|
| Article: |
Author |
| Indy-pendent Contractors |
Luke Dormehl |
Will WWE make proper use of its recently signed RoH talent?
The announcements that Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuinness had signed contracts with World Wrestling Entertainment (on 23 August and 4 September respectively) sharply divided fans. Depending on who you ask, the news either represents the end of two brilliant wrestling talents, no longer able to wrestle the kind of sixty minute classics in front of rabid the Ring Of Honor audience with which they made their name, or – at long last – justice prevailing in the world of pro wrestling, as two of the best men in the business finally get recognised by the biggest promotion in the world.
Of course, if you haven’t heard of Bryan Danielson or Nigel McGuinness, don’t worry… you soon will have. Having wrestled in Japan, Europe, Mexico and the United States, Danielson – who fans have nicknamed ‘The Best In The World’ – is quite something to behold in the ring. He’s a brilliant technician who wrestles a hybrid style combining stiff King’s Road, catch-as-catch-can, chain wrestling, American style and – his own contribution – a hefty dose of MMA influenced strikes, ground-and-pound and submissions. McGuinness, on the other hand, describes himself as “a punk rock soccer hooligan… Billy Idol meets Johnny Saint” and wrestles like a cross between the aforementioned ‘Man of a Thousand Holds’ and Pro Wrestling Noah’s Kenta Kobashi. And between them, they’ve played a part in some of the indy scene’s greatest matches this decade.
Bryan Danielson, just 28 years old, unsurprisingly grew up a fan of professional wrestling. After competing in backyard wrestling during his high school years, he enrolled in Shawn Michael’s Texas Wrestling Academy training school where he was one of the standouts. Uncharacteristically for WWE, the then-unsigned Bryan Danielson was even given a mention in Michaels’ 2005 autobiography, Heartbreak And Triumph. “We enrolled twelve students in our first,” Michaels wrote. “Two of our students ended up wrestling for WWE: Garrison Cade and Brian ‘Spanky’ Kendrick. A third, Bryan Danielson, has worked in Japan and may yet come to WWE. Those three were head and shoulders above the rest of class…”
For the rest of this feature, check out issue 46 of FSM - available at WH Smith and all good retailers. (For US readers we are now carried at Borders and Barnes & Noble, so check for local availability or click here to subscribe.)
Back to Articles Menu |
 |
|
