BOOK REVIEW: “Too Sweet: Inside the Indie Revolution”
By: Brandon Sears
Keith Elliott Greenberg is no stranger to professional wrestling having written articles for WWE magazine, co-authoring the third edition of the WWE Encyclopedia as well as writing the canceled autobiography of The Iron Sheik. Now, Greenberg turns to the world of independent wrestling, a once fledgling industry that has since turned into the driving force behind upstart AEW and many of the current crop of top-tier performers you see on a national stage today.
Before getting into the modern era, Greenberg briefly explores the territorial system prior to WWF and WCW becoming the top dogs. Following WCW’s collapse, the road had been cleared for several start-ups to try and fill the massive gap left open for a new number two promotion. While NWA-TNA and Ring of Honor worked hard to take that spot, small pockets of indie wrestling would develop all over North America. Greenberg sheds a light on a potential ECW replacement in the blood and guts driven promotion, CZW (Combat Zone Wrestling) as well as Quebec-based group IWS – a promotion that would bring about the rise of El Generico (Sami Zayn) and Kevin Steen (Owens).
Greenberg also explores what former manager and all-around wrestling historian Jim Cornette would deem “outlaw” promotions. These rogue shows would be put together largely by self-taught dreamers scraping together the bare minimum to entertain a few hundred people in their backyards. Despite the incredible danger associated with these events, crowds would eat it up.
The book is basically a potpourri of independent wrestling that at times almost feels like a travelogue. Greenberg attends a variety of independent shows and training facilities in an attempt to cast as large a net as possible in an effort to cover as many promotions as possible. In doing so, he isn’t getting overly in-depth on any one organization, which I think is beneficial to the overall scope of the book. One of my favorite moments has Greenberg sitting down with CHIKARA founder Mike Quackenbush as he discusses his life-long love of wrestling and the infamous 2013 “ashes project” where the company would go dark for nearly a year; an event three years in the making. There’s a great throwaway joke where Quackenbush tells of a manager in an indie in the northeast US named “Cripple H” who accompanies his wrestlers in a wheelchair.
Greenberg also explores the ripple effect caused by PWG (Pro Wrestling Guerrilla) and how the “So-Cal style” has completely influenced modern wrestling with PWG’s most well-known performers going on to work in NXT and AEW. It’s a good profile of their business model looking at their reason to stay at the small venue for as long as possible as well as stubbornly sticking to their DVD/Blu Ray release schedule.
There’s also a lengthy portion dedicated to the promotion of GCW – one of the most popular promotions to run shows during WrestleMania weekend. By attaching popular indie names like Joey Janela, Nick Gage, Orange Cassidy, and Matt Riddle, they were able to build a variety of show styles under the one banner. Greenberg speaks with GCW owner Brett Lauderdale discussing the decision to run shoulder shows surrounding WrestleMania and their rivalry with the aforementioned CZW.
The bulk of the last quarter of the book delves into the bet that led to All Out and the subsequent formation of AEW due to the groundwork laid by The Elite and their time in New Japan. Time is given to AEW owner Tony Khan and his background as a wrestling fan leading to how he hooked up with The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, and Cody Rhodes.
For an overview of the rise of independent wrestling in the last decade or so, I thought Greenberg did a good job exploring the need for alternatives to WWE and the passionate fanbase that fuels them. It’s as up-to-date as you can expect with Greenberg mentioning the current pandemic in the epilogue. There’s a fair amount I haven’t touched on in my review but I would recommend checking it out for yourself when it’s released in September 2020.
Too Sweet: Inside the Indie Wrestling Revolution by Keith Elliot Greenberg is available beginning Tuesday, September 1st through ECW Press.
