Living the wrestling gamer's dream: The Chris Denker Story

Chris Denker caught my attention when he released an AEW fantasy wrestling show on WWE 2K called Monday Night Madness on his DenkOps channel. I appreciated that he had great commentary skills that were energetic and reactive. In the past year, videos have surfaced of Chris Danger (his ring name) in wrestling attire, walking toward the DPW ring. I had to know how a renowned YouTube wrestling gamer got into the ring with some of the hottest indie talent. I sent him a slew of questions and he happily answered them back.

It was Wrestlemania VI that won over Chris to wrestling. He saw a poster of Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior and was hooked by their match. Since then, he has been inspired by Bret Hart versus Roddy Piper and Kenny Omega versus Bryan Danielson in his journey.

Chris found his love for video games through Super Mario 64, WCW/NWO, WWF No Mercy, and WrestleMania 2000, and it clicked that he needed to combine these passions professionally. Chris recalled being so passionate about streaming wrestling games that he spent a year making a video every day. His videos featured his Chris Danger persona going through career modes in WWE 2K, Wrestling Empire, and AEW: Fight Forever. His reactions to crazy shenanigans happening in the ring would be highly welcomed by wrestling enthusiasts, as it took him only 5-6 years to get 1.6 million subscribers. No doubt, Chris could have had a sweet career as only a YouTube personality, but he felt the itch to take his love of wrestling one step further.

Chris Denker had connections through DPW, an indie promotion started by Anthony Douglas, James Darnell, and Johnny Blud. He said working for them to start up their company was a no-brainer. His first role was a manager named Chris Danger, a role that he loved a lot. He would later call up Shawn Spears and Tyler Breeze (who ran Flatbacks Wrestling School in Florida) to train him to be a real-life wrestler.

The bumps and the falls he had to take to become a real wrestler were brutal. It was the most exhaustion he had ever felt, and he could understand why most people leave training after the first day. He was discouraged, but he didn't quit. It paid off. Now Chris Danger is a bonified wrestler. His first match with Spears will forever be the most memorable match in his career, despite Shawn beating the "s***" out of him, and leaving him with a hole in his arm. Today, Chris is always training to be a better wrestler and he is even trying to incorporate the moves he used in the 2K games. His latest ambition is to keep wrestling until he ends up on TV.

Chris' journey has put him in front of Adam Cole, Shawn Spears, Claudio, Tyler Breeze, and Xavier Woods to name a few. He recently tweeted that he got his first W in the ring. Looking back, Chris owes a debt of gratitude to Spears, Breeze, and the founders of DPW. Without their support, he could have never gotten here.

Chris Denker is an inspiration to anyone who thinks their dreams are out of reach. He took his two favorite hobbies, gaming and wrestling, and worked to become a successful content creator and an indie wrestler. His advice to anyone who wants to follow in his footsteps: "Consistency, period. It won't be perfect. It won't happen overnight. But if you put in the work, and stay locked into what you're trying to achieve, the sky's the limit."

Thank you for the inspiration.

If you want to book Chris Danger for any event, you can email him here: booking@chrisdanger.net