12 Large Brother: Remembering 'Sweet & Sour' Larry Sweeney

Wrestling isn't just WWE and TNA, I'm just the messenger of Independent Pro Wrestling, so please don't kill me again.

Now that I've gotten all that out of the way, let's get to what this article is really about.

 

Larry "Sweet & Sour" Sweeney

Larry Sweeney (real name Alex Whybrow) is the man responsible for introducing me to Chikara Pro Wrestling. While searching through YouTube one day, I came across a video of Colt Cabana having a strut off with Sweeney. I didn't know who Sweeney was, had never heard of Chikara, and barely knew anything about Colt Cabana.

Their strut off was entertaining, to say the least, and the match was pure comedy gold. I was hooked, I wanted to find out everything I could about Sweeney, Cabana, and this crazy promotion called Chikara. That was three years ago.

Things have changed since then; I now consider myself somewhat of an authority on Independent wrestling, especially Chikara.

It's hard to write this and I'm racking my brain to figure out a way to put this. Sadly, Larry Sweeney is no longer with us. On April 11, 2011, he was found dead after committing suicide; he was only 30.

The news of this shocked me; he seemed so full of life. He was the embodiment of charisma and charm, and moved around the ring like he owned the place.

I would later find out that Sweeney suffered from bipolar disorder and depression, something that I have struggled with in the past. Thankfully, I've gotten over all that, but I wish I could have said the same about Sweeney.

It's been a year now and I still miss him, we all still miss him.

It's hard to read Twitter and Facebook posts about him without getting a little teary. Guys like Eddie Kingston, The Batiri, Jigsaw, Chris Hero, and Steve the Turtle, all sharing their personal stories about Sweeney, and it makes me happy to see how many people loved and cared about him, whether it be fans, like myself, or wrestlers.

I wish he was still with us today and I wouldn't be writing this article, but thanks to his family, friends, and fans, Larry Sweeney will live on, even if it's just through memory. I'd like to think that wherever he is now, that he's at peace with himself.

12 Large Forever Brother!