Name: Mike Durian
Age: 27
Location: Ohio
What Federation do you see the most shows from?
CIWIndy
When did you become a fan of wrestling?
It was years ago... I remember watching some of the greats like Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, Rowdy "Roddy"
Piper, Macho Man Randy Savage, The Honky Tonk Man, The Bushwackers among numerous others. Then, I lost interest in the WWF for several years. Then, one day I caught an episode & saw The Rock & became hooked yet again. So I
got into wrestlers like The Rock, Triple H, Kurt Angle, The Undertaker, & Lita among several others. I just know that I've been a fan of wrestling onand off for many, many years!
What is the most impressive wrestling move you have seen?
Not sure as I've seen so many great moves!
How many shows do you see per year?
Thats a good question since I stopped counting & I really got into the whole independent wrestling circuit and gave up on the WWE. At least till LITA returns!
Who are some of your favorite people to see wrestle?
Lita (my favorite), The Rock, Victoria, Molly Holly, Victoria, Trish Stratus, The Undertaker, Triple H, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Rey Mysterio...
What federations are your favorite Indy Feds?
CIWIndy www.geocities.com/ciwindy + ICW www.icwindy.com are both my current favs and both are based out of Indiana.
What led you to become a fan of Indy wrestling?
I got into the whole independent wrestling thing one day by seeing a documentary on a fed called the UPW. It documented what went on there & showcased some of their wrestlers. I remember seeing one of their wrestlers
on that documentary, Jenny "Looney" Lane was her name, and decided to look her up on the net. I next found her website & then shortly after that found this website
dedicated entirely to the lady wrestlers of the indy circuit called Glory Wrestling www.glorywrestling.com & ever since then I've just got more and more into the whole indy wrestling circuit.
What's your favorite type of match?
Probably a match where you can see the wrestlers that are wrestling have skills... none of those gimmick matches!!! It can be either mixed matches
(male vs. female) or regular matches as long as their talent is being showcased. That's a big thing for me!
What is the most memorable match you've seen?
It would have to be the match I saw between Lita + Stephanie McMahon for the women's title. The Rock was a special guest referee. Stephanie was accompanied by Triple H + Kurt Angle to the ring! The wrestling wasn't
great... but the outcome was awesome. Seeing The Rock take care of Triple H + Kurt Angle + then allowing Lita to hit the moonsault for the win + the women's title. It was great!!!
Who is the strongest woman you've seen in the Indy's (mic skills and ring skills combined)?
I would have to say Macaela Mercedes right now. She has it all in my opinion. And let me tell ya, she can wrestle! And she is actually the current Glory champion + the current CIWIndy's women's champ as well. And
she wrestles at independent shows just about every single weekend. Mercedes has the whole package with wrestling skills, mic skills + the look as well.
I also have to give props to another up and coming star named Sonya Blackhawk. She's a mere 16 years old... but that girl can wrestle. She has a great look & a fan favorite as well. I wouldn't be suprised to see this star getting lots of attention in the future.
Who is the strongest man you've seen in the Indy's (mic skills and ring skills combined)?
I would have to say Poison Appollo Star. He wrestles in both CIWIndy + ICW & he rules! He was a partner in crime with The Diva (may she rest in peace) and they always made for a great team. He's great with the mic & sure knows how to get the crowd all excited!!!
Can you give us a few adjectives to describe your opinion on Indy Wrestling?
Exciting, hard-working, passionate, + fun
Do you enjoy watching the mixed matches (male vs female) or do you prefer to see the women wrestle the women and the men wrestle the men?
I like them both as long as they showcase the wrestlers talent.
The following questions are asking for you opinion on the WWE produc, since that is what most people get to see on a regular basis.
Who are you favorite WWE Male wrestlers?
The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, Hardy Boys...
Who are you favorite WWE female wrestlers?
Lita, Molly Holly, Victoria, Trish Stratus, Jackie, Ivory
What is your favorite WWE storyline?
The Rock + Sock Connection. The Rock teaming up with Mankind in tag team action was just great!
Also, the Matt & Lita love story was kinda cool too !
What is you least favorite WWE storyline?
HLA... even though I did get to see one of my favorite wrestlers, Jenny "Looney" Lane on WWE
With the current storylines focusing on HLA and Katie Vick type storylines, how do you think wrestlers could move past that and put the focus back on
their in-ring skills? Do you think this focus will hinder other wrestlers chances to be taken seriously?
Ya know, I just think the WWE needs to focus more on the actual wrestling. Stop doing so many of those gimmick matches! And utilize some of the great talent they have that can actually wrestle! Especially the ladies! And don't use so many of those lame storylines. Can you say b-o-r-i-n-g?
If you had a chance to see any WWE star wrestle, who would it be and why? (You can pick 2 females and 2 males).
Lita for sure! I just love watching her! I remember her back in her Essa Rios days. I mean the acrobatics that she did were just amazing!!! And then seeing her involved with Team Extreme!!! Wow!!! Lita has it all in my opinion. She can wrestle & she has the look. And dont you think she has a sweet lookin tattoo? I can't wait for her return to the WWE & more competition into the ladies division. The Rock also! I don't think there has ever been a wrestler in the past that has so much charisma as The Rock. And this guy sure knows how to talk. You gotta love it when this guy has the mic in his hands. And his wrestling is pretty damn good. I mean to see the People's Eyebrow, or the Rock Bottom or
the People's Elbow. You can't beat this!!!
What do you think of the current WWE matches?
I think the women's matches are NOT given enough time. They need to let some of the several talented lady wrestlers they have more time to showcase their
talent. But overall, I guess the matches are okay!
Do you think the women should get more belts? (like their own tag team belts)
Yes!!! Anything that will be able to showcase more lady wrestlers can only do good!
Do you think the WWE should bring back some of the belts they just recently retired (ex. Hardcore, or IC belt)?
Yes!!! It seems like the WWE is relying solely on some of their storylines. What are they gonna do when these storylines don't work? They either need to bring back some of those belts to beef up the competition or get some more of their wrestlers back in action like The Rock + Stone Cold.
Do you think the WWE should take a page from the Indy's and let the women wrestle the men more?
Most definitely without a doubt!!! WWE has some great talent.. but they are utilized so little. It really sucks! I would love to see more of Lita, Trish, Molly, Jackie, Jazz & Victoria in regular matches showcasing their talent. Just no more of those stupid gimmick matches please!!!
Who is the strongest WWE female wrestler (mic skills and ring skills combined)?
Either Trish Stratus or Ivory
Who is the strongest WWE male wrestler (mic skills and ring skills combined)?
The Rock without a doubt!
Do you think any of today's wrestlers (Indy or WWE) are going to be legends in years to come?
Yes!!! The Rock, Lita, Kurt Angle, Stone Cold Steve Austin...
Take your two favorite indy wrestlers and put them in a match against your two favorite WWE Stars (male or female)...who are they and who would win?
The Rock + Lita vs. Sonya Blackhawk + Macaela Mercedes
I would say The Rock + Lita would probably win due to their experience...
but I think Sonya + Mercedes would put up one hell of a fight!
If you could change one think about the WWE product, what would it be and why?
Less storylines, more wrestling!!!
Do you have anything else to say to all the other Indy Fans out there?
Go out & support your independent feds!!! These independent feds are what
wrestling is all about!!! Go show them some support!!!
