Fresh
Linen Scent: The Clean Sheet Volume 1, Issue 4 by @olskoololfool
Welcome
to the wrestling “newsletter” with #NoDirtHere: only fun, “what-ifs?” and
positives...The Clean Sheet! A rotating
series of mini-features here will highlight all sorts of things in the world of
pro wrestling: people making change in the sport, charity and fund-raising
efforts, trail blazers of the present, a bit of fantasy-booking, my personal
fan experience and much more! So
breathe deeply, relax and inhale the wonderful scent of fresh linen: The Clean
Sheet.
This issue, we have TWO Forward Five interviews (Does that make it a Terrific Ten?) and an idea to replace a beloved fixture of independent wrestling. Let's get to it!
Forward
Five with...Nolan Edward
The Forward Five is a five static question mini-interview asked of those who have been trail blazers, wave makers and agents of change. Nolan Edward definitely falls into the wave makers basket. His buzz-worthy, buzz-deserving match with Angelus Layne for ACTION, his huge Indianapolis weekend at the end of September and his recent win of the 2020 ACTION Futures Tournament proves he can make a splash anywhere he goes. Lucky for us, he’s willing to go just about anywhere as he’s shown up in AIW, Mr. Chainsaw Pro, Paradigm Pro, the aforementioned ACTION, S.U.P. and Unsanctioned Pro to name a few. So without too much further ado and absolutely NO FLINCH, here’s Nolan’s take on the Forward Five.
1. Please sum up your wrestling persona in one
sentence.
Nolan Edward: “Not a persona, unless I’d consider who I am as an individual a ‘persona’. But I needed to just be me as much as possible and that meant in wrestling as well.”
2. What would you like to immediately change in
the world of pro wrestling?
Nolan Edward: “Changing just one thing is hard. I’d wish to change a lot. The one I’d really want to though would be negative feelings towards ‘intergender’ wrestling. Because it’s just wrestling.”
3. What change(s) are you actively pursuing in
the world of pro wrestling?
Nolan Edward: “The main changes I pursue every day is to just make whatever crowd I am in front of forget anything negative for the time I have in front of them. Make them remember wrestling for wrestling.”
4. Who do you think deserves a shout-out or some
praise in the world of pro wrestling?
Nolan Edward: “I have a lot of good brothers and sisters from Canada and Michigan that hit the road with me a lot. And earned their shout-out: Cluckey, Mikey Mana, Dylan Derringer and Mitch Hewitt.”
5. The dreaded and super annoying question #5:
Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
Nolan Edward: “I hope to be wrestling in more areas of the independents, getting to travel the world and experience different cultures through wrestling.”
Give
ME the Book! : Rival Schools: United by Sport
Now
that we are in the throes of Autumn, something seems a bit off as a wrestling
fan. There’s a
hole
in the schedule of what we’re collectively used to, maybe even a hole in our
hearts. Fall
usually
brought us one of the most highly-anticipated events of the year for
Independent
wrestling:
Chikara’s King of Trios. Now, with no Chikara and no tournament to be had, here
in
Give
ME the Book I’d like to propose an alternative. Sure, it’ll take big bags of
human money
and
a suitable, safe location…but dream with me, won’t you?
Rivals
Schools: United by Sport would be a 16-team tournament, ran
over a 3-show weekend.
Invite
16 wrestling schools to send their best to battle, to show up and to show out.
Team make-
ups
of any sort would be strongly encouraged. Want to send your best lady,
aerialist and hoss?
Absolutely!
Students at different stages of development? Sure! A student, an alumnus and a
trainer?
Bring it!
Preferably,
there would be 4 teams representing the simple regions of North, South, East
and
West,
but that wouldn’t have to be an absolute. If we were to go forward with that
structure,
then
here is my list of invited schools.
