#1MansOpinion- Top 10 Unsigned Talents in North & South Carolina
Before I begin with my list, a few orders of business. If a wrestler doesn’t appear on the list, first and foremost it does not indicate that I do not appreciate their abilities and the accomplishments they’ve reached to this point in their career. It’s simply 1MansOpinion! If you have questions, gripes, or feel like the list is somewhat credible I will ALWAYS leave my social media information at the end of my columns and welcome your feedback. Secondly, “Unsigned” is to be taken loosely in this context, obviously if the person in question regularly appears on WWE, Impact Wrestling, Lucha Underground, ROH, or any other televised wrestling promotion and they will NOT be a part of this list (Ex: John Cena, Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan, Cedric Alexander, Adam Page, Jay Lethal, Richochet, Shane Strickland, Bobby Roode, Bobby Lashley, etc,..) Also if a competitor HAS appeared regularly on a televised promotion and now competes on the local indy scene they are exempt from the list (Ex: Steve Corino, The Hardys, Hurricane, etc,.) Finally, HAVE FUN WITH THIS LIST!!! Again, I welcome differing opinions and your thoughts on the list below so here we Go!!!!
“The Southern Savior” John Skyler– Skyler, a native of Columbia, SC is all about preaching the truth, trampling the weak, and hurdling the dead. With nearly 7 years as a professional wrestler, Skyler has built a reputation for being one of the most proficient heels on the local independent scene and he has the in ring talent to back it up. The Southern Savior has already appeared in numerous “extra” roles on WWE television and has competed on an international level as well. As of this writing he is the current (and two time) WrestleForce Heavyweight Champion, made it to the finals of The 2014 ECWA Super 8 Tournament (losing to “M-Dogg” Matt Cross in the finals) and competes regularly for Premiere Wrestling Xperience as well as various independent companies throughout the southeast and beyond.
“The Black Cloud” Joe Black- The Black Cloud is truly a unique entity in the world of independent professional wrestling, a man who has put rebuilding his body into a stocky, powerhouse of athleticism. Heavily influenced by the japanese “strong style” of professional wrestling but also speedy, agile and innovative Joe Black is a formidable opponent for any competitor. Having just 4 1/2 years of experience the trajectory of Black’s career has steadily increased from month to month and looks to not slow down anytime soon. The Black Cloud cut his teeth with CWF Mid-Atlantic and now works for the NWA regularly, has become a regular in Premiere Wrestling Xperience as of late 2014 and appears in Georgia, Tennessee, West Virginia, Texas and several other states and companies across the U.S. Joe Black has yet to reach his pinnacle but it’s only a matter of time, I’m inclined to believe sooner than later he’ll be competing on an international level and if not…Those fans, promoters and international wrestlers are missing out on something special.
“The One Man RIOT” Zane Dawson- One of the best unsigned big men in the world of professional wrestling Zane Dawson began his career and continues to fight alongside his brother Dave Dawson, The Dawsons are one of the most feared tag teams in the Carolinas and once you see them in action you’ll know exactly why. Zane has broken out in singles competition as of late and is the current PWI International Heayweight Champion a title he now holds for the second time. If you’re an experienced or knowledgable fan of pro wrestling you’ll immediately see a resemblance between Dawson and the legendary Bruiser Brody both big, bruising, relentless powerhouses Dawson is a throw back to the old days of pro wrestling. The One Man Riot competes regularly for CWF Mid-Atlantic, OMEGA, and various companies around the coast of North Carolina, this is another talent who is well fitted to compete internationally and would be a BIG hit in the Orient.
Tessa Blanchard- The surname is automatically recognizable to most wrestling fans immediately, daughter of original Four Horsemen and Hall of Famer Tully Blanchard, stepdaughter of another legend, Magnum TA but there is much more to this young woman than her name. Tessa’s passion for the business was set in motion as she attended the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony (where her father was honored) she has the ambition, determination and drive to reach the pinnacle of professional wrestling and will one day be World champion for at least one major promotion. Still, very early on in her career Tessa Blanchard adds to her accomplishments often and impressiely she won the inaugural ECWA Women’s Super 8 Tournament and became the first women’s champion in the storied company’s history,is now a part of the premiere women’s promotion in the United States SHIMMER, also of this writing she is currently undefeated in PWX and one of the most despised (by the fans) at Trans-South Wrestling in addition to competing regularly all across the United States including appearing on WWE TV a few times. Soon, this 3rd generation athlete will take her talent to the north for a tour of Canada and that is surely to just be the beginning of her career outside of the country. “Destined For Greatness (#D4G) is not just a tag line for Tessa Blanchard, you’ll be seeing her for many years to come and I’d bet on that being sooner than later.
