In a 3 day weekend of anthropomorphic ants letting little kids cheat at Battleship, Japanese ladies beating the tar out of just about everyone (including each other), Demolition (!!!), and all of the wonderful, magical things that happened at King of Trios 2012, one moment that will always stand out for me was the brief but impactful appearance of the young Tim Donst.
On Night 2, Eddie Kingston has just wrestled a hard-fought match against Tadasuke. The match itself got mixed reviews, likely due to the abrupt change of pace and style, but one thing that’s certain is that when Donst interrupted Kingston before he had a chance to celebrate, before he could stand victorious over one of his most threatening opponents yet, my heel-lovin’ heart leapt.
It’s no secret that I’m a huge Tim Donst fan. If you’ve read the Best and Worst of TNAImpact, there’s a good bet I will mention him at least once a week. Heck, my post-Trios twitter feed was basically just a “me in a Tim Donst shirt” photo journal. As someone who clings fiercely to wrestling friendships, the Donst-Hammermeier strife gives me all of the sad wrestling feelings I can muster. But oh, remember that time he tried to murder Hallowicked with a drill in a furniture store? Best with a capital B.
Despite all of this, I’ve found that he’s always gotten a mixed reaction whenever I’ve seen him live. Now, one of these times could very well be a huge exception, given that I was the only one cheering (or reacting at all) in an audience that was half comprised of Leah Von Dutch’s totally-not-giving-a-shit friends and family, but still. People love him, but the cheers are kind of spread out. He gets heat, but nothing so loud you would take him for the brilliant heel that he is, or any kind of legitimate threat. And it’s a damn shame.
We’ve seen a real evolution of Donst as of late. Sure, he’s still the man, but slowly unfolding before us is a different man – a man unhinged. A man who has forsaken his friendships, fueled by both his love of wrestling and his hatred for everything he’s lost pursuing his passion. For me, his work is evocative of someone like Nick Bockwinkel, or Jake the Snake. He doesn’t have to yell or make as much noise as possible to intimidate. Calm, collected – like a slow burn – but with an unmistakable intensity.
Given Chikara’s cavalcade of outrageous personalities (hello, Kobald!), I can see how it would be easy to lose, not just the strictly human element, but the subtleties of the story being told by Donst. But I implore you, don’t give that tepid reaction. Love him or hate him, but with each passing event, each promo, it’s evident that Donst is becoming hard to ignore.
On Night 2, Eddie Kingston has just wrestled a hard-fought match against Tadasuke. The match itself got mixed reviews, likely due to the abrupt change of pace and style, but one thing that’s certain is that when Donst interrupted Kingston before he had a chance to celebrate, before he could stand victorious over one of his most threatening opponents yet, my heel-lovin’ heart leapt.
It’s no secret that I’m a huge Tim Donst fan. If you’ve read the Best and Worst of TNAImpact, there’s a good bet I will mention him at least once a week. Heck, my post-Trios twitter feed was basically just a “me in a Tim Donst shirt” photo journal. As someone who clings fiercely to wrestling friendships, the Donst-Hammermeier strife gives me all of the sad wrestling feelings I can muster. But oh, remember that time he tried to murder Hallowicked with a drill in a furniture store? Best with a capital B.
Despite all of this, I’ve found that he’s always gotten a mixed reaction whenever I’ve seen him live. Now, one of these times could very well be a huge exception, given that I was the only one cheering (or reacting at all) in an audience that was half comprised of Leah Von Dutch’s totally-not-giving-a-shit friends and family, but still. People love him, but the cheers are kind of spread out. He gets heat, but nothing so loud you would take him for the brilliant heel that he is, or any kind of legitimate threat. And it’s a damn shame.
We’ve seen a real evolution of Donst as of late. Sure, he’s still the man, but slowly unfolding before us is a different man – a man unhinged. A man who has forsaken his friendships, fueled by both his love of wrestling and his hatred for everything he’s lost pursuing his passion. For me, his work is evocative of someone like Nick Bockwinkel, or Jake the Snake. He doesn’t have to yell or make as much noise as possible to intimidate. Calm, collected – like a slow burn – but with an unmistakable intensity.
Given Chikara’s cavalcade of outrageous personalities (hello, Kobald!), I can see how it would be easy to lose, not just the strictly human element, but the subtleties of the story being told by Donst. But I implore you, don’t give that tepid reaction. Love him or hate him, but with each passing event, each promo, it’s evident that Donst is becoming hard to ignore.