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 with China’s Middle Kingdom Wrestling Black Mamba, the current reigning MKW Belt and Road Champion.
A Conversation with Black Mamba
Recently we were given the opportunity to speak with the current Middle Kingdom Wrestling Belt and Road Champion, Black Mamba. Black Mamba has been a member of the Chinese professional wrestling scene since 2014 when he went to Wuhan to begin his training. But the story of Black Mamba’s wrestling career begins a bit further back.
When asked what originally got him into wrestling, his reply was simple: “I’ve always wanted to be a wrestler.” Things aren’t always as easy that however. At the age of 17, Black Mamba suffered an incredible setback. In the winter, he broke his ring finger so badly that it needed to be amputated. He became depressed because of the situation. “I couldn’t use words to describe the helplessness, frustration, and anger I felt. What else could I do?”
There was one man Black Mamba could turn to in order to get out of this funk. “I watched Bruce Lee‘s documentary and I felt calm. Bruce Lee’s name has been remembered for so long. I want to learn from him. I want to leave my name to prove that I’ve been in the world.”
Fast Foward to his first training session in professional wrestling. “Because of my arrogance, I fractured my toe on the first day.” Unlike the finger injury, this time, he just found himself more determined. He would enter the ring again after recovering from his toe injury and quickly find himself performing for China Wrestling Entertainment. A year into his career, he was already challenging Zombie Brother for the CWE title. According to cagematch.net, Black Mamba was the second most active member of the CWE roster in 2015, with only The Slam being used more often. In that same year, Black Mamba began working for a brand new promotion based out of Harbin, MKW.
On his way to capturing the MKW Belt and Road Championship, as well as in his subsequent defenses, Black Mamba has taken on challengers from India, Austria, Hong Kong, China, and South Korea. In the main event of this weekend’s show in Nepal, he will face challengers from Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Nepal. Holding a title that represents such an important global movement and so many countries is a rare reward in the world of professional wrestling.
“I won the first Belt and Road Championship on behalf of China. Winning the title let me have a seat at the table in MKW and Chinese wrestling. All the glory, the mission, the pressure mean that there is still hope and progress in wrestling in China. I will carry this flag forward, and I cannot flinch. After all of these years of pain and suffering, there will be rewards. If you work the hardest, you are the strongest.”
This weekend, in Nepal, we will find out if Black Mamba is indeed the strongest, as he faces a challenge like never before. His most previous defense (which you can see below), featured two challengers, Bitman and Junyan Lee. On May 11th, however, he will find himself in the ring with three men attempting to take the belt off of his hands: representing Hong Kong, Ash Silva, New Zealand’s Tommy Combat, and on his home turf, the Pride of Nepal, Nuwakote Tiger.
When asked his thoughts on his upcoming title defense, Black Mamba gave a short, confident answer: “I’m going to defend my belt again in the quadruple threat, and I’m going to get it back and bring it back to China.”
Check out our full list of previous Indie Watches, showcasing emerging talent from around the world!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WekmcCq-efs
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.
