I can’t believe I’m saying this, but SCI 2019 was nearly a week ago. It was a blast and we got a hell of a winner (shoutout Daniel Makabe), but there is really no time like the present to start talking about next year. With so much talent rising in the surrounding area, it really is gonna be something to see when the names do start coming out in the spring. So, I give you my SCI 2020 hopefuls with some, admittedly, out of the box but dope choices. Enjoy.
Brett Ison- 2019 was Brett’s inaugural SCI run and my oh my was it memorable. He wrestled Matt Tremont and B-Boy on back to back nights with both matches getting the people going. Brett has really come into his own in 2019 so I would expect a deep run in 2020.
Manders- He won the Futures showcase and has been the talk of the town coming out of SCI weekend. Manders is the definition of a hoss who will go wherever the road takes him. He’s athletic, young and can legit do anything he sets his mind to. You really need to watch out for this guy to make HUGE leaps by the time SCI 2020 rolls around.
O’Shay Edwards- The man made it to the final last weekend (by getting through J.D. Drake and Tremont) before coming up short thanks to about a million double stomps from Jake Parnell. Shay is always gonna bring that work and talk some amazing shit along the way. Much like the two other fellas mentioned, he’s an absolute star just waiting to shine at all times. With everything he’s got coming down the pipe don’t be shocked to see this man all over the place very, very soon.
“Warhorse” Jake Parnell- The man nearly won the whole thing after getting through the scramble then beating Kevin Ku. He did what no one else did last weekend and that was pin Edwards. Yeah, it took everything the Warhorse had, but he did it and had he not got bamboozled by A.C. Mack, he would have gone out on his shield with Makabe or won the whole damn thing. The guy is an absolute stud.
Tony Deppen- We all thought that whoever came out of the first round matchup of Deppen/Makabe would be a dark horse to win the whole thing. We were right, but sadly for Deppen, it was Daniel that snuck out the win. Their first round matchup was a wrestling frenzy that stole the show on Night 1. Jump ahead to Night 2 and Deppen is facing off with Alex Zayne in a super dope rematch of their backyard bonanza last month. Bring Deppen back so we can watch him tear shit up in the ring then drink all the Yuengling he can get his hands on.
Jaden Newman- You know. I really, really thought Jaden was gonna be the one to shut Mack up. When that matchup was announced I said out loud that ‘A.C. fucked up.’ Had Mack not kicked Jaden in the dick, I feel like I would have looked really smart. Sadly, A.C. did kick Jaden in the dick, leaving the Chattanooga faithful crushed. I know Jaden would love another crack at the SCI crown and with him getting better by the day, 2020 very well could be the year he does it.
A.J. Gray- Rich Homie Juice wasn’t a part of the field in 2019, but he’s been having a hell of a year. Dude is a staple with the GCW crew, is the Paradigm champ and has been ripping it up for NGW, which he will continue this coming up weekend. He ain’t about that bullshit which is why he would be a welcome addition to a tough as nails field next year.
Alex Zayne- The Sauce!!! Alex has been the talk of wrestling Twitter since his sensational match with Deppen back on the 4th of July. He’s literally all over the place right now, but we were able to see him on Night 2 in the rematch with Deppen. AZ is a guy that brings reaction/emotion out of the entire venue when he’s in the ring. He’s a mad man and I’d love to see him get a chance to be Mr. SCI in 2020.
Dominic Garrini- The Bone Collector showed up at the Futures Showcase with partner Kevin Ku to fight the IFHY crew which turned into an absolute barn burning banger. Dom is skilled in all manner of violence which makes him an absolute terror to deal with. I could totally see Garrini making a deep run with his set of skills no matter the field around him.
Danhausen- Give me this for the entrance alone. Imagine the children/families of the greater Chattanooga area seeing Danhausen for the first time – MY GOD. What makes Danhausen so special is that not only does he know how to make an entrance but he can put in the work in the ring. Match this guy up with anyone and he’s gonna exploit them. Gotta love that Danhausen.
