6 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (Nov 10)

5. Insane Insane Championship Wrestling

Jinder Mahal
WWE.com

On the BBC documentary Insane Fight Club (2014), Insane Championship Wrestling owner Mark Dallas announced his mission statement: tired of the juvenile, turgid product presented by WWE in the post-Attitude Era landscape, he longed to bring back the days of violence, fun, and spontaneity. This manifesto manifested into ICW becoming one of the biggest cult leagues in the world.

A few short years later, and he's in bed with Triple H, who made a shock appearance at an ICW show in Cardiff over the weekend.

Cynicism aside - and while the approval of WWE shouldn't automatically validate the company - this was another major, welcome and recockulous visual metaphor for change. A hardcore league like ICW has a ceiling over its head. Many corporate sponsors won't touch PG WWE, let alone an 18+ promotion in which alleged domestic abusers are booked to disfigure folk in grotesque worked shoot angles. This is their ceiling, and Dallas has worked towards it perfectly.

Mind, Triple H did well to cast the group, one of the fastest-growing of the last ten years, as a humble wee upstart. They don't call him 'the Game' just because he kn*bbed Stephanie a few years back.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!