Four-time SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos were born in San Francisco, California and are the twin sons of WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi.

Some of which we were aware of at the time, others who are still major stars in wrestling 20 years later. It's still not too late to get your tickets here. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, The Story of the AEW World Title Has Officially Changed, UnHeralded: Anarchy in the Arena (May 29, 2022), Dragon Gate Glorious Gate (March 2) Review, Survivor Series Retro: WWE Survivor Series 1988, Impact Wrestling Emergence Night 1 (August 18) Results & Review, Legal Maneuvers: Daniel Bryan and Freezing WWE Contracts. Have a news tip or correction? Good physique and upper body strength make him extremely dangerous. (Australian TV series) participants, Cal State Los Angeles Golden Eagles men's track and field athletes, Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in California. Fonz is only a few matches into his career, but hes already picked up bookings all over lower-level Bay Area indies including Takedown Pro in Berkeley, Southbay Championship Wrestling in San Jose, and Stars Of Wrestling in Alameda. Send it to [emailprotected], Chris Jericho Reveals He Was Injured In AEW Dynamite Main Event, Explanation For Buddy Matthews Recently Being Off AEW Television, Cody Rhodes Teases His Next WWE Moment Of The Year, Former TNA World Champion And More Announced For Ric Flairs Last Match, Athena Reveals She And WWE Got Close To Major Character Change, Impact Wrestling Live Coverage (07/21) #1 Contenders Match, X-Division Championship Match, Terminus 3 (7/21) Live Coverage ROH Champion Jonathan Gresham Faces Konosuke Takeshita, Nikki Bella Opens Up About Traumatizing Break Up With John Cena, ROH Death Before Dishonor Live Coverage This Saturday, Edge Reportedly Bringing Back Old Gimmick For WWE Comeback, Amanda Huber Addresses Allegations AEW Is Exploiting Negative One, Chris Jericho Says WWE HOFer Was Terrible To Work With. The greatest independent wrestler of all time.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'socaluncensored_com-leader-1','ezslot_18',115,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-socaluncensored_com-leader-1-0')}; 11. A high-flyer with abundant ring savvy, Daniels could make an impact in one of the major promotions some day. Dick Danger EWF -.27. Ugly as sin. Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Ghetto Boy John Black EWF . Gary Krusher Key EWF Former mainstay in the now-defunct Bay Area Wrestling, Key is a powerhouse who now works mostly in San Bernadino for EWF but occasionally appears for T. C. Martins NWC out of Las Vegas. Santino Bros. Wrestling Academy Fonz is a huge guy who has tons of charisma and presence, and a good look. Con the Rocker Logan Kane BTW 23. Cleveland will mark the 25-year-olds fifth NFL destination since being drafted in 2018. Irish Assassin is what Mick Tierney wrestled as when he was in Southern California. A list of pro-wrestling and MMA events happening throughout Southern California. While the WWE will be making its debut in San Francisco, here are some superstars with ties to the Bay Area. The following 157 pages are in this category, out of 157 total. That was fun to read. Leprechaun Erin OGrady APW Former APW Junior Heavyweight Champion, OGrady is another high-flier but hes got the strength of a man twice his size.

My teammates refer to him as Diablo. Suicide Machine Donovan Morgan APW 14. You have to run everything by WWE, says Guerrero. Another thing that really stands out to me is how many of the wrestlers on this list had pretty much stopped wrestling by the year 2001 or so. Even further, WWE often exercises a right to control its performers actions outside of the WWE product.

Notorious for bitingand chewing on opponents feet. Jeff Lindberg SWF . She doesnt have the charisma of a Jordan Blu, but is a more natural in-ring worker in my opinion. A young Kid Kaos stole the show athletically, and Lucky Pierre was a truly memorable gimmick. The body passedand Governor Gavin Newsome signed into law Wednesdaya bill more strictly defining what makes a laborer an independent contractor rather than an employee. FIST Combat Lucha Va Voom Have never really been a fan of that style. The question isnt what type of wrestler she is, or what kind of potential she has, but can her body withstand the physicality of professional wrestling. In July the law firm Greenberg Traurig registered to lobby on WWEs behalf in California, perhaps indicating a plan to fight for one of the bills exemptions. Most of these people have little to no footage, so Ill be linking their social media. From wrestling boots to wrestling DVDs, wrestling action figures to title belts.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'socaluncensored_com-large-billboard-2','ezslot_7',107,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-socaluncensored_com-large-billboard-2-0')};if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'socaluncensored_com-large-billboard-2','ezslot_8',107,'0','1'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-socaluncensored_com-large-billboard-2-0_1')};if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'socaluncensored_com-large-billboard-2','ezslot_9',107,'0','2'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-socaluncensored_com-large-billboard-2-0_2')};if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'socaluncensored_com-large-billboard-2','ezslot_10',107,'0','3'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-socaluncensored_com-large-billboard-2-0_3')}; .large-billboard-2-multi-107{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:3px !important;margin-left:0px !important;margin-right:0px !important;margin-top:3px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:250px;min-width:300px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}, Alternative Wrestling Show Enter your email address to subscribe to SCU and receive notifications of new posts by email. 47. Teams regularly with veteran Louie Spicoli. WWEs website lists three upcoming shows in the state, all in October, when the bill would not yet be in effect. However, the show never materialized. I cant remember ever seeing a bad match from him.

