sweeney could wrestle circles around Orton, not to mention Sweeney had more charisma in his little finger than Orton possess in his entire body, at least Larry got to entertain on a large stage if for only one night.

Larry Sweeney hadn’t appeared at a Chikara event for I think about a year before returning at the 2010 Cibernetico event to form a team of Chikara Year 1 alums in a battle against the BDK. The reaction from the fans is off the chart. This is how I choose to remember Larry Sweeney.

Larry passed away days prior to the 2011 King of Trios weekend. Before the start of Night 1, the Chikara roster gathered around the ring to pay their respects.

Here’s a fan made tribute video showcasing some other memorable moments.

I included this video in the original blog, but it’s one of my favorites. “Goth girl, you hate your parents don’t you? I hate your parents too because they produced an ugly baby.”  Rest in Peace Larry Sweeney.

Chikara: Outside Looking In

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

Chad has done a great job over the last several days sharing his thoughts and opinions on Chikara Pro.  He is a huge fan of the company, so much so that he once traveled 13 hours (I believe) by car to watch a show live in person.  He's extremely busy today and asked me if I'd fill in for today as we continue to countdown to the big Internet Pay Per View High Noon (Sunday, November 13).

But here's the deal, I'm a novice fan when it comes to Chikara.  Most of what I know is from what Chad has told me.  He's loaned me a few DVDs over the years, so I am familiar with some of the wrestlers.  So I consider myself an outsider looking in when it comes to Chikara.  I will say that from what I've seen, I do enjoy.

Archibald vs. Colt Cabunny

After years of watching WWF, WCW, NWA, UWF, AWA I got used to the larger than life characters on the TV.  The big arenas.  The pyro.  The promos.  But since moving to southern Illinois, I've had more of a taste of the indy scene.  I've been to a few ROH shows.  I currently work for All American Pro Wrestling.  I love the fact that the fans, every single one of them in most cases, can interact with the wrestlers.  Watch some Chikara clips on their YouTube channel, and you can hear the fans respond when a wrestler does something in the ring good or bad.  The fans respond to the promos.  It's not the sheepish "What?" chants that you hear in WWE.  Fans are listening and responding to what they hear.

Sweet 'n Sour

Probably the best on the mic and getting the crowd riled up was the late, great "Sweet 'n Sour" Larry Sweeney.  I've gone back and watched some of his stuff, and I've got to say he's without a doubt my favorite on any of the Chikara stuff I've seen.  He was so great on the mic. I loved the gimmick, the flamboyance.  I also really dig the old school "Macho Man" Randy Savage t-shirt variation he made. He reminded me of Eddie Gilbert.  Sweeney had that ability to be both a wrestler and a manager.  He was great in the ring and even better on the mic.  Sadly he died in April 2011.  Who knows where Sweeney's career would have gone.  He was only 30 years old.  So much potential.

Darkness!

There are plenty of other talented guys and gals on the Chikara roster.  They're great athletes.  Then there are some of the silly characters, which I also enjoy.  Darkness Crabtree is one of my favorites.  While I don't know a whole lot about him, basically, he's a decrypted old man.  He takes forever to climb into the ring, and once he's there he moves around live molasses going uphill on a January morning.  But there's something about the character I like.

Dragon Dragon

The variations of guys like Colt Cabana and CM Punk are also enjoyable.  Who couldn't love Colt Cabunny and CP Munk?  It's classic.  Then there's guys like Dragon Dragon, the greatest dragon wrestler of all time and the ever patriotic US Ape.  I went bananas the first time I saw him.  (get it?)  While somewhat silly, okay, very silly, these characters are still fun to watch.  I have to give credit to the men under the mask.  That can't be easy taking bumps and trying to keep your head intact.

Of course on the serious side there's stars like Mike Quackenbush, Eddie Kingston, Sara Del Rey, and the Kings of Wrestling (I know Claudio has moved on)  These guys (and gals) are poetry in motion in the ring.  Can't say enough good things about the work they do.

