Throughout professional wrestling history, particularly on the independent circuit, there were times when signature events played an influential role on the sport and the domino effect can be profound. The west coast’s All Pro Wrestling group held the King of The Indies tournament in 2001, which sparked the idea that led to the creation of Ring Of Honor, a league that provided a blue print for much of the the style that is seen on national television today. The ECWA Super 8 tournament was an annual favorite of pro wrestling magazines when print pages could still be found at the news stand, and the platform served as a way for talent to be discovered at a time when the internet didn’t provide instant access to the hidden gems of the grappling arts.
For Pittsburgh, a region that is known almost as much for its wrestling as the steel it once produced, the standout tournament of not only the area itself, but arguably the entire east coast, is the Super Indy tournament, an event that has nearly a quarter century of history behind it, with some of the most impactful names of that time span as participants at the event.
The Super Indy tournament is hosted by the International Wrestling Cartel, a group initially founded by longtime veteran Bubba The Bulldog in 2001 before it was promoted very successful for several years under Norm Connors, who is considered the godfather of the Pittsburgh scene, organizing events as far back as 1994 under the Steel City Wrestling banner. Ownership changed over the years, but Justin Plummer has run the organization for a decade, maintaining its reputation as one of the most well-known and established groups on the indies.
The Super Indy championship, the belt awarded to the winner of the eight-man tournament each year and defended afterwards, was created to capitalize on the emerging style of the early-2000s, as a generation of young, energetic wrestlers helped define the next chapter of the industry after the consolidation of the national organizations of the previous era. Names like AJ Styles, Chris Sabin, Christopher Daniels, CM Punk, and Low Ki mixed it up with a line-up of stellar local talent like John McChesney, Super Hentai, Glenn Spectre, CJ Sensation, and Troy Lords to generate a hype around the event in its early years.
“When I think of the word legacy in the Super Indy Tournament, I think of names like AJ Styles, CM Punk, Chris Hero, Christopher Daniels and many more. I am grateful that I was a participant in the Inaugural IWC Super Indy Tournament, and it elevated my career to a place unimaginable. I can’t wait to see Saturday October 5th at Marx’s Court Time in Elizabeth, PA to see who etches their name into the Mount Rushmore of indy wrestling and becomes the 23rd winner of IWC’s Super Indy,” said CJ Sensation, who competed against Low Ki in a first round match up in 2002.
More recently, competitors like Adam Cole, Johnathan Gresham, and Josh Alexander, Brian Pillman Jr., and Lee Moriarty have provided highlights for the Super Indy tournament during the past few years. That’s one of the many reasons that the Super Indy concept is so well-regarded and the event itself creates such anticipation, because many of the participants and winners in the past have went on to make a noticeable impact on the national scene.
This year’s line-up is no different as it takes the cream of the crop of the Pittsburgh circuit and blends it with stellar talent from outside the area to allow for a truly unique presentation.
With a special wrinkle thrown into the brackets, IWC owner Justin Plummer announced that a ninth competitor was added to the field so one of the opening round matches will be a triple threat match. Among the field this year, upcoming grapples, established stars, and even a lucha legend will participant in the tournament to find out who will leave the Court Time Sports Center with one of the most prestigious titles in the history of Pittsburgh professional wrestling, the Super Indy championship.
Ganon Jones Jr., a big man with incredible agility and athleticism, is the current Super Indy champion. Breaking into the sport just over a decade ago, Ganon climbed the ranks from smaller cards earlier in his career to become one of the best performers in the steel city today through consistent high quality matches. He looks to maintain his status throughout the Super Indy tournament this Saturday. Someone that might take a similar path as Ganon Jones is the talented upstart, Canaan Kristopher. Less than a two-year pro, Kristopher is a puppy with big paws so to speak, as he has all the physical gifts to find success in the squared circle to became a major star. With impressive height, speed, and agility, it appears that it’s just a matter of time before Canaan Kristopher is the next breakout star from a talent group of newer talent in the region. Could Super Indy be the platform for Kristopher to have a career-defining journey through the tournament? Someone already on pace to make a splash in the tournament is Zach Nystrom, a five-year pro that is regarded as a true natural inside the ring ropes and a former IWC tag team champion. Similar to many of his peers in the brackets, Nystrom checks all of the boxes of a top-tier competitor, which indications the high level of match quality expected throughout the tournament.
Another grappler that could be described as a puppy with big paws is Sam Holloway, a former collegiate football player from the Buckeye state that can move at a pace that you wouldn’t expect from someone of his size. Originally a student of the Absolute Intense Wrestling training academy, Holloway’s explosive power and dynamic offense have made him a commodity on the independent circuit. With only three years of experience, Holloway’s best years are still ahead of him, but similar to some of his potential opponents in the tournament, Holloway could boost his profile considerably if he captures the Super Indy championship. While Sam Holloway is relatively new to the IWC scene, Andrew Palace is on the other end of the spectrum in terms of his tenure in the International Wrestling Cartel. Palace made his debut in the sport under the IWC banner more than 12 years ago and has been one of the most consistent and most quality performers that the organization has had throughout that time span. With an energetic and fast-paced style, Palace suits the Super Indy division very well. Already a former IWC Heavyweight champion and Super Indy champion previously, Palace looks to add another chapter to his already accomplished career. Another competitor that broke into the sport with the IWC was Elias, the former WWE star that returned to his old stomping grounds under the name of Elijah. However, before the world knew him as Elias, the IWC fans knew him for many years as Logan Shulo. Before he was on national television or appeared at Wrestlemania, he had a reign as IWC champion so it would be apropos if he finds championship success again in IWC to kickoff the next portion of his career.
Major League Wrestling star, Richard Holiday makes his IWC debut as he enters the tournament. Holiday, an accomplished pro for several years, was invited to join the field because of his impressive resume previously. The 31-year-old wrestler also showed a tremendous amount of courage when he battled Hodgkin’s Lymphoma a few years ago. Thankfully, Holiday emerged healthy and continues his successful tenure on the independent scene. He could make himself a force in the Pittsburgh area in one night with an impressive run at the Super Indy event. Beef, who made a splash after a solid match against Roderick Strong on an episode of AEW Rampage earlier this month, is another outside talent that could make a major impact in the area in one night with success at Super Indy. Another performer that will make his IWC debut is definitely not an upstart or an aspiring hopeful in the business. Instead, he’s a lucha libre legend with more than 30 years in the industry. Juventud Guerrera started wrestling before some of his fellow participants were event born and this Saturday, he has a chance to prove that he can still compete with the young lions of the sport. Known as “The Juice,” Juvi originally made a name for himself in the United States when he was in his very early-20s in World Championship Wrestling,winning the Cruiser Weight championship on three different occasions.
“Super Indy was created to showcase what guys from Pittsburgh could do. Starting off with Orion, CJ Sensation, and Super Hentai of Super Indy 1 to Palace, Christopher, Holloway, Ganon, and Nystrom in 2024. The tournament in 2002 let the indy wrestling world know Pittsburgh had talent that was right up there with more established names. It still does that today,” said BC Steele, color analyst for the IWC broadcast team.
The possibilities for the field in the tournament this Saturday allow for some very intriguing possibility in terms of the results of who walks out of the building with the championship. Will IWC alumni, Elijah have a full circle moment and claim IWC gold again? Could Nystrom or Holloway use this platform as a break out moment for their career? What in the world happens if Juvi claims the title? One thing is for sure, another chapter of Pittsburgh wrestling history will be written this Saturday for the 23rd edition the Super Indy tournament.
For more information about Super Indy, you can go to iwcwrestling.com
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Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
E mail [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @jimlamotta89
