Austin Aries: The WWE Missed An Opportunity On A Star
Austin Aries is a name that many will recognize, but the WWE missed out on an opportunity to build him into a star their fans would trust.
With so much professional wrestling going on across the world, it’s important to take a moment and catch action that’s featured outside the WWE. Austin Aries has been at the center of a lot of wrestling since leaving the promotion last year. This week’s spotlight features his performance against Martin Kirby at Defiant Wrestling 11 and his continued rise in other organizations of note.
Aries took the Defiant Wrestling title from Marty Scurll back in December and this match continued the story line heading into Light’s Out later this month. Aries and Kirby had a compelling back and forth match; well-paced over the near twenty minutes as the main event of the evening.
At Chain Reaction, Kirby forced Aries to submit with his very own move, the Last Chancery, and both men exchanged submission holds toward the end of the match. Things would swing in Aries favor when Kirby locked in the maneuver and the bell rung, only to have No Fun Dunne reveal himself as the person that rung the bell.
A brawl would break out between Dunne and Kirby, but that gave Aries the opening needed to finish the match with his brain buster to Last Chancery to retain the title.
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Since leaving the WWE after disagreements in the direction of his career, Aries has been on a tear. He’s won the Defiant Championship, IPW World Title, WSW Heavyweight title, Impact World Title and the Impact Grand Championship. During that time he’s been featured in some compelling bouts against the likes of Brian Cage, Ricochet, and Johnny Impact (John Morrison) across multiple organizations. It will be interesting to see who comes out of the upcoming Magnificent Seven bout with the contract for a title bout and what type of feud that sets up for Aries.
Many believe that the WWE missed an opportunity to truly take advantage of Aries for the two years he was a part of the promotion. His feud with Neville was good, but he had the ability to hang with any person on either brand. His time in organizations like Ring of Honor and TNA (now known as Impact) built Aries into the star that excited fans when his 2016 signing was announced.
In looking at Aries’s run since heading out on his own, one match stands out as a true testament to his skill and what the organization in Connecticut missed out on when they let him walk.
The match with Marty Scurll at Defiant Wrestling #1 is must-see for any Austin Aries fan. This was the organization’s first show since the rebrand that removed the name What Culture Pro Wrestling. Turning the reigns over to Aries, they brought in a wrestler that has shown he can carry a promotion with his larger than life persona. For what Aries “lacks” in size, (billed at 5’9, 202 pounds), he makes up for with a fascinating character.
Much like Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho in their primes, Aries has a bit of a Napoleon complex – he may be small, but he doesn’t see himself as at a disadvantage because of it. His confidence in his ability sets him apart from the pack. This match displays not only his skill, but that which makes Scurll an interesting name on the indie scene as well.
Next: 5 Superstars Who Should Return to WWE
Professional wrestling goes well before the WWE ring ropes. There are promotions of all sizes operating across the United States and the world at large. These weekly highlights will look at some of the top names, events and matches going on within the independent scene; bringing attention to these moments that may be otherwise missed; such as the real greatness that is Austin Aries.