Tag teams are also emphasized in Chikara.  I have ranted and raved since starting this blog more than a year ago about the need for more tag team wrestling in the WWE and even TNA.  Chikara meets that objective with special tournaments focused on tag team wrestling, including the King of Trios tournament. I also like the fact that Chikara has invited some of the WWE old timers back.  Like I've said before, I'm a fool for old school and enjoyed seeing Demolition team up with the One Man Gang at the King of Trios a few years ago.  These legends didn't win, which they shouldn't, but it was still great to see them back for one night.  Sean Waltman also returned to his 1-2-3 Kid roots recently at a Chikara show, and I hear Marty Jannetty is a trainer at the school.  Awesomeness!

Dasher (from Chikara)

Another aspect about Chikara that I like is the fact that some of their guys take the time to answer emails and tweets.  Chad did a 10 Questions piece with Dasher Hatfield.  I appreciate the fact that Dasher took the time to do it, and I love the fact that members of the roster are reposting these entries.  That's yet to happen with anyone from WWE or TNA.  Thanks guys, because I do know you're reading this.

So here's the part where I plug the websites, check out Chikara Pro.  And if you want to order the High Noon PPV, click on this link.  Thanks for reading, and since you're here, check out My 1-2-3 Cents on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Chikara: PG Isn't a 4 Letter Word

Family friendly! (from Chikarapro.com)

By Chad Smart
@chadsmart on Twitter

I realize I mention WWE a lot in the first paragraph of a lot of these posts. It’s not something that was predetermined when I started formulating the ideas for the daily writings. As I started writing, I quickly realized that the audience I was trying to reach is wrestling fans who are mostly only familiar with WWE and whom may not be aware of Chikara, or not too familiar with the company. Because of the audience I am trying to reach, part of my objective is to show the differences between the companies and try to show why in my opinion Chikara is the better company. With that being said, lets jump right in and look at one of the major similarities between the two promotions, which are done with opposite levels of success.

Over the last few years WWE has toned down their product and have gone to a TV-PG rating. This change in direction has upset a vocal majority of the fans that started watching during the Attitude Era. These fans miss the middle fingers and swearing of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, the sexual innuendos of Degeneration-X, hardcore matches, and the scantily clad Divas having Bra and Panties matches. If asked, a lot of those fans will claim the PG mindset is hurting the overall WWE product. I will admit that WWE is currently missing something, but foul language and ultra violence isn’t it. RAW could be an Attitude throwback for the next month but as long as the current creative aspect of the show is still in place the show still won’t be good.

On the flipside, Chikara is wrapping up their tenth family friendly season and is still very engaging and entertaining.  Answer this question, does the fact Pixar makes G or PG rated films diminish the quality of their films or make their films less entertaining than a Martin Scorsese or Quinton Tarantino film? No. Why? Because Pixar understands the importance of quality storytelling and focuses on creating characters with depth and compelling stories to entertain their audience. That is a similar quality in the world of Chikara.

From Chikarapro.com

Over the last ten years, Chikara has told stories that not only are logical and make sense throughout the current season but acknowledge events from previous seasons as well. If Chikara were a film series they would be more Harry Potter than James Bond. Events from one season propel and force the characters forward rather than act as stand alone episodes. These stories have been told while Chikara billed the company as a family friendly promotion. There is no vulgarity from the wrestlers or the fans. Well, 99% of the time there isn’t. Some guest stars have slipped up and quickly corrected themselves. Not once in the six years watching Chikara have I felt a promo didn’t succeed because it needed more vulgarity.

As far as the in-ring action, there has only been one match where I felt the lack of extreme violence hinder the match. That was a strap match between Larry Sweeney and Eddie Kingston.  One match out of about 900 felt off because of the parameters Chikara operates for its universe. I think that’s acceptable. Otherwise, the matches in Chikara are based upon good, solid wrestling. In addition the Chikara wrestlers still maintain the lost art of ring psychology and being able to tell a story inside the ring. The absence of ring psychology is one of the biggest negatives in the current wrestling landscape. Granted, it’s hard to have much psychology when matches are less than 4 minutes long.

Darkness Crabtree (one of Kevin's faves) Chikarapro

It is possible to have a PG product and be entertaining. Chikara proves that with every show. Watch a Chikara show and you don’t see fans sitting on their hands complaining about how bad the show is because Chikara isn’t catering to an adult crowd. What you’ll see if a crowd engaged in the matches, going crazy and loving every minute of the show.

Don’t believe me? Order Chikara’s first Internet Pay Per View, “High Noon” on November 13 and see for yourself. The show can be purchased at this link.  Stay up to date with Chikara by checking out their website. The official Chikara YouTube channel is updated daily with the latest news and promos.