Once a favorite of adults and children alike, OGrady has become more and more aggressive since losing his title to Chris Cole. The reality is at this point there are way more questions than answers. Tyrone Tiny Little SWF 45. ET is a guy I used to see working ring crew at APW shows in 2019, and was set to debut right before the COVID shutdown as the emo King Nothing. During the time off Thomas ditched the idea of becoming King Nothing, put on some weight, and went in a completely different direction both character and style-wise. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Professional_wrestlers_from_California&oldid=951008198, Template Category TOC via CatAutoTOC on category with 101200 pages, CatAutoTOC generates standard Category TOC, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 15 April 2020, at 00:44. Amigo Diablo Valdez SWF . More recently Lars Sullivan was fined $100,000 for bigoted internet message board comments dating back to before he signed with WWE. Photo courtesy of Kimber Lasskick, 5 Facts About WWE Superstars with Bay Area Ties, Fri, Jul 22 Maxx Justice Mike Diamond APW6. A direct legal challenge to WWEs independent contractor classification by a trio of former wrestlers was dismissed by a Connecticut court in 2009, which in its dismissal cited WWE contracts own definition of the workers status as part of its justification. ET is very much inspired by Fit Finlay, and works in a methodical style based on grounding his opponents and making his matches feel like a struggle. Cheema is still very green, but at 19 years old and switching from the East Bay Pro academy to the West Coast Pro, Cheema is on the rise, and I wouldnt be shocked if he makes his West Coast Pro debut in the coming months. Cerberus 666 ISW 43. Super Diablo BTW 26. Tim Patterson wrestled all over the world, and I remember he showed up on seemingly every FMW tape I got for a while. Its key to doing so in this case may lie in Section 13 of its standardbookingcontract, which contains the following two clauses (emphasis added): It is this so-called forum selection clause that has in the past allowed WWE to maneuver legal disputes from courts in other statesincluding Californiato that of the companys home base, where rulings have generally been in its favor. When I first started following independent wrestling in Southern California, there were two names who were always brought up as being the best wrestler in the state. 1st SoCal Indy show I went to was in 99/00. West Side Playa Jay Smooth APW 36. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Millennium Pro Wrestling Punishments can vary widely. As much as McMahon transformed the business, including signing wrestlers to exclusive agreements, worker classification was one relic he deliberately preserved. And thanks for remembering me Jake and telling me about this. Hombre De Oro SWF . My friends and I used to fight traffic for 2-3 hrs on Friday nights just to make them. Maverick Pro Another wrestler that left us too soon. Jason Styles BTW 50. Chris Cole APW 8. WWE Monday Night Raw and WWE Smackdown LIVE will be coming to San Francisco for the first time ever in a two-night event at Chase Center on September 23rd and 24th. (Notably, WWE failed to steer Owen Harts wrongful death suit out of Missouri courts.) To PWRs credit, both Viento and El Cucuy have been moved up the card and have gotten the opportunity to wrestle big-name luchadors like Rey Horus, Lince Dorado, and Dragon Lee. Shane Hanson regularly posted California wrestling news on RSPW, but it was his post dated June 26, 1997, that caught my attention. Tiny but mighty as her ring introduction goes, Mayra is the smallest wrestler on my list, making her a natural underdog babyface. The one promotion with potential in Reno is Legacy Pro, which ironically has the same problem that has plagued NorCal for as long as the indies have been a thing, they have virtually no social media presence and their shows dont make tape. Naybah Hood Tech Nine AIWA . A performer who does not comply with a WWE mandate could find themselves featured less prominently on the television shows or not at all, or be portrayed in a hapless and embarrassing way that could impact their earning potential even after they leave the company. Although WCW sold out The Forum several times in 1998 and 1999, no pro wrestling show has particularly drawn big at the venue since then. It felt like every show for a while had The Naybah Hoodz vs Supreme Kaos. Cheema is a monster of a man, standing 64 and weighing over 300 pounds. High-flying style works well for him against larger opposition. I remember Cincinatti Red(surprised he wasnt on this list) Jason Allgood, Ryan Mcbane, and Johnny Hemp were on the show. Spicoli has competed in Mexico (as Madonnas Boyfriend), Japan, all over the U. S. including the WWF where he was known as Rad Radford. So, it was an honor. The Unholy ISW 48. This time Im digging deep into the smallest shows in Northern California. The Iceman John Black was one of my favorite wrestlers to watch in the early 2000s. More directly, performers can be fined for actions both in and out of the ring. Professional wrestlers from the U.S. state of California. Im glad that occasionally a gem like this top 50 ranking can be found.

