Yesterday, my dear, longtime personal friend Justin LaBar wrote an article, entitled, “Why Kevin Owens Is So Good In WWE.” You can read the entire article right here:
http://triblive.com/mobile/8519480-96/owens-appreciate-kevin
In it, LaBar makes some great points. Reading that makes you understand why Kevin Owens is so good in WWE. I’m here to tell you why he– and so many others– are so good for WWE.
Plain and simple: built-in fan base.
There was a time when independent wrestling, much like the best punk rock concerts, was very much underground. Much like a hot upstart punk band, you found out about great indy wrestling through word of mouth. You’d hear that so-and-so was going to be the next WWF Superstar, and you just had to see him up close and personal before the Fed stole him away.
Years ago, when attending an indy event for the first time, you got the feeling that it wasn’t at all like what you saw on TV. Usually held in a small, dingy hall, the best independent wrestling shows looked gritty and low budget. You didn’t get a gigantic Titantron screen and entrance ramp like at a live Raw. You’d get a curtain, if you were lucky, hanging in front of a door that led to the building’s kitchen. Unlike the big 20′ X 20′ clean white canvases you’d see on television, what you’d get at an indy show was a tiny 16′ X 16′ ring and a mat splattered with dried up blood, the holes patched up throughout with pieces of silver duct tape.
But just like the WWF, you’d get incredible wrestlers– maybe more incredible than the ones on TV. These guys were hungry, and had a point to prove to the world. Some of the matches put on every weekend at indy shows would rival any match on a WrestleMania.
In 2015, production values have increased. Gone are the days of entering through the kitchen of a UAW hall. Though few federations have oversized video screens, many of the respectable wrestling organizations have entrances with large amounts of trussing and lights. Rings are sanitary enough to eat off of, without fear of receiving hepatitis.
There are still gritty looking shows out there, but nowadays those are usually the bad ones. Today’s indy wrestlers work just as hard, if not harder, than indy wrestlers (and some WWE wrestlers) in past decades. Independent wrestling isn’t so underground anymore, and it makes the guys participating in it look all the more legit.
In 2015, it’s hard to be underground when your company can get exposure through so many means on the Worldwide Web. Many local wrestling shows have stepped up their video production, and with iPPV’s and free streaming sites bringing independent wrestling into the comfort of your home, it’s hard to be counter-culture. The budgets are still much lower than that of the WWE machine, but the passion that the men and women that participate in these smaller events can be seen as equal.
Which brings me back to my topic. Kevin Steen’s rise to fame started before WWE. Through his time in ROH, various independent federations across the globe, and the use of social media, Steen became a household name before he decided to sign a contract in Stanford. Following his debut on NXT TV, WWE Shop released a Kevin Owens tee… which quickly sold out.
Several months later, WWE signed Samoa Joe, a veteran of ROH, TNA, and dozens and dozens of independent promotions. Upon debuting at an NXT event, Joe’s first WWE shirt proceeded to sell out.
Before the internet became a thing, you couldn’t really know that Edge was a well-known indy wrestler known as Sexton Hardcastle, unless you just happened to go to an independent event at one point and saw him. The internet changed the game. Social media and YouTube created a built-in fan base for guys like Owens and Joe, and it just makes sense that the fan base follows them to WWE.
It used to be that the WWE wanted to create guys from the ground up. This past week, however, it was reported that several well-known independent wrestlers from Chikara, DGUSA, Evolve, and ROH were in attendance for a tryout at the WWE Performance Center– guys and gals that not only have a strong following, but sell hundreds of shirts and pictures online and at live events. With egos aside, perhaps WWE sees value in investing in an established commodity.
Now that he’s on the main roster, Owen’s has busted open the door for other guys who’ve built mini-empires on the indies over the years.
Bottom line: WWE is a business, and the WWE sees that Owens has proven to equal money. That stack of cash is only going to continue to grow.
Speaking of money– when is WWE going to get smart and sign The Young Bucks..?..
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-Greg
