Who To Know for the TWB 100: Timothy Thatcher

The British Messiah should be on your radar Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

Another year is in the books, so another round of evaluating and ranking wrestlers is looming on the horizon. The TWB 100 will be happening again this year, and while the announcement will not come until the first or second week of March, it doesn't mean you don't have to worry about your ballot until then. Perhaps you feel secure in your ballot right now, but odds are, wrestlers exist who are off your radar that could use a little studying up upon. I am here to help you with your homework in that department.

Wrestler:"The British Messiah" Timothy Thatcher

Who Is He?: Thatcher is an English expat who settled down in Northern California and spent years up and down the coast wrestling for various independent promotions. He's currently billed from Sacramento, CA, which has served as a home base for him previously, but he's worked down in the Central Coast and greater Los Angeles areas. While he didn't hit Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, he did wrestle for every other major promotion down there, most especially Championship Wrestling from Hollywood. However, in 2014, Thatcher came east to work for Combat Zone Wrestling and the WWN Live family of companies. His popularity grew thanks to the wider audience, a big reason why he won the 2014 EVOLVE Style Battle tournament.

What's His Deal?: Thatcher is an adherent to the heavy mat-based style made famous by the World of Sport television program in England. However, unlike Johnny Saint and Johnny Kidd, he's a lot more rough around the edges and stiff. He's a wrestler who can make a wristlock look like a true submission hold that could end a match with ease. He also employs a gutwrench lift that is reminiscent of Aleksandr Karelin's.

Why You Should Consider Him for Your Ballot: Wrestlers like Chris Hero, Mike Quackenbush, Drew Gulak, and Colt Cabana have popularized integrating the grapple-heavy World of Sport ethos into modern indie matches, but none have made it their identity like Thatcher has. On a scene that demands stiffness and "realism," Thatcher is able to make simple grappling look fierce and rough. He's part of a troupe that is bringing the old school into the future and could bleed into main events and add some much needed variety to them.

Matches to Watch:

vs. Dave Dutra, 1/11/14, WCWF

vs. Biff Busick, 4/13/14, Beyond Wrestling Secret Show