Dark Matches you saw of future stars

[BigJerichool222]

So I went to a SD Taping in 2012 and the dark match was Dean Ambrose vs. (from Manchester, NH!) Big E Langston (complete with Seth Rollins' music for some reason)

And now about a year and a half later, both men are the midcard champions. Kind of mindblowing for me, actually. What ISN'T mindblowing for me is that Big E still had that awesome sense of humor on twitter back then.



So who did any of you see before their rise to stardom and/or championship gold?

[Oh Cry Me a Screwball]

Randy Orton and Rico Constantino vs. Brock Lesnar and Ron H20 Waterman

[angryfan]

I remember in 2001 seeing a prelim match of the Hass brothers vs. The Island Boys (later 3 minute warning).

[cabbageboy]

In 2001 I saw Brock Lesnar in a tag match against someone before SD, I think Shelton was his partner. He did the shooting star in that match too. In mid 1999 I saw Kurt Angle against one of the Headbangers in a dark match. Angle at that point wasn't over and had no idea how to work a crowd. Saw Del Rio early on in a dark match a few years ago as well.

[Ishmeal Loves Kaseyhausen]

Nov 19, 2013 16:00:26 GMT -5 Oh Cry Me a Screwball said:

Randy Orton and Rico Constantino vs. Brock Lesnar and Ron H20 Waterman

Same match I was going to post. Where did you see it?

[A Platypus Rave]

Nov 19, 2013 16:12:38 GMT -5 Ishmeal Loves Kaseyhausen said:

Nov 19, 2013 16:00:26 GMT -5 Oh Cry Me a Screwball said:

Randy Orton and Rico Constantino vs. Brock Lesnar and Ron H20 Waterman

Same match I was going to post. Where did you see it?

Pretty Sure I saw a match similar to this as well...

[MiLB Fan]

I saw Dean Ambrose in two dark matches. One was the night after WrestleMania XXVIII (aka The Night of YES!) and the other was before a Raw taping last year. The funny thing about the latter show was that he beat Zack Ryder. On Zack's birthday!

I attended an ECW/SmackDown taping in 2008 that featured two dark matches: Jake Hager vs. Chavo Guerrero and Nick Nemeth vs. Funaki.

I've seen many future stars at house shows. In 2002, I saw Raven get squashed by some dude named Brock Lesnar. And in 2005 I saw The Miz in a tag match against Tyson Tomko and Snitsky, as well as a new tag team called The Spirit Squad. Most recently, I saw Mason Ryan win a battle royal. If Leo Kruger gets called up at some point, I can add him to the list.

[Amazing Kitsune]

I don't know about future stars, but I did see a tag team match involving the Miz and somebody else. They were announced as from Nashville, Tennessee to try and appeal to the "hometown" crowd.

It didn't.

[El Hijo del Havoc]

Saw 'Prototype' defeat some local jobber in 2001. The next year, saw a very young Randy Orton lose to Val Venis

[Juice]

2001 Brock Lesnar vs Raven. Saw Dos Caras JR as an anti american heel a few years ago, bitching about us not knowing spanish.

[Feyrhausen]

Saw Heidenreich vs. Tomko in August 2003 at a Lafayette show. That was also the show with Jimmy Wang's tryout match against Tommy Dreamer. He got hired right after that.

[sagsag]

I feel like every show I went to from 1996-1998 had a Brakkus match.

Oh wait he was never a star.

[Deleted]

- Leakee fought Curt Hawkins here early last year. Hawkins kept calling him a rookie. Leakee eventually won the match legit. Afterwards he went on to change his name to Roman Reigns.
- Ryback wrestled here a few months before his debut. He did his normal stuff, match ended quickly.

[Razor Gives It A 4/10]

Saw a Brock Lesnar dark match in 2001. Also saw a Bo Dallas vs Joey Ryan dark match in 2011 and saw Big E Langston (billed from Bakersfield,CA!) in 2012 at a house show.

[BigJerichool222]

Nov 19, 2013 17:10:14 GMT -5 Razor Gives It A 4/10 said:

Big E Langston (billed from Bakersfield,CA!)

AS IF; Big E Langston is obviously from Manchester, NH.

[El Hijo del Havoc]

Nov 19, 2013 17:10:14 GMT -5 Razor Gives It A 4/10 said:

Saw a Brock Lesnar dark match in 2001. Also saw a Bo Dallas vs Joey Ryan dark match in 2011 and saw Big E Langston (billed from Bakersfield,CA!) in 2012 at a house show.

So Langston was working heel?

[dragonsteincole]

Raw taping after Wrestlemania 28 in London had Alex Riley vs Dean Ambrose as the dark match

[MrBRulzOK]

I saw Seth Rollins and Michael McGillicutty at a house show once. They had a solid match together which I believe Rollins won.

I also saw Tyler Breeze in action at a Smackdown taping against Kofi Kingston. Not much of a match, but I do recall that he had some amazingly pink gear.

[YeahYeahYeahYeahYeah]

Nov 19, 2013 15:58:02 GMT -5 BigJerichool222 said:

So I went to a SD Taping in 2012 and the dark match was Dean Ambrose vs. (from Manchester, NH!) Big E Langston (complete with Seth Rollins' music for some reason)

Haha, you and me saw the same match! I was just thinking about that while I was watching his match on Raw yesterday!

[mizerable]

Muhammed Hassan beating Val Venis in 2004.

....well he should have been a future star.