Indie Watch is our regular series that looks at all of the amazing talents working the independent circuits around the world. Some are veterans revitalizing their careers, some are indie prospects hitting their peaks, while others are names to be on the watch for! In this edition, we will be taking a look at one of the fasting rising Southern stars in 2019 in Tennessee’s Blake Christian, who went from local indie wrestler to national indie star in the past few months. We had the opportunity to interview Blake Christian this week.
Blake Christian has quietly been making a name for himself in the Southern indies for just over two years now, but the high flying youngster has found himself on a meteoric rise of late, ever since debuting for Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) at Lights Out from Nashville this past July. Since defeating KTB in his GCW debut, he’s gone on to beat Tony Deppen at GCW Beg For Mercy and had a 20-minute classic with Alex Zayne at GCW Joey Janela’s Escape from LA last week. And now, thanks to his recent resume, he’s been announced as making his debut with Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) in Los Angeles as part of the festivities for their prestigious Battle of Los Angeles weekend.
LWOPW: So you’ve kinda taken off in the past few months since debuting with GCW at Lights Out in Nashville. But obviously, you’ve been around before that event. When did you get started in wrestling?
Blake Christian: I started wrestling in January of 2017, so about two and a half years now…
Where did you start your training?
In Mckenzie, Tennessee, at a place called SWAG Wrestling.
Everyone has that story of what got them into pro wrestling. What made you really want to get started as a pro wrestler?
My mom and Dad both worked late nights so I stayed late at my babysitter’s at the time and her husband was really a big fan, so I got hooked one night watching it. Since then I knew I wanted it but I didn’t know how to make it possible. Right when I graduated high school, I knew for sure this is what I wanted to do. The girl I was dating at the time was like super supportive of me doing this. But my parents thought I should go to college first so that’s what I did. The girl I was dating, we had actually split up and decided to be friends and in 2016 she had actually passed away and it threw me into a depression. And I basically threw myself into wrestling and I started training all while still attending college. Wrestling saved me.
How did you get hooked up with GCW?
My buddy Marko Stunt, who I have known for a good minute now. Had always supported me and helped me out. He had actually shared my highlight video on twitter and like 20 minutes later asked me if I had the Nashville date open for GCW…and I was gonna make that date clear even if it wasn’t to get that opportunity.
Well, you made quite a mark with GCW at Lights Out and have been booked on all their cards since. What have you learned since joining those guys?
I’ve learned a lot actually. It’s kinda hard to actually, like, explain it all. Because since joining up and having this silent take off, there’s been a lot to take in. From the venues, the cities, and the fans. I wouldn’t even know where to begin on how to explain what I’ve learned. I will say this though, my mindset has changed to go big or go home, without a doubt.
The South has shown a real influx of talent the past year and it really feels like the Southern scene is on the rise again after what felt like decades of being forgotten about. Why do you think that is?
Wrestling has really risen all over the place! It’s on fire from being contracted to being independent. I think that sudden rise has really motivated people to get out there and work harder. In my opinion.
You’ve only just debuted for GCW and now you’ve been announced for your PWG debut at this year’s BOLA. How did that come about and how cool is that??
I literally nearly threw my phone out of the window in excitement when I read the email. Because I was just talking to Marko about how I had my fingers crossed that the match me and Alex Zayne had in L.A would open some doors and legitimately five mins later, I received that email. It’s been insane and it still doesn’t feel real.
GCW has really become one of the premier US indie promotions in the past 2 years. Now that you’re working with them, what is it about GCW that has made them stand out to you?
Everything really stands out to me. The fans are a different breed and insanely supportive. The locker room is also great. Those guys are awesome and I’m extremely honored to be a part of this company.
Who are some other Southern indie guys that you think are on the bubble who we could see breaking out with GCW or any of the other national indies by 2020?
There’s a lot of guys that I think are gonna be stepping out. Shane Mercer is really on the rise as of late he’s been killing at GCW, I’m willing to bet he’s gonna blow up soon. Also, a guy that not a lot of people know about but I think once he really kicks it into gear that he’ll be on the rise too is a guy named Zay Washington.
So what’s next for Blake Christian?
I wish I knew the answer to this question. If you’d asked me this a year ago, I’d say to get to GCW and PWG – now that I’m doing those this year, I don’t even know what big opportunities to expect. I know that the sky’s the limit and I’m going to stay on the grind and we will just have to see what’s in store!
Check out our full list of previous Indie Watches, showcasing emerging talent from around the world!
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.