North:
Black and Brave Academy (IA/IL), Thumper’s Den Wrestling Academy (WI), The
Academy
(MN), Freelance Wrestling Academy (IL)
South:
Funking Conservatory (FL), Flatbacks Wrestling School (FL), Jacobs &
Pritchard
Wrestling
Academy (TN), CRUX Wrestling (TN)
East:
Create A Pro Wrestling Academy (NY), H2O Academy (NJ), Worldwide Dojo (PA),
Monster
Factory (NJ)
West:
Knoxk Pro (CA), Reality of Wrestling (TX), New Japan L.A. Dojo (CA), Future
Stars of
Wrestling
School (NV)
There are many, many other great schools out there and I’m sure I’ve made some glaring omissions. The above list would be my “dream team/first string”, I guess. I also tried to focus on currently active schools, especially those with alumni currently making big waves in the pro wrestling world.
There would be all of the tournament matches, maybe a battle royal on the night of the finals andnumerous other fun bouts throughout the course of this magical destination weekend. The Capcom game-inspired merch for it would be killer and I’d make sure there was a variety of concessions available. Perhaps, a cavalcade of food trucks? None of this where the only option is “juicy hot dogs” nonsense here, nope.
If
there is a promoter who is brave, driven and delusional enough to take on this
concept, you’ll make me a fan for life.
I will swear my allegiance till death and promote your product non-stop.
My lone request is a weekend pass or PPV codes for the inaugural event.
Forward
Five with…Wrestlers' Lab
In
our second Forward Five this issue, we change it up just a bit with the
company/promotion version of the interview.
This one gets filed under “agents of change”. With keen eyes for talent and an open heart
full of love for pro wrestling, Wrestlers' Laboratory has been bringing
“experimental pro wrestling” to the fans for over four years now. The Lab has also adapted quickly to the changing
climate surrounding the business, establishing a solid Code of Conduct for the
promotion in July of this year. Please
feel free to check out that document and learn even more about them at: wrestlerslaboratory.com.
Transparency statement: I (@olskoololfool) have donated to Twitch streams by Wrestlers Lab and to their title belt replacement fund as well.
1. Please sum up your mission/goal in one
sentence.
Wrestlers'
Lab: Our mission is to bring talented, deserving,
and open-minded people together to have fun doing what we all love. No drama.
No B.S. Good hearts and better wrestling.
2. What change would you immediately implement
in the world of pro wrestling?
Wrestlers' Lab: There are so many good answers to this question. Background checks should be required for promoters/trainers. Probably for wrestlers too. Maybe if the process begins at the school level, things will have a chance of changing for those who pursue this dream in the future. Also, to echo our friend Lolo, get women, POC, and LGBTQA+ people in positions of power ASAP.
3. What change(s) are you actively pursuing in
the world of pro wrestling?
Wrestlers' Lab: Better representation and presentation. Get a wide variety of people together and make them look like the stars that they are.
4. Who do you think deserves shout-outs/praise
in the world of pro wrestling?
Wrestlers' Lab: Our friends at Battle Club Pro are some of the most genuinely loving people we know; truly facilitating equality and opportunity every single show. Also, our boy Jocay has done so much for independent wrestling. Our former champ Mr. Grim deserves so much and will definitely get his soon, and our current champ MV Young put more work into two PolyAm Cult Parties than a lot of actual promoters do into a year of shows.
5. The dreaded and super annoying question #5:
Where do you see your brand/company 5 years
from
now?
Wrestlers' Lab: Ha-ha, it's not super annoying. It's actually super simple. We want to survive and do something meaningful. We want to have the reputation of being a fun place to work that ALWAYS, no matter the circumstances, takes care of their talent and crew. We want everyone to feel safe and make memories. If we can be doing that five years from now, we'll be thrilled.
If you have events/fundraisers that you would like to see highlighted in the Good Hands section or are an athlete/company/promotion who would like to take on the Forward Five Interview, please reach out to us at either @olskoololfool on Twitter or by e-mail, olskoololfool@gmail.com