The state of wrestling in the South has seen a dramatic improvement in recent years thanks to the contributions of several wrestlers and promotions.
2019 was a banner year, specifically, for us here in Nashville. The brain trust behind Southern Underground Pro loaded the calendar with stacked card after stacked card. GCW came to town twice with shows that featured some of the hottest names in independent wrestling. W.O.M.B.A.T. and Crux Wrestling set up shop right down the road in Tullahoma. And, here, we’re just a stone’s throw away from promotions such as ACTION Wrestling, New South, Paradigm Pro, the Scenic City Invitational, and TWE.
It’s a good time to be a fan of the indies in the Music City. We’ve seen talent come and go – some have moved on to bigger and better opportunities, some have suffered unfortunate injuries, and there’s this thing called life that can throw curveballs at us. So, there’s always a sort of flow of talent throughout the indies as talent comes and goes, and we’re not exempt to such a thing here in Tennessee.
So, with that natural ebb and flow of indie wrestling in mind, I reached out to our guy John Mosley, and we started kicked around some names of guys we thought had the potential to have a major breakout year in the region in 2020.
LFG.
Guys to Watch In 2020
Nolan Edwards – Edwards made waves late in 2019 when he showed up at Crux Wrestling and proceeded to fucking waterboard David Morton. When given the opportunity in SUP, he’s delivered. This guy has been a valuable addition to the Nashville wrestling scene, and appears poised for big things in 2020.
Levi Everett – Of course, Everett’s going to be limited to promotions that he can walk to, but what he’s done in the ring over the course of the past year has been nothing short of impressive. Factor in how much the crowds love him, and you’re looking at a rising star.
Patrick Heeter – Heeter has all of the physical gifts to succeed in wrestling, but he’s just such a curmudgeon that it makes it hard for the fans to cheer him on. He’s obsessed with earning a match with Kerry Awful, but if he’s able to attack 2020 with a clearer head, he’s proven to be a desperately dangerous man.
Kung-fu Janela – Joey’s long lost cousin improved immensely over the course of 2019. He could be on a rock star trajectory across the Mid-south. Maybe 2020 is finally the year we get that karate demo in The Basement East.
Lutha X – Lutha X capped off a stellar 2019 campaign with a match I thought was the ‘Match of the Night’ against AJ Gray at Crux vs. GCW: Keep Art Alive. No matter where he goes, he always captivates the room – this guy has ‘superstar’ written all over him.
Mason Dixon Line – Silas Mason showed up in a SUP scramble at the 12/21 show and immediately reeled that audience in with his Thrillbilly aura. When he returned at the 1/5 show with partner Devan Dixon in tow and took on IFHY, the SUP faithful were put on notice. These two have personalities just as big as their frames.
Adam Priest – Priest has generated some buzz already this year with some standout matches down at New South. His hot streak could carry him to a breakout 2020.
The Smokin’ Budz – The fact that Cody and David Morton aren’t popping up all over the place is astounding. Between GCW, W.O.M.B.A.T. and SUP, these two got better every time I saw them. The ceiling is super high for these two in 2020.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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