The Indie Style
I'll be very honest with you – a lot of indie workers could slow down their pacing. One of the hardest transitions coming from the WWE product to an indie show is the wresting style that a lot of the more famous stars utilize. Don't get me wrong, there are those that do it perfectly. There's nothing wrong with a fast-paced match full of counters and kick-outs. But when somebody gets kicked in the face and immediately gets right back up, it's incredibly hard to suspect disbelief. It is exactly why I never enjoyed watching Hulk Hogan matches. At least Hogan had thousands of screaming fans who were just waiting to see him no-sell his opponent's finisher. The problem is, indie wrestlers aren't Hulk Hogan, and quite a few of them could slow things down and sell a bit more.
It's worth saying that there is no set "indie style". I'm just addressing a popular complaint present in the industry.
I'm a really big fan of Michael Elgin, Kevin Steen, and – believe it or not – Michael Bennett. None of those guys move around like Davey Richards, flip around like PAC, or do crazy counter-combos like Eddie Edwards. Not to take anything away from Davey, Eddie or NXT Champion Adrian Neville; they are great at what they do. But I love watching Elgin, Steen and Bennett because they take their time. They are almost never in a rush inside the ring, and understand the important of selling attacks. I cannot buy into a match where a guy doesn't sell. It's not natural. If you get superkicked, you go down and stay down for at least a two-count. I enjoy story-telling.
All that being said, every fan will like different styles of wrestling. I like one thing, you might like another. I also like comedy wrestling, something most hardcore fans want burned at the stake. If you've never seen a fully grown man piledrive a hat, you really haven't lived. Hopefully you can find which styles work for you, and which don't.