Trevor Lee- This is most certainly a name most of you reading this will have heard of by now, Trevor Lee is a second generation pro wrestler based out of Cameron, NC (which should also sound familiar to wrestling fans) Lee is a very young man but has been competing in the ring for a number of years. A mainstay at CWF Mid-Atlantic in Gibsonville, NC where he graduated from the CWF Dojo Trevor got his early start profesionally like many his age do, under a mask. After a breakout performance at the first ever National Pro Wrestling Day in Philadelphia, PA he began receiving numerous offers to travel the United States and has competed for Pro Wrestling Guerilla, CHIKARA, Full Impact Pro, and many others. He has racked up an impressive list of wins and stellar performances in California and earned a permanent roster spot with one of the foremost indies in the world PWG. Trevor Lee has defeated Kevin Steen (Owens), Chris Hero, Michael Elgin and had an excellent performance in a loss to PWG Champion Roderick Strong. Locally he still competes regularly for his “home promotion” CWF Mid-Atlantic and also for OMEGA, With many, many years left in his career and the undeniable “it” the future looks bright for TREVOOOOOORRRR!!!
The “THOROUGHBRED” Jaxson James- Hailing from South Carolina James and after four years playing college football the man now known as The THOROUGHBRED was focused on getting to the next level of the sport. James instead went to train at a local promotion in the Palmetto State and just two weeks in he was approached by WWE’s developmental promotion (then Florida Championship Wrestling now NXT) and James went on to be part of the last tryout group before FCW closed it’s doors. This experience further ignited James’ passion for pro wrestling and he went on to get the majority of his training from the legendary Dr. Tom Prichard. Still just a little shy of two years in the business, the name says it all the former collegiate football player is tenacious in any goal he takes on and by way of that has been able to achieve great opportunities like working closely with the legendary Armstrong Family in Florida headlining the Brad Armstrong Memorial Shows, appearing in segments on WWE television and those opportunities even extend outside the wrestling world as he has appeared on Steve Austin’s “Broken Skull Challenge” this past year. What we have seen to this point is only the beginning for Jaxson James, a dedicated athlete who constantly tries to better himself physically the opportunities that James hardwork has afforded him will continue well into the future and whether it be winning gold on the independent level, or getting a contract with a worldwide promotion The THOROUGHBRED guarantees he has plenty of impact left to leave.
Arik Royal- The longest reigning CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion in the promotion’s 15+ year history Arik Royal is another professional wrestler who helped his home promotion practically steal all the headlines from the very first National Pro Wrestling Day. While a lot of the other competitors in that match have sky rocketed to success around the world, Royal wrestles the majority of his matches in CWF the place that gave him his start. The big man was and remains simply dominant in Gibsonville, NC! Royal has put a tremendous amount of effort into getting his body into better shape, he was incredibly agile and versatile at his highest weight (well over 300 lbs.) but the slimmed down yet still hard hitting and dynamic Arik Royal is even more dangerous. The Califlornia native has competed in his home state on Pro Wrestling Syndicate show as part of WrestleMania weekend a couple years back and recently debuted for Full Impact Pro in Florida on Ippv. Royal welcomes any and every opportunity to expand his territory and he should be given the opportunity to show why he is one of the BIGGEST, best kept secrets in independent wrestling today.
Timmy Lou Retton- Wrestling’s Only Olympic Gymnast has everything it takes to leave his impact in the world of professional wrestling. Youth, Athleticism, Charisma, and a unique gimmick that suits him as well if not better than many of his colleagues in the sport today. Retton is only in his second year competing and after a headturning rookie “season” which put him on many promotion’s radars across the Carolinas he is expanding to states like Tennessee, West Virginia and elsewhere to entertain the masses. Having just made history as the youngest heayweight champion in GOUGE Championship Wrestling history after ending the 17 month reign of the previous champ, Retton seems to have only cracked the surface of his true potential and if nothing else seems like a lock to show up amongst the zany cast of characters in CHIKARA and even go well beyond.
