The Redneck King of the Jungle

The Redneck King of the Jungle, Jimmy Lyon (no “S” damn it!) isn’t my favorite wrestler, hell I don’t even like Redneck gimmicks. I’m not even a big fan of hardcore matches that Jimmy specializes in. I prefer that wrestlers look like they stepped out of a Crossfit gym after rolling 300lb tires up a big hill, and then proceeded to beat on it with a sledge hammer for an hour. I was never a big Mick Foley, or Mankind fan either. He wasn’t my cup of tea. But, much like Jimmy, Mick Foley gained my respect. Foley worked hard, trained hard, and was conditioned. Sure he didn’t look like Kyle O’Reilley, or have the technical mastery of a Shibata, but he killed himself for wrestling, gave awesome promos, and worked his ass (amongst a literal body part) off! Jimmy is much the same way, at least amongst the local indy crowd (no I am not saying Jimmy IS Mick Foley, calm the hell down). There are flashier wrestlers than Jimmy, prettier wrestlers, and wrestlers that I want to see more than Jimmy (sorry Jimmy) but let me tell you that there is no doubt that Jimmy Lyon has earned his way onto any card he’s on and, of the ones he’s on, he damn well deserves to be at or near the top of them.

Why? Because he works hard in the ring for numerous companies, often double or triple shotting weekends. He gives better promos than 80% of indy wrestlers I see today, and does them frequently. He posts on the Facebook pages of the companies he works for, and about them on his, something too few indy workers seem willing to do. He breaks his back filming shows, and spends countless hours editing them for the fans enjoyment. So someone tell me how this man hasn’t paid his dues? He also should be getting paid from every promoter. In the very least more than it cost him in gas money to get to your event. If you can’t respect a man like Jimmy Lyon enough to book him, and pay him something at least halfway fair, then don’t give me the bullshit line about “understanding the business” because it’s clearly evident that you do not. I also don’t want to hear how he’s a Bray Wyatt rip-off. I saw a Jimmy Lyon promo well before Bray come onto the scene. If what Jimmy does is similar, it’s a coincidence. Even if it weren’t, so what? How many guys rip off Ric Flair? For crying out loud Ric Flair ripped a guy off. Truth be told, even if Jimmy were ripping off Bray Wyatt, his rip off is better than whatever in the hell you are doing, which most times is half of nothing, if you’re doing that much (Talking to people who aren't respecting Jimmy, not every indy worker out there reading this).

I've been in and around wrestling for 37 years now, and I was taught that someone absolutely had to pay their dues to get used. I was taught that when they paid those dues, and got used on shows, that they were to ALWAYS and ABSOLUTELY get paid for their services. I was taught that the more you went out and applied your craft as many places as you could, you were to get moved up the card. Sadly, it doesn’t seem that many places follow these rules anymore, because another rule was you absolutely had to wear official wrestling gear (note-something else Jimmy does). To me, everytime I see Jimmy Lyson not being used or respected appropriately (Thank you On Point, and the few other companies that do) it annoys me. Not because Jimmy Lyon is my favorite, but because he does everything the right way and doesn’t get all that he deserves for it, and I am 100% certain there are countless others out there in the same situation. If you’re one of them, stop going to those companies. They don’t deserve to have you there. Keep going where you’re respected and paid, not to places that are playing professional wrestling, one step up from the back yard. 

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