Cowboy Frank Murdoch APW 12. Sadly he died in early 1998. Lil Haystacks EWF 17. professional wrestling valet, semi-retired professional wrestler, ring announcer, former model, and singer, Professional wrestler; actor; American football player, Angelina Roadrunners men's basketball players, Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling, ECW Heavyweight Champions/ECW World Heavyweight Champions, NWA/WCW/WWE United States Heavyweight Champions, I'm a CelebrityGet Me Out of Here! Should these new rules prove insurmountable, a precedent exists of WWE previously skipping states like New Jersey and Oregon for years in response to local regulations. What she has going for her is a really good lookif you told me shes related to Carmella, I might believe youcharisma, and a bubbly personality. Big Joe Applebaumer BTW , 28. His success really inspired a lot of other wrestlers in the region, especially ones without great physiques, as it showed they had a chance to make it big. But that is an option the company has fought back against whenever presented. At first glance, Pro Wrestling Revolution is your typical lucha promotion that draws a shocking amount of fans despite never having any real buzz. That team didnt last very long. Suicide Kid EWF At only 16 years old, this youngster is already making a name for himself in the Southern California area. One need look no further than WWEs own self-produced documentaries or any number of interviews to see the great extent to which WWE indeed controls where, when, and how performances on its shows will be done. In May, Takedown Pro ran their debut show at a brewery in Berkeley, even with several people in the crowd properly wasted, it was still a family-friendly show with simple wrestling, the kind of show I actively avoid. 34. Amazing Zu the Gargoyle SWF Self-described Most DisgustingWrestling in the World. Actually made it into the Pro WrestlingIllustrated annual top 500 wrestlers in the world. Of everybody on this list, Torres is the most polished, the most crisp, and the most dynamic. Gigolo Steve Rizzono APW 18. I was elected to the New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011. As Durant tries to get out of Brooklyn, Golden State general manager Bob Myers assesses his roster: I like our team.. Sign up to be notified about tickets for this and similar events at Chase Center. He did a bunch of crazy deathmatches in Freddy Valentines ACW (hes actually on the cover of ACWs DVD along with Terry Funk). West Side Playa Kuame Kamoze APW 29. As I mentioned earlier, by 1998, Christopher Daniels and Mike Modest were the consensus two best wrestlers in the state. Ghetto Boy Johnny Love EWF 38. (McMahon later testified that his source was Hulk Hogan.) Carlos Sainz saw his Austrian Grand Prix run come to a fiery end, marking his fourth DNF in 11 races. Indeed, WWEs standard contracts include a provision that performers looking "to participate in Other Appearances in the entertainment industry may do so only subject to and conditioned upon [WWE's] express, written approval. When Guerrero asked, he says, he was told by the company not to film the part. Hollywood Blonde Tim Patterson EWF . According to Fightful Select, AEW had considered The Forum as a venue for the Double or Nothing pay-per-view on May 29, before finalizing on the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. Raw Womens Champion Becky Lynch was the first WWE superstar to get an intimate glimpse of Chase Center when she visited the site in March of 2019. In the 80s Jesse Ventura, who more than a decade later would serve as governor of Minnesota, famously tried to unionize his fellow wrestlers before WrestleMania II, in 1986, but had his efforts thwarted after plans were leaked to management. Mad Mosher Boom Boom Comini APW 25. He did sign with WCW but then was released when WWF bought them. COPYRIGHT 2001-2020 | SoCalUncensored.com. The Extra-Terrestrial jokes, and more importantly, can become even more violent and aggressive with his holds, ET can be a big part of this scenes future. And while there is really NOTHING easy about being a pro wrestler (indy or otherwise), I do believe the business has changed to the point that there has never been a more likely time for indy talent to get a national tv gig in either the WWE/NXT AEW, ROH, or IMPACT Wrestling. Way before winning the Universal Championship, Seth Rollins dreamed of becoming a professional football player and idolized San Francisco 49ers legend Jerry Rice. Those IWC shows were loaded with talent! Talking about someone being before their time, Mikey Henderson, the Suicide Kid, would be a star if he was wrestling in this era. (Those currently include medical professionals, engineers, and commercial fishermen, among others.) What does that mean for WWE wrestlers? Last November at Young Lions Cup there were two Nevada wrestlers who stood above the rest, Nic Zander from Las Vegas(who I wont be talking about, but is someone you should keep an eye on), and Christopher Torres from Reno. He is probably best known now for being featured