Jeremy Wyatt – Purely Technical | Indie Spotlight Watch

By
Clint Dye

When Jeremy Wyatt enters a venue to wrestle, he becomes the most determined man in the locker room. Be it an arena, local bar, or empty warehouse; he’s determined to out-wrestle whoever stands before him. This determination has created a reputation as one of the top independent wrestlers in the Midwest. A reputation that, with more and more promotions across the country running shows again, will soon expand.

The constant pursuit of topping his last performance drives the “Monarch” in pursuit of greatness. He’s the guy willing to wrestle marathon matches or multiple times in a day to accomplish his goals.

Jeremy Wyatt –
Tournament Titan

A recent example of this came during the Impact Pro Wrestling George Tragos/Lou Thesz Hall of Fame show. During the annual event in Waterloo, Iowa, the reigning, defending Gateway Heritage Champion found himself in an eight-man tournament. In the opening round, during the afternoon show, Wyatt crossed paths with Chicago based high flyer, GPA. The contrast of styles was ultimately won by the technical savvy Wyatt, finishing off GPA with a spike piledriver.

With a win under his belt, Wyatt moved on to the main show taking place that evening. Waiting for him in the semifinals of the Hall of Fame Classic was current IMPACT star, Matthew Rehwoldt. Similar in style and size, Wyatt’s tenacity and opportunistic side won the day. He defeated the man formerly known as Aiden English in the WWE with a surprise roll-up.

Two matches in, Wyatt was ready for the finals. Standing across the ring from Wyatt in the finals was the Frontman Jah C. An independent wrestler on a hot streak much like Wyatt’s.

Both entered with their own respective championships, and they delivered an absolute classic. Read about their masterpiece here. Laser-focused on dismantling Jah C’s knee, Wyatt earned the hard-fought victory. Forcing the Frontman to submit with a vicious ankle lock.

The victory crowned Wyatt the 2021 IPW George Tragos/Lou Thesz Hall of Fame Classic Champion. Additionally, his performance during the tournament readied Wyatt for what’s to come this weekend.

Starting this Friday is the Scenic City Invitational in Red Bank, Tennessee. The event, a two-day, 16-man tournament, features some of the best independent wrestlers from across the country. His first-round matchup is with Cabana Man Dan, and the two ring veterans plan to steal the show early on.

Jeremy Wyatt Promo on facing Cabana Dan

Cabana Man Dan Promo on facing Jeremy Wyatt

Marathon Man

If you’re a fan of Jeremy Wyatt or Midwest independent wrestling in general, you know about “The Match.” For those uninitiated, “The Match” is the Iron Man Match between Jeremy Wyatt and Fred Yehi. Taking place mid-2020 pandemic.

The match, brought to fans online by Journey Pro and St. Louis Anarchy, was a charity fundraising event. It’s truly unique, being filmed in an empty warehouse, in front of only a handful of people. Stepping into the ring with someone he respects on a high level was one of the things that made this experience special to Wyatt.

“As a fan of wrestling, Fred is one of my favorite guys to watch. As a wrestler, he’s been one of my favorites to work with. Fred is one of the best guys out there, signed or unsigned. Working with someone like him really tests you.”

Describing the match in words does it no justice, you can watch the full match here: 

The final minute is some of the best wrestling you’ll see. The sequence where Wyatt transitions from a crossface to a crucifix pin back into a cross face is brilliant. In the end Yehi defeated Wyatt 4-3, but the real winners were the charities they raised money for.

“That was an awesome experience, especially because it was for a good cause. That was a unique environment to wrestle in and being in that atmosphere made you hyper-focused on what you were doing in the ring. It’s one of my favorite matches.”

The loss was a rare blemish on Wyatt’s record. Because during his time as Gateway Heritage Champion, suffering setbacks is a rarity.

Championship Pedigree

For over 1,000 days, Jeremy Wyatt has been Gateway Heritage Champion. Winning the championship in 2018 during a fatal four-way match. His victory ended the reign of Paco Gonzalez. Since then, he’s defended his championship in multiple promotions. Companies like St. Louis Anarchy, Journey Pro, Magnum Pro, and Impact Pro Wrestling.

The most recent defense came last weekend during Journey Pro’s first event in over a year, “78 Weeks Later”. He defeated both the 1 Called Manders and Graham Bell in a triple threat match. It was Wyatt’s 33rd title defense. Wyatt’s reign is so unique because most of his title defenses are fought under Pure Wrestling Rules.

The rules for Pure Wrestling Matches are as follows:
  • Each wrestler has three rope breaks to stop submission holds and pins during the match. After a wrestler exhausts his rope breaks, submission and pin attempts under the ropes by the opponent are considered legal.
  • There are no closed-fist punches to the face allowed in a Pure match; only open-handed slaps or chops to the face are allowed. Punches to other parts of the body (save for low blows) are permitted. The first use of a closed fist would get a warning, and the second would cause the wrestler to be penalized a rope break. If he is already out of rope breaks, he would be disqualified.
  • A wrestler is subject to a twenty count by the referee if the wrestler goes to the floor.

Defending the title within these rules has made Wyatt a master when it comes to this style, something he relishes.

“St. Louis Anarchy tradition allows for their champions to choose what rules they defend their championships under. Picking a stipulation with a certain set of rules in a world of anarchy really helped set me apart from everyone else.”

Jeremy Wyatt –
2021 & Beyond

This October, Jeremy Wyatt begins his 20th year of professional wrestling. From humble beginnings, teaching himself the ways of professional wrestling through hours of VHS studying. Jeremy Wyatt is one of the most sought-after and respected technical wizards in the world of independent pro wrestling.

With every defense of his Gateway Heritage Championship, his legend grows. His unmatched determination continues to prove just how good he is inside the squared circle.

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