It likely didn’t come as a surprise to any independent wrestling fan when the news broke recently that Jake Atlas has signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and is scheduled to report to the Performance Center in January. If you have seen Atlas wrestle since he graduated from Santino Bros. Wrestling Academy in 2016, you knew it was just a matter of time before this rising star was claimed by one of the major wrestling promotions. He has the perfect combination of talent and charisma that can absolutely enchant a crowd and it only takes one match for him to draw you in and procure your lifelong fandom.
My first Atlas match was in 2017 at Ground Zero’s inaugural show, Phase One. Although he had only been wrestling for a little over a year, Atlas carried himself with such undeniable confidence as he strode to the ring with his Aerial Instinct tag partner, Lucas Riley, that I was instantly intrigued. When the bell rang and he slipped between the ropes to battle Jesse James and Big Dick Hoss of True Grit, every movement he made seemed to drip with raw ability and it was obvious he was destined for greatness.
Since that match, I have had the privilege of watching Atlas perform on a regular basis. His face on a promotional flyer has been enough to entice me to drive from Los Angeles to San Diego and everywhere in between. During his bouts, he delivers each move with mesmerizing quickness and accuracy and his LGB-DDT is truly a sight to behold. With every match he gains new converts into the Jake Atlas fan club and the outpouring of praise on social media after he wrestles, from both fans and fellow wrestlers alike, is just confirmation that his talent has no bounds.
Atlas’ future clearly holds many moments that will be cheered by an audience numbering in the millions and millions, and his appearance at Pro Wrestling Guerrilla’s 2019 Battle of Los Angeles on September 20 offered a glimpse into that future. When Atlas’ entrance music hit on Night 2 for his first-round match against Jungle Boy, the crowd didn’t just cheer, it exploded in a pop that rivaled the Road Warriors circa 1985. The walls of the Globe Theater vibrated with the sound of the deafening “Jake! Jake! Jake!” chants before he had even walked through the curtain. There was a sense of impending sublimity in the air when Jungle Boy and Atlas shook hands at the start of their bout under the watchful eye of referee Aubrey Edwards. They exceeded even the wildest expectations with a match that was executed so masterfully it brought grown men and women to tears and was named Match of the Month for September by SoCal UNCENSORED. As a testament to his stellar performance, Atlas’ shirts were in such high demand that he sold out that weekend and had to make them available online through LapelYeah.
As Atlas takes this next inevitable step toward his goal of becoming the WWE World Champion, I am grateful for every one of his matches I have had the pleasure of watching from the front row of an indie show. I will cherish those moments as times I was lucky enough to see a superstar in the making. Thank you, Jake, for sharing your talents with us. Now, go show the world that “Superstar” Jake Atlas isn’t just a gimmick, it’s a prophecy.
Be sure to create your own Atlas moment before we are watching him exclusively on our televisions in a WWE ring instead of sweating it out at our local American Legion Hall. Atlas is scheduled to appear at Bar Wrestling’s November 6 show, November Spawned a Monster, Game Changer Wrestling’s November 8 show, Slime Language, and Santino Bros.’ January 4 show At Last. Follow Atlas on Twitter for booking updates.