in Beyond the Mat, but he was such a great wrestler. One of the best independent wrestlers there ever was. All Rights Reserved. West Side Shooter Tony Jones APW 22. Over the past year or so a couple of students, Viento and El Cucuy, have really separated themselves from the pack and have started wrestling in other promotions including West Coast Prowhere they, unfortunately, spent the entire match selling for Mr. Iguanas stuffed animal. Venue Wrestling Entertainment. (Similar questions exist to a lesser extent for the newly launched All Elite Wrestling, which thus far has not announced any shows in California and which classifies many of its most prominent wrestlers as employees due to their holding backstage positions with the company. One of the bright spots was a kidliterally, this was days before his high school graduationnamed Dom Cirrus who stole the show. For what its worth, the story going around the wrestling world is that the show will be held at The Forum in Inglewood, CA. As noted earlier, in addition to the PPV, AEW will be taping episodes of Dynamite and Rampage in Las Vegas in May. He got into MMA early and was a big fan of shoot-style. Northern Nevada isnt exactly a wrestling hotbed, forcing talent to work in the Bay Area and Sacramento on a regular basis. EWF put Bradley in their Hall of Fame in 1996.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'socaluncensored_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_15',113,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-socaluncensored_com-large-leaderboard-2-0')}; 9. Not sure who this was, but Shane Hansons description is hilarious. Dom is still very young, very short(cant be more than 55), and very green. (As offensive as Sullivans comments were, it is hard to imagine more traditional independent contractors, such as plumbers and carpenters, being legally fined by clients over what they once wrote on Bodybuilding.com.). 49. Dinner Banquet: 6pm to 9:30pm, There are many past coaches, officials, athletes and supporters of wrestling who should be, The mission of the California Wrestling Hall of Fame shall be to recognize those individuals and groups who, because, Copyright 2022 California Wrestling Hall of Fame. Hawkeye Shane Kody BTW 30. New Japan Pro Wrestling 1. This is a wrestler who was Rob Van Dams tag-team partner, wrestled in All Japan, and wrestled Jim Neidhart at the World Wrestling Peace Festival in 1996. After talking to him after show he told me it was only his fifth career match, which was shocking given how polished he was and how he had the crowd the palm of his hand with his flying and natural babyface charisma. I remember seeing Frankie Kazarian, B-Boy, The Havana Pitbulls and Pinoy Boy(TJP). WWE hasnt run a show in the building since. He is built like Gary Albright, and wrestles like him too, with an offense built around suplex variations, Cheema easily overpowers his opponents. Handsome Jack Stud AIWA . Thus after the California bills passage alarm bells soon started sounding among wrestling fans and industry observers. I never actually saw him on an independent show though. Panthers head coach rips former assistant, now at Nebraska, for failure to run the ball effectively. Knokx Pro Entertainment I highly recommend reading his original rankings, which are linked in this article, for his complete thoughts. 13. Just too many top guys and international talent sticking around at the top. Back in the 1990s, Usenet groups along with AOL boards were the social media of their time, before they were eventually diminished by message boards and eventually modern social media. Ironically my first indy show was also in late 1998, the night before Survivor Series 98, when a friend of mine (Prodigy former UPW star) made his pro wrestling debut. And rec.sport.pro-wrestling (RSPW) had the largest audience in the early wrestling internet. Actually I moved to Boston in 1997 and made some appearances in Socal from 2000-2002, but New England was my primary home base until 2006 and I then pretty much called it quits as an in-ring performer. Modest is the top heel in Haywards All Pro Wrestling and will most likely remain the main man until he gets picked up by one of the major promotions. Irish Assassin EWF . Vic Grimes was great. Modest and Christopher Daniels. Even with the lack of promotions, there is some pretty solid talent. I was surprised that Dynamite D, Supreme, and Primetime Peterson didnt make the list. Though, its possible all three didnt hit their strides till later. Reception: 4pm to 5:30pm In it, he ranked the top 50 wrestlers in California.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'socaluncensored_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_12',114,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-socaluncensored_com-medrectangle-3-0')}; While I started attending independent pro-wrestling events in Southern California in late 1998, all of the names he listed were familiar to me, and this list really took me back to that late 1990s era, which was different, but in a lot of ways the same.