Joshua Bishop- Part of me wants to put him and Matthew Justice in the field but we all know that ends with both of them coming off the bleachers to that hardwood. Shit, even without Justice, there’s a chance Bishop is gonna do that anyway I guess. Bishop looks like a million bucks and is a complete mad man. What more could you ask for?
Johnathan Wolf- I really wanted to put both Shawn Kemp and Wolf in the group but after ‘Lil Nyghtquill’ decided to leap off the top to some chairs, I figured he earned it. Wolf (like the rest of IFHY) is young, but they’ve all been out here grinding their whole lives. The man can do it all while making it look super easy, which goes back to the fact that he’s a young vet. Book Wolf in the tournament then give him some Chick Fil A after he does some dumb, awesome shit.
Allie Kat- I already knew it, but after seeing her go toe to toe with Brett Ison a couple of months back, I’m certain that Allie can do it all. No doubt she’s fun, but she’ll let you fucking have it with examples of this at SUP and GCW. Throw her in there with the best of SCI and I guarantee she’ll swim even though cats don’t like water.
Billie Starkz- She may be the youngest member of IFHY, but she has to deal with those psychos all the time so SCI would be a breeze. Even though Billie hasn’t been in the game a long time, she’s already competed against some of the best talent out there. You put her and Allie Kat together in the first round and you’ve got a MOTN contender easy.
Now for the “wily veteran that takes over the weekend” spot. Last year it was PCO. This past weekend it was B-Boy. In 2020 there is really only one name that can fill that spot.
Bill Dundee- Bill’s track record speaks for itself with big wins in just about every decade since the 70s. He’s the current WOMBAT TV Champion after a mat classic with Deppen last month. He’s a legend in the business that brings automatic legitimacy because he’ll punch you in the head no questions asked.
Ok, real talk I just want Bill in so we can get a rematch in the first round for Deppen. The real ‘wily vet’ spot should go to….
Eddie Kingston- The Mad King in Chattanooga for SCI would be a sight to behold. Imagine the possibilities of Eddie mixing it up with any or all of the talent already mentioned without getting fired the fuck up. I know he’s been talking retirement, but if the stars aligned and we got Kingston in our neck of the woods, it would be an all out scene to behold.
First Round Matchups:
- Tony Deppen vs. Bill Dundee
- Allie Kat vs. Billie Starkz
- ‘Warhorse’ Jake Parnell vs. Dominic Garrini
- Joshua Bishop vs. Danhausen
- Jaden Newman vs. Johnathan Wolf
- Alex Zayne vs. A.J. Gray
- Manders vs. O’Shay Edwards
- Eddie Kingston vs. Brett Ison
MORE 2019 SCI COVERAGE
A.C. Mack Needs To Be Held Accountable For His Actions
B-Boy Is My 2019 SCI Weekend MVP
Crux Wrestling: Hey Jealousy Recap
How I Spent My SCI Weekend: 2019 Edition
Manders Had an Absolute Star-making Weekend
Podcast: B-Boy Interview
Podcast: Brett Ison Interview
Podcast: Doug Markham Interview
Podcast: IFHY “Interview”
Podcast: Manders Interview
Podcast: O’Shay Edwards Interview
Podcast: The Smokin’ Budz Interview
SUP: All Hell Breaks Loose Recap
Thank you, SCI
Unsung Heroes From SCI Weekend 2019
John Mosley is the independent wrestling correspondent of the SoBros Network. He graduated from ETSU with a degree in Radio, TV and Film along with a minor in Film Studies. Since graduating he’s done pretty much nothing but watch, film, edit or commentate for local wrestling promotions and is the current color commentator for Resolute Wrestling. #Preds #Titans #DefendOrVacateConor Follow on Twitter: @SoBroMose.
Check out the SoBros Shop. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Watch on YouTube.
