DAVE Under Siege
Daryl Daman, WrestlingCircle.com

Are DAVE On A Downward Spiral?

Sam Strong's takeover of United States Pro Wrestling in August 2006 sent shockwaves throughout wrestling, but may have been most keenly felt in the Tri State area, home of Danger And Violence Extreme. Phil Vibert's promotion was once the talk of the industry, a fast-rising rebel company that was taking on both SWF and TCW despite having a fraction of the resources. The undisputed number three promotion in America, it seemed that little could stop them. However, the newly energised USPW seems to have now taken the number three spot away from them, with ease, and has highlighted the fact that DAVE have been in a serious tailspin for the last two years. What went wrong, and can DAVE recover to reclaim the position of the true alternative to the Big Two?

The Departed

When one looks at the list of major wrestlers who have left the promotion since DAVE's peak in 2003, it is clear to see why the company has begun to struggle.

• Heading the list would be Nemesis, a former four time Unified champion and perhaps the company's most over worker. Nine years of working the hardcore style associated with DAVE had to be a massive factor in his 2006 retirement, as he cited the massive amount of injuries that plagued him as the chief factor in his decision. The silver lining is that at least he remains with the company, using his creative powers in his role as head booker.
• The latest loss, and perhaps the one that has been the biggest psychological blow, was that of Kurt Laramee. The rugged brawler had been a pet project of Phil Vibert, who thought he could turn the rookie into a huge star. He was well on his way to achieving that goal, before Laramee walked out on the promotion to sign a lucrative deal with the Supreme Wrestling Federation. Vibert has publically called him a "traitor", and it is clear that the defection has really stung the DAVE boss.
• The talented Bryan Holmes held the DAVE Unified title for a full year between 2005 and 2006, and brought a lot of class and dignity to the belt. Hugely respected by everyone in DAVE, they were sad to see him go in 2006 when he was offered his dream job of a full-time position with PGHW in Japan.
• Another man who took the trip from DAVE to PGHW was Eisaku Kunomasu. He spent seven years with the Tri State company, and while he never ascended to the position of world champion, he provided so many fantastic matches that he became one of the most important members of the roster. When he returned to Japan, he left a void that was almost impossible to fill.
• Like Kunomasu, Pablo Rodriguez never won the main DAVE title, but was a key ingredient in the midcard mix, providing great matches on a regular basis. His high risk style was a perfect match for the promotion, and it seemed almost inevitable that he would become Unified champion. Sadly for DAVE, Mexican wrestling needed him in 2005, and he left before he could become a headline act.
• "The Icon Of Insanity" Henry Lee may have embodied Danger And Violence Extreme more than any other wrestler, and was one of the most popular wrestlers in the promotion's history. However, after more than a decade with them, it was clear that he was starting to become stale, and in 2006 he left to work in Japan.
• Finally, one of DAVE's most loyal wrestlers, The Wolverine, left the active roster in 2006. Although he didn't go far, just into the position of road agent for the company, his reliable contributions to shows will be missed.

Of course, it should be noted that there was one other major loss during this period, although it didn't involve a specific person. In 2006, DAVE lost their pay-per-view deal, thanks to a slump in ratings. While the financial loss will be keenly felt, it was the prestige value of being on PPV that truly made DAVE the number three promotion in America, and losing that deal has been a really bitter pill to swallow.

The Soon-To-Be-Departed

The high-impact, physically demanding style that DAVE uses is notorious for shortening careers, especially those of workers who are coming to the end of their careers anyway, as Nemesis and The Wolverine will both testify. What may be most worrying to the company is the list of ageing workers on their roster who are already showing the signs of failing physical health. Even the most optimistic fan will not be expecting company figurehead Eric Tyler (46 years old) to be wrestling for much longer, and that will leave an enormous gap in the main event scene. On top of that, Alex Braun, one of the most consistent and reliable wrestlers the company has ever had, is 45 years old and has had more surgeries on his knees than he can count. Surely he will not still be carrying Tank Bradley to tag team success in 2008? Two of DAVE's most loyal soldiers, Johnny Martin (former two time Unified champion) and JD Morgan (former three time Extreme champion), are both clearly suffering from nagging injuries. Both are the wrong side of 35, and must be looking at retirement sooner rather than later. Their departures would rob the midcard of two of its best. Finally, Chris Caulfield is only 32, but his willingness to take crazy bumps must be taking its toll on his body. He has already missed several shows in 2006 due to injury, and the frequency of that is only likely to increase, removing yet another main event star from the scene.

The Future

With DAVE not having the financial power to go out and bring in much new talent, their future will depend a lot on the youngsters who they currently have on the roster. Fortunately they have eight wrestlers in particular, all thirty years of age or younger, who could help turn the company around.

• There are many similarities between Eddie Peak and Big Cat Brandon; both were groomed for success via the tag team ranks, both are large, powerful thirty year olds whose styles fit in well with the DAVE environment, and both have already been elevated to the main event scene in the latter stages of 2006. The immediate future of DAVE lies in their hands, and the on-screen rivalry that has built between them should be the one that delivers big time in 2007.
• The New Wave, Guide and Scout, are probably the best tag team in DAVE right now, having held the tag team titles on three occasions. What has become increasingly clear is that both men are being positioned for eventual singles runs, and that both have enough potential that they could be future Unified champions.
• Some have pointed to Sammy Bach of Adrenaline Rush as one of the brightest young stars not just in DAVE, but all of American wrestling. While his size may raise some questions, as he is a lot smaller than most on the roster, his skills, charisma and look are top class. He has not really been tested as a singles wrestler in DAVE, so it will be interesting to see if he works more solo matches in 2007.
• Acid has been with the company for just over two years now, and through sheer match quality has worked his way up from the opening match position to credible threat to the Unified title. Like Bach, his size is the only thing that seems likely to be able to hold him back.
• Last come DAVE's most recent two signings, Jack Giedroyc and Joey Minnesota. Jack became an instant hit with the fans from the moment of his debut in 2006, and has already been positioned as the company's secondary champion. The talented Brit seems to have all the tools to be a major force in the future. Minnesota was probably DAVE's biggest recent coup, as they stole him out from under the noses of NYCW after he became unhappy with company politics. At just 24, he is already an established name in the US, having headlined NYCW events for a couple of years. He is clearly someone who can handle the pressure of carrying a company, and it seems crazy to suggest that he won't be in the main event scene of DAVE very soon.

What's Next?

DAVE are clearly a promotion in transition. Normally the process of one generation of stars handing over to the next is a slow process, taking years. Perhaps the reason DAVE have struggled recently is that the process seems accelerated in their case; in a very short period of time they have either lost, or are about to lose, the vast majority of the main event scene that have carried the company for so long (Nemesis, Tyler, Lee, Caulfield, Holmes, Martin, etc). Establishing a new set of main eventers is clearly taking time; not because they don't have the talent available to them, but because the fans have not yet accepted the passing of the torch from the old to the new. If Vibert and Nemesis can successfully create a new set of vibrant headliners, centering around men like Peak and Brandon, DAVE should have no trouble at all in mounting a challenge to USPW for the right to be called the number three promotion in America.