Caleb Konley- This is a name who has certainly already left a lasting impact on the world of professional wrestling but there could still be much more ahead. Ask anyone around the Carolinas and they’ve probably seen at least a handful of memorable matches featuring Konley whether it be vs Cedric Alexander, Adam Cole, Michael Elgin or anyone else in the long list of indy wrestling’s best. Beyond that Caleb Konley is a regular for DGUSA/EVOLVE and FIP in Florida were he is the current FIP Heavyweight Champion and competes for a myriad of other promotions including Paragon Pro Wrestling out of Las Vegas, and WCWC out of Oregon (where he is also the champion as of this writing) Of course Caleb Konley has been a staple in the premiere promotion in North Carolina, PWX for sometime and is the longest reigning champion in their history, currently having great success as in The REVOLT alongside Zane Riley. The sky is the limit for Konley and he could be one of the indy wrestling success stories if given the chance to compete for Impact Wrestling, WWE, or even GFW.
Photo Credit: Jovi Sixx Photography
Ethan Case- The final spot goes to a self described ‘Sports Entertainer’ who is on a “quest for contracts’. Ethan Case is the current PWI Pro International Ultra J Champion and has defended and retained that title against guys like Cedric Alexander, Andrew Everett, and Lance Lude in another quest to prove that he is the undisputed best Jr. Heavyweight in the world. Case enters every match with flare and showmanship comparable to the greats in tihs business, guys like Shawn Michaels and Randy Savage who are synonymous with charisma in the world of pro wrestling. That not enough? Ethan Case is also 1/2 of a very successful tag team Worst Case Scenario, alongside partner Elijah Evans IV despite recent differences the team continues to compete in SWA, CWF Mid-Atlantic, and some other promotions across the Southeast. So Case has the showmanship, the championship pedigree, the in ring skill to perform to an audience of any size, and the focus to reach the pinnacle of professional wrestling in one form or another. That is why the bleach blonde bump machine gets my final spot in this top 10 list.
BEST OF THE REST
As I said when I started this there are more than ten indy wrestlers in the Carolinas who could take that next step if asked to do so tomorrow but the list just didn’t have room for them all. I highly encourage you to keep your eye on the following people as well because this is a group that much like our top 10 are doing everything right and should see the fruits of their labors sooner than later.
Lance Lude- Currently injured, journeyman already had stints with CZW & ROH early in his career. Should Lude get a chance to return to the ring he is always a highlight of the night and would be for any major promotion.
Corey Hollis- This tough young man from Alabama may fool you with his short stature but their is nothing lacking about his wrestling skill, conditioning, or his mean streak. Hollis has had one or two tryout spots for ROH and those should just be the first of many for this talented half of Country Jacked.
Marcellus King- This dominant heavyweight who once lead a ominous group named The Cirkus doesn’t appear as much as he once did, the key reason for him not quite cracking the top 10 of this list. ‘The Army of One” has recently been KO’ing anyone in his path exclusively in CWF Mid-Atlantic and Firestar Pro Wrestling in the Greensboro, NC area. You can’t see King and not draw comparison to Bad News Brown (but with a worse attitude and deadlier KO elbow) If given the opportunity for promotions like EVOLVE, DGUSA, or ROH King could make a real impact already having victories on the independent scene over guys like Bobby Lashley, Lance Anoa’i, Cedric Alexander and countless others.
Chet Sterling- Trained at the CWF Mid-Atlantic Dojo and having worked closely with tag team partner Trevor Lee, Chet is on the verge of making a splash nationally he just has to find the right platform and the “different one” will no longer be one of CWF’s best kept secret.
Anthony Henry- Talk about a well tuned machine, Anthony Henry’s dedication to his physical perfection is unmatched against indy wrestlers in this area and as a result of that he’s gone to battle with some of the best in the business improving his game every step of the way. Just beginning to extend his reach amongst other promotions, Henry could get the right eyes on him any day now and if given the opportunity will show why he is one of the best.
“Cauliflower” Chase Brown- Perhaps the most unique guys featured in this article, Chase Brown is like no other pro wrestler you’ll find, strumming his guitar, carrying his namesake stalk of fresh veggies to the ring and grappling much like past legends Frank Gotch, Lou Thesz and others. Chase Brown is also a part of the team Nuclear Kaasarole (with Peter Kaasa another great prospect who has just returned from injury) Brown & Kaasa shined bright in a recent ROH tryout match in NYC and could have big things just around the corner.
Agree or disagree with this list? Want to add your own list? Unfamiliar with some of the talent on the list and want more information? Tweet me @The1andonlyJer or email me at [email protected] Thanks for checking out another edition of #1MansOpinion.
