There are some things I want you to forget before getting to the main point of this column. Forget the fact that I saw two great wrestlers in the main event of an AAW show Friday night. Forget the title they were fighting for. Forget the attendance. Forget the screwjob finish. All that matters is the two men who stood across from each other in the main event of Defining Moment might be the two best unsigned wrestlers in the country. Silas Young and Colt Cabana should have been able to look into the camera and ask why WWE, TNA, or ROH aren’t putting this same match on their television.
Let’s not pretend these two are game changers who will start printing money by their very appearance. But in era where fresh faces are at a premium and guys who can actually work are in short demand, why are Young and Cabana only allowed to showcase themselves in AAW and other independent wrestling companies. I was originally going to do an entire write-up about Defining Moment, but it occurred to me during the main event that I had a column staring at me right in the face. On the same night when I had to read about a wrestling company bragging about the number of followers they have and the same weekend where I had to read about MIKEY being signed by Ring of Honor, I had to marvel at what AAW was doing.
Young and Cabana didn’t have a main event match you’d see on indy wrestling shows. There weren’t a lot of highspots. Guys didn’t kick out of finishers one million times before someone won. Instead, we got two guys who know how to work taking the crowd on a journey. Young was relentless in not allowing Cabana to perform his usual schtick. Somehow, Cabana found a way throughout the match. Why? Because he’s a babyface. And a true babyface finds a way to do what they do best. In my view, the heels serve a point best when they do everything in their power to foil the babyface but fail. The best part about the Berwyn crowd is their acceptance of Cabana as a fan favorite and disdain for Young.
I can’t say Cabana has always been my favorite wrestler of all time. There are times when he tries too hard to be funny instead of focusing on having a good match, but Cabana has a number of intangibles that should make him an easy sign for someone. Cabana is willing to put people over. See his losing to guys like Archibald Peck in CHIKARA and Tommaso Ciampa in Ring of Honor despite having a far greater reputation than both. Cabana has a gift for gab. He’s the only wrestler to have his own podcast. Hell, he’s one of the few current (if any) athletes to host his own weekly podcast. The podcast has opened up the world of pro wrestling to so many fans. Even if someone can’t afford an indy wrestling DVD, they can still get a tastes for it simply by going to Itunes and downloading The Art of Wrestling. The best example of what Cabana can do was shown back in July and after his title match with Silas Young. The laughter stopped. There weren’t any shenanigans. Instead, Cabana put over Gregory Iron. The first time led to a surprise appearance from CM Punk. The second led to Cabana vowing that Iron would get another title match and would even win the belt to end Young’s reign of terror
in AAW. Iron didn’t need to say a word. Cabana cut the money promo for him…twice. It was as real and well done as Cabana has been in 2011. Part of me wonders why we didn’t see this more often in Ring of Honor.
Ironically, Young is the opposite of Cabana personality wise. Cabana is bombastic, flamboyant, happy, jovial. Young is more stoic and doesn’t allow his personality to come out nearly as much. He’s been able to channel his attitude into a heel persona that gets him legitimate heat in Berwyn. Every month, Young talks about how much he hates the crowd and their behavior at shows. While he doesn’t perform a lot of moves, Young knows exactly how to wrestle a heel style match. Ditch the flashiness and be as big of a jerk as possible. Contrast this match with his Brodie Lee match in DG USA. Because he was in his hometown, Young wrestled as a babyface. He broke out offense I hadn’t seen in years. It was a bit more flashy and fan friendly. Why doesn’t he use some of the dives or flips in AAW? Because he’s a heel and he doesn’t want to make the crowd happy with crowd pleasing moves. Young understands the difference between being a heel and babyface. And here’s the bottom line. Would Young have spent nearly two years in two title reigns as AAW heavyweight champion if he wasn’t over or was a bad wrestler? AAW isn’t the type of company to keep a title on someone for the hell of it.
When I look at the landscape of wrestling, I find myself disturbed by what I see in both WWE and Ring of Honor. Not to say good matches don’t take place in both companies. When you see my top ten matches list, both promotions will be well-represented. It seems to me as though both promotions have boxed themselves in to what they want their talent to look and work like. I’m not going to rehash the arguments that can be found in many other places about what WWE and ROH are now promoting with their wrestling shows. What I do know is that it’s unfortunate that in an era when our lives have become “on-demand”, and we have the choice to watch a wide variety of programming right at our finger tip, that the top wrestling companies emphasize one style or one look. When WWF had its best success in the 1980s and WCW had its success in the late 1990s, it was the variety of matches that made them great. Sure, Hulk Hogan was probably going to walk out with the world title. But there was also a chance to see a number of different performers and body types. In the 80s, it might have been a Jake Roberts, a Roddy Piper, or a Ricky Steamboat. In the late 90s, it might have been the spectacular cruiserweights or the nWo’s takeover. Regardless, it's the variety that made me enjoy those shows so much.
If national companies do not feel guys like Silas Young or Colt Cabana can even have a place in their promotion, then I think that's an indictment of their philosophy. Maybe Cabana nor Young will ever be world champions. Perhaps we shouldn't be looking at these guys as potential Wrestlemania main eventers. But why is it that Ring of Honor won't put them on their television show? Is Mike Mondo that much better, or is it convenient to have him put guys over because he lives in Ohio Valley? And for WWE, is Colt Cabana's lack of muscle definition going to cause blindness to its fans or offend our sensibilities when he beats another superstar? Quite frankly, I think we can handle guys like Silas Young and Colt Cabana on our television. It can't be worse than Mason Ryan, right?
Great article. I find myself wondering about a lot of the things mentioned here too.
you have to remember here that cabana was already in WWE and was treated to what i call “the mcmahon stamp” I.E. changing cabana’s gimmick to scotty goldman. it just wouldnt work
It could work though. Colt is so much better than say Santino and they really did not utilize his comedic timing to full effect. It is really their loss.
Great article, man. I feel like if WWE used him properly, Cabana could be a sensation.