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Indie Watch: Maria Manic

Indie Watch is our regular series that looks at all of the amazing talents working the independent circuits around the world. Some are veterans revitalizing their careers, some are indie prospects hitting their peaks, while others are names to be on the watch for! This edition looks at a rising star in the American hardcore scene and one of the toughest wrestlers in the business today – the untamable juggernaut known as Maria Manic.

Photo: Frankie Kurtz / frankiekurtzphoto.com

There are wrestlers that flat out scare you as a fan. Kamala. Minoru Suzuki. Jessica Havok. Nick Gage. Saraya Knight. A new name to add this list is one of the new faces of indie wrestling, who is becoming a rising name on the independents by giving no f**ks and taking names. There’s simply no time for asking questions. To paraphrase a certain Rowdy Scot, she’s here to kick ass and chew bubblegum and she’s all out of bubblegum. Virginia’s Maria Manic is not only one of the toughest women’s wrestlers on the planet, but she’s also proven to be one of the toughest wrestlers on the planet, taking on man and woman alike and left blood in the ring – hers as well as her opponents.

https://twitter.com/TheMariaManic/status/1082731639074156544

Trained by Virginian indie veteran Damien Wayne (who had his moniker years prior to Batman’s even darker son who debuted in 2006), Maria made her wrestling debut in 2015. She immediately made an impact, with her bulldozer attitude and invulnerability to pain. Speaking of bulldozers, the next year she began working with Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) where she continued her training under hardcore legend “Bulldozer” Matt Tremont. Soon she was also working for MCW Pro, Absolute Intense Wrestling (AIW), International Wrestling Cartel (IWC), Tremont’s H20 Wrestling and NOVA Pro, amongst others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEn1WcvjNm8

In 2017, Maria Manic began to become a serious threat on the indie scene, continuing to leave carcasses and blood donors in CZW, as well as expanding to working with Beyond Wrestling, Queens of Combat (QOC), Freelance Wrestling and Women Superstars Uncensored (WSU). She also formed the tag team Ruthless Ambition alongside “The Bad Girl” Penelope Ford, who continues to compete on the indie circuit.

The past year, she spent more time with H20, honing the physicality of her craft, becoming one of the heaviest hitters in the game and showing a grit and determination to dominate that became as infectious as it was painful to watch – and in most cases, not because of her, but her opponents abuse taken. She debuted with Shine Wrestling, IWA Mid South, and many more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8hwNX6OyQA

Heading into 2019, Manic is now primed for devastation and still only 21 years old. She’s bled with the best of them and taken down men and women throughout the US indies. A lethal combination of brawn, athleticism and savagery, Manic is not only rising in the hardcore scene but emerging as one of the most physical specimens in the US indie scene today.

Photo: Mother Feather

Catch Up on Previous Indie Watch Articles!

Jamie Greer

Jamie Greer

Jamie Greer joined LWOPW in 2015 and was the site's Managing Editor from 2016 through 2020. After handing over ME duties to Alex Richards, he remains a frequent contributor to the site. He's also written for Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WrestleZone, The Windsor Star, and other publications. He lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, with his wife and son.

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