Black & Brave

A month or so ago I got together for dinner with Marek Brave. It was a long overdue chance to get to know a guy i'd been around some but really didn't know very well. We got a chance to catch up and I got an opportunity to talk to a much younger guy who still had a ton of experience. ONE who could tell me some things about merchandise, the Midwest Indy scene east of Iowa and social media.

Of course the conversation eventually steered to W.W.E. Superstar Seth Rollins. These two were tight. as we say in the wrestling business, that's a f***ing shoot. They were polar opposites in some manners. Rollins was an introvert. He wasn't shy, but he only talked when needed. He was serious, well mannered and quiet. He seemed mature beyond his years.  

Brave was the extrovert. Always social, having fun, talkative and not above acting his age. very young.

What they had in common though was a passion & talent for wrestling. And unlike many guys from southeast Iowa, a burning desire to learn, improve and keep striving for the next level.  They hit the road barnstorming around the country to gain experience and make a name for themselves.

I met them before they were trained wrestlers prior to a card the Ritter brothers ran in Rock Island. They were in the ring working out and they were damn good already. They were big time ROH fans and it showed through their work. They weren't booked that night but they made an impression right away on me.

Several months later I saw them again in Delta Iowa for Troy Petersons IPW.

I found out at dinner that night from Marek that was their first paid gig. The future Seth Rollins wrestled as Tahj The Destroyer! They beat the hell out of each other that night and had a solid bout for two guys who were so new.

I didn't think too much about them again until I saw the two on a card in Davenport Iowa at the armory. There I saw a future promising star in Tyler Black. He had completely transformed his look. His physique looked athletic, his gear was top notch and he shed some of his teenage features.

Marek looked great as well and I got to share locker rooms with the two at shows in Southeast Iowa. I got a front row ticket as they developed into top Indy wrestlers. 

But as the years showed and my conversation with Marek exposed, it was still a long hard road from that first paid gig in Delta Iowa to W.W.E. Superstar. It was finding a trainer in Danny Daniels in Chicago. It was doing countless Indy bookings for little money.  

Along the way Marek suffered a terrible injury that almost paralyzed him in the ring.  Understandably, he took time off to heal and reevaluate his life, wrestling and his goals. I honestly think Marek would have been a top Indy wrestler and W.W.E. prospect today if that injury had never happened.

Marek Brave and the then Tyler Black.

I've seen over the years pairs like Black & Brave. Lenny Lane and Scotty Zappa from Minnesota were similar back in my day. Matt Murphy & Trevor Murdoch from Missouri. Of course Punk & Cabana from Chicago. Jericho & Lance Storm from Canada come to mind as well. Guys who go back a long way, broke in together, trained together and traveled a lot of miles.  

Some guys had some good breaks to go with their talent, drive and hard work. Others didn't get the best cards dealt to them. But they all landed on their feet.  

That's where Marek is at today. The guy I saw again after so many years at the Latino Festival for 3XW made me rub my eyes! He cut his hair short, was married and talking about his toddler. Man times have changed. When I heard him tell the young guys in the locker room to slow down, I really had to do a double take.  

Its great to see a guy like Marek wrestling again, involved in our business. Scott County Wrestling has reinvigorated Indy wrestling in the Quad Cities. And though he's not around I feel like Seth Rollins, Colby as we know him, is still in the locker room. Letting people know if you work your ass off, have patience, pay the price and get your butt in the gym this wrestling thing can take you to some cool places.

Recently these two friends announced they were tackling a new project, The Black & Brave Wrestling Academy. The Quad City area has always lacked a wrestling school. Now there is going to be a current W.W.E. Superstar who resides in the area offering a quality training facility.  That's good for the Quad Cities as well as the Midwest wrestling scene.

As Marek and I talked about over dinner, watching this journey Seth Rollins has been on has been pretty inspiring. I watched from a distance, I don't claim to be a close friend of his, but its still been a learning experience. I tell young wrestlers every chance I get the lessons learned from seeing this Iowa kids journey.

Patience, hustle, grind, never taking a break from the work, being frugal with that money and always preparing for the next level. All while being a nice guy. That's what I think of when I see Rollins tearing it up on Raw.

Latin Thunder