Indy Power Rankings For The Week Of February 10th, 2014

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of February 10th, 2014

1. Matt Cage-It was another spirited debate this week for Indy Power Rankings voters, but when all was said and done, “Money” Matt Cage once again grabs the #1 spot. This was his 2nd straight week at #1 and much like last week, it was his overall body of work in 2014 that helped earn him the top spot this week. A victory vs. Gunner Franks at SCW on 2/8 and vs. Mallaki Matthews once again at Beyond Wrestling’s St. Louis tapings on 2/9 helps get him to the pinnacle of the IPR. The SCW Heavyweight and AAW Heritage Champion continues to make 2014 “Money” as he continues to put himself right at the top of the pack with victories everywhere he goes.

2. Christian Rose-In a vacuum, Christian Rose had arguably the BEST week for a one week span this week. He went 4-0 and only worked 2 shows! This “Bitter Lunatic” took his anger to IWA Mid-South for back-to-back shows where he teamed with Gary Jay & Jordynne Grace to defeat Chris Hero, Davey Vega, and Angelus Layne. Later in the day, he took on Danny Cannon in an insane contest that saw Rose score the victory with the Lion Tamer. The following day he travelled to St. Louis for Beyond Wrestling’s Tapings where he knocked off both Alex Castle & Mikey McFinnigan with the Lion Tamer. The DREAMWAVE Champion will inevitably score his 2nd ever #1 ranking if he can keep up this momentum.

3. Ricochet-On most weeks, a 4-0 weekend at Dragon Gate in Japan would put a wrestler of Ricochet’s stature at #1, easily, but this week was far more competitive than most weeks. While he’s not eligible for the Tag Team Top 5 due to his partners not competing in the U.S., Canada, or the UK in 2014, he did manage to win 4 tag team matches this week. “The Future of Flight” and former #1 in the Indy Power Rankings can certainly continue to win at Dragon Gate and if he does, it will be damn near impossible to keep him away from the #1 spot.

4. Kevin Steen-The former ROH World Champion and 5 time former #1 in the Indy Power Rankings makes his first appearance in the Indy Power Rankings in 2014 this week. While it may seem insane that a wrestler like Steen hasn’t been ranked this year, it hasn’t been your typical dominant Kevin Steen year…until now. On 2/7 he went to AIW where he defeated “All Ego” Ethan Page. He then went to ROH on 2/9 and won a HUGE 4 Way Contest for a future ROH World Title shot over last week’s #2 (and last year’s #1 in the IPR 100) Michael Elgin, Jay Lethal, and ROH TV Champion Tommaso Ciampa. Could we see Steen return to the #1 spot again? Some gold would help make the case.

5. Marcus Anthony-The OVW Heavyweight Champion drops just two spots this week but it wasn’t due to lack of activity this week. He managed to defeat Eddie Diamond on 2/5 AND 2/9 to continue his dominant winning streak. He’s another wrestler that flat out refuses to lose (except for by DQ when the circumstances dictate). Certainly on a slower week, he would have been a clear choice for #1, but for now he’ll have to settle for #4. More motivation for this monster…as if he needs it.

6. Ron Mathis-It was a great week for ½ of the D1W Tag Team Champions as he went 3-0 (after 2 victories last week) to make it 5 wins over the last 2 weeks. On 2/5 at Rockstar Pro he defeated Ganger before returning to Rockstar Pro and scoring one of the biggest wins of his career vs. former ECW World Champion Rhino. He polished off the week with a win vs. Vance Desmond at Remix Pro. “Relentless” is a perfect moniker for this young star.

7. Reed Bentley-The EPW Elite & DWW Alternative Champion made waves this week by defeating Chris Hero at IWA Mid-South in a battle of the brutal forearms. It was Chris Hero’s old trick that cost him the match as Bentley defeated him with the loaded elbow pad. A rematch looms in March, but for now, Bentley will enjoy his success after a 2-0 weekend where he also won in tag action, teaming with Adam Gooch to defeat Frank Wyatt & Alex Castle. We can continue to expect big things from Reed “By God” Bentley in 2014.

8. Caleb Konley-The PWX Heavyweight Champion is a former #1 in the Indy Power Rankings, but just a little bit of gold isn’t enough for Konley. On 2/9 he challenged Cedric Alexander for the WrestleForce Title…and came out with a new title for his collection. It’s pretty obvious that Caleb Konley owns the Carolinas this point. Add to that, he defeated Pepper Parks at CZW on 2/8 as well. Can Konley continue to climb the IPR ladder and grab his 2nd ever #1 ranking? Time will tell.

9. Josh Crane-After impressive performances over the last few months, Josh Crane finally gets into the Top 10 after going 3-0 over the weekend. On 2/8 he competed twice for IWA Mid-South as he defeated both Trik Davis & Todd Morton on separate shows. He then went to Beyond Wrestling’s St. Louis Tapings where he teamed with Tripp Cassidy to grab another victory vs. Dale Patricks & Marcus Edwards. This kid has a bright future and this could be just a taste of what’s to come.

10. Gary Jay-The St. Louis Anarchy Champion has been toiling around in the Midwest for quite some time without the recognition he rightfully deserves. This week he gets just a bit of it as he scored a couple of big victories at IWA Mid-South. First he teamed with Christian Rose & Jordynne Grace to defeat Chris Hero, Angelus Layne, & Davey Vega. He then took on Davey Vega in a singles match later in the day and once again came out victorious in the opening contest. With a big title defense vs. Kyle O’Reilly upcoming, Gary Jay is hitting his stride at the perfect time.

1st Honorable Mention. Scrap Yard Dog-2-0 at FSPW and NEW Champion.

2nd Honorable Mention. Uhaa Nation-4-1 week at Dragon Gate in Japan.

3rd Honorable Mention. Chase Dakota-Was successful in his 9th CWF Mid-Atlantic TV Title defense.

Just missing out/Others Receiving Votes:
Daniel Eads
Ryan Howe
Shane Marvel
Shane Hollister
Shaq Daddy
Ricky Love
AJ Smooth
Jack Thriller
Lee Valiant
Trevor Lee
John Skyler
AR Fox
Michael Elgin
Kimber Lee
Mickie Knuckles
David Mercury
Chasyn Rance
EJ Risk
Green Ant
Jay Briscoe
Brandon Espinosa
Jake Dirden
Slyck Wagner Brown
“Omaha Chainsaw” SM King
Horace the Psychopath