Weekly Wrestler Spotlight : Drake Younger
Funkenstein Wrestling Superstore loves and supports indy wrestling. On our Weekly Wrestler Spotlight, Funkenstein will feature a star on the independent circuit we think you all need to know about! This week, Funkenstein’s Weekly Wrestler Spotlight features : ” The Golden Boy” Drake Younger.
Drake Younger has a reputation in wrestling for being many things, such as a technical wrestler, a death match wrestler, and currently a referee. Younger watched wrestling a kid, and was an admitted fan of Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart, before discovering Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). He was influenced by the hardcore style of wrestlers like Sabu and Cactus Jack. He started wrestling in a backyard league, but then joined the R.A.A.G.E Dojo in Indianapolis, where he was trained by American Kickboxer. Younger also cites Ian Rotten, Chris Hero, and Low Ki as his other trainers.
He started wrestling in Insanity Pro Wrestling under the name Polarias in 2001, but he made his debut as Drake Younger on February7th, 2003, at IWA Mid-South’s “When Hero Met Punk”. Younger took some time off from wrestling in 2005 and returned in 2006. He continued to wrestle in IPW and Mid-South, and debuted in CZW at “Tournament of Death V” on July 29th, 2006.
As his reputation grew, he was sought out by international wrestling promotions. In 2007, he debuted for Germany’s Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw) at “Dead End VII” on March 10th against Murat Bosporus and Big Japan Pro-Wrestling (Big Japan) in a 6 man match on March 21st, 2011. On July 21st, 2012, he debuted for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) at “Threemendous III” against B-Boy. And this is just a small handful of the dozens of companies Younger wrestled for in his career.
In the 12+ years he wrestled, Younger won many tittles. In IPW, he won the Junior Heavyweight Championship and World Championship. In 2007, he became the very first IWA Mid-South Death Match Champion, which he won in a “Six Man Hardcore Battle Royal” on February 9th at “Payback, Pain & Agony”. After a handful of defenses, he lost it to Dysfunction during the Day 2 of the “King of the Death Matches 2007” on June 23rd.
Best known for his time in CZW, he won almost every championship the company offers, except the Wired and New Horror titles. The first title he won is the now-inactive Ultraviolent Underground Championship. He beat Nick Cage at “FEAR” on October 15th, 2006 and held the title for about seven months before losing to Brain Damage at “Restore the Order” on May 12th, 2007. He won it back from Damage on February 9th, 2008 at “9 F’n Years” and lost to Necro Butcher at “Decision 2008” on October 11th.
He became CZW World Heavyweight Champion on July 12th, 2008 at “A Tangled Web” when he beat Cage in “A Tangled Web” match. He held the title for almost two years and defended it around the world, fighting wrestlers like Sonjay Dutt, Danny Havoc, Trent Acid, Sami Callihan, Aeroboy, and Ruckus. He lost to B-Boy at “High Stakes 4” on January 30th, 2010.
However we went on to win more CZW gold. He teamed with Eddie Kingston to form “The Suicide Kings”. They beat The Best Around (Bruce Maxwell and TJ Cannon) at “Swingin for the Fences” on April 10th, 2010. They weren’t defeated for the titles, but had to relinquish them when Kingston left CZW. Younger also won the Junior Heavyweight Championship be beating Callihan in a “Best Two Out of Three Falls” match at “Cinco De Mayo” on May 5th, 2012. Sami would win the title back in a “60 Minute Ultraviolent Iron Man” match at “New Heights 2012” on July 14th.
At CZW’s “Seventeen”, on February 13th, 2016, Younger returned to the Combat Zone and won maybe the greatest prize the company offers, a place into the CZW Hall of Fame, which includes names like Sick Nick Mondo, Nick Cage, Wifebeater, DJ Hyde, and Ruckus.
Younger was well-known for all the death match and wrestling tournaments he’s competed in. He has been a part of almost every major tournament in independent wrestling from the “King of the Death Matches” in Mid-South to wXw’s “16 Carat Gold Tournament” to PWG’s “Battle of Los Angeles” to CHIKARA’s “King of Trios”.
He won “Tournament of Death VI” (TOD), the “Ted Petty Invitational 2008”, “King of Death Matches 2011”, and “Best of the Best XIII” (BOTB). He is the first and only man in CZW history to win both TOD and BOTB tournaments. He even held his own hardcore tournament at Heartland Wrestling Association (HWA) called the “Drake Younger Invitational”, which as part of “Drake Younger’s Psycho Circus” on July 31st, 2009. He, along with Jon Moxley, Ron Mathis, Dameon Daniels, Scotty Vortekz, and Christian Faith, competed in the tournament. Interestingly, Younger didn’t win, but rather friend and rival, Moxley, did.
While no longer an active competitor, Younger is still involved in wrestling. On Valentine’s Day 2014, he was signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as a referee in NXT under his real name, Drake Wuertz. He was scouted by William Regal while working of PWG and given a tryout. He made his WWE TV debut on July 10th, 2014 on an episode of NXT and still works there today. Notably, he refereed the debut of a former opponent in Kevin Owens (Kevin Steen).
From wrestler to referee, Younger has been called many things, like “Psycho Shooter”, “Golden Boy”, master of PMA (positive mental attitude) and now CZW Hall of Famer. He’s earned every nickname through his dedication to professional wrestling and bodily sacrifices in death matches. His ability to combine hardcore and technical wrestling like no one else ever has before makes him legendary. His positive personality and infectious smile make him unforgettable.
-Babs
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