Too Sweet: Inside The Indie Wrestling Revolution
Keith Elliot Greenberg chronicles the rise of independent wrestling.
Independent wrestling is the bread and butter of The Wrestling Estate.
Following the blueprint set by PWPonderings, we’ve established our niche by providing exclusive news, interviews and live event coverage regarding the indie scene. While everyone else scrambles over reporting NXT/AEW ratings, we’ve broken the news on ECWA acquiring WORLD-1 Wrestling, Colin West taking over Synergy Pro Wrestling, the participants for both the 2019 and 2020 Super 8, etc. Our reputation continues to grow, as evidenced by our shout out in the inaugural issue of Monthly Puroresu: “independent news and interviews.”
So, you can imagine how excited I was to read Too Sweet: Inside The Indie Wrestling Revolution. I wasn’t disappointed; it made a four-and-a-half hour flight fly by, even while trapped in a mask.
ECW Press has a stellar track record with pro wrestling books, enlisting the services of true students of the game: Bertrand Hebert and Pat Laprade (The Eighth Wonder of the World), Jon Robinson (Creating the Mania), Greg Oliver and Steven Johnson (The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame series) and more. For the publishing company’s latest project, New York Times best-selling author Keith Elliot Greenberg did the honors. That’s a revered name for longtime wrestling magazine readers – the New York native worked for WWE for over 20 years, writing for the company’s many publications and co-authoring the autobiographies of Freddie Blassie, Ric Flair and “Superstar” Billy Graham.
Being inside the WWE bubble for so long doesn’t hinder Greenberg’s credibility in examining the independent landscape; in fact, he approaches it with fresh eyes, learning about the origin and history of many promotions and relaying that information to the reader. Too Sweet: Inside The Indie Wrestling Revolution is a tremendous introduction to the scene for WWE loyalists, as well as AEW converts unfamiliar with the backstories of all these new characters on their TV: Excalibur, Joey Janela, Marko Stunt, etc.
All In, the impetus for AEW and the benchmark of the revolution, is covered in great detail. While most readers probably know that story, Greenberg weaves in personal anecdotes and fun tidbits, like Tommy Dreamer being the conduit for Nick Aldis vs. Cody and how the latter got into an altercation about his dog not being leashed the night before All In.
However, Too Sweet: Inside The Indie Wrestling Revolution isn’t 294 pages about The Bullet Club and The Elite. Greenberg chronicles the growth of indie wrestling from outlaw promotions infiltrating NWA territories, bringing in former stars to work with local up and comers in high school gyms, to the scene becoming a viable alternative to WWE. One boom period has resulted in another, as pro wrestling’s overwhelming popularity during the Attitude Era inspired a generation of performers to enter the industry, but with nowhere to ply their trade in the wake of WCW and ECW going out of business.
Thus, a gluttony of new promotions overflowing with young, hungry talent rose from the ashes, such as Ring of Honor, CHIKARA and PWG. Each is explored in the book, along with unearthed information such as CM Punk texting Cary Silkin about purchasing ROH. (Silkin wasn’t fond of Punk’s method of communication for talking business, ironically, the same way Punk claims AEW reached out to him.) My favorite chapter deals with CHIKARA, particularly its groundbreaking “shutdown” storyline. Of course, the promotion officially shut down earlier this year due to allegations levied against owner Mike Quackenbush as part of the #SpeakingOut movement.
Greenberg also traces the history of wrestling in the United Kingdom, from the World of Sport era to being scrapped from ITV to the resurgence on the independent level. He doesn’t shy away from concerns regarding WWE disrupting the scene, establishing relationships with PROGRESS and ICW as part of NXT’s international expansion, reminiscent of WWE’s national expansion in the ‘80s.
Primarily a history lesson, Too Sweet: Inside The Indie Wrestling Revolution is filled with underdog stories of athletes and entrepreneurs chasing their dreams. With small businesses suffering right now during the pandemic (Greenberg is currently working on a book about how wrestling has adjusted to COVID-19), the trials and tribulations of these independent promoters really hits home. Yet, their perseverance and ingenuity know no bounds, leaving you inspired to not only chase your own dream, but support them along the way.
Too Sweet: Inside The Indie Wrestling Revolution is available here.
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