10 Indy Wrestling Stars WWE Would Ruin

2. Keith Lee

Keith Lee James Storm
Oli Sandler / The Ringside Perspective

Keith Lee is virtually a new species.

The man has no physiological right to hurl himself around the ring with the speed and agility he does. “Built like a heavyweight, moves like a cruiserweight” was the praise lavished on Mike Awesome in the 1990s. Lee embodies the evolution of that ethos. The man is the size of Vader, but can flip onto his feet as a counter to a back body drop. The paradoxes don’t end there; Lee is somehow both smug and charming. He’s a trapeze artist in both character and grace.

His match with Donovan Dijak, on the last night of PWG’s Battle of Los Angeles tournament, restored the butchered definition of the word “awesome”. In a story driven by terrifying ante-upping, Lee and Dijak inspired as much fear as admiration every time the two Colossi ventured up to the top turnbuckle. When they detonated the bombs, the name of the American Legion Post building almost became grimly ironic.

You can’t imagine WWE buying into Lee's catchphrase, and basking in his glory. You can imagine them making unnecessary excuses for or poking fun at his weight, depending on whether or not he was in the midst of a push.

 
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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 current Undisputed WWE 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!