SWEET AND SOUR FOREVER- 15 Years Later
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
To me, a simple minded fan, Larry Sweeney was a throwback in the modern times.
He had the gift of gab and charisma for weeks. His 12 Large elbow off the top rope took everyone out. And dare I say, the “Sweet And Sour Strut” was the modern day Jackie Fargo strut.
Simply put - “Sweet and Sour” was great.
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My first time ever seeing Larry Sweeney was at Ring of Honor Final Battle 2006. The Kings of Wrestling imploded, as Sweeney, a “super agent”, signed Chris Hero following Claudio Castagnoli’s impending departure to WWE, which wound up not happening.
Hero became the figurative “crown jewel” in Sweeney’s Sweet And Sour, Inc. Sweeney spent no expense on providing Hero everything he needed. He signed Tank Toland to be his personal trainer. He always had limousines and exclusive locker rooms for him, complete with caviar and sushi. He always got him big time matches in ROH, especially on pay-per-view.
Other talents saw what Sweeney was doing and became very interested.
In 2007, Matt Sydal signed with Sweet and Sour, and Sweeney got max money by getting the future Evan Bourne locked up with “Vince”. Sara Del Rey, one of the best female talents ever, came on board and used Sweeney’s influence for work in SHIMMER. (I actually wrote about that here: https://www.hardwayhq.com/single-post/bank-on-history-1) He even signed Bobby Dempsey; however, Bobby would be the Sweet and Sour whipping boy on more than one occasion.
By 2008, Sweeney got bored, and began the process for a hostile takeover for ROH. He signed Daniel Puder, winner of WWE’s Tough Enough in 2004, to be his “shooter”. At Take No Prisoners in March, Sweet And Sour, Inc merged with the Hangmen 3 and signed Adam Pearce, Brent Albright, and Pearce’s manservant Shane Hagadorn, while excommunicating BJ Whitmer from the company. He signed Go Shiozaki, Pro Wrestling NOAH prodigy, to a contract. Sweeney’s big coup was signing future ROH World Champions Davey Richards, away from the No Remorse Corps, and New England independent prospect Eddie Edwards
The two most important things he accomplished had long-term ramifications. Sweeney helped Hero turn serious and begin his journey as “That Young Knockout Kid”. Also, when he couldn’t get his hands on the ROH World Title, he struck a deal with the National Wrestling Alliance and got the NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship, held by Pearce, recognized by ROH.
Sadly, by 2009, Sweeney found himself outside of the company, due to serious mental health issues that befell him. Heartbreaking stuff.
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Over the years, so many memories have come out about Larry Sweeney that have transcended the test of time.
“Sweet And Sour” was the greatest ICW/ICWA Texarkana Television Champion of all time. His rivalry with Bryan Alvarez, best known for his work with Figure-4 Weekly and Wrestling Observer Live, is still absolutely hysterical.
Then, there was CHIKARA.
Sweeney’s rise to fame began here in the mid-2000s. Sweet And Sour International, the Kings of Wrestling, and the Fabulous Three. Three fantastic groups with loads of talent. Sweeney’s charisma led the charge for immense crowd reaction and hatred, yet inexplicable love at the same time for all three factions. He was that good.
His rivalry with “the Last of a Dying Breed” Eddie Kingston is still thought of fondly to this day. The wars that these men had together are still widely remembered. Their hatred led to a tight-knit bond with one another. The pair, in many senses of the word, were HIGHWAYMEN.
And, of course, the strut-off that has stood the test of time.
At Night 2 of the 2008 King of Trios, “Sweet and Sour”, in the beginnings of his match alongside the underrated Shayne Hawke and the illustrious Mitch Ryder against Demolition and the One Man Gang, challenged the Gang to a strut-off.
With “Jive Soul Bro” by Slick playing inside the ECW Arena, and a custom hat, borrowed from one-time Inter Species Wrestling promoter Ed Wood, on top of his bald dome, the Gang channeled his inner Akeem one more time and laid down a sick dance, getting the CHIKARA audience to their feet. Truly a legendary independent wrestling moment.
His final appearance was in 2010, when Sweeney surprised everyone at The Dark Cibernetico on October 23 at the Palmer Community Center in Easton, PA, as he unveiled himself to be the man under the Vökoder mask, and joined CHIKARA to take on the BDK. He even pinned Pinkie Sanchez, who had animosity with. A fantastic moment for everyone in attendance.
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I always have a thought in my head when it comes to Larry Sweeney’s wrestling career.
Was he 20 Years Too Late or 10 Years Too Early?
Yes to both.
However, I don’t like to deal with hypotheticals. What I can say is this: “Sweet and Sour” was an absolutely incredible talent. His promos and character work were top notch and his in-ring work was solid. He personified what professional wrestling was all about. From all the stories I’ve heard about him, he ate, breathed, and slept this business. The passion was second-to-none.
Guys like Larry Sweeney are once-in-a-generation. His legacy will always live on, thanks to the greatness of YouTube. I wish the modern internet wrestling fans were able to experience him live. There was nothing like it. Even now, 15 Years Later, his passing has left an indelible hole in the world of professional wrestling. He really was a modern-day throwback. It’s an oxymoron, but it totally fits who Larry Sweeney was.
Sweet and Sour Forever. Ain’t no doubt about it. 12 Large, brother.
Thank you, Larry Sweeney.
Bankie Bruce
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