And of course you should be following My123Cents on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube as well.

Chikara: High Noon Preview 1

By Chad Smart

@ChadSmart on Twitter

2011 is the 25^th anniversary of the Survivor Series. I had originally planned to re-watch the previous 24 Survivor Series shows and do a write up of random thoughts about the shows. Then I remembered there was something bigger than the 25^th Survivor Series pay per view. November 13^th is the first Chikara Internet pay per view, High Noon. Based on the cards announced so far, I am much more excited for Chikara’s show than the WWE show. But then, I’m also a bigger fan of Chikara than WWE.

So instead of doing 24 days of Survivor Series promotion, I’m going to do 13 days of Chikara promotion. Each day I’m going to highlight a different aspect of Chikara in an attempt to persuade you, loyal reader, that High Noon is a show you must see. In addition to my thoughts, I’m trying to line up some 10 Questions with members of the Chikara roster so they can tell you why you should watch the show.

The first stop on the High Noon promotional train is a look at the card as it stands as of this writing (October 30).

GREGORY IRONS vs. ICARUS: Icarus is Chikara’s one full-fledged heel. I have yet to see any crowd who actually gives Icarus any love despite the fact Icarus has been on the roster since the beginning. Icarus is a wrestler fans love to hate.

Icarus is part of the Trios team of F.I.S.T. with partners Chuck Taylor and Johnny Gargano.  Gregory Iron is probably the only professional wrestler who suffers from Cerebral Palsy. Gregory made the news back in July when CM Punk, fresh off winning the WWE title, showed up at an AAW show Irons was wrestling on and verbally put over the young competitor.

This match is the third meeting between the two. Icarus won the first meeting while Irons won the return match. Now it comes down to the rubber match to see who wins bragging rights.

COLT CABANA vs. ARCHIBALD PECK: This is a rematch from King of Trios. Archibald Peck is my vote for wrestler of the century, or at least the year.

{this video has a throwback to something that happened in Chikara 2 years ago, showing once again why Chikara is awesome because they remember the past}) Lately Colt Cabunny, who is a parody of Colt Cabana, has seconded Archibald along with his valet, Veronica.  Cabunny teamed with CP Munk at the 2006 Chikara World Tag Grand Prix tournament. If you don’t know who Colt Cabana is, well, you must not follow independent wrestling as Colt wrestles for just about every promotion in existence. And for the WWE fans, Colt is CM Punk’s best friend. In addition to being a professional wrestler, Colt also does a weekly podcast called Art of Wrestling. I fully expect this match to challenge CM Punk/John Cena’s match from Money in the Bank for match of the year. (Editors note: Colt will also appear at the AAPW Main Event on Saturday, 1/14 in Marion, IL)

GREEN ANT vs. TURSAS: Another rematch, this one from the Chikarasurus Rex weekend. The build up to their first match was classic as Chikara borrowed from the Lex Lugar/Yokozuna feud by having Green Ant travel across the country on the Flex Express on his way to the big match up.

Tursas is the biggest member of the Chikara roster, and won the first match against Green Ant. In a recent Chikara update video, Green Ant showed a lack of confidence in his ability to beat Tursas. It’ll be interesting to see how this match plays out.

THE SPECTRAL ENVOY (Ultramantis Black, Hallowicked) vs. BDK (Ares, Tim Donst): Another example of long term booking, this match has been building for two years.  The story started when Ultramantis started using the Eye of Tyr, which was later to be revealed he had stolen from Ares. Ares and Tursas showed up at the last show of the 2009 season and formed the BDK.

The BDK dominated Chikara for most of 2010 while 2011 has seen the foundation of the group start to crumble. This is a no disqualification match and I would not be surprised to see the BDK completely fall apart should Ares and Tim Donst not manage to win the match.

The Osirian Portal

THE FUTURE OF THE OSIRIAN PORTAL: Earlier this year Amasis, the leader of the Osirian Portal was injured in a car wreck. Since then he has been out of action of Ophidian and Hieracon have continued wrestling with various degrees of success. At High Noon, Amasis will make an announcement regarding the future of the Portal. One of the reasons I like Chikara so much is because the behind the scenes events are rarely covered by the wrestling news sites. I have no idea how serious Amasis’ injuries were or if they were truly career threatening. Part of me thinks if Chikara is giving Amasis time to address the crowd then most likely he will announce his return and the Portal will continue.  At the same time, given the popularity of the Portal, I could see Chikara giving Amasis a chance to address the fans for a farewell speech to thank them for supporting him over the past few years. Whichever way the announcement plays out, I’m curious to hear what Amasis has to say.

Photos from Chikarapro.com

MIKE QUACKENBUSH vs. EDDIE KINGSTON: The finals of the 12 Large Summit to crown the first ever Chikara Champion comes down two of Chikara’s most popular competitors. While I’m a bit disappointed Quack made it to the finals (nothing against Quack, it’s just that since he’s the owner of Chikara, I put this in the same category as when Triple H is booked to be the focus of WWE or when Jeff Jarrett was constantly champion in TNA), I also think this is the best match up to end the tournament. The tournament was named the 12 Large Summit in memory of former Chikara wrestler “Sweet and Sour” Larry Sweeney who passed away in April 2011. Both Mike and Eddie have storied history with Sweeney and I can see this match being as much of a tribute to “Sweet and Sour” as it is a match to crown a champion. In addition, this should be a solid main event and am curious to see the outcome and what it will mean for Chikara as they prepare for Season 11.

So far this is a really good line up for Chikara’s first Ippv. I expect another 2 or 3 matches to be announced over the next week based on the fallout of “Maiden Flight of the Great Condor” show. I cannot stress enough how much you should order this show if you’re a wrestling fan. It’s only $15 and can be ordered by clicking this link.  If you’re still not convinced you should order the show, hopefully over the next 12 days I will be able to change your mind.

For more on Chikara check out their website, and keep up to date with their official YouTube channel.  And of course, follow My123Cents on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. If you don’t think you should buy this show, I want to hear your reasoning and point out the flaws in your thinking. 

Life Just Got Less Sweet & More Sour

Photo from: Wikipedia.com

By Chad Smart

This is a first for me. Writing a tribute to a wrestler who I didn’t know personally but was one of my favorite performers of the last 6 years. “Sweet and Sour” Larry Sweeney passed away today at the age of 29.

I don’t know how many of you reading this are familiar with Larry Sweeney. He never wrestled for the TNA or WWE. He did show up one night on Raw though. In the build up to the Randy Orton/Hulk Hogan match at SummerSlam, Randy brought out Hulk’s “family.” Larry Sweeney portrayed Nick Hogan. Outside of that one moment though Larry Sweeney spent his career wrestling across the country for various independent promotions.

I became a fan of Larry’s when I started getting into the independent promotion Chikara. At the time Larry had a group called Sweet and Sour International and was feuding with Jolly Roger, Lance Steel and Allison Danger. I also got to see Larry wrestle a show in Vincennes, Indiana for IWA:Mid South. Larry had more personality than most of the roster combined.

Twenty years ago Larry Sweeney would probably have been the heir apparent to Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, Jimmy Hart and Jim Cornette. Unfortunately he came along in a time when wrestling managers are considered unnecessary. I always held out hope TNA would see the potential in Larry and bring him in to lead a stable of guys who weren’t great on the mic.

Though TNA never brought Larry in as a manager, ROH saw the upside and used him as a manager for a few years. I’m not that familiar with his time in ROH so I can’t offer more detail. I believe Larry left ROH in 2008 or 2009 turning over his managerial rights to Shane Hagadorn.

Larry had been out of the wrestling business for a few years. I had read reports of him suffering from bi-polar disorder and having a breakdown. Larry resurfaced last year during one of ROH’s Internet PPV’s as the third member of the commentating team. As far as I know, that was his only appearance.  In October, he showed up as a mystery masked competitor at Chikara’s annual Cibernetico event. I had hoped this would lead to a return of Sweet and Sour International. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case.

I don’t know the circumstances surrounding Larry’s death, and I’m not sure I want to know. The only thing I do know is the wrestling industry lost another talent too early. RIP Larry Sweeney. You will be missed.

For those of you not familiar with Larry Sweeney, here are some links to various promos and matches on youtube.

http://youtu.be/ez6sL-7_j6Q

http://youtu.be/_rZdgGJDpb0

http://youtu.be/Axj6mdmMuqU

http://youtu.be/5rfWtOvqe5Q