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! In this edition, we take a look at a rising tag team in the US indies who have found themselves on a national platform, in the form of the monstrous duo known as Bear Country.
Last week, a team by the name of Bear Country ran through AEW Dark, leaving a lot of buzz in their wake. These two massive, bearded wild men plowed through the Dark Order’s Stu Grayson and Evil Uno in what was a surprisingly dominant performance from the young team. Though they came up short, they left a lot to look forward to as they return to dark this Tuesday to face The Jurassic Express. Before this match takes place, let’s travel through uncharted territory and catch up with the career of Bear Country.
Bear Bronson and Bear Boulder
Bronson (the shorter of the two) is originally from Upstate New York, while Boulder hails from New Jersey, with their characters tying deeply into the wilderness surrounding the former. The tag team first came to prominence together in Chaotic Wrestling in 2018, with Bear Boulder being known as Bear Beefcake, or just simply Beefcake. There they managed to pick up the Chaotic Wrestling World Tag Team Championships. They began teaming in 2017 and made one-off appearances together in Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), and Limitless Wrestling before becoming regulars with Chaotic.
However, the team really began to gain notoriety through their matches in Beyond Wrestling in 2019. They became the aces of the tag division, dominating familiar teams like Santana and Ortiz, Butcher and the Blade, and the Beaver Boys (Alex Reynolds and John Silver of AEW’s Dark Order).
In 2019, the team began to wrestle all over the country in places like Black Label Pro, Xtreme Wrestling Alliance (XWA), where they were tag champions, and even returned to CZW for a proper stint.
Grizzly Strength and Agility
From first glance of the two men, it is easy to make the assumption that between the two behemoths, Bronson must be the more agile one while Boulder is the powerhouse. This is true in many ways, as Bronson often is the one to jump off the ropes or perform a cannonball or senton on an opponent. For his part, the burly powerhouse Bear Boulder can be seen catching multiple opponents in his arms and throwing them across the ring, performing amazing feats of strength to create an absolute mauling. However, Boulder shows his versatility when he occasionally travels to the middle rope, performing a moonsault to the shock and awe of the surrounding indie crowd.
The two men have amazing chemistry, and know how to use each other’s strengths to decimate opponents. Their finishing move is an Elevated drop, in which Boulder lifts Bronson high onto his shoulders and drops him belly first directly onto their grounded opponents. The mix of Bronson’s speed and aggression with Boulder’s strength and unrelenting power makes them an incredibly well-rounded force.
While the pairing has yet to sign with any major promotions, in their short tenure as a tag team they have proven to be one of the most exciting commodities in wrestling. True to their redneck and animalistic demeanors, they possess the grit and passion needed to be an asset to any company. After an impressive showing against the Dark Order last week, and another match on Dark against The Jurassic Express tomorrow night, will AEW see the potential of the young team and sign them?
Matches to Watch
Bear Country versus The Butcher and the Blade – Beyond Uncharted Territory Episode 7 (May 15th, 2019)
Bear Country versus the Main State Posse – Chaotic Wrestling (October 5th, 2018)
Bear Country versus Milk Chocolate – Beyond Uncharted Territory Episode 5 (May 1st, 2019)
Bear Country versus Santana and Ortiz – Beyond Americanrana (July 24th 2019)
Check out our full list of previous Indie Watches, showcasing emerging talent from around the world!
Stay tuned to 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. Make sure to check out the duo on AEW DARK Tuesday nights at 7 PM ET on YouTube.
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