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The Other Other Side Of Life By Jason Keening If anyone didn't see this one coming, then you just haven't been paying attention. As soon as I read Mark Langseth's article proclaiming the death of the supercard, I knew that there'd be a flurry of rebuttals if only so that people could get their own personal opinions posted on Just The Facts! 3001. Which, of course, led me to sitting down at my keyboard and hammering out the following piece of drivel. First and foremost, there may be some howls of dismay and protest at some of the things that Mark said and while I disagree with some of them, anyone who's been participating in this bizarre endeavor of ours for any length of time has to admit that he's spoken some truths, as bitter pills as they may be to swallow. For example, his idea that supercards are dead may be not that far off the mark. I personally don't think they're completely dead as I happen to think that there's a place for them within the overall context of pro graps. But if they're not dead, they certainly have fallen from grace to a much lower level of acceptance and popularity than they ever have before. No one should be shocked by this because let's face it... this thing we do isn't nearly as popular as it once was either. But while Mark may never have enjoyed supercards, I happen to know that there are a lot of people that do. I won't speak for anyone else and I shouldn't offer the lemming argument as a reason why something should be encouraged. But the flip side of that coin is that killing off supercards just to satisfy those that don't like them isn't a great idea either. There's always the ultimate consumer option... if you don't like something, don't participate. And to give credit to Mark, he's a man of his word in that he hasn't participated in something he doesn't like. Protest his opinion all you like but give him credit for honesty and consistency. One of the points that I will argue, however, is Mark's contention that supercards should be granting high exposure to all those who participate. There's a chicken-and-egg argument in there somewhere but if you're signing up for supercards just to make a name for yourself, then you're likely doing the same thing with regular companies and that's just a lousy way to do business. Yes, fame is part of the game and is a major factor in measuring the success of what we do. But the best way to make a name for yourself is not to focus on just that particular aspect of your career. Obsessive gloryhounds and spotlight hogs are quickly recognized in this business and rightfully shunned if they don't have the talent to back up their "look at me, look at me" dependencies. We all do it to some degree but it shouldn't be WHY we step into the squared circle night after night. But my reason for liking supercards is pretty simple... it gives me the opportunity to wrestle in matches that I might otherwise not have the opportunity in which to be a part of them. For example, my Night of Glory match against Nick Demola. Nick and I have worked together numerous times over the years. Hell, we've even been part of the same roster on several occasions. And yet despite the way that our careers have intertwined, that night in Wembley was the single best opportunity we had to square off against one another. And by the way, Mark, I can't argue that Night of Glory wasn't perfect but in the years since I've participated in supercards (and I think I'm an even bigger supercard-whore than Thunder), that night still counts as one of my favorite events of all time. I also think that it gave a major boost to Ken Curtis but... my opinions may not necessarily mean that much. Ralston Cup... yup, signed up for one of those. Martinez even put me in the hospital in the one and it's the only time my career has ever been jeopardized by a medical issue. March to the Millennium? Signed up for that too even if it never panned out. Master of the Ring? Been in every single one (despite Nick's web site omitting my MotR 6 participation). Wrestlebowl? Did one of those two and had one of the best tag matches I've ever been in with Strictly Business coming out on top. Supercards fizzle. I grant Mark that. But federations fizzle far more often and with frequently more damning consequences. Flakiness is a part of this business of ours and it applies all the way across the board, not just to supercards. No one gets any "rub" from them? I disagree. A lot of names I've noticed have been because of their participation in supercards. Because I'd never been a part of the same rosters, I wasn't that familiar with Brian Von Braun until MotR 5. This is where I believe supercards provide their greatest benefit. In allowing those who aren't signed with specific companies to gain exposure to wrestlers they might otherwise never have heard of. Let's face it, most people tend to only watch the shows for one or two companies. If you're an RCW fan, it's unlikely you get the chance to see every Saturday Night Rampage. And vice versa. Supercards are like the United Nations of wrestling (ooh, now there's a bad example to follow!). They provide a stage for people who might otherwise never cross paths to meet one another. And for that alone, I will continue to sing their praises. Do they demand more workload for the wrestlers without benefits they'd accrue from regular federation matches? Perhaps. But if they can get noticed in another company's talent scouts where they'd like to work simply by wrestling on a supercard, then isn't the effort worth it? I also don't buy Mark's contention that supercards rob federations of blockbuster matches. Those matches take place anyway and within the context of a story arc that makes them compelling on their own. Mark is right that supercards can't support the kinds of plot development that federations can (and rely upon as their bread and butter). But this is where I think supercards have their place in filling a void that federations can't. Mark is right in that supercards shouldn't be booking matches between wrestlers who are already on the same roster or who are already engaged in a feud. But I think they definitely have a place in playing to their strengths by booking those matches that might otherwise never be seen anywhere else. Is Nick Demola a "dimwit who caters to his own ego-needs"? Sometimes. But the man is self-aware enough to admit it *AND* he has also done a great deal to help and promote the careers of guys who might not otherwise have gained notice by competing strictly on the federation circuit. Has MotR featured mostly substandard wrestlers masking as top tier guys? Ouch, Mark, ouch! As an MotR regular, that hurts. And if Courtade, Kinsey, Curtis, Whitecross, Valtharius the Mad, McBaine, Gomez, Waldrop, and Holliday are "substandard wrestlers" then I just don't think we'll ever agree on that one. The supercard's not dead, Mark, not any more than the federations themselves (ooh boy, there's another can of worms we might not want to delve into). You may not like them but I happen to think they have their place in the world. As long as there is more than one company out there and more than one roster, I happen to believe that the supercard phenomenon will be alive and well for some time to come. But what do I know? I'm a supercard-whore. Jason